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Mutual Funds: SEC Should Modify Proposed Regulations to Address Some Pension Plan Concerns

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Mutual fund investments represent more than 20 percent of Americans' pension plan assets. Since late 2003, two abusive trading practices in mutual funds have come to light. Late trading allowed some investors to illegally place orders for funds after the close of trading. Market timing allowed some investors to take advantage of temporary disparities between the value of a fund and the value of its unde… more
Date: July 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Corporate Credit Unions: Competitive Environment May Stress Financial Condition, Posing Challenges for NCUA Oversight

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Thousands of credit unions have placed about $55 billion of their excess funds in corporate credit unions (corporates). In a three-tiered system, corporates provide lending, investment, and processing services for their member credit unions. Problems with investments in the past prompted regulatory changes that required higher capitalization and stricter risk management, but allowed for expanded investm… more
Date: September 10, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Crop Insurance: USDA Needs to Improve Oversight of Insurance Companies and Develop a Policy to Address Any Future Insolvencies

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) administers the federal crop insurance program in partnership with insurance companies who share in the risk of loss or gain. In 2002, American Growers Insurance Company (American Growers), at the time, the largest participant in the program, was placed under regulatory control by the state of Nebraska. To ensure that policyholders were prote… more
Date: June 1, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Homeland Security: Efforts Under Way to Develop Enterprise Architecture, but Much Work Remains

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is attempting to integrate 22 federal agencies, each specializing in one or more interrelated aspects of homeland security. An enterprise architecture is a key tool for effectively and efficiently accomplishing this. In September 2003, DHS issued an initial version of its architecture. Since 2002, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued various comp… more
Date: August 6, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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File Sharing: Selected Universities Report Taking Action to Reduce Copyright Infringement

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The emergence of peer-to-peer file-sharing applications that allow networks to share computer files among millions of users has changed the way copyrighted materials, including digital music, videos, software, and images can be distributed and has led to a dramatic increase in the incidence of copyright infringement (piracy) of these digital materials. These applications enable direct communication between use… more
Date: May 28, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Operation Iraqi Freedom: Long-standing Problems Hampering Mail Delivery Need to Be Resolved

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Mail is a morale booster for troops fighting overseas and for their families at home. More than 65 million pounds of letters and parcels were delivered to troops serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and problems with prompt and reliable mail delivery surfaced early in the conflict. Congress and the White House forwarded more than 300 inquiries about mail delivery problems to military postal officials. GA… more
Date: April 14, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Contract Management: Further Efforts Needed to Sustain VA's Progress in Purchasing Medical Products and Services

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides healthcare to millions of veterans at VA's medical centers and healthcare facilities across the country. To support veterans, VA manages a Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program and a national contract program. Both use VA's sizeable buying power to provide VA and other federal agencies discounts on medical products and services. To cover its costs in running the… more
Date: June 22, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Rural Housing Service: Updated Guidance and Additional Monitoring Needed for Rental Assistance Distribution Process

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Rural Housing Service's (RHS) Section 521 rental assistance program provides rental subsidies for about 250,000 rural tenants. Because the program has a waiting list of 80,000 eligible tenants and there are over 1.3 million rural low-income renters eligible for housing subsidies, it is important to effectively distribute resources to extend assistance to as many needy tenants as possible. Therefore,… more
Date: September 13, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Attorneys: Performance-Based Initiatives are Evolving

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Within the Department of Justice (DOJ), the 94 U.S. Attorneys Offices represent the United States in criminal and civil matters across the nation. The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 requires federal agencies, including DOJ, to set goals and objectives, measure performance, and report their accomplishments in order to move toward a performance-based environment. Integral to achieving thes… more
Date: May 28, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Department of State: Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs Follow Legal Authority, but Some Activities Need Reassessment

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of State requested $415 million to fund programs in the Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining, and Related Programs (NADR) appropriations account for fiscal year 2005. Interest has been expressed in learning about whether programs are being implemented in accord with the law, and in the extent to which programs use experts hired on a contractual basis. GAO was asked to determine (1) the lega… more
Date: April 30, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Foreign Regimes' Assets: The United States Faces Challenges in Recovering Assets, but Has Mechanisms That Could Guide Future Efforts

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For many years, the United States has used economic sanctions, including the freezing of foreign regimes' assets, when such regimes have been determined to be a threat to the nation. In light of recent efforts to "recover"--or target, identify, freeze, and transfer--Iraqi assets, GAO was asked to examine overall U.S. efforts to recover foreign regimes' assets. This report (1) describes the approach the … more
Date: September 14, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy Employees Compensation: Even with Needed Improvements in Case Processing, Program Structure May Result in Inconsistent Benefit Outcomes

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Subtitle D of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000 allows the Department of Energy (Energy) to help its contractors' employees file state workers' compensation claims for illnesses determined by a panel of physicians to be caused by exposure to toxic substances while employed at an Energy facility. This report examines the effectiveness of the benefit program under Subtitl… more
Date: May 28, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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TANF And Child Care Programs: HHS Lacks Adequate Information to Assess Risk and Assist States in Managing Improper Payments

