Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report has been superseded by GAO-05-35G, GAO's Agency Protocols. This document contains GAO's Agency Protocols that GAO is launching in a pilot phase starting in December 2002. These protocols are intended to govern GAO's work with executive branch agencies and to provide clearly defined and transparent policies and practices on how GAO will interact with agencies in the performance of its work."

A statement of record issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Securing the nation's transportation and information systems is a primary responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Within DHS, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for securing all transportation modes; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is responsible for cargo container security; the U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for protecting the maritime environment; and the National Protection and Programs Directorate is responsible for the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure. This statement focuses on the progress and challenges DHS faces in key areas of maritime, aviation, and cybersecurity. It is based on GAO products issued from June 2004 through November 2009, as well as ongoing work on air cargo security. GAO reviewed relevant documents; interviewed cognizant agency officials; and observed operations at 12 airports, chosen by size and other factors. The results are not generalizable to all airports."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Section 1308 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 requires the Comptroller General to provide Congress with an assessment of the Department of Defense's annual report on the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program within 90 days of the submission of the annual report to Congress. The Department of Defense submitted its CTR annual report for Fiscal Year 2002 to Congress on September 3, 2002 almost 19 months after the submission date mandated by law. GAO found that the report (1) did not clearly set forth future funding data required by Congress, (2) did not include certain important planning elements, (3) in some instances asserted the use of a more rigorous methodology than was actually used, and (4) incorporated some but not all prior GAO recommendations."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "We assessed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) rationale and documentation to support its decision to relocate Space Shuttle Orbiter Major Modification (OMM) work from Palmdale, California, to Kennedy Space Center, Florida. OMM work entails alterations to improve the Space Shuttle's Safety, operational quality, and long-term support and to extend its life."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Differences in utilization of health care services across the country have been well documented, but less has been reported on geographic variation in price. As health care spending is the product of utilization and price, information on health care prices and factors contributing to price differences provides an additional perspective on drivers of health care spending. In an August 2005 report, GAO examined claims data on enrollees of preferred provider organizations (PPO) participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and found substantial price variation across metropolitan areas, after adjusting prices to account for area differences in the cost of providing services and in the types of services provided. This statement is based on GAO's August 2005 report entitled Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: Competition and Other Factors Linked to Wide Variation in Health Care Prices (GAO-05-856). It focuses on (1) factors that underlie area differences in price and (2) the contribution of price to geographic differences in spending on health care."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The attempted December 25, 2009, terrorist attack and the October 2010 bomb attempt involving air cargo originating in Yemen highlight the ongoing threat to aviation and the need to coordinate security standards and practices to enhance security with foreign partners, a process known as harmonization. This testimony discusses the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) progress and challenges in harmonizing international aviation security standards and practices and facilitating compliance with international standards. This testimony is based on reports GAO issued from April 2007 through June 2010, and ongoing work examining foreign airport assessments. For this work, GAO obtained information from DHS and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and interviewed TSA program officials, foreign aviation officials, representatives from international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and industry associations, about ongoing harmonization and TSA airport assessment efforts and challenges."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is authorized under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to obtain information on the risks of chemicals and to control those that it determines to pose an unreasonable risk. EPA also conducts assessments of chemicals under its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program. Nonetheless, EPA does not have sufficient information to determine whether it should establish controls to limit public exposure to many chemicals that may pose substantial health risks. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recommended statutory changes to TSCA to, among other things, provide EPA with additional authorities to obtain health and safety information from the chemical industry and to shift more of the burden to chemical companies for demonstrating the safety of their chemicals. GAO has also recommended that EPA adopt a streamlined, more transparent IRIS assessment process to address significant productivity and credibility issues. Problems with TSCA and IRIS led GAO to add transforming EPA's processes for assessing and controlling toxic chemicals to its list of high-risk areas warranting attention by Congress and the executive branch This testimony, based on prior GAO work, addresses EPA's implementation of TSCA and …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported on the commercial space launch industry in 2006, the industry has evolved and moved further toward space tourism. Commercial space tourism promises to make human space travel available to the public for the first time. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversees the safety of commercial space launches, licensing and monitoring the safety of such launches and of spaceports (sites for launching spacecraft), and FAA promotes the industry. FAA is also responsible for overseeing the safety of space tourism, but it may not regulate crew and passenger safety before 2012 except in response to high-risk incidents, serious injuries, or fatalities. This testimony addresses (1) recent trends in the commercial space launch industry, (2) challenges that FAA faces in overseeing the industry, and (3) emerging issues that will affect the federal role. This statement is based on GAO's October 2006 report on commercial space launches, updated with information GAO gathered from FAA, the Department of Commerce, and industry experts in November 2009 on industry trends and recent FAA actions. In past work, GAO recommended that FAA take several actions to improve its oversight …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As a result of the damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the federal government funded several disaster case management programs. These programs help victims access services for disaster-related needs. This testimony addresses the following questions: 1) How did the federal government support disaster case management programs after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and how did federal agencies coordinate their efforts?; 2) What challenges did disaster case management agencies experience in delivering services under federally funded programs?; and 3) How will previous or existing federally funded programs be used to inform the development of a federal case management program for future disasters? This testimony is based on a July 2009 report (GAO-09-561). To complete this report GAO reviewed federal laws, regulations, and guidance, obtained data from two programs, conducted site visits to Louisiana and Mississippi, and interviewed case management providers and federal and state officials. For this testimony, GAO updated certain information."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) financial condition and outlook deteriorated sharply during fiscal years 2007 through 2009. USPS actions to cut costs and increase revenues were insufficient to offset declines in mail volume and revenues. Mail volume declined from 213 billion pieces in fiscal year 2006, to 171 billion pieces in fiscal year 2010--or about 20 percent. Volume declines resulted from the recession and changes in the use of mail as transactions and messages continued to shift to electronic alternatives. In this environment, USPS initiatives to increase revenues had limited results. USPS expects mail volume to decline further to about 150 billion pieces by 2020. This trend exposes weaknesses in USPS's business model, which has relied on growth in mail volume to help cover costs. GAO and others have reported on options for improving USPS's financial condition, including GAO's April 2010 report on USPS's business model (GAO-10-455). Recently, legislation has been introduced that addresses USPS's finances and the need for flexibility to help modