Site selection and preliminary evaluation of potential solar-industrial-process-heat applications for federal buildings in Texas (open access)

Site selection and preliminary evaluation of potential solar-industrial-process-heat applications for federal buildings in Texas

The potential for solr process heat applications for federal buildings in Texas is assessed. The three sites considered are Reese Air Force Base, Lubbock; Fort Bliss, El Paso; and Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene. The application at Lubbock is an electroplating and descaling facility for aircraft maintenance. The one at El Paso is a laundry facility. The Abilene system would use solar heat to preheat boiler feedwater makeup for the base hospital boiler plant. The Lubbock site is found to be the most appropriate one for a demonstration plant, with the Abilene site as an alternate. The processes at each site are described. A preliminary evaluation of the potential contribution by solar energy to the electroplating facility at Reese AFB is included. (LEW)
Date: September 30, 1980
Creator: Branz, Michael A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
EPA Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Power Plants: Many Questions, Some Answers (open access)

EPA Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Power Plants: Many Questions, Some Answers

This report discusses the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) proposals for electric generating units (EGU) Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
Date: September 30, 2013
Creator: McCarthy, James E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Research, Development, and Demonstration at the U.S. Department of Energy (open access)

Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Research, Development, and Demonstration at the U.S. Department of Energy

This report aims to provide a snapshot of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) program, including its current funding levels and the budget request for FY2014, together with some discussion of the program's achievements and prospects for success in meeting its stated goals.
Date: September 30, 2013
Creator: Folger, Peter
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Combating Nuclear Smuggling: DHS's Phase 3 Test Report on Advanced Portal Monitors Does Not Fully Disclose the Limitations of the Test Results (open access)

Combating Nuclear Smuggling: DHS's Phase 3 Test Report on Advanced Portal Monitors Does Not Fully Disclose the Limitations of the Test Results

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) is responsible for addressing the threat of nuclear smuggling. Radiation detection portal monitors are part of the U.S. defense against such threats. In 2007, Congress required that funds for new advanced spectroscopic portal (ASP) monitors could not be spent until the Secretary of DHS certified that these machines represented a significant increase in operational effectiveness over currently deployed portal monitors. In addition to other tests, DNDO conducted the Phase 3 tests on ASPs to identify areas in which the ASPs needed improvement. GAO was asked to assess (1) the degree to which the Phase 3 test report accurately depicts the test results and (2) the appropriateness of using the Phase 3 test results to determine whether ASPs represent a significant improvement over current radiation detection equipment. GAO also agreed to provide its observations on special tests conducted by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)."
Date: September 30, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Crop Insurance: Actions Needed to Reduce Program's Vulnerability to Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (open access)

Crop Insurance: Actions Needed to Reduce Program's Vulnerability to Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal crop insurance protects producers against losses from natural disasters. In 2004, the crop insurance program provided $47 billion in coverage, at a cost of $3.6 billion, including an estimated $160 million in losses from fraud and abuse. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) administers this program with private insurers. The Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 (ARPA) provided new tools to monitor and control abuses, such as having USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) conduct field inspections. GAO assessed, among other things, the (1) effectiveness of USDA's processes to address program fraud and abuse and (2) extent to which the program's design makes it vulnerable to abuse."
Date: September 30, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Airlift: DOD Should Take Steps to Strengthen Management of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet Program (open access)

Military Airlift: DOD Should Take Steps to Strengthen Management of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet Program

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To move passengers and cargo, the Department of Defense (DOD) must supplement its military aircraft with cargo and passenger aircraft from commercial carriers participating in the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program. Carriers participating in CRAF commit their aircraft to DOD to support a range of military operations. In the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress required DOD to sponsor an assessment of CRAF and required GAO to review that assessment. GAO briefed congressional staff on its observations. As discussed with the staff, GAO further analyzed some of the issues identified in its review. This report assesses (1) the extent to which DOD has assessed potential risks to the CRAF program, and (2) the extent to which DOD's management of CRAF supports program objectives. For this engagement, GAO reviewed DOD-sponsored CRAF study reports and interviewed study leadership. GAO also interviewed over 20 of 35 CRAF participating carriers that responded to a request for a meeting, DOD officials, and industry officials."
Date: September 30, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicaid Managed Care: Use of Limited Benefit Plans to Provide Mental Health Services and Efforts to Coordinate Care (open access)