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Minimizing improper payments is important given the dollar magnitude of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) programs--about $34 billion in federal and state funds expended annually. These block grants support millions of low-income families with cash assistance, child care, and other services aimed at reducing their dependence on the government. At the … more
Date: June 18, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Intellectual Property: Economic Arrangements Among Small Webcasters and Third Parties and Their Effect on Royalties

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The emergence of webcasting as a means of transmitting audio and video content over the Internet has led to concerns about copyright protection and the payment of royalties to those who own the recording copyrights. Arriving at an acceptable rate for calculating royalties has been particularly challenging. Under the Small Webcaster Settlement Act of 2002, small commercial webcasters reached an agreement with c… more
Date: June 1, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Single-Family Housing: Cost, Benefit, and Compliance Issues Raise Questions about HUD's Discount Sales Program

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 2001, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Inspector General reported on serious problems in HUD's Discount Sales Program, under which nonprofit organizations purchase HUD-owned properties at a discount, rehabilitate them, and resell them to low- and moderate-income homebuyers. The objectives of the program are to expand affordable housing opportunities, help revitalize neighborhoods, and… more
Date: January 30, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Data Mining: Federal Efforts Cover a Wide Range of Uses

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Both the government and the private sector are increasingly using "data mining"--that is, the application of database technology and techniques (such as statistical analysis and modeling) to uncover hidden patterns and subtle relationships in data and to infer rules that allow for the prediction of future results. As has been widely reported, many federal data mining efforts involve the use of personal informa… more
Date: May 4, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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VHA Purchase Cards: Internal Controls Over the Purchase Card Program Need Improvement

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) has identified significant vulnerabilities in Veterans Affairs' (VA) use of government purchase cards. In its April 26, 2004 report, the OIG reported instances of fraudulent activity totaling $435,900, and numerous improper and questionable uses of the purchase cards totaling $1.1 million. Given that VHA comprised at least 90 percent of VA's … more
Date: June 7, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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NASA: Lack of Disciplined Cost-Estimating Processes Hinders Effective Program Management

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "For more than a decade, GAO has identified the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) contract management as a high-risk area--in part because of NASA's inability to collect, maintain, and report the full cost of its programs and projects. Lacking this information, NASA has been challenged to manage its programs and control program costs. The scientific and technical expectations inherent in NA… more
Date: May 28, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal-Aid Highways: Trends, Effect on State Spending, and Options for Future Program Design

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2004, both houses of Congress approved separate legislation to reauthorize the federal-aid highway program to help meet the Nation's surface transportation needs, enhance mobility, and promote economic growth. Both bills also recognized that the Nation faces significant transportation challenges in the future, and each established a National Commission to assess future revenue sources for the Highway… more
Date: August 31, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agricultural Conservation: USDA Should Improve Its Methods for Estimating Technical Assistance Costs

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), working with state and local partners, provides landowners with technical assistance for multiple programs to plan and implement conservation measures that protect soil, water, and wildlife. For years, the Congress has been seeking detailed cost information on this assistance as it examined USDA budget requests. I… more
Date: November 30, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Consumer Protection: Federal and State Agencies Face Challenges in Combating Predatory Lending

Description: A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "While there is no universally accepted definition, the term "predatory lending" is used to characterize a range of practices, including deception, fraud, or manipulation, that a mortgage broker or lender may use to make a loan with terms that are disadvantageous to the borrower. No comprehensive data are available on the extent of these practices, but they appear most likely to occur among subprime mortgages-… more
Date: January 30, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Architect of the Capitol: Midyear Status Report on Implementation of Management Review Recommendations

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Conference Report on the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003, directed GAO to monitor AOC's progress in implementing recommendations contained in GAO's management review of AOC's operations, issued in January 2003. This is the second status report in which GAO examines the actions taken by AOC to implement selected GAO recommendations. Additionally, the Consolidated Appropriations Resolutio… more
Date: August 31, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Rural Utilities Service: Opportunities to Better Target Assistance to Rural Areas and Avoid Unnecessary Financial Risk

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Agriculture Department's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) makes loans and provides loan guarantees to improve electric service to rural areas. Beyond guaranteeing loans, under a yet-to-be-implemented provision of the 2002 Farm Bill, RUS is also to guarantee the bonds and notes that lenders use to raise funds for making loans for electric and telecommunications services. Fees on these latter guarantees are to … more
Date: June 18, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Assisted Living: Examples of State Efforts to Improve Consumer Protections

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Assisted living facilities provide help with activities of daily living in a residential setting for individuals who cannot live independently but do not require 24-hour skilled nursing care. In 2002, over 36,000 assisted living facilities served approximately 900,000 residents. The states establish and enforce licensing standards for these institutions. Because states have taken widely differing approaches to… more
Date: April 30, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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