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Environmental Protection: Action Needed to Ensure EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Activities Support Its Strategic Goals, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "In partnership with states, EPA oversees about 1.2 million regulated entities' (e.g., industrial facilities and local governments) compliance with federal environmental laws and regulations, including those governing air, water, and hazardous waste. OECA [Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance] conducts much of this oversight through EPA's 10 regional offices and a range of enforcement and compliance activities. OECA selects national initiatives to focus its resources on advancing EPA's strategic plan. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review EPA's enforcement efforts. This report examines how (1) EPA's enforcement and compliance priorities have changed since 2015 and the extent to which EPA implements them, (2) EPA's coordination with states to enforce and ensure compliance with environmental laws has changed since it shifted priorities, and (3) EPA has assessed whether its activities to enforce and ensure compliance with these laws meet its objectives."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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2020 Census: The Bureau Concluded Field Work but Uncertainty About Data Quality, Accuracy, and Protection Remains, a Report to Congressional Requesters
"'The Census Bureau has completed data collection operations for the 2020 Decennial Census. As the Bureau begins processing responses to deliver data for apportionment and redistricting, it will need to ensure the quality, accuracy, and protection of the data collected. In recent years, GAO [Government Accountability Office] has identified challenges to the Bureau's ability to conduct a cost-effective count of the nation, including new innovations, acquisition and development of IT systems, and other challenges. In 2017, these challenges led GAO to place the 2020 Census on its High-Risk List. Since 2007, GAO has made 113 recommendations specific to the 2020 Census. As of December 2020, 20 of the recommendations had not been fully implemented.' GAO was asked to provide regular updates on the 2020 Census. This report examines the cost and progress of key 2020 Census operations critical to a cost-effective enumeration, and early warnings that may require Census Bureau or congressional attention."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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Foreign Assistance: USAID Should Analyze Data on the Timeliness of Expenditures, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Congress provides foreign assistance funding through various appropriation accounts for international development projects. USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development] is the primary U.S. agency responsible for implementing these projects and may have up to 11 fiscal years to expend its appropriations from certain accounts. USAID requires program managers to follow its forward funding policy, with some exceptions, and annually monitor ULOs [unliquidated obligations] to identify excess funds that may be eligible for deobligation and used for other purposes. A Senate report provides for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to consult with the appropriations committee on a review of USAID's expenditure rates. This report examines (1) USAID data on ULOs for funds appropriated in fiscal years 2009-2019, (2) the extent to which expenditures in selected accounts met our definitions of timely or delayed under USAID policy, (3) the extent to which USAID monitors ULOs and the timeliness of expenditures, and (4) factors that USAID cites as contributing to expenditure delays and excess ULOs and steps taken to manage them."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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2020 Census: Census Bureau Needs to Assess Data Quality Concerns Stemming from Recent Design Changes, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "As the Bureau [U.S. Census Bureau] was mailing out invitations to respond to the decennial census and was preparing for fieldwork to count nonresponding households, much of the nation began closing down to contain the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. [...] This report, the first in a series of retrospective reviews on the 2020 Census, examines the key changes that the Bureau made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and how those changes affect the cost and quality of the census."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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Uranium Management: Actions to Mitigate Risks to Domestic Supply Chain Could Be Better Planned and Coordinated, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "NNSA [National Nuclear Security Administration] has several defense needs for enriched uranium, including low-enriched uranium to produce tritium for nuclear weapons. To meet these needs, NNSA relies on commercial sectors of the domestic uranium industry, such as uranium mining or enrichment, which make up a supply chain for unobligated uranium. However, this industry faces commercial viability risks. In April 2020, the President's Nuclear Fuel Working Group released a strategy to mitigate risks to the domestic uranium industry. This working group includes DOE [Department of Energy], the Department of Defense, and other agencies. Senate Report 115-262 included a provision that GAO [Government Accountability Office] review NNSA's planning for the future supply of unobligated enriched uranium. This report examines (1) risks agencies and others have identified to the unobligated uranium supply chain and agency actions to mitigate those risks, and (2) the extent to which the Nuclear Fuel Working Group's risk mitigation strategy incorporates desirable characteristics of a national strategy."