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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 624: Social Security Fraud Prevention Act of 2017
"H.R. 624 would prohibit federal agencies from including social security account numbers on any documents sent by mail unless the agency determines that inclusion of the number is necessary. There are many federal laws and regulations that deal with the protection of sensitive information including the Federal Information Security Management Act, the Privacy Act of 1974, and a 2007 memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget on safeguarding against and responding to the breach of personally identifiable information. Because of those laws and rules, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] expects that most agencies are working to limit the amount of personally identifiable information that they collect and disseminate. As a consequence, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 624 would have no significant cost over the next five years. Enacting the legislation could affect direct spending by agencies not funded through annual appropriations; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. CBO estimates, however, that any net increase in spending by those agencies would be negligible. Enacting H.R. 624 would not affect revenues. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 624 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028. H.R. 624 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2017-02-24
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Contractor Whistleblower Protections Pilot Program: Improvements Needing to Ensure Effective Implementation, Report to Congressional Committees
"Whistleblowers play an important role in safeguarding the federal government against fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 introduced a pilot program to expand whistleblower rights against reprisal for executive agencies' contractors, subcontractors, and grantee employees. Also, in 2013, the FAR [Federal Acquisition Regulation] was amended to require agencies to insert a contract clause to ensure contractors communicate rights to their employees for certain contracts. The act also contained a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on the status of the pilot program. This report: (1) describes the results of the whistleblower pilot program across 14 selected executive departments from July 1, 2013, to December 31, 2015 and (2) assesses the extent to which four departments implemented the pilot program. GAO analyzed survey data from 14 executive departments, which are a subset of all entities covered by the legislation; selected four departments based on high and low contract funds awarded to conduct a more detailed review of the pilot program implementation; interviewed agency officials and contractors; and reviewed a non-generalizable sample of contracts included in the pilot program. [...] GAO is making specific recommendations to the four selected departments to improve whistleblower protections policies and guidance and communication with contractors. The departments agreed with the recommendations and have taken or identified actions to address the recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2017-03-02
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Safe Track?: Oversight of WMATA's Safety and Maintenance, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets and the Subcommittee on Government Operations, of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, United States House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, December 02, 2016
This testimony compilation made by the HSDL staff is from the December 02, 2016 hearing, "Safe Track?: Oversight of WMATA's Safety and Maintenance," before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets and Subcommittee on Government Operations of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The purpose of this hearing was to discuss the efforts of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority [WMATA] to update its rail system through the SafeTrack program, which condenses three years of maintenance into a single year and involves 15 'safety surges' of increased closures to provide larger windows for maintenance. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Paul Wiedefeld, Christopher A. Hart, Mathew Welbes, Jack Evans, and Raymond Jackson.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (2007-)
2016-12-02
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Antibiotics: FDA Has Encouraged Development, but Needs to Clarify the Role of Draft Guidance and Develop Qualified Infections Disease Product Guidance, Report to Congressional Requesters
"Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections, but this role is threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development of new drugs. FDA [Federal Drug Association] oversees the approval of drugs for the U.S. market. The GAIN [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now] provisions created the QIDP [qualified infections disease products] designation and it s associated incentives to encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections. While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs, GAO was asked to provide information on FDA's efforts to implement GAIN. This report examines (1) steps FDA has taken to encourage the development of antibiotics since GAIN, and (2) drug sponsors' perspectives on FDA's efforts. GAO analyzed FDA data on requests for the QIDP designation from July 2012 through December 2015 (the most recent data available at the time of GAO's review), and on drugs approved with this designation during the same time frame. GAO reviewed relevant FDA guidance documents and internal controls. GAO interviewed FDA officials and obtained information from a nongeneralizable selection of 10 drug sponsors about FDA efforts. [...] GAO recommends that FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated incentives. HHS said it would consider GAO's first recommendation and agreed with the second. GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2017-01-31
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Examining the Costs of Overclassification on Transparency and Security, Hearing Before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, United States House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, December 07, 2016
