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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Education and Outreach Programs Target Safety and Consumer Issues, but Gaps in Planning and Evaluation Remain

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is responsible for improving commercial vehicle safety and uses education and outreach as part of its efforts. The House report accompanying the fiscal year 2005 Department of Transportation (DOT) appropriations bill asked GAO to report on FMCSA's education and outreach programs to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. GAO (1) describe… more
Date: December 19, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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VA Medical Centers: Further Operational Improvements Could Enhance Third-Party Collections

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In the face of growing demand for veterans' health care, GAO and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) have raised concerns about the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) ability to maximize its third-party collections to supplement its medical care appropriation. GAO has testified that inadequate patient intake procedures, insufficient documentation by physicians, a sho… more
Date: July 19, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Telecommunications: Issues Related to the Structure and Funding of Public Television

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "How to fund public television has been a concern since the first noncommercial educational station went on the air in 1953. The use of federal funds to help support public television has been a particular point of discussion and debate. This report reviews (1) the organizational structure of public television, (2) the programming and other services that public television provides, (3) the current fundin… more
Date: January 19, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nuclear Safety: Construction of the Protective Shelter for the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Faces Schedule Delays, Potential Cost Increases, and Technical Uncertainties

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine destroyed the reactor building and released massive amounts of radioactive contamination. A temporary shelter was built over the damaged reactor to prevent further contamination. The United States is a major donor to an international project to build a new shelter to replace the existing one, which is badly deteriorating. GAO was aske… more
Date: July 19, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Veterans Benefits: VA Needs Plan for Assessing Consistency of Decisions

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In the past, we have reported concerns about possible inconsistencies in the disability decisions made by the 57 regional offices of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In 2002, we reported that VA did not systematically assess the consistency of decision making for any specific impairments included in veterans' disability claims. We recommended that VA conduct such assessments to help reduce any u… more
Date: November 19, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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High Speed Passenger Rail: Future Development Will Depend on Addressing Financial and Other Challenges and Establishing a Clear Federal Role

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal and other decision makers have had a renewed interest in how high speed rail might fit into the national transportation system and address increasing mobility constraints on highways and at airports due to congestion. GAO was asked to review (1) the factors affecting the economic viability--meaning whether total social benefits offset or justify total social costs--of high speed rail projects, i… more
Date: March 19, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Logistics: Army and Marine Corps Cannot Be Assured That Equipment Reset Strategies Will Sustain Equipment Availability While Meeting Ongoing Operational Requirements

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Congress has appropriated billions of dollars for equipment repair, replacement, and recapitalization, collectively known as equipment reset. Because of the potential for equipment reset costs to affect the Department of Defense's (DOD) future budget requirements and related readiness concerns, GAO initiated this review under the Comptroller General's authority. GAO's objectives were to determine the ex… more
Date: September 19, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Personnel: Federal Management of Servicemember Employment Rights Can Be Further Improved

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) of 1994 protects millions of people, largely National Guard and Reserve members, as they transition between their federal duties and their civilian employment. The act is intended to eliminate or minimize employment disadvantages to civilian careers that can result from service in the uniformed services. This report examines the exte… more
Date: October 19, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Budget Issues: FEMA Needs Adequate Data, Plans, and Systems to Effectively Manage Resources for Day-to-Day Operations

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Much of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) funding is provided in supplemental appropriations when a disaster is declared, but funds to staff, manage, and operate other FEMA programs and underlying support functions--what GAO refers to as its day-to-day operations--compete with other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and federal priorities for limited resources. In this environment, FE… more
Date: January 19, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Human Service Programs: Demonstration Projects Could Identify Ways to Simplify Policies and Facilitate Technology Enhancements to Reduce Administrative Costs

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The cost of administering human service programs has been a long-standing concern among policy makers interested in ensuring that federal programs are run in a cost-efficient manner so that federal funds go directly to helping vulnerable people. Little is known about how administrative costs compare among programs, or about opportunities to better manage these costs. GAO looked at (1) how administrative… more
Date: September 19, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Acquisitions: Better Acquisition Strategy Needed for Successful Development of the Army's Warrior Unmanned Aircraft System

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Through 2011, the Department of Defense (DOD) plans to spend $20 billion on unmanned aircraft systems, including the Army's "Warrior." Because of congressional concerns that some systems have been more costly and taken more time to produce than predicted, GAO reviewed the Warrior program. This report (1) describes the Army's requirements underlying its decision to acquire Warrior instead of existing sys… more
Date: May 19, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Influenza Pandemic: Federal Agencies Should Continue to Assist States to Address Gaps in Pandemic Planning

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza states that in an influenza pandemic, the primary response will come from states and localities. To assist them with pandemic planning and exercising, Congress has provided $600 million to states and certain localities. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established five federal influenza pandemic regions to work with states… more
Date: June 19, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Food Stamp Program: States Seek to Reduce Payment Errors and Program Complexity

