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Public Transit: Federal and Transit Agencies Taking Steps to Build Transit Systems' Resilience but Face Challenges, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Public transit systems, which receive funding from the federal government, are vulnerable to catastrophic events, as demonstrated by the impact Hurricane Sandy and other events have had on transit systems. These events highlight our reliance on transit systems for access to jobs, medical care, and other services, as well as the cost of recovering from these events. For instance, of the $50.5 billion Congress appropriated to help communities devastated by Sandy, $10.9 billion was provided for disaster relief to public transit agencies. Building resilience--the ability to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the risk of catastrophic events--is one strategy to help limit the nation's fiscal exposure to catastrophic events. GAO [United States Government Accountability Office] was asked to review transit system resilience to catastrophic events. This report examines (1) how DHS and DOT [Department of Transportation] help transit agencies make their systems resilient; (2) actions selected transit agencies take to make their systems resilient; and (3) challenges transit agencies face with making their systems resilient. GAO examined documentation and interviewed officials from DHS and DOT, and officials from nine transit and five emergency management agencies. GAO selected a non-generalizable sample of agencies in five locations, chosen for transit ridership volume and variation in geography, types of risks, and transit modes."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2014-12
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Intellectual Property: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Could Better Manage Its Process to Enforce Exclusion Orders, Report to the Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, ITC [U.S. International Trade Commission] investigates allegations of unfair import practices, including unlicensed use of intellectual property rights such as patents, copyrights, and trademarks. If ITC finds a violation of this law, it generally issues an exclusion order that directs CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] to deny entry of infringing products into U.S. commerce. CBP must determine, without inhibiting legitimate trade, whether products arriving at 328 U.S. ports are covered by exclusion orders. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review CBP's enforcement of exclusion orders. This report (1) describes CBP's processes for enforcing exclusion orders and (2) assesses CBP's management of its enforcement process at ports of entry. GAO analyzed CBP and ITC documents and data from October 2009 through April 2014 and interviewed CBP and ITC officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2014-11
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E.O. 13985 Equity Action Plan: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, April 2022
From the Executive Summary: "Under the leadership of Administrator Michael S. Regan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has committed to making equity, environmental justice, and civil rights a centerpiece of the agency's mission. EPA's strategic plan for FY2022-2026--finalized in February 2022--includes 'Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights' as Strategic Goal 2 and outlines the following key objectives: [1] 'Objective 2.1': Promote Environmental Justice and Civil Rights at the Federal, Tribal, State, and Local Levels[;] [2] 'Objective 2.2': Embed Environmental Justice and Civil Rights into EPA's Programs, Policies, and Activities[;] [and 3] 'Objective 2.3': Strengthen Civil Rights Enforcement in Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns[.]"
United States. Environmental Protection Agency
2022-04
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Federal Emergency Management Agency Equity Action Plan
From the Executive Summary: "FEMA serves the American public by helping people before, during, and after disasters, through its core values of respect, integrity, compassion, and fairness in its interactions with disaster survivors, colleagues, recipients, and partners. FEMA can enhance equity by executing a methodical, multilayered, and systematic approach to analyzing intended and actual accessibility to and impacts for underserved and marginalized communities. Starting from the highest level of leadership, FEMA is integrating equity into its strategic plan, goals and priorities, programs and activities, and foundational documents and processes. These actions will help to achieve the following impacts: [1] Underserved communities can access and leverage FEMA resources in ways that meet their needs. [2] Underserved communities are routinely consulted in FEMA decisions about policy and program implementation. [3] FEMA and our partners have the training and tools required to advance equity in their programs. [4] FEMA directs resources to eliminating disparities in outcomes. [5] FEMA programs routinely evaluate and address disparities in outcomes."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2022-02-23