This testimony compilation made by the HSDL staff is from the December 07, 2016 hearing, "Examining the Costs of Overclassification on Transparency and Security," before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The purpose of this hearing was to discuss the various classification levels applied to the variety of documents produced by the U.S. Government, and to examine the circumstances in which a classification is applied. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: J. William Leonard, Steven Aftergood, Tom Blanton, and Scott Amey.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (2007-)
2016-12-07
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Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Healthcare Preparedness Capability Review National Call Capability 10: Medical Surge and Immediate Bed Availability (IBA) Meeting Summary
From the document: "…welcome everyone to the HPP Medical Surge/IBA [Immediate Bed Availability] call to discuss HPP's[Hospital Preparedness Program] innovative approach to implementing HPP Healthcare Preparedness Capability 10. HPP welcomes representatives from the Hospital Associations, State and territorial HPP directors, Hospitals/Healthcare Organizations (HCOs), Healthcare Coalition Executive Working Group (HCEWG) members, State/ territorial public health representatives, and CDC [Center for Disease Control and Prevention] Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) colleagues to the call. The intent of this call is to share information about Capability 10: Medical Surge across a wide spectrum and to operationalize that capability by discussing IBA."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
2013-05-30
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Hearing to Conduct Oversight on Issues Facing U.S. Affiliated Islands and to Consider Two Measures Related to U.S. Affiliated Islands, Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, April 5, 2016
This testimony compilation is from the April 5, 2016 hearing on "Hearing to Conduct Oversight" held before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. From the opening statement of Cory Gardner: "Specifically we will be looking at two bills - S. 2360 the Omnibus Territories Act of 2015, and S. 2610, a bill to approve the 2010 Agreement between the United States and Palau. We will also review reports by the U.S. Government Accountability Office relating to the Agreement with Palau as well as a review of the Compacts of Free Association with the Marshall Islands and Micronesia and the impact of Compact migrants in our states and territories. [...] Certainly the topic of Compact Impact is important to Hawaii and Guam - and a growing importance to states like Arkansas, Missouri, and Oregon as citizens of the Freely Associated States migrate further into the United States." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Esther P. Kia'aina and David Gootnick.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
2016-04-05
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Local and State Perspectives on BLM's Draft Planning 2.0 Rule, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Committee on Natural Resources, United States House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, May 12, 2016
This testimony compilation is from the May 12, 2016 hearing on "Local and State Perspectives" held before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. From the statement of Caren Cowan: "The use of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in critical to the ranching communities of New Mexico as well as to NMCGA's members in numerous other states. Given the vast amounts of lands managed by the agency within the Western states, the ability for local governments to participate in federal activities on lands that make up a large majority of many counties is of critical importance. [...] Not only is local government participation in planning is a huge concern, but the redefining the term 'landscape' to cover vast amounts of land without the recognition of geopolitical boundaries is a not well-veiled attempt at federal control over counties and states." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Caren Cowan, Jim French, Corey Fisher, and Pete Obermueller.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Natural Resources
2016-05-12
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Navy and Marine Corps Aviation Programs, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Seapower of the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, April 20, 2016
This testimony compilation is from the April 20, 2016 hearing on "Navy and Marine Corps Aviation Programs" held before the Senate Subcommittee on Seapower. From the statement of Paul A. Groslags: "Our ability to respond to the dynamic strategic environment, high operational tempo and Combatant Commander (COCOM) requirements is constrained by the current fiscal realities. The Department is still recovering from reduced funding over Fiscal Years 2013-2016 that collectively provided $30 billion less than the levels requested in our President's Budget submissions. [...] This fiscal context drives difficult choices, but also fosters new thinking in order to best balance between capability, capacity, readiness and a vital industrial base. The Fiscal Year 2017 President's Budget integrates the mission guidance, operational context, and fiscal constraints in making focused investments, hard prioritized choices, and innovative reform to resource and delivers a global sea-based force. The Department's aviation plans are formulated to reach and maintain the required force structure with the right capabilities, while sustaining the initial industrial base required to support this force." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Paul A. Groslags, Jon M. Davis, and Michael C. Manazir.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Armed Services
2016-04-20
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Transferring Guantanamo Bay Detainees to the Homeland: Implications for States and Local Communities, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency of the Committee on Homeland Security, United States House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, April 28, 2016
This testimony compilation is from the April 28, 2016 hearing on "Transferring Guantanamo Bay Detainees" held before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency. From the opening statement of Scott Perry: "But it's time to set the record straight: the Administration has failed to seek very necessary input from state and local law enforcement on its plan. The reason is simple: law enforcement professionals strongly oppose any plan that could endanger the citizens they're sworn to protect. [...] We also have legal questions - such as whether these terrorists could be eligible for certain forms of relief from removal, release from immigration detention, or constitutional rights. The Department of Justice believes that existing statutory safeguards are sufficient and courts historically have ruled that detainees held under the laws of war who are brought to the US are outside the reach of immigration laws. But make no mistake…their lawyers will test every avenue, and slow justice even further." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Nikki R. Haley, Michael Bouchard, Todd Thompson, and Ken Gude.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Homeland Security