Medicaid Managed Care: Use of Limited Benefit Plans to Provide Mental Health Services and Efforts to Coordinate Care

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Thirteen states reported that in fiscal year 2012 they paid a total of about $5.6 billion to limited benefit plans to provide mental health services to about 4.4 million adult Medicaid beneficiaries. States can enroll different populations--such as adults who are blind, disabled, or have developmental disabilities--in limited benefit plans, which could contribute to the variation in the number of adults enrolled and level of capitated payments made across the 13 states."
Date: September 30, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Personnel: Observations on the Use and Effects of the National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 2008 (open access)

Military Personnel: Observations on the Use and Effects of the National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 2008

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In section 3 of the National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 2008 (Pub. L. No 110-438 (2008)), Congress mandated that we provide information on the use and the effects of the provisions of law amended (and as amended) by the act. Specifically, the act amended the existing bankruptcy code to exempt qualifying members of the National Guard and Reserve Components from the means test process when they file a petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy relief. We are fulfilling the act's requirement by transmitting the this briefing to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives."
Date: September 30, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee: IRAC Representatives Effectively Coordinate Federal Spectrum but Lack Seniority to Advise on Contentious Policy Issues (open access)

Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee: IRAC Representatives Effectively Coordinate Federal Spectrum but Lack Seniority to Advise on Contentious Policy Issues

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) within the Department of Commerce manages the federal government's use of the radio frequency spectrum with coordination and policy input from the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC), comprised of 20 federal agencies that use spectrum. In recent years, the use of spectrum in wireless applications has expanded dramatically, leading occasionally to contentious disputes between government and commercial users over access to spectrum. Considering IRAC's key role in spectrum management, Congress asked us to (1) describe the evolution of IRAC and (2) obtain IRAC agency representatives' assessment of IRAC's spectrum coordination and policy advice, role as an advisor, and whether IRAC needs to be reformed."
Date: September 30, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Health Care Workforce: HRSA Action Needed to Publish Timely National Supply and Demand Projections (open access)

Health Care Workforce: HRSA Action Needed to Publish Timely National Supply and Demand Projections

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2008, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded five contracts to research organizations to update national workforce projections, but HRSA has failed to publish any new reports containing projections. As a result, the most recent projections from HRSA available to Congress and others to inform health care workforce policy decisions are from the agency's 2008 report, which is based on data that are more than a decade old. While HRSA created a timeline for publishing new workforce projection reports in 2012, the agency missed its goal to publish a clinician specialty report by December 2012 projecting the supply of and demand for health care professionals through 2025. HRSA officials attributed the delay in publishing this report to data challenges and modeling limitations. HRSA has also revised its timeline to postpone publication of two other health care workforce reports, as shown in the table below. HRSA officials said that the agency does not have standard written procedures for preparing a report for publication after final reports are delivered from contractors, which may impede its ability …
Date: September 30, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Management: Financial Audit Results at GSA, EPA, and DOT (open access)

Financial Management: Financial Audit Results at GSA, EPA, and DOT

A statement of record issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the results of the financial statement audits of the General Services Administration (GSA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Transportation (DOT)."
Date: September 30, 1999
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
NATO Partnerships: DOD Needs to Assess U.S. Assistance in Response to Changes to the Partnership for Peace Program (open access)

NATO Partnerships: DOD Needs to Assess U.S. Assistance in Response to Changes to the Partnership for Peace Program

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) established the Partnership for Peace (PfP) to increase cooperation with former Warsaw Pact members and provide many of these countries with a path to NATO membership. As NATO confronts new security challenges, including the war in Afghanistan, its relationships with partner countries have grown in scope and importance. Additionally, NATO is developing a new Strategic Concept to clarify its mission and activities, including its relationship with PfP countries and other partners. The Department of Defense (DOD)-funded Warsaw Initiative Fund (WIF) supports the goals of the PfP program. GAO was asked to review (1) how the PfP program has evolved since GAO last reported on it in 2001; (2) options NATO is considering for the future of the PfP and other partnership programs; and (3) support to PfP countries through the U.S. WIF program. GAO analyzed NATO, DOD, and State Department (State) documents; and WIF funding data. GAO also interviewed DOD, State, NATO, and selected country officials."
Date: September 30, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Disability Retirement for Federal Employees (open access)