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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Information Technology: Federal Agencies Need to Take Urgent Action to Manage Supply Chain Risks, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Federal agencies rely extensively on ICT [information and communications technology] products and services (e.g., computing systems, software, and networks) to carry out their operations. However, agencies face numerous ICT supply chain risks, including threats posed by counterfeiters who may exploit vulnerabilities in the supply chain and, thus, compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an organization's systems and the information they contain. For example, in September 2019, the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency reported that federal agencies faced approximately 180 different ICT supply chain-related threats. To address threats such as these, agencies must make risk-based ICT supply chain decisions about how to secure their systems. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to conduct a review of federal agencies' ICT SCRM [supply chain risk management] practices. The specific objective was to determine the extent to which federal agencies have implemented foundational ICT SCRM practices."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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Disaster Housing: Improved Cost Data and Guidance Would Aid FEMA Activation Decisions, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "The 2017 and 2018 hurricanes (Harvey, Irma, Maria, Florence, and Michael) caused $325 billion in damage. FEMA provided post-disaster assistance, including rental and direct housing assistance. DHAP [Disaster Housing Assistance Program] was a pilot grant program that provided temporary rental assistance and was used to respond to several hurricanes before 2017. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review issues related to major disasters in 2018 and housing assistance provided after the 2017 and 2018 hurricanes. This report (1) describes the assistance FEMA provided in response to those hurricanes, and (2) evaluates the extent to which FEMA considered cost-effectiveness in activating programs."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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NASA Human Space Exploration: Significant Investments in Future Capabilities Require Strengthened Management Oversight, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "NASA is pursuing an aggressive goal to return American astronauts to the surface of the Moon by the end of 2024. The success of NASA's plans hinges, in part, on two upcoming test flights. An uncrewed test flight and subsequent crewed test flight are intended to demonstrate the capability of a new launch vehicle, crew capsule, and ground systems. The House Committee on Appropriations included a provision in its 2017 report for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to continue to review NASA's human space exploration programs. This is the latest in a series of GAO reports addressing this topic. This report assesses (1) the progress the programs are making towards the first test flight, known as Artemis I, with respect to schedule and cost, and (2) the extent to which NASA's human space exploration programs are positioned to support the planned Artemis flight schedule beyond Artemis I."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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Nation's Fiscal Health: Information on the Spending and Revenue Implications of Potential Debt Targets, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Even before the fiscal and economic effects resulting from COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], an imbalance between federal revenue and spending that is built into current law and policy was contributing to the growing federal debt. The Congressional Budget Office projects that by 2023 federal debt held by the public will reach 107 percent of GDP [gross domestic product], its highest point in U.S. history. This situation--in which federal debt grows faster than GDP--means that our nation is on an unsustainable fiscal path. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review issues related to fiscal rules and targets and the federal fiscal condition. In response to this request, in September 2020, GAO issued a report (GAO-20-561) on key considerations for the design, implementation, and enforcement of fiscal rules and targets. This report supplements that work and describes how changes in assumptions of future spending and revenue affect the federal government's projected fiscal condition."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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Information Technology: DOD Software Development Approaches and Cybersecurity Practices May Impact Cost and Schedule, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "For fiscal year 2020, DOD requested approximately $36.1 billion for IT [information technology] investments. Those investments included major IT programs, which are intended to help the department sustain key operations. The 'National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019' included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to assess selected IT programs annually through March 2023. GAO's objectives for this review were to, among other things, (1) describe the extent to which selected major IT programs have changed their planned costs and schedules since the programs' initial baselines; and (2) describe what selected software development and cybersecurity risks or challenges, if any, may impact major IT programs' acquisition outcomes."