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Aviation Security: TSA Should Take Additional Action to Obtain Stakeholder Input When Modifying the Prohibited Items List, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "As part of its responsibilities for securing civil aviation, TSA ensures that all passengers and their accessible property are screened and prohibits individuals from carrying onto aircraft items that it determines to be a threat. TSA maintains a public list of such items, known as the Prohibited Items List, and updates it as necessary. In March 2013, TSA announced it would modify the PIL to allow small knives and certain sporting equipment onto aircraft, stating the change would result in more efficient security screening. However, several aviation industry groups opposed the decision, leading TSA to reverse its decision to implement the change. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review TSA's procedures for modifying the PIL. This report examines, among other issues, (1) on what basis TSA modifies the PIL and the extent to which TSA assessed risk when considering recent modifications to the PIL [Prohibited Items List], and (2) the extent to which TSA involved stakeholders when considering these modifications. GAO reviewed TSA's standard operating procedures, risk assessment, documentation of its decisions and stakeholder outreach, and interviewed TSA officials at six airports. This is a public version of a report with Sensitive Security Information that GAO issued in December 2014. Information TSA deemed sensitive has been redacted."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-02
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Information Security: FAA Needs to Address Weaknesses in Air Traffic Control Systems, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "In support of its mission, FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] relies on the NAS [National Airspace System]--one of the nation's critical infrastructures--which is comprised of air traffic control systems, procedures, facilities, aircraft, and people who operate and maintain them. Given the critical role of the NAS and the increasing connectivity of FAA's systems, it is essential that the agency implement effective information security controls to protect its air traffic control systems from internal and external threats. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review FAA's information security program. Specifically, the objective of this review was to evaluate the extent to which FAA had effectively implemented information security controls to protect its air traffic control systems. To do this, GAO reviewed FAA policies, procedures, and practices and compared them to the relevant federal law and guidance; assessed the implementation of security controls over FAA systems; and interviewed officials. This is a public version of a report containing sensitive security information. Information deemed sensitive has been redacted."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-01
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Federal Aviation Administration: Improved Tracking of Results Needed to Provide Confidence in Benefits of Streamlining Activities, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "As fiscal pressures facing the federal government continue, so too does the need for federal agencies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of programs and activities. Section 812 of the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 mandated that FAA review its programs, offices, and organizations to, among other things, identify and address inefficient processes, wasteful practices, and duplication. In response, FAA identified 36 initiatives, including centralizing administrative functions and modernizing records management. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine FAA's progress to streamline and reform the agency as Congress considers reauthorizing FAA in fiscal year 2015. GAO examined how FAA determined the status of initiatives and the extent to which its efforts to implement initiatives were consistent with selected key practices for organizational transformations. Since each initiative sought to streamline or reform FAA, GAO identified four key practices for organizational transformations as applicable to these initiatives. GAO assessed FAA's efforts by comparing FAA documents to the selected key practices and interviewing agency officials leading each initiative."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2015-01
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Unmanned Aerial Systems: Efforts Made Toward Integration into the National Airspace Continue, but Many Actions Still Required, Statement of Gerald L. Dillingham, Ph.D., Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Aviation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "UASs [unmanned aerial systems] are aircraft that do not carry a pilot aboard, but instead operate on pre-programmed routes or are manually controlled by following commands from pilot-operated ground control stations. The FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 put greater emphasis on the need to integrate UASs into the national airspace by requiring that FAA establish requirements governing them. FAA has developed a three-phased approach in its 5-year 'Roadmap' to facilitate incremental steps toward seamless integration. However, in the absence of regulations, unauthorized UAS operations have, in some instances, compromised safety. This testimony discusses 1) progress toward meeting UAS requirements from the 2012 Act, 2) key efforts underway on research and development, and 3) how other countries have progressed in developing UAS use for commercial purposes. This testimony is based on GAO's prior work and an ongoing study examining issues related to UAS integration into the national airspace system for civil and public UAS operations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dillingham, Gerald L.
