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Federal Rulemaking: The Role of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

Description: This report discusses the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, which created the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This report addresses OIRA's responsibilities, controversies related to OIRA, and possible legislative issues involving OIRA, including increasing or decreasing the office's funding and staffing, and improvements in the transparency of OIRA's review process.
Date: June 9, 2009
Creator: Copeland, Curtis W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN)

Description: Congress has passed legislation to facilitate the reemployment of workers who through no fault of their own are let go by their employers. Among these laws is the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, P.L. 100-379, enacted in 1988. This report discusses the WARN Act in brief, especially as related to Congress's renewed interest in the Act due to the current financial crises and recession.
Date: July 9, 2009
Creator: Levine, Linda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Offshore Marine Aquaculture: Multiple Administrative and Environmental Issues Need to Be Addressed in Establishing a U.S. Regulatory Framework

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "U. S. aquaculture--the raising of fish and shellfish in captivity--has generally been confined to nearshore coastal waters or in other water bodies, such as ponds, that fall under state regulation. Recently, there has been an increased interest in expanding aquaculture to offshore waters, which would involve raising fish and shellfish in the open ocean, and consequently bringing these types of operation… more
Date: May 9, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Surface Coal Mining: Characteristics of Mining in Mountainous Areas of Kentucky and West Virginia

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Surface coal mining in the mountainous areas of Appalachia--often called "mountaintop mining"--generates controversy, in part because of its scale and the post-mining appearance of the land. Yet there is limited public access to information on the size, location, and life span of these operations, or on how the land can be expected to look afterward. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked … more
Date: December 9, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Mortgage Financing: Additional Action Needed to Manage Risks of FHA-Insured Loans with Down Payment Assistance

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) permits borrowers to obtain down payment assistance from third parties; but, research has raised concerns about the performance of loans with such assistance. Due to these concerns, GAO examined the (1) trends in the use of down payment assistance with FHA-insured loans, (2) the impact that the presence of such assistance has on purchase transactions and house pr… more
Date: November 9, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Financial Audit: IRS's Fiscal Years 2006 and 2005 Financial Statements

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Because of the significance of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) collections to overall federal receipts and, in turn, to the consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government, which GAO is required to audit, and Congress's interest in financial management at IRS, GAO audits IRS's financial statements annually to determine whether (1) the financial statements are reliable and (2) IRS management main… more
Date: November 9, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Russian Nuclear Submarines: U.S. Participation in the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation Program Needs Better Justification

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Norway, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States participate in the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEC) program, a multilateral effort that seeks to reduce the environmental impacts of Russia's military activities through technology development projects. AMEC has primarily focused on Russia's aging fleet of nuclear submarines. Section 324 of the National Defense Authorization Act f… more
Date: September 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Affordable Housing in Transit-Oriented Development: Key Practices Could Enhance Recent Collaboration Efforts between DOT-FTA and HUD

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The federal government has increasingly focused on linking affordable housing to transit-oriented developments--compact, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods located near transit--through the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) housing programs and the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) transit programs. GAO was asked to review (1) what is known abou… more
Date: September 9, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Marines' Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV): Background and Issues for Congress

Description: The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) is an armored amphibious vehicle program that originated two decades ago to replace the 1970s-era Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV). The EFV has experienced a variety of developmental difficulties, resulting in significant program delays and cost growth. While the Marine Corps and Department of Defense remain optimistic about the future of the EFC program, there continue to be major concerns about the EFV's reliability and escalating costs.
Date: November 9, 2010
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Troubled Asset Relief Program: As Treasury Continues to Exit Programs, Opportunities to Enhance Communication on Costs Exist

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Many TARP programs continue to be in various stages of unwinding and some programs, notably those that focus on the foreclosure crisis, remain active. The figure provides an overview of selected programs and the amount disbursed and outstanding, as applicable. Treasury has articulated broad principles for exiting TARP, including exiting TARP programs as soon as practicable and seeking to maximize taxpay… more
Date: January 9, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Administration: Service Delivery Plan Needed to Address Baby Boom Retirement Challenges

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Millions of people rely on the services of Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices. In fiscal year 2008, SSA's approximately 1,300 field offices provided service to about 44 million customers. People visit field offices to apply for Social Security cards, apply for retirement and disability benefits, establish direct deposit, and a host of other services. Over the last several years, staffing… more
Date: January 9, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Secure Border Initiative: Technology Deployment Delays Persist and the Impact of Border Fencing Has Not Been Assessed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Securing the nation's borders from illegal entry of aliens and contraband, including terrorists and weapons of mass destruction, continues to be a major challenge. In November 2005, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the launch of the Secure Border Initiative (SBI), a multiyear, multibillion dollar program aimed at securing U.S. borders and reducing illegal immigration. Within DHS, U.S.… more
Date: September 9, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Veterans' Benefits: Further Changes in VBA's Field Office Structure Could Help Improve Disability Claims Processing