Disability Retirement for Federal Employees

This report briefly discusses sick leave policies for federal civilian employees, as well as disability benefits available under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA).
Date: September 30, 2010
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Job Growth During the Recovery (open access)

Job Growth During the Recovery

Congress in recent years passed a number of bills intended in part to jump-start a recovery in the labor market from the recession that began in December 2007. Policymakers are interested in how employment has responded to stimulus measures to determine how effective the legislation has been and to decide whether additional job creation legislation is warranted. This report discusses this topic in brief.
Date: September 30, 2010
Creator: Levine, Linda
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Transportation Security R&D: TSA and DHS Are Researching and Developing Technologies, but Need to Improve R&D Management (open access)

Transportation Security R&D: TSA and DHS Are Researching and Developing Technologies, but Need to Improve R&D Management

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 Homeland Security (DHS) are the two federal agencies with primary responsibility for transportation security. GAO was asked to assess the transportation security R&D projects that TSA, DHS, and other agencies have funded and assess how TSA and DHS are managing their transportation security R&D programs according to applicable laws and best practices."
Date: September 30, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
No Child Left Behind Act: Improvements Needed in Education's Process for Tracking States' Implementation of Key Provisions (open access)

No Child Left Behind Act: Improvements Needed in Education's Process for Tracking States' Implementation of Key Provisions

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 students who attain proficiency on state tests each year, with all meeting goals by 2014. To provide information about states' efforts, GAO determined (1) what goals states established for student proficiency and their implications for whether schools will meet these goals; (2) what factors facilitated or impeded selected state and school district implementation efforts; and (3) how the Department of Education (Education) supported state efforts and approved state plans to meet student proficiency requirements."
Date: September 30, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nursing Homes: Complexity of Private Investment Purchases Demonstrates Need for CMS to Improve the Usability and Completeness of Ownership Data (open access)

Nursing Homes: Complexity of Private Investment Purchases Demonstrates Need for CMS to Improve the Usability and Completeness of Ownership Data

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2007, attention has been focused on nursing home ownership by private investment (PI) firms. Nursing home providers are required to disclose parties with an ownership or control interest in order to participate in Medicare or Medicaid. CMS, the HHS agency responsible for managing these two programs, maintains ownership and chain data in its Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS). GAO examined (1) the extent of PI nursing home ownership and firms' involvement in homes' operations, (2) whether PECOS reflects PI ownership, and (3) how HHS and states use ownership data for oversight. GAO identified PI ownership using a proprietary database and analyzed data from six PI firms about their interest and involvement in nursing homes. GAO examined PECOS data for selected PI-owned nursing home chains and discussed ownership data with officials from HHS, CMS, and six states that also collect data."
Date: September 30, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
DHS Financial Management: Additional Efforts Needed to Resolve Deficiencies in Internal Controls and Financial Management Systems (open access)

DHS Financial Management: Additional Efforts Needed to Resolve Deficiencies in Internal Controls and Financial Management Systems

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has made considerable progress toward obtaining a clean opinion on its financial statements but limited progress in obtaining a clean opinion on its internal control over financial reporting. DHS continues to rely on compensating controls and complex manual work-arounds rather than sound internal control over financial reporting and effective financial management systems. DHS is working to resolve the deficiencies that caused its auditors to issue a qualified opinion on its fiscal year 2012 financial statements and has a goal of achieving a clean opinion in fiscal year 2013. In addition, DHS has plans to resolve the remaining five material internal control weaknesses, with a goal of achieving a clean opinion on internal control over financial reporting for fiscal year 2016. However, DHS's auditors stated that they may have identified additional material weaknesses in fiscal year 2012 had they been able to perform sufficient work to enable them to express an opinion on the effectiveness of DHS's internal control over financial reporting. DHS will continue to face challenges in obtaining and sustaining a clean opinion on its financial statements and attaining …
Date: September 30, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage: Federal Oversight of Reported Price Concessions Data (open access)

Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage: Federal Oversight of Reported Price Concessions Data