2014-12-10
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Department of Veterans Affairs Equity Action Plan
From the Executive Summary of Action Plan: "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is not excluded from the systemic injustices and inequities that pervade American society. The GI Bill and loan guaranty programs were instrumental in economic prosperity and access to homeownership for Veterans in the postwar years, but Black Veterans lacked the same level of access. Additionally, exclusionary policies (e.g., Don't Ask Don't Tell) affecting LGBTQ+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and more] Service members led to the involuntary separation and denial of benefits for many LGBTQ+ Veterans. Other instances of inequities faced by underserved Veterans include disparities in claim rejection rates, unequal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compensation rates and access disparities for Veterans discharged under other-than-honorable (OTH) conditions. VA is reducing internal and external barriers that have impeded access to benefits, services, and healthcare. VA recognizes that internal barriers will require changes to policies, processes, and procedures to enable access to underserved Veterans. Conversely, external barriers such as legislation, infrastructure or technology differences can contribute to inequities. VA seeks to advance an inclusive environment that values and supports the diverse communities we serve--Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors--and cultivate 'equitable access to care, benefits and services for all.'"
United States. Department of Veterans Affairs
2022-04-14?
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U.S. Department of Transportation Equity Action Plan, January 2022
From the Executive Summary: "The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT or Department) is committed to pursuing a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all. In response to Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government [hyperlink], this Equity Action Plan highlights key actions that USDOT will undertake to expand access and opportunity to all communities while focusing on underserved, overburdened, and disadvantaged communities. The actions described here fall under four focus areas - wealth creation, power of community, interventions, and expanding access. Actions include providing technical assistance to small disadvantaged businesses, reinvigorating USDOT's programmatic enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, launching a national technical assistance center, and developing a national transportation cost burden measure. These actions were developed through an intensive effort, combining knowledge, experience, viewpoints, and data from the public, experts, and USDOT staff."
United States. Department of Transportation
2022-01
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U.S. General Services Administration Executive Order 13985 Equity Action Plan
From the Executive Summary: "The mission of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. GSA leverages the buying power of the Federal Government to provide federal purchasers with cost-effective, high-quality products and services from commercial vendors. GSA has two major buying Services that manage large-scale acquisition programs for use by federal customers: the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) and the Public Buildings Service (PBS). Housed within FAS is the Technology Transformation Services (TTS). In addition to FAS and PBS, the Office of Customer Experience (OCE), the Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP), and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) all play an integral role in influencing interagency best practices for driving meaningful and durable positive change. GSA delivers mission-critical services and products to federal agency customers and clients, which makes the agency uniquely positioned to have a multiplier effect across government in advancing equity and removing barriers for underserved communities."
United States. General Services Administration
2022-01-20
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 4467, Strengthening Aviation Security Act of 2017
From the Document: "The Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), part of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), promotes the safety of the U.S. aviation system, particularly by protecting airline passengers and crew members against the risk of criminal and terrorist violence. H.R. 4467 would require FAMS to use a risk-based strategy when allocating resources between international and domestic flights, and to report to the Congress on its compliance with that requirement. Using information from TSA, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing H.R. 4467 would not significantly affect the federal budget. Because the bill's requirements are consistent with existing administrative policy, CBO expects that any change in federal costs to meet them would be negligible. Such spending would be subject to appropriation."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-03-20
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MISSION EQUITY: NASA Equity Action Plan
From the Document: "To chart America's course in space, we first must embrace and empower the whole of our nation here at home [...] I am pleased to present NASA's Equity Action Plan, which outlines and reaffirms our Agency's strategy to successfully mitigate systemic barriers to equity. NASA must ingrain the lessons learned from our nation's storied 'Hidden Figures' in all of our endeavors today. This plan seeks to further identify and remove the barriers that limit opportunity in historically underserved and underrepresented communities and anchor equity as a core component in every NASA mission to inspire a new, more inclusive generation."