2016-04-28
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Department of the Navy 2017 Operations and Maintenance Budget Request and Readiness Posture, Hearing Before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Readiness, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, March 17, 2016
This testimony compilation is from the March 17, 2016 hearing, "Department of the Navy 2017 Operations and Maintenance Budget Request and Readiness Posture" before the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services. From the statement of Vice Admiral John C. Aquilino: "[w]e appreciate the opportunity to testify on the current state of Navy readiness and projected changes to that readiness with the Fiscal Year 2017 budget request. This budget submission provides the resources to deliver sustainable deployed forces and supports our continued readiness recovery efforts. The submission also contains the hard choices and trade-offs we were obligated to make in order to achieve future war-fighting capability." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Vice Admiral John C. Aquilino, Vice Admiral Phillip H. Cullom, and Admiral Michelle J. Howard.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Armed Services
2016-03-17
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Nomination Hearing: Jeff Sessions, Attorney General, Hearing Before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, December 9, 2016
This is the nomination hearing for to-be Attorney General Jeff Sessions compiled by the HSDL staff. This hearing was held before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on December 9, 2016. The purpose of this hearing was to approve the nomination of Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions to the executive administration's appointment of Attorney General. The hearing includes various testimonies from witnesses expressing concerns for this nomination or expression their support for this nomination. A variety of statements have been submitted from groups around the United States to voice support or disapproval with the nomination of Jeff Sessions as U.S. Attorney General. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Richard Shelby, Susan Collins, Jeff Sessions, Michael Mukasey, Oscar Vazquez, Peter Kirsanow, Amita Swadhin, Jayann Sepich, Cornell Brooks, Chuck Canterbury, David Cole, Larry Thompson, Cory Booker, Willie Huntley, John Lewis, Jesse Seroyer, Cedric Richmond and William Smith.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary
2016-12-09
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Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Changes Planned to Budget Structure and Justification, Report to Congressional Committees
"NRC [Nuclear Regulatory Commission] is an independent agency that regulates civilian uses of nuclear materials in the United States. From fiscal years 2005 to 2010, NRC's budget and workforce increased by about 59 percent and about 27 percent, respectively, in anticipation of growth in the commercial nuclear industry. When this growth did not occur, NRC made plans to reduce its budget and workforce. However, Congress and licensees--the companies regulated by NRC--have expressed confusion about the annual budget request for NRC, and they say they cannot determine specifically how NRC plans to spend its appropriations. The explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review NRC's budget formulation process. This report examines (1) how NRC formulates its budget and how it s budget structure changed for fiscal years 2010 through 2017 and (2) the extent to which NRC's budget justification aligns with its budget execution and reflects the agency's use of funds for prior years. GAO reviewed NRC documentation, interviewed NRC and Office of Management and Budget staff, and interviewed a nongeneralizable sample of 13 industry stakeholders and 1 non-industry stakeholder. GAO also analyzed N RC budget and obligation data to assess trends from fiscal year s 2010 through 2015. [...] GAO is not making recommendations. NRC generally agreed with GAO's findings."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2017-03-08
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Determinants of Achieving Effective Shared Situational Awareness within the Context of Global Maritime Partnerships
"Maritime domain awareness as it is termed in the United States is a key enabler to help maritime forces and other organizations maintain maritime safety and security. Regional bodies such as the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) have expressed their willingness to harmonize competing national interests and to mobilize international assistance to build regional capacity in crucial areas, such as surveillance, patrolling, logistics, and information sharing. According to a United Nations report, this growing determination comes at a time when pirate attacks off Africa's west coast have become more violent, sophisticated, and systematic. The maritime domain is vulnerable to a wide array of threats, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; environmental degradation; smuggling; trafficking in persons; narcotics trafficking; piracy; proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and terrorism. The Maritime Domain Awareness Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is an analytical tool designed to assess existing maritime domain awareness capabilities and gaps. It can be used to provide a snapshot of a country's capacity to achieve different levels of maritime domain awareness. The Maritime Domain Awareness CMM is designed to suggest a strategy that organizations could adopt to improve Maritime Domain capabilities with a set of milestones that represent significantly different levels of capability. These milestones are expressed as maturity levels. The Maritime Domain Awareness CMM was used to rank African countries and then regression analysis was computed to determine how well the variables of trust, globalization (networking), economic wealth, and corruption explained the variability in CMM ranking."