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Chairman, former Chairman, and Ranking Minority Member, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs asked GAO to review the Veterans Benefits Administration's (VBA) efforts to realign its compensation and pension claims processing field structure to improve performance. This report (1) identifies the actions VBA has taken to realign its compensation and pension claims processing field structure to improve… more
Date: December 9, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Contract Management: Coast Guard's Deepwater Program Needs Increased Attention to Management and Contractor Oversight

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Coast Guard's Deepwater program, the largest acquisition program in its history, involves modernizing or replacing ships, aircraft, and communications equipment. The Coast Guard awarded the Deepwater contract to Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) in June 2002. The Coast Guard estimates the program will cost $17 billion over a 30-year period. ICGS is a system integrator, with responsibility for identifyi… more
Date: March 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Medicare Secondary Payer: Additional Steps Are Needed to Improve Program Effectiveness for Non-Group Health Plans

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "During the initial implementation of mandatory reporting for non-group health plans (NGHP), the workloads of and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) payments to Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) contractors, and Medicare savings, all increased. From 2008 through 2011, the NGHP workloads of all three contractors CMS uses to implement the process for MSP situations—the Coordination of Benefits Con… more
Date: March 9, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nuclear Waste: Absence of Key Management Reforms on Hanford's Cleanup Project Adds to Challenges of Achieving Cost and Schedule Goals

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site in Washington State houses DOE's largest and most complex nuclear cleanup project--treating and preparing for disposal 55 million gallons of high-level radioactive waste. In 2000, DOE awarded an 11-year, $4.3 billion contract to design, construct, and test treatment facilities at Hanford. GAO was asked to review (1) efforts to accelerate the project's completion, (… more
Date: June 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections

Description: This fact sheet tracks the current heads of government in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It provides the dates of the last and next elections for the head of government and the national independence date for each country.
Date: August 9, 2010
Creator: Gomez-Granger, Julissa & Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Tax Administration: IRS's Information Exchanges with Other Countries Could Be Improved through Better Performance Information

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "With trillions of dollars in cross-border financial activity, U.S. tax authorities and others around the world exchange information with each other to administer and enforce compliance with the tax laws of their respective countries. GAO was asked to (1) identify and describe all income tax treaties and other such agreements between the United States and other countries, (2) describe the volume of excha… more
Date: September 9, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Consumer Product Safety Commission: Consumer Education Efforts for Revised Children's Sleepwear Safety Standard

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO examined the type and extent of consumer education that occurred since the revised children's sleepwear safety standard went into effect in January 1997, focusing on three voluntary point-of-sale practices that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and others recognize as important for informing consumers about the new standard."
Date: June 9, 1999
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Adult Drug Courts: Studies Show Courts Reduce Recidivism, but DOJ Could Enhance Future Performance Measure Revision Efforts

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "A drug court is a specialized court that targets criminal offenders who have drug addiction and dependency problems. These programs provide offenders with intensive court supervision, mandatory drug testing, substance-abuse treatment, and other social services as an alternative to adjudication or incarceration. As of June 2010, there were over 2,500 drug courts operating nationwide, of which about 1,400… more
Date: December 9, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Homeland Security: DHS Enterprise Architecture Continues to Evolve but Improvements Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO designated the transformation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as high risk in 2003, and it continues to do so today. One essential tool for facilitating organizational transformation is an enterprise architecture (EA)--a corporate blueprint that serves as an authoritative frame of reference for information technology investment decision making. The Congress required DHS to submit a repo… more
Date: May 9, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Farm Programs: USDA Needs to Strengthen Controls to Prevent Improper Payments to Estates and Deceased Individuals

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Farmers receive about $20 billion annually in federal farm program payments, which go to individuals and "entities," including corporations, partnerships, and estates. Under certain conditions, estates may receive payments for the first 2 years after an individual's death. For later years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) must determine that the estate is not being kept open for payments. As re… more
Date: July 9, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Medicaid: Fraud and Abuse Related to Controlled Substances Identified in Selected States

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "One significant cost to Medicaid is prescription drugs, which accounted for over $23 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2008, or about 7 percent of total Medicaid outlays. Many of these drugs are susceptible to abuse and include pain relievers and stimulants that are on the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Schedule of Controlled Substances. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (… more
Date: September 9, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Overseas Security: State Department Has Not Fully Implemented Key Measures to Protect U.S. Officials from Terrorist Attacks Outside of Embassies

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "U.S. government officials working overseas are at risk from terrorist threats. Since 1968, 32 embassy officials have been attacked--23 fatally--by terrorists outside the embassy. As the State Department continues to improve security at U.S. embassies, terrorist groups are likely to focus on "soft" targets--such as homes, schools, and places of worship. GAO was asked to determine whether State has a stra… more
Date: May 9, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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