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
2022
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 2315, Over-the-Counter Drug Safety, Innovation, and Reform Act
From the Summary: "S. 2315 would change the oversight of the commercial marketing of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill would authorize the collection and spending of fees through 2023 to cover the costs of expediting the FDA's administrative procedures for certain regulatory activities relating to OTC products. Such fees could be collected and made available for obligation only to the extent and in the amounts provided in advance in appropriation acts. Assuming appropriation actions consistent with the bill, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing S. 2315 would increase fee collections and related spending. Over the 2019-2023 period, spending would lag collections by $10 million."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-12-07
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 2202, National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act
From the Document: "S. 2202 would authorize appropriations totaling $452 million over the 2019-2022 period (and $115 million in 2023) for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). (By comparison, the Congress provided $106 million for the NTSB in 2017.) That agency is responsible for investigating significant accidents that occur in civil aviation and other modes of surface, rail, and waterborne transportation and for recommending safety measures for preventing future accidents. As shown in the following table, and based on historical spending patterns, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing the bill would cost $427 million over the 2019-2022 period and an additional $138 million after 2022, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-02-14
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National Science Foundation Agency Equity Action Plan Submitted to the Domestic Policy Council and the Office of Management and Budget
From the Executive Summary: "To promote the progress of science and maintain our Nation's scientific leadership and global competitiveness, the United States must educate, train, and retain more scientists, engineers, and computer scientists. Historically, underrepresented and underserved communities are the largest untapped Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) talent pools in the U.S. As such, NSF [National Science Foundation] strives to encourage the full participation of all Americans and to remove barriers to their doing so. This is reflected in NSF's Strategic Plan which is intended to ensure all sectors of society have the opportunity to contribute to the scientific enterprise. NSF has undertaken a broad range of activities in that regard, and one of the biggest takeaways from this planning exercise is to fully appreciate the coordination required to ensure these activities are robust, consistent, well-executed and evidence based. The Foundation is working on developing a coordinating process to take on that role so that this plan and other activities realize their potential for U.S. science."
National Science Foundation (U.S.)
2022-01
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: Department of Homeland Security Legislation [September 27, 2018]
From the Document: "On September 25, the House of Representatives passed the following three pieces of legislation: [1] H.R. 6620, the Protecting Critical Infrastructure Against Drones and Emerging Threats Act, which would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prepare assessments of the threats presented by unmanned aircraft systems (often called drones) and other emerging threats associated with such new technologies; [2] H.R. 6735, the Public-Private Cybersecurity Cooperation Act, which would require DHS to establish procedures for people or organizations to report vulnerabilities in the department's information systems; and [3] H.R. 6740, the Border Tunnel Task Force Act, which would direct DHS to establish task forces to combat threats from cross-border tunnels; the task forces could include personnel from federal, state, local, and tribal agencies. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that enacting the legislation would not significantly affect spending by DHS in any fiscal year because the department could largely implement each act with existing personnel."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-09-27
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Air Traffic Control System: Selected Stakeholders' Perspectives on Operations, Modernization, and Structure, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Over the past two decades, U.S. aviation stakeholders have debated whether FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] should be the entity in the United States that operates and modernizes the ATC [air traffic control] system. During this period, GAO [Government Accountability Office] reported on challenges FAA has faced in operating and modernizing the ATC system. FAA reorganized several times in attempts to improve its performance and implement an initiative to modernize the ATC system, known as NextGen. Recent budgetary pressures have rekindled industry debate about FAA's efficiency in operating and modernizing the ATC system. GAO was asked to gather U.S. aviation industry stakeholder views on the operation and modernization of the current ATC system. This report provides perspectives from a wide range of stakeholders on (1) the performance of the ATC system and the NextGen modernization initiative and any challenges FAA may face in managing these activities and (2) potential changes that could improve the performance of the ATC system, including the NextGen modernization initiative."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2014-09-12