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2000, the Department of Agriculture's Food Stamp Program, administered jointly by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and the states, provided $15 billion in benefits to an average of 17.2 million low-income persons each month. FNS, which pays the full cost of food stamp benefits and half of the states' administrative costs, promulgates program regulations and oversees program implementation. T… more
Date: January 19, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Child Support Enforcement: Better Data and More Information on Undistributed Collections Are Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Congress established the child support enforcement program in 1975 to ensure that parents financially supported their children. State agencies administer the program and the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) in the Department of Health and Human Services oversees it. In 2002, state agencies collected over $20 billion in child support, but $657 million in collections from 2002 and previous years were u… more
Date: March 19, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Gulf Coast Disaster Recovery: Community Development Block Grant Program Guidance to States Needs to Be Improved

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Almost 4 years after the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes, the region continues to face daunting rebuilding challenges. To date, $19.7 billion in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds have been appropriated for Gulf Coast rebuilding assistance--the largest amount in the history of the program. GAO was asked to report on (1) how Louisiana and Mississippi allocated their shares of CDBG funds, (2) what … more
Date: June 19, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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September 11: More Effective Collaboration Could Enhance Charitable Organizations' Contributions in Disasters

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Surveys suggest that as many as two-thirds of American households have donated money to charitable organizations to aid in the response to the September 11 disasters. To provide the public with information on the role of charitable aid in assisting those affected by the attacks, GAO was asked to report on the amount of donations charities raised and distributed, the accountability measures in place to prevent … more
Date: December 19, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Ambulance Services: Medicare Payments Can Be Better Targeted to Trips in Less Densely Populated Rural Areas

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently implemented a Medicare ambulance fee schedule in which providers are paid a base payment per trip plus a mileage payment. An adjustment is made to the mileage rate for rural trips to account for higher costs. CMS has stated that this rural adjustment may not sufficiently target providers serving sparsely populated rural areas. The Medicare, Medicaid, … more
Date: September 19, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Department of Homeland Security: A Strategic Approach Is Needed to Better Ensure the Acquisition Workforce Can Meet Mission Needs

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is one of the largest procurement spending agencies in the federal government. In fiscal year 2007, DHS obligated about $12 billion for a wide range of goods and services to meet complex mission needs. Like other federal agencies, DHS has faced challenges in building and sustaining a capable workforce to support its acquisitions. GAO was asked to identify and as… more
Date: November 19, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Klamath River Basin Conservation Area Restoration Program: Limited Assurance Regarding the Federal Funding Requirements

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Klamath River Basin Fishery Resources Restoration Act (Act), passed in October 1986, required the Secretary of the Interior to establish and restore a conservation area in that river basin, created a management council and a task force to assist and advise the Secretary, and authorized $21 million until September 30, 2006. The restoration program reports that it had been appropriated over $17 millio… more
Date: September 19, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nuclear Security: NRC and DHS Need to Take Additional Steps to Better Track and Detect Radioactive Materials

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Concerns have grown that terrorists could use radioactive materials and sealed sources (materials sealed in a capsule) to build a "dirty bomb"-- a device using conventional explosives to disperse radioactive material. In 2003, GAO found weaknesses in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) radioactive materials licensing process and made recommendations for improvement. For this report, GAO assesses (… more
Date: June 19, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Information Security: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Needs to Sustain Progress

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) relies extensively on computerized systems to support its financial and mission-related operations. As part of GAO's audit of the calendar year 2004 financial statements for the three funds administered by FDIC, GAO assessed (1) the progress FDIC has made in correcting or mitigating information system control weaknesses identified in our audits for calend… more
Date: May 19, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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DOD Business Systems Modernization: Important Progress Made to Develop Business Enterprise Architecture, but Much Work Remains

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 directed the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop an enterprise architecture and a transition plan that meets certain requirements. The act also directed DOD to have a process for controlling its system investments. As required by the act, GAO assessed DOD's actions to comply with the act's requirements and recently issued a report to congressional … more
Date: September 19, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Combating Terrorism: Action Taken but Considerable Risks Remain for Forces Overseas

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO evaluated the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to protect U.S. forces stationed overseas from terrorist attacks, focusing on: (1) the extent to which DOD has made improvements to its antiterrorism/force protection program overseas; (2) changes in DOD's process for assessing and reporting vulnerability at overseas installations; and (3) the adequacy of antiterrorism… more
Date: July 19, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Homeland Security: Risks Facing Key Border and Transportation Security Program Need to Be Addressed

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to establish a program to strengthen management of the pre-entry, entry, status, and exit of foreign nationals who travel to the United States. The goals of the program, known as the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT), are to facilitate legitimate trade and travel, enhance national security, and adhere to U.S. privacy laws … more
Date: September 19, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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