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Homeland Security: Communication Protocols and Risk Communication Principles Can Assist in Refining the Advisory System

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Established in March 2002, the Homeland Security Advisory System was designed to disseminate information on the risk of terrorist acts to federal agencies, states, localities, and the public. However, these entities have raised questions about the threat information they receive from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the costs they incurred as a result of responding to heightened alerts. This repor… more
Date: June 25, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nuclear Regulation: NRC's Liability Insurance Requirements for Nuclear Power Plants Owned by Limited Liability Companies

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "An accident at one the nation's commercial nuclear power plants could result in human health and environmental damages. To ensure that funds would be available to settle liability claims in such cases, the Price-Anderson Act requires licensees for these plants to have primary insurance--currently $300 million per site. The act also requires secondary coverage in the form of retrospective premiums to be contrib… more
Date: May 28, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Spectrum Management: Better Knowledge Needed to Take Advantage of Technologies That May Improve Spectrum Efficiency

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Recent advances in technologies that rely on the use of the radiofrequency spectrum have turned science fiction of the past into reality. Cellular telephones, wireless computer networks, global positioning system receivers, and other spectrum-dependent technologies are quickly becoming as common to everyday life as radios and televisions. Further, these technologies have become critical to a variety of governm… more
Date: May 28, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Aviation Safety: FAA Needs to Strengthen the Management of Its Designee Programs

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The safety of the flying public and the reliability of the nation's aircraft depend, in part, on the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) regulation and certification of the aviation industry. FAA delegates the vast majority of its safety certification activities to about 13,600 private persons and organizations, known as "designees," which are currently grouped into 18 different programs. Among othe… more
Date: October 8, 2004
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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Drug Control: U.S. Nonmilitary Assistance to Colombia Is Beginning to Show Intended Results, but Programs Are Not Readily Sustainable

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2000, the U.S. government has provided a total of $3.3 billion to Colombia, making it the fifth largest recipient of U.S. assistance. Part of this funding has gone toward nonmilitary assistance to Colombia, including programs to (1) promote legitimate economic alternatives to coca and opium poppy; (2) assist Colombia's vulnerable groups, particularly internally displaced persons; and (3) strengthe… more
Date: July 2, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Geospatial Information: Better Coordination Needed to Identify and Reduce Duplicative Investments

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "From homeland security to tracking outbreaks of disease, to investigating the space shuttle disaster to responding to natural disasters, the collection, maintenance, and use of location-based (geospatial) information has become critical to many federal agencies' abilities to achieve their goals. Local governments and the private sector also rely on such data to support essential functions. GAO was asked to det… more
Date: June 23, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Competitive Sourcing: Greater Emphasis Needed on Increasing Efficiency and Improving Performance

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In August 2001, the administration announced competitive sourcing as one of five initiatives in the President's Management Agenda. Under competitive sourcing, federal agencies open their commercial activities to competition among public and private sector sources. While competitive sourcing is expected to encourage innovation and improve efficiency and performance, it represents a major management change for m… more
Date: February 27, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nuclear Nonproliferation: DOE's Effort to Close Russia's Plutonium Production Reactors Faces Challenges, and Final Shutdown Is Uncertain

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Russia's continued operation of three plutonium production reactors poses a serious proliferation threat. The Department of Energy's (DOE) Elimination of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Production program seeks to facilitate the reactors' closure by building or refurbishing replacement fossil fuel plants. This report (1) describes DOE's efforts to manage and implement the program, (2) assesses the challenges DOE faces… more
Date: June 4, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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State Department: Issues Affecting Funding of Iraqi National Congress Support Foundation

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "As part of the efforts by the United States to oust Saddam Hussein, a critical element of U.S. policy included funding the Iraqi National Congress as the lead Iraqi opposition coalition. In 1999, the Iraqi National Congress Support Foundation (INCSF) was established to provide an organizational structure for Department of State funding. From March 2000 until September 2003, the Department of State funded sever… more
Date: April 30, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Infrastructure: Long-term Challenges in Managing the Military Construction Program

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense's (DOD) military construction program provides funding for construction projects in the United States and overseas, and funds most base realignment and closure costs. Recent Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) estimates indicate that it would cost as much as $164 billion to improve facilities to a level that would meet the department's goals. GAO was asked to report on the (1) st… more
Date: February 24, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Transportation Security R&D: TSA and DHS Are Researching and Developing Technologies, but Need to Improve R&D Management

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Conducting research and development (R&D) on technologies for detecting, preventing, and mitigating terrorist threats is vital to enhancing the security of the nation's transportation system. Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Congress enacted legislation to strengthen homeland security, in part by enhancing R&D. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Department of Ho… more
Date: September 30, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Security Clearances: FBI Has Enhanced Its Process for State and Local Law Enforcement Officials