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Aviation Safety: Additional Oversight Planning by FAA Could Enhance Safety Risk Management, Report to the Subcommittee on Aviation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "The U.S. aviation system is one of the safest in the world, reflecting the work of FAA [Federal Aviation Administration], industry, and others to continually improve safety. To further enhance safety, in 2005, FAA began adopting a proactive, data-driven, risk-based approach to managing safety, referred to as SMS [Safety Management System], and has proposed rules that would require SMS implementation for certain segments of the aviation industry. GAO [U.S. Government Accountability Office] was asked to review SMS implementation in the aviation industry. This report addresses (1) the status of SMS implementation at FAA and in the aviation industry; (2) key challenges that FAA and industry face in implementing SMS; and (3) actions aviation stakeholders believe FAA could take to improve SMS implementation. GAO reviewed FAA documents and interviewed FAA officials. GAO also interviewed representatives from 20 selected aviation stakeholders, including commercial air carriers, certificated airports, repair stations, and design and manufacturing firms. Because the stakeholders were non-statistically selected based on their size, SMS implementation, and the industry segment represented, their views cannot be generalized to the industry or any industry segment."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2014-06-25
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Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government: Peace Corps Equity Action Plans
From the Executive Summary: "The Peace Corps, working by invitation of host country governments, is a service opportunity for Americans to work in partnership with local communities around the world to meet their stated needs. Volunteers live and work side-by-side with local community members for 27 months in our traditional model, with shorter and more targeted service through our Peace Corps Response and Virtual Service pilot options. Equity is at the heart of our mission and goals. The Peace Corps Act (Public Law 87-293), signed September 22, 1961, established a Volunteer Service Agency to promote world peace and friendship by pursuing three equal goals that have not changed throughout its 60-year history: 1. To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women; 2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served; 3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. Building on 60 years of experience, Peace Corps orients and trains its Volunteers to work in six sectors, including Agriculture, Community Economic Development, Education, Environment, Health, and Youth Development."
Peace Corps (U.S.)
2022-01
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Department of the Treasury Equity Action Plan
From the Document: "The Department of the Treasury's mission is to maintain a strong economy and create economic and job opportunities by promoting the conditions that enable economic growth and stability at home and abroad, strengthen national security by combating threats and protecting the integrity of the financial system, and manage the U.S. Government's finances and resources effectively. [...] As Treasury implements the American Rescue Plan (ARP), the Department is working to ensure the economic recovery includes those who have been historically underserved or experienced persistent poverty long before the pandemic. Treasury sees this equity assessment as an opportunity to identify and remove any barriers that would prevent any member of the American public from having equal access to Treasury's programs and services, the Nation's financial systems, or the Department's procurement and contracting opportunities. The Department assembled an Equity Review Team in accordance with the White House requirements to provide input and support for the Treasury-wide equity assessment efforts. The Equity Review Team worked with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Office of Tax Policy (OTP), Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS) and Office of Recovery Programs (ORP) to develop ambitious, yet manageable, proposals for the equity review process. The following programs were selected by Treasury's Equity Review Team: Economic Impact Payments/Tax Policy (Tax Programs), Treasury Offset Program (TOP), and ARP Programs administered by Departmental Offices. Treasury also worked to identify actionable opportunities to (1) identify and remove any barriers that members of underserved communities may have to Treasury's contracting and procurement opportunities and (2) assess institutional resources available to Treasury's offices responsible for advancing civil rights."
United States. Department of the Treasury
2022-01-20?
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U.S. Small Business Administration Equity Action Plan
From the Executive Summary: "The 'U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)' helps entrepreneurs start, build, grow, and, if needed, recover their businesses. Created in 1953, SBA is the only cabinet-level federal agency fully dedicated to small business owners and entrepreneurs in their pursuit of the American dream. Since its founding, SBA has delivered millions of loans, loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions, and other forms of assistance to small businesses. Each year, SBA serves thousands of small businesses across the country. Many of these businesses are owned by entrepreneurs who identify with communities that have been traditionally underserved. [...] SBA offers support for each stage of the entrepreneurship journey through products and services. Entrepreneurs of underserved communities can experience barriers to accessing those resources. 'This Equity Action Plan', in conjunction with Executive Order (EO) 13985 ('Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government'), 'outlines how SBA willreduce barriers and improve access to the following resources': [1] Capital Access[;] [2] Federal Government Procurement and Contracting Opportunities[;] [3] Disaster Assistance[;] [and 4] Business Counseling, Training, and Services[.] The plan also 'highlights SBA's commitment to advancing civil rights' including leadership from the agency's Office of Diversity Inclusion and Civil Rights. Lastly, an essential component to the Equity Action Plan is for SBA to improve its quantitative and qualitative data gathering to help inform ongoing analysis. SBA is committed to a process that includes working with OMB [Office of Management and Budget] to identify the most efficient and effective ways to acquire needed information, without incurring unnecessary costs or creating additional burden, potential for disclosure, or trust issues for underserved communities."