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To help Medicare beneficiaries manage the rising cost of prescription drugs, Congress passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), which established the outpatient prescription drug benefit known as Medicare Part D. The benefit was first available in January 2006, and that year it provided federally subsidized prescription drug coverage for nearly 28 million beneficiaries at a cost of $47.4 billion--almost 12 percent of total Medicare spending. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), manages and oversees the Part D program. Part D sponsors--entities that enter into contracts with Medicare--administer the benefit and compete for beneficiary enrollment. To provide coverage, the sponsors often enter into contractual relationships with pharmacy benefit managers (PBM), drug manufacturers, and retail pharmacies, among others. The Part D program relies on sponsors to generate prescription drug savings, in part through their ability to negotiate price concessions, such as rebates and discounts, with these entities. Sponsors must report the price concession amounts to CMS and pass price concessions on to the program. CMS uses the reported data to calculate final …
Date: September 30, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federally Chartered Corporation: Financial Statement Audit Report for the National Federation of Music Clubs for Fiscal Year 2003 (open access)

Federally Chartered Corporation: Financial Statement Audit Report for the National Federation of Music Clubs for Fiscal Year 2003

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit reports covering the financial statements of the National Federation of Music Clubs for Fiscal Year 2003. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit reports included the auditors' opinions that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly on a modified cash basis of accounting."
Date: September 30, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Commerce: Compliance with the Inflation Adjustment Act (open access)

Department of Commerce: Compliance with the Inflation Adjustment Act

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO initiated a governmentwide review of the implementation of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990. The act requires each federal agency to issue a regulation adjusting its covered maximum civil monetary penalties for inflation by October 23, 1996, and requires each agency to make necessary adjustments at least once every 4 years thereafter. During the review, GAO determined that the Department of Commerce had adjusted its civil penalties in a manner inconsistent with eh requirements of the statute."
Date: September 30, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Recovery Act: Opportunities Exist to Increase the Public's Understanding of Recipient Reporting on HUD Programs (open access)

Recovery Act: Opportunities Exist to Increase the Public's Understanding of Recipient Reporting on HUD Programs

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) has provided about $6 billion in grants for three Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs that fund housing or community development. As of March 31, 2010, HUD's Capital Fund awarded nearly $3 billion in grants to 3,134 public housing agencies, the Community Development Block Grant-Recovery (CDBG-R) awarded about $1 billion to 1,167 recipients, and the Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) awarded $2.25 billion to 52 state housing finance agencies. The act requires recipients to report specific information on fund use. Recipients began reporting in October 2009. This information is publicly available on Recovery.gov, the official Recovery Act Web site. As requested, for these three HUD programs, the report (1) examines what information recipients are required to report as a part of their descriptions of funded projects, and (2) assesses the extent to which descriptions of a representative sample of 219 grants in Recovery.gov are transparent in providing a basic understanding of grant activities and expected outcomes. GAO reviewed requirements for reporting in the act and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and HUD guidance."
Date: September 30, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Generally Not Available on Toy Gun Issues Related to Crime, Injuries or Deaths, and Long-Term Impact (open access)

Information Generally Not Available on Toy Gun Issues Related to Crime, Injuries or Deaths, and Long-Term Impact

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Representative Edolphus Towns requested information on several issues related to the use of toy guns. Specifically, he asked that GAO (1) examine crime statistics showing the prevalence of crimes that involved toy guns in some capacity; (2) gather any available information on incidents involving toy guns that have resulted in injuries or deaths, whether or not related to criminal activity; and (3) determine from available literature whether there are any studies examining the long-term impacts that can be attributed to toy gun play by children."
Date: September 30, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program: Actions Needed to Address Weaknesses in Administration and Oversight (open access)

District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program: Actions Needed to Address Weaknesses in Administration and Oversight

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation (the Trust) provides information to prospective and current families of children participating in the District of Columbia (the District) Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) through a variety of outreach activities. To reach prospective OSP families, the Trust advertises through print, radio, and bus ads, as well as in newspapers and flyers posted in neighborhood libraries, recreation centers, and local government service centers. However, the Trust provides incomplete and untimely information about participating schools to OSP families. The participating school directory, which is published by the Trust, lacks key information about tuition, fees, and accreditation. The Trust published the directory 9 months after the start of the 2012-13 school year, too late to assist families in selecting a school for that year. Without such information, parents cannot make fully informed school choices. Additionally, the Trust awarded scholarships to students several months after many schools completed their admissions and enrollment processes, limiting the amount of time and choice in selecting schools. Most families GAO spoke with were generally happy with OSP but some were concerned about the availability of program information."
Date: September 30, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library