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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Commercial Space Transportation: FAA Should Examine a Range of Options to Support U.S. Launch Infrastructure, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Demand for commercial space launches is anticipated to increase in the coming years. FAA [Federal Aviation Administration], the agency responsible for overseeing the sites where these launches occur, was directed by statute to submit a report-- and update it every 2 years until December 2024--that makes recommendations on how to facilitate and promote greater investments in space transportation infrastructure. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review issues related to space transportation infrastructure. This report discusses launch providers' and site operators' views on the sufficiency of infrastructure in meeting market demand and assesses the steps FAA has taken to identify options for federal support of space transportation infrastructure, among other things."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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Rural Hospital Closures: Affected Residents Had Reduced Access to Health Care Services, Report to the Ranking Member, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate
From the Highlights: "Rural hospitals face many challenges in providing essential access to health care services to rural communities. From January 2013 through February 2020, 101 rural hospitals closed. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine the effects of rural hospital closures on residents living in the areas of the hospitals that closed. This report examines, among other objectives, how closures affected the distance for residents to access health care services, as well as changes in the availability of health care providers in counties with and without closures."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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Fair Labor Standards Act: Tracking Additional Complaint Data Could Improve DOL's Enforcement, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The FLSA [Fair Labor Standards Act] sets federal minimum wage and overtime pay requirements for millions of U.S. workers. WHD [Wage and Hour Division] may investigate worker complaints of FLSA violations or initiate investigations in industries it prioritizes for enforcement. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review WHD compliance actions. This report examines (1) trends in WHD's FLSA minimum wage and overtime cases, (2) the extent to which WHD's FLSA compliance actions targeted priority industries, and (3) the extent to which WHD's reported efforts and data indicate that WHD applied a consistent process to FLSA complaints."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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Chemical Assessments: Annual EPA Survey Inconsistent with Leading Practices in Program Management, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "EPA's IRIS [Integrated Risk Information System] Program prepares chemical toxicity assessments that contain EPA's scientific position on the potential human health effects of exposure to chemicals; at present, the IRIS database contains more than 570 chemical assessments. In March 2019, GAO [Government Accountability Office] reported on the IRIS Program's changes to increase transparency about its processes and methodologies, including the use of systematic review. However, GAO also found that EPA decreased the number of ongoing assessments in December 2018 from 22 to 13 and continued to face challenges in producing timely assessments. This report evaluates (1) EPA's progress in completing IRIS chemical assessments since 2018; and (2) EPA's recent actions to manage the IRIS Program, and the extent to which these actions help the Program meet EPA user needs. GAO reviewed and analyzed EPA documents and interviewed officials from EPA; GAO also selected three standards for program management, found commonalities among them, and compared ORD's [Office of Research and Development] management of the IRIS Program against these leading practices."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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Elder Justice: HHS Could Do More to Encourage State Reporting on the Costs of Financial Exploitation, Report to the Special Committee on Aging, United States Senate
From the Highlights: "Elder financial exploitation--the fraudulent or illegal use of an older adult's funds or property--has far-reaching effects on victims and society. Understanding the scope of the problem has thus far been hindered by a lack of nationwide data. In 2013, HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] worked with states to create NAMRS [National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System], a voluntary system for collecting APS [Adult Protective Services] data on elder abuse, including financial exploitation. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to study the extent to which NAMRS provides information on elder financial exploitation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-12