United States. Small Business Administration
2022-01
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EO 13985 USAID Agency Equity Action Plan
From the Executive Summary: "USAID's [United States Agency for International Development's] equity assessment submitted in August 2021 outlined findings and 61 preliminary recommendations that USAID could use, if approved, to advance a values-based approach, update rules and regulations, expand our partner base, and become more consultative to achieve the President's goals regarding racial and ethnic equity in a foreign assistance context. The USAID Agency Equity Team (AET) prioritized the following recommendations for inclusion in the Action Plan: 1) continued development of the WorkwithUSAID platform, 2) enhanced implementation of USAID's nondiscrimination for beneficiaries policy, development and implementation of an Independent Accountability Mechanism, and advancement of Title VI protections at USAID, 3) lowered internal and external barriers for USAID awards, to include reduction of acquisition and assistance administrative burdens that negatively affect partner capacity, 4) designation of an Inclusive Development (ID) Advisor at each Mission and procurement of inclusive development support mechanisms managed through the Agency's ID Hub, and 5) implementation of a consistent approach to incorporate racial and ethnic equity and diversity into policy, planning, and learning. Together, these actions help reframe the ways in which USAID partners democratize the development process by integrating equity into Agency policies, strategies, and practices; enhance the ability of potential non-traditional partners to pursue USAID opportunities; prevent discrimination in Agency programs; and strengthen the Agency's capacity to advance inclusive development in our overseas programming."
United States. Agency for International Development
2022-02-09
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 1677, Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2018
From the Document: "H.R. 1677 would require the Departments of State and the Treasury to impose sanctions on people and entities responsible for the security and humanitarian crisis in Syria as well as persons who provide significant financial, material, or technological support to the government of Syria. The legislation also would authorize the Department of State to assist entities that are investigating war crimes or crimes against humanity in Syria. Finally, H.R. 1677 would require the Administration to report to the Congress on the implementation of the act, ongoing assistance programs for the Syrian people, and the feasibility of various options to protect civilians in Syria. The requirements of the legislation would expire after five years."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-10-17
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5081, Surface Transportation Security and Technology Accountability Act of 2018
From the Document: "H.R. 5081 would direct the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to establish a Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee. The bill would specify details related to the composition and responsibilities of that committee, and it would require TSA to consult the committee when developing the agency's plan for making investments in security-related technology. Using information from the agency about the costs of similar activities, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] expects that any increased costs to establish and support the proposed advisory committee would not exceed $500,000 annually. Such spending would be subject to appropriation."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2018-03-20
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Scientific Integrity: HHS Agencies Need to Develop Procedures and Train Staff on Reporting and Addressing Political Interference, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Since 2007, Congress and multiple administrations have taken actions to help ensure that federal science agencies have scientific integrity policies and procedures in place that, among other things, protect against the suppression or alteration of scientific findings for political purposes. GAO [Government Accountability Office] defined scientific integrity as the use of scientific evidence and data to make policy decisions that are based on established scientific methods and processes, are not inappropriately influenced by political considerations, and are shared with the public when appropriate. GAO was asked to review scientific integrity policies and procedures, and how allegations of political interference in scientific decision-making are addressed at CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], FDA, NIH [National Institutes of Health], and ASPR [Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response]. This report examines the procedures in place to address such allegations and the extent to which agencies received them. It also examines training provided by selected agencies on scientific integrity policies and procedures, including those related to political interference. GAO analyzed the agencies' scientific integrity policies, procedures, and trainings; interviewed agency officials, and employees, which includes managers and non-managers; and deployed a confidential hotline."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-04