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The free flow of information among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies could prove vital to fighting the war on terrorism. State and local law enforcement officials are key stakeholders in the United States' efforts to combat terrorism, and as such, they may require access to classified national security information to help prevent or respond to terrorist attacks. In order to gain access to such… more
Date: April 30, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Workplace Safety and Health: OSHA's Oversight of Its Civil Penalty Determination and Violation Abatement Processes Has Limitations

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report presents the findings of our study of the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) determination of civil penalties and abatement of violations. The objective of the study was to assess the extent of OSHA's oversight of the civil penalty determination and the violation abatement processes. In addition, we developed a statistical model, known as a multivari… more
Date: August 13, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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No Child Left Behind Act: Improvements Needed in Education's Process for Tracking States' Implementation of Key Provisions

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA) has focused national attention on improving the academic achievement of the nations' 48 million students by establishing a deadline--school year 2013-14--for public schools to ensure that all students are proficient in reading and math. Accordingly, states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico developed plans that set goals for increasing the numbers of … more
Date: September 30, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Administration: More Effort Needed to Assess Consistency of Disability Decisions

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Each year, about 2.5 million people file claims with the Social Security Administration (SSA) for disability benefits. If the claim is denied at the initial level, the claimant may appeal to the hearings level. The hearings level has allowed more than half of all appealed claims, an allowance rate that has raised concerns about the consistency of decisions made at the two levels. To help ensure consiste… more
Date: July 2, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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VA Health Care: Guidance Needed for Determining the Cost to Collect from Veterans and Private Health Insurers

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "During a May 2003 congressional hearing, questions were raised about the accuracy of the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) reported costs for collecting payments from veterans and private health insurers for its Medical Care Collections Fund (MCCF). Congress also had questions about VA's practice of using third-party collections to satisfy veterans' first-party debt. GAO's objectives were to determin… more
Date: July 21, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Trade Adjustment Assistance: Reforms Have Accelerated Training Enrollment, but Implementation Challenges Remain

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Reform Act of 2002 consolidated two programs serving trade-affected workers and made changes to expand benefits and decrease the time it takes for workers to get services. GAO was asked to provide information on (1) how key reform provisions have affected program services, (2) what have been the challenges in implementing new provisions, (3) whether demand for TAA t… more
Date: September 22, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Private Health Insurance: Coverage of Key Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests is Common but Not Universal

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Its mortality can be reduced through early detection and treatment. Four key tests are used to detect the cancer--fecal occult blood test (FOBT), flexible sigmoidoscopy, double-contrast barium enema (DCBE), and colonoscopy. Private health insurance plans generally cover these tests to diagnose cancer; however, the extent to wh… more
Date: June 17, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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No Child Left Behind Act: Additional Assistance and Research on Effective Strategies Would Help Small Rural Districts

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To improve the academic achievement of the nation's 48 million school-aged children, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) introduced significant changes to state, district, and school accountability for student performance and teacher qualifications. Congress has raised concerns about difficulties rural districts face implementing NCLBA. GAO is providing NCLBA implementation information on (1) key chall… more
Date: September 23, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Immigration Enforcement: Better Data and Controls Are Needed to Assure Consistency with the Supreme Court Decision on Long-Term Alien Detention

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Supreme Court's June 2001 ruling, Zadvydas v. Davis, held that indefinite detention of certain removable aliens was unlawful if their removal was not likely in the reasonably foreseeable future, even if they were deemed to be a threat to the community or a flight risk. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducts post order custody reviews of removable aliens to determine if continued deten… more
Date: May 27, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Securities And Exchange Commission: Review of Fiscal Year 2003 and 2004 Budget Allocations

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report responds to a statement in the Conference Report on the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) fiscal year 2004 appropriations directing GAO to study SEC's allocation of its increased funding for fiscal years 2003 and 2004. Historically, SEC has faced high staff turnover rates, long stretches of unfilled staff positions, and growing resource needs. Additionally, the agency has faced sign… more
Date: July 23, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Coast Guard: Replacement of HH-65 Helicopter Engine

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Over the last several years, the Coast Guard has experienced what it considers to be serious reliability and safety problems with its workhorse HH-65 helicopter used for key missions, such as search and rescue, migrant and drug interdiction, and homeland security. Annually, the HH-65 contributes to saving 375 lives and assists on 2,065 drug interdiction cases, according to the Coast Guard. An increasing trend … more
Date: March 24, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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New Markets Tax Credit Program: Progress Made in Implementation, but Further Actions Needed to Monitor Compliance

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000 authorized up to $15 billion under the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program to stimulate capital investment in low-income and economically distressed communities. The act mandated that GAO report to Congress on the NMTC program by January 31, 2004, 2007, and 2010. Based on consultation with staff at appropriate congressional committees, this report (1) describes th… more
Date: January 30, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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