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Global Food Security: Information on Spending and Types of Assistance Provided by the United States and Other Donors
From the Document: "In 2020, the United Nations (UN) reported that nearly 690 million people in the world were undernourished. According to this reporting, the number of undernourished people has increased by 60 million since 2014. Stunting--a condition where children are too short for their age due to poor nutrition in-utero and in early childhood--affected more than 140 million children under the age of 5 around the world in 2019. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is expected to worsen food insecurity levels around the world. In April 2020, the International Food Policy Research Institute estimated that, absent interventions, more than 140 million additional people around the world could fall into extreme poverty in 2020, which would exacerbate global food insecurity. UN projections indicate that 83 million to 132 million people could become undernourished in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has reported that COVID-19's effects on emerging economies could increase emergency food assistance needs by 25 percent. [...] This report examines the amount and types of food security assistance that the United States and other donors have provided globally from 2014 through 2018."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11-19
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Military Personnel: Perspectives on DOD's and the Military Services' Use of Borrowed Military Personnel
From the Document: "The House Armed Services Committee has questioned whether the Department of Defense (DOD) continues to divert servicemembers from their unit assignments to perform nonmilitary functions that could be performed by civilian employees. In 2015, we reported that the Army did not know the extent to which it used borrowed military personnel, and we recommended that the Army establish a requirement to collect, track, and report data on the use of borrowed military personnel and provide guidance to ensure that data collected are complete and accurate. Although the Army concurred with our recommendation at that time, Army officials also stated that it would be unreasonable to require the Army to undertake such a tracking requirement, since the Army policy states that it is acceptable to use soldiers for training missions or for temporary functions. In addition, in August 2020 Army officials stated that Army policy, to be updated by December 2020, will further restrict the use of borrowed military personnel. House Report 116-120, accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, included a provision for us to assess the levels and impacts of borrowed military personnel. This report examines DOD's and the military services' policies on the use of borrowed military personnel, the tracking and reporting of their use of borrowed military personnel, and any impacts of that use on readiness."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11-18
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Federal Telework: Key Practices That Can Help Ensure the Success of Telework Programs, Statement of Michelle B. Rosenberg, Acting Director, Strategic Issues, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Telework offers benefits to federal agencies as well as to the federal workforce. These include improving recruitment and retention of employees, reducing the need for costly office space, and an opportunity to better balance work and family demands. In addition, telework is a tool that agencies can use to help accomplish their missions during periods of disruption, including during the current COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. Congress has encouraged federal agencies to expand staff participation in telework, most recently by passing the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 (the act). The act established requirements for executive agencies' telework policies and programs, among other things. This statement provides key practices to help ensure the success of telework programs. The statement is based on GAO's [Government Accountability Office] body of work on federal telework issued from July 2003 through February 2017."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11-18
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Financial Audit: Office of Financial Stability's (Troubled Asset Relief Program) FY 2020 and FY 2019 Financial Statements
From the Document: "This report transmits the GAO [Government Accountability Office] auditor's report on the results of our audits of the fiscal years 2020 and 2019 financial statements of the Office of Financial Stability (Troubled Asset Relief Program), which is incorporated in the enclosed 'Office of Financial Stability (Troubled Asset Relief Program) Agency Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2020'. As discussed more fully in the auditor's report that begins on page 19 of the enclosed agency financial report, we found [1] the Office of Financial Stability's (OFS) financial statements for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) as of and for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2020, and 2019, are presented fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; [2] OFS maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting for TARP as of September 30, 2020; and [3] no reportable noncompliance for fiscal year 2020 with provisions of applicable laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements we tested."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11-10