United States. Navy. 6th Fleet
Bates, Edgar
2013-06
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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) GPS Interference Detection and Mitigation (IDM) Program
This is a presentation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on GPS Interference and Detection and Mitigation (IDM) Program. "Topics of Discussion: Governance; Existing/Emerging Threats Assessments; Patriot Watch --A National Capability: Critical Infrastructure Key Resources, CONOPS Development, PNT Incident Portal/Central Data Repository, National Sensor Capability initiatives "
United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Coast Guard
Penick, Brian; Merrill, John
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Sexual Assault: Better Resource Management Needed to Improve Prevention and Response in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Report: "Sexual assault in the Army is often discussed in terms of its incidence among active-duty forces. Sexual assault is a crime that similarly confronts the more than 550,000 members who collectively serve in the Guard and Reserve, who together reported 604 sexual assault incidents in fiscal year 2015; however, sexual assault is generally an underreported crime. Congress included a provision in statute for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review sexual assault prevention and response in the Army's reserve components. This report addresses the extent to which (1) the Guard and Reserve face any challenges implementing programs to prevent and respond to sexual assault; and (2) medical and mental health-care services are available to victims in the Guard and Reserve. GAO reviewed DOD and Army policies; administered two web-based surveys; conducted site visits to four installations; and interviewed officials. What GAO Recommends GAO is making six recommendations, including that DOD evaluate program staffing structure, communicate and develop budget guidance, assess the Guard's investigation timeliness and resources, and develop an expedited process for determining Reserve eligibility for healthcare services. DOD concurred with three recommendations partially concurred with two, and did not concur with assessing Guard investigation timeliness, stating that the Army has limited authority over OCI [Office of Complex Administrative Investigations]. GAO continues to believe that actions are needed to fully address the two recommendations, and redirected the OCI recommendation to the Guard, as recommended by DOD."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2017-02-27
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Border Security: DHS Has Made Progress in Planning for a Biometric Air Exit System and Reporting Overstays but Challenges Remain, Report to the Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate
From the Report: "Each year, millions of visitors come to the United States. Overstays are individuals lawfully admitted on a temporary basis who then remain in the country beyond their authorized period of admission. DHS has primary responsibility for identifying and addressing overstays. In 2004, DHS was required to develop a plan to accelerate full implementation of an automated biometric entry-exit system. In various reports, GAO [Government Accountability Office] identified a range of long-standing challenges DHS has faced in its efforts to develop and deploy this capability and to use entry and exit data to identify overstays. For example, in 2013, GAO recommended that DHS establish timeframes and milestones for a biometric air exit evaluation framework and document the reliability of its overstay data. DHS concurred with the recommendations and addressed them. GAO was asked to review DHS's progress in developing a biometric exit capability. This report examines DHS's efforts since GAO's 2013 report to (1) develop and implement a biometric exit capability and (2) report on and address potential overstays. GAO reviewed statutes and DHS documents and interviewed DHS officials about biometric exit capability development and overstays reporting. GAO also observed four biometric entry and exit pilot programs and analyzed overstay data for fiscal years 2013 through 2015 (most recent at time of review). GAO is not making any new recommendations in this report. In its comments, DHS stated that it is using a biometric verification system to confirm the departure of selected travelers at one airport and plans to release its 2016 overstays report in late February 2017."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2017-02-27
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Electronic Health Records: HHS Needs to Improve Planning and Evaluation of Its Efforts to Increase Information Exchange in Post-Acute Care Settings, Report to Congressional Requester