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 1815, SEC Disclosure Effectiveness Testing Act
From the Bill Summary: "Financial professionals such as broker-dealers and investment advisors are required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to disclose a variety of documents and other information to retail investors. Disclosures are designed to educate retail investors about financial choices, standards of care, fiduciary relationships, and other aspects of investing. H.R. 1815 would require the SEC to test the usability of any disclosure that it mandates through a final rule to be provided to retail investors by broker dealers or investment advisors. Those usability tests would be required before the SEC adopts final rules governing such disclosures. If proposed disclosures undergo substantive changes before the final rule is promulgated, an additional usability test would be required. Disclosures previously mandated before the bill's enactment also would require a usability test. Each usability test would include the following: [1] One-on-one interviews with retail investors to assess their understanding of the disclosure in question; [2] A nationwide survey of retail investors to assess the usefulness of the disclosure; [3] An analysis of the interview and survey results, which would be published in the Federal Register; and [4] An opportunity for public comment on those published results."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-19
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 1079, CASES Act
"H.R. 1079 [Creating Advanced Streamlined Electronic Services for Constituents Act of 2019 or the CASES Act] would require the Office of Management and Budget to create an electronic system to enable Members of Congress to act on behalf of consenting individuals concerning matters with any federal agency. Currently, most Congressional offices performing constituent services with federal agencies utilize a paper-based authorization process to conduct those services and to comply with privacy protection laws. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that creating the electronic authorization process envisioned in H.R. 1079 would be similar to the effort that was required to develop another federal system known as Login.gov. The cost of developing Login.gov--a system that offers 14 million users secure access to 18 federal agencies and more than 30 applications--was $30 million over a four year period. CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1079, which would require a system with a single application and that would have fewer users would cost around $15 million, or less than $1 million per major federal agency. Most of those costs would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-19
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2515, Whistleblower Protection Reform Act of 2019
"H.R. 2515 would expand protections for whistleblowers seeking legal recourse under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) by prohibiting employers from retaliating against employees who report possible violations of securities laws or Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations to their supervisors. Existing protections under Dodd-Frank provide whistleblowers with legal recourse only if they are retaliated against in connection with reporting potential violations to the SEC. The SEC has taken three anti-retaliatory enforcement actions since 2010 under the current statutory framework. On that basis, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] anticipates that any additional enforcement actions taken under the bill would be few and would not have a significant effect on the agency's workload or costs. Moreover, because the SEC is authorized to collect fees each year to offset their annual appropriation, and assuming appropriation action consistent with that authority, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2515 would have a negligible effect on spending subject to appropriation."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-17
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 1430, Representative Payee Fraud Prevention Act of 2019
"S. 1430 would establish new federal crimes related to representative payees who misuse payments received from the Federal Employees Retirement System and the Civil Service Retirement System. (A representative payee is a person or an organization that manages federal retirement benefits for recipients who are unable to do so themselves.) Enacting S. 1430 would enable the government to pursue cases that it otherwise would not be able to prosecute. CBO [Congressional Budget Office] expects that only a relatively small number of offenders would be affected, however, so any increase in costs for law enforcement, court proceedings, or prison operations would not be significant. Any such costs would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Because those prosecuted and convicted under S. 1430 could be subject to civil and criminal fines, the federal government might collect additional amounts. Civil fines are recorded in the budget as revenues. Criminal fines also are recorded as revenues, deposited in the Crime Victims Fund, and later spent without future appropriation action. CBO estimates that the revenues and spending associated with those penalties would not be significant in any year because of the relatively small number of cases likely to be affected."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-13