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Oil and Gas: Onshore Competitive and Noncompetitive Lease Revenues, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "According to BLM [Bureau of Land Management], federal onshore oil and gas leases generate about $3 billion annually in federal revenues, including royalties, one-time bonus bid payments, and rents. The Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987 requires that public lands available for oil and gas leasing first be offered under a competitive bidding process. BLM offers leases with 10- year primary terms competitively through auction or, if the tract of land does not receive an adequate bid, noncompetitively for a fee. The minimum bid is $2 per acre, and bids at or above the minimum are called bonus bids. ONRR [Office of Natural Resources Revenue] is to collect revenues from oil and gas leases in accordance with the specific terms and conditions outlined in the leases, including revenues from rents and royalties. Lessees are to pay rent annually until production begins on the leased land and then pay royalties as a percentage of oil and gas production. Lease terms may be extended beyond the primary term if, for example, the lease is producing oil or gas. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review oil and gas leasing on federal lands. This report describes oil and gas revenues from competitive and noncompetitive leases for fiscal years 2003 through 2019."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Aviation Safety: FAA's Office of Aviation Safety Should Take Additional Actions to Ensure Its Workforce Has Needed Skills, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights; "FAA's [Federal Aviation Administration] aviation safety workforce is vital to ensuring that the agency fulfills its mission to provide a safe and efficient national airspace system. With the challenges of a large number of potential retirements on the horizon and the introduction of new aviation technologies, FAA must ensure that safety inspectors and engineers possess skills needed for effective oversight as well as for a variety of highly technical skills in aerospace technology. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on the workforce and training needs of AVS [Office of Aviation Safety]. This report addresses, among other things, the extent to which AVS (1) assesses competency gaps in its inspector and engineer workforces and (2) ensures its training program provides these workforces with needed competencies."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Defense Reform: DOD Has Made Progress, but Needs to Further Refine and Formalize Its Reform Efforts, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "DOD spends billions of dollars each year to maintain key business operations. Section 921 of the NDAA [John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act] for FY 2019 established requirements for DOD to reform these operations and report on their efforts. DOD has also undertaken additional efforts to reform its operations in recent years. Section 921 called for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to assess the accuracy of DOD's reported cost baselines and savings, and section 1753 of the NDAA for FY 2020 called for GAO to report on the OCMO's [Office of the Chief Management Officer] efficiency initiatives. This report assesses the extent to which DOD has (1) established valid and reliable baseline cost estimates for its business operations; (2) established well-documented cost savings estimates reflecting its reforms; and (3) coordinated its reform efforts."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Financial Audit: Bureau of the Fiscal Service's FY 2020 and FY 2019 Schedules of Federal Debt, Report to the Secretary of the Treasury
From the Highlights: "GAO [Government Accountability Office] audits the consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government. Because of the significance of the federal debt to the government-wide financial statements, GAO audits Fiscal Service's Schedules of Federal Debt annually to determine whether, in all material respects, (1) the schedules are fairly presented and (2) Fiscal Service management maintained effective internal control over financial reporting relevant to the Schedule of Federal Debt. Further, GAO tests compliance with selected provisions of applicable laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements related to the Schedule of Federal Debt."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Technology Assessment: Artificial Intelligence in Health Care, Benefits and Challenges of Technologies to Augment Patient Care, with Content from the National Academy of Medicine, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Executive Summary: "This report is being jointly published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Part One of this joint publication is the full presentation of GAO's Technology Assessment: 'Artificial Intelligence in Health Care: Benefits and Challenges of Technologies to Augment Patient Care'. Part Two is the full presentation of NAM's Special Publication: Advancing Artificial Intelligence in Health Settings Outside the Hospital and Clinic. Although GAO and NAM staff consulted with and assisted each other throughout this work, reviews were conducted by GAO and NAM separately and independently, and authorship of the text of Part One and Part Two of this Executive Summary and the following report lies solely with GAO and NAM, respectively."