From the Report: "Many patients who leave hospitals receive care in post-acute settings such as skilled nursing facilities and long-term care hospitals. Exchange of accurate and timely health information is particularly important in these transitions, and technology like EHRs [Electronic Health Records] could help to improve quality and reduce costs. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review issues related to the use of EHRs in postacute care settings. With regard to post-acute settings, GAO (1) described factors that affect EHR use and electronic exchange of health information and (2) examined HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] efforts to promote EHR use and electronic information exchange. GAO reviewed HHS planning and related documents and best practices for planning identified in prior GAO work. GAO also interviewed HHS officials, and through those interviews and background research identified and interviewed a non-generalizable selection of individuals representing 20 relevant stakeholder groups, including experts, vendors, and professional associations. GAO recommends that HHS (1) evaluate the effectiveness of its key efforts to increase the use of EHRs and electronic information exchange, and (2) comprehensively plan for how to achieve the department's goal regarding the use of EHRs and electronic information exchange in post-acute care settings. HHS concurred with GAO's recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2017-01-27
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Enforcement of the Immigration Laws to Serve the National Interest
"This memorandum implements the Executive Order entitled 'Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States,' issued by the President on January 25, 2017. It constitutes guidance for all Department personnel regarding the enforcement of the immigration laws of the United States, and is applicable to the activities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). As such, it should inform enforcement and removal activities, detention decisions, administrative litigation, budget requests and execution, and strategic planning. "
United States. Department of Homeland Security
Kelly, John
2017-02-20
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Supporting and Leveraging Your Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC)
From the Document: "To do their jobs effectively, public safety responders depend on sophisticated communications systems to relay mission-critical information in real time. Today's wireless communications systems must support an ever expanding set of missions, such as responses to domestic terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, requiring coordinated participation from agencies at all levels of government. Interoperability, or the ability for emergency responders to communicate among jurisdictions, disciplines, and levels of government, using a variety of frequency bands as needed and as authorized, is crucial to responders. The Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC) assists in facilitating communications among responders during emergencies and is an important asset when responding to planned and unplanned events." This document goes on to discuss SWIC's state level role, SWIC'S state level role in supporting governance, SWIC's national level role, supporting a full-time position in your state, and concludes with frequently asked questions.
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Emergency Communications
2016-05
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Spotting Terrorism Trends: The Global Terrorism Database
This one page publication from the Department of Homeland Security highlights the online Global Terrorism Database as a critical tool to spotting terrorism trends. From the Document: The Global Terrorism Database (GTD)* is helping intelligence analysts, law enforcement, and policymakers understand terrorist groups' 'modus operandi', tactics, and activity level. GTD users apply this understanding to identify trends and inform strategies to counter terrorist activities."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
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GPS Dependencies in the Transportation Sector
"In 1996, GPS was formally declared a military-civilian, dual-use system. Four years later, the 'selective availability' feature, which intentionally degraded the quality of the GPS signal available to civilian users by introducing errors of 50-100 meters, was turned off, increasing the precision of GPS position and opening the door to its widespread adoption for civilian PNT [Position, Navigation, and Timing] applications. [...] Today, GPS has become the ubiquitous GNSS [Global Navigation Satellite System], and a gold-standard for PNT services in the U.S. and around the globe. With an ever-increasing dependence upon GPS for more and more PNT applications, the safety and efficiency of the U.S. National Transportation System (NTS) relies upon GPS around the clock. The U.S. GPS program receives national-level attention and guidance from a joint civil/military body called the National Executive Committee for Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing, co-chaired by the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Research and Technology. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is the lead Federal agency on GPS-related issues and has lead responsibility for developing requirements for civilian applications. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Navigation Center, provides user support to the civilian, non-aviation GPS community, while the Federal Aviation Administration supports the civilian aviation GPS community."
United States. Department of Transportation; John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)
2016-08
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Assessment of U.S. Economic Assistance, Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, July 7, 2016
This testimony compilation is from the July 7, 2016 hearing, 'Assessment of U.S. Economic Assistance,' before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. From the testimony of Todd J. Moss: "I appreciate being invited to testify again and the opportunity to highlight ways the United States can more effectively support private sector growth and economic opportunity around the world. I proudly served in the State Department under Secretary Condoleezza Rice and continue to work closely on global economic policy issues at the nonpartisan Center for Global Development (CGD). I have three points today, drawing on my work at CGD with my colleague Ben Leo. First, development finance, rather than aid, is the future. Aid is the right tool for tackling health challenges and humanitarian crises. Aid has been much less effective at generating broad economic growth. However, when carefully targeted, aid can be useful in addressing specific barriers to business. The Millennium Challenge Corporation model, which uses five-year compacts to explicitly attack constraints to growth, is a great example. So too are the US Treasury's technical assistance programs and USAID's [United States Agency for International Development] laudable coordination of the Power Africa initiative. Yet it is development finance--or the deployment of commercial capital for public policy purposes--that is the most potent weapon we have for expanding markets and spurring private sector growth. When the United States wants to encourage job creation in Tunisia, wants to catalyze infrastructure investment in Nigeria, wants to bring Pakistani women into the banking sector, we turn to development finance. Development finance is the future because of the changing global landscape. Many previously poor countries are richer today and are looking for more than aid." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Todd Moss, Jeffrey Herbst, and Alicia Phillips Mandaville.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations
2016-07-17
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Implementing the President's Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements Policies
"This memorandum implements the Executive Order entitled 'Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements,' issued by the President on January 25, 2017, which establishes the President's policy regarding effective border security and immigration enforcement through faithful execution of the laws of the United States. It implements new policies designed to stem illegal immigration and facilitate the detection, apprehension, detention, and removal of aliens who have no lawful basis to enter or remain in the United States. It constitutes guidance to all Department personnel, and supersedes all existing conflicting policy, directives, memoranda, and other guidance regarding this subject matter- to the extent of the conflict-except as otherwise expressly stated in this memorandum."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2017-02-20
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Supply Chain Security: Providing Guidance and Resolving Data Problems Could Improve Management of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Program, Report to the Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives
"The economic well-being of the United States depends on the movement of millions of cargo shipments throughout the global supply chain-the flow of goods from manufacturers to retailers or other end users. However, cargo shipments can present security concerns. CBP [Customs and Border Protection] is responsible for administering cargo security and facilitating the flow of legitimate commerce. CBP has implemented several programs as part of a risk-based approach to supply chain security. One such program, C-TPAT, [Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism] is a voluntary program in which CBP staff validate that members' supply chain security practices meet minimum security criteria. In return, members are eligible to receive benefits, such as a reduced likelihood their shipments will be examined. This report assesses the extent to which (1) CBP is meeting its security validation responsibilities, and (2) CTPAT members are receiving benefits. GAO [Government Accountability Office] reviewed information on security validations, member benefits, and other program documents. GAO also interviewed officials at CBP headquarters and three C-TPAT field offices chosen for their geographical diversity; as well as select C-TPAT members and trade industry officials. GAO is recommending that CBP develop (1) standardized guidance for field offices regarding the tracking of information on security validations, and (2) a plan with milestones and completion dates to fix the Dashboard so the C-TPAT program can produce accurate data on C-TPAT member benefits. DHS concurred with GAO's recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2017-02-08
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Information Technology: HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) Needs to Address Significant Weaknesses in Its Cost Estimating Practices, Report to Congressional Committees
"HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) relies extensively on IT to deliver services and manage programs in support of its mission. For fiscal year 2017, HUD requested $36 million for IT investments intended to deliver modernized enterprise-level capabilities that better support the department's mission. Critical to the success of such efforts is the department's ability to develop reliable cost estimates that project life-cycle costs and provide the basis for, among other things, informed decision making and realistic budget formulation. The joint explanatory statement that accompanied the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, included a provision for GAO (Government Accountability Office) to evaluate HUD's cost estimating practices. This review determined the extent to which HUD implemented cost estimating best practices for selected IT investments. GAO selected four IT modernization investments with the largest portion of requested funding for fiscal year 2017, interviewed relevant agency officials, and analyzed and compared each investment's cost estimate to best practices in the Cost Guide. This guide states that, when most or all of the practices are 'fully' or 'substantially' met, an estimate is considered reliable."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2017-02
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Report to Congress on Strategy to Protect United States National Security Interests in the Arctic Region
From the Executive Summary: "The Department of Defense (DoD) remains committed to working collaboratively with allies and partners to promote a balanced approach to improving security in the Arctic region. DoD's strategy in the Arctic builds upon the 2009 National Security Presidential Directive 66/Homeland Security Presidential Directive 25, 'Arctic Region Policy', and the 2013 'National Strategy for the Arctic Region (NSAR)'. DoD's 2013 'Arctic Strategy' nested under those two overarching national-level guidance documents. DoD's 2016 'Arctic Strategy' updates DoD's 2013 'Arctic Strategy' as required by Section 1068 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2016 (P.L. 114-92) in light of significant changes in the international security environment. It refines DoD's desired end-state for the Arctic: a secure and stable region where U.S. national interests are safeguarded, the U.S. homeland is defended, and nations work cooperatively to address challenges. The two main supporting objectives remain unchanged: 1) Ensure security, support safety, promote defense cooperation; and 2) prepare to respond to a wide range of challenges and contingencies-operating in conjunction with like-minded nations when possible and independently if necessary-in order to maintain stability in the region. This update also adds a classified annex."
United States. Department of Defense
2016-12
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Draft Record of Decision: Northern Border Activities
"The Northern Border PEIS [Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement] was prepared to inform CBP [Customs and Border Protection] decision-makers about potential environmental impacts resulting from CBP northern border activities. As noted therein, the Northern Border PEIS was not developed or prepared in response to a new or specific northern border strategy or security initiative. Rather, it is a planning tool that CBP can use to assess potential impacts as its northern border activities evolve. Thus, the action alternatives that were considered in the PEIS were designed to address reasonably foreseeable changes to CBP's northern border security program. [...] CBP based its decision upon a comparative analysis of the alternatives considered within the Northern Border PEIS. The relative environmental impacts, compatibility with all aspects of the purpose and need for action, and the technical and economic reasonableness of the approach were factors in the selection. The PEIS also identified other planning and policy considerations that informed an understanding of the reasonably foreseeable future. Implementation of elements of these alternatives would be subject to availability of funds and potentially other legislative and executive branch approvals."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection; United States. Department of Homeland Security
2012-06
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NRC Staff Review of the IAEA Director General's Report 'The Fukushima Daiichi Accident'
From the "Description" on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC): "On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck Japan and was followed by a 45-foot tsunami, resulting in extensive damage to the nuclear power reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi facility. The NRC has taken significant action to enhance the safety of reactors in the United States based on the lessons learned from this accident. This page is intended to serve as a navigation hub to follow the NRC's progress in implementing the many different lessons-learned activities." This document is a review of the International Atomic Energy Agency Director General's Report "The Fukushima Daiichi Accident".
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
2016-02-24
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Mitigating Strategies Order (EA-12-049) Compliance Status
From the "Description" on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC): "On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck Japan and was followed by a 45-foot tsunami, resulting in extensive damage to the nuclear power reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi facility. The NRC has taken significant action to enhance the safety of reactors in the United States based on the lessons learned from this accident. This page is intended to serve as a navigation hub to follow the NRC's progress in implementing the many different lessons-learned activities." This document examines the compliance status of U.S. reactors units in accordance with the Mitigating Strategies Order.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
2016-07-21