United States. Government Accountability Office; National Academy of Medicine
2020-11
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COVID-19: Urgent Actions Needed to Better Ensure an Effective Federal Response, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "As of November 12, 2020, the U.S. had over 10.3 million cumulative reported cases of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and about 224,000 reported deaths, according to federal agencies. The country also continues to experience serious economic repercussions. Four relief laws, including the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act, were enacted as of November 2020 to provide appropriations to address the public health and economic threats posed by COVID-19. As of September 30, 2020, of the $2.6 trillion appropriated by these acts, the federal government had obligated a total of $1.8 trillion and expended $1.6 trillion of the COVID-19 relief funds, as reported by federal agencies. The CARES Act included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report examines the federal government's continued efforts to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Veterans Health Care: Agency Efforts to Provide and Study Prosthetics for Small but Growing Female Veteran Population, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Women are the fastest growing veteran subpopulation, with the number of female veterans using VHA [Veterans Health Administration] health care services increasing 29 percent from 2014 to 2019. Female veterans accounted for an estimated 10 percent of the total veteran population in fiscal year 2019. They are eligible to receive a full range of VHA health care services, including obtaining prosthetics. House Report 115-188 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review VHA's prosthetic services for female veterans. This report examines 1) trends in prosthetics provided by VHA to female veterans; 2) characteristics of the female veteran population with limb loss and how VHA provides prosthetic services to these veterans through its Amputation System of Care; and 3) VHA's research efforts and the challenges that exist in studying prosthetics for female veterans with limb loss."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Comparative Effectiveness Research: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and HHS Continue Activities and Plan New Efforts, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) authorized establishment of PCORI [Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute] to conduct CER [comparative clinical effectiveness research] and improve its quality and relevance. PPACA also established new requirements for HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] to, among other things, disseminate findings from federally funded CER and coordinate federal programs to build data capacity for this research. To fund CER activities, PPACA established the Trust Fund, which provided a total of about $3.6 billion to PCORI and HHS for CER activities during fiscal years 2010 through 2019. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, added new CER requirements and extended funding at similar levels through fiscal year 2029. PPACA and the Appropriations Act 2020 included provisions that GAO [Government Accountability Office] review PCORI and HHS's CER activities. This report describes (1) the CER activities PCORI and HHS carried out to meet legislative requirements, (2) how PCORI and HHS allocated funding to those CER activities, and (3) PCORI and HHS efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of their CER dissemination and implementation activities, such as changes in medical practice."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Indian Health Service: Actions Needed to Improve Oversight of Federal Facilities' Decision-Making About the Use of Funds, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "IHS [Indian Health Service], an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, provides care to AI/AN [American Indians and Alaska Natives] populations through a system of federally operated and tribally operated health care facilities. AI/AN have experienced long standing problems accessing needed health care services. GAO [Government Accountability Office] has previously reported that IHS has not been able to pay for all eligible health care services; however, the resources available to federally operated facilities have recently grown. This report assesses IHS oversight of federal health care facilities' decision-making about the use of funds. GAO reviewed IHS policies and documents; and interviewed IHS officials from headquarters, nine area offices, and three federally operated facilities (two hospitals and one health clinic)."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Drug Misuse: Agencies Have Not Fully Identified How Grants That Can Support Drug Prevention Education Programs Contribute to National Goals, Report to the Congress
From the Highlights: "Most people who develop a substance use disorder begin using substances as adolescents. To reach adolescents, drug prevention programs are frequently provided in schools. [Department of] Education, HHS [Department of Health and Human Services], and ONDCP [Office of National Drug Control Policy] manage most federal programs that support school-based drug prevention activities. This report (1) describes how Education, HHS, and ONDCP support drug prevention activities in schools, and monitor those efforts and (2) examines the extent to which these agencies identify how their prevention activities support the National Drug Control Strategy."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
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Defense Production Act: Opportunities Exist to Increase Transparency and Identify Future Actions to Mitigate Medical Supply Chain Issues, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has put the U.S. health care system under severe strain, including affecting the federal government's ability to buy and maintain critical medical supplies to treat patients and protect health care workers. In March 2020 agencies began using DPA [Defense Production Act] authorities to rapidly obtain and expand domestic production of medical supplies for COVID-19. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act provided the Department of Defense (DOD) $1 billion for DPA purchases related to COVID-19. HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] also reported using some of the $8.4 billion it obligated to buy supplies and replenish the Strategic National Stockpile to increase domestic production of medical supplies, which GAO [Government Accountability Office] refers to as similar actions. The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO to monitor funds provided for the COVID-19 pandemic. This report examines (1) federal agencies' use of these actions to address COVID-19, and (2) the federal approach for using DPA and similar actions for medical supplies, among other issues."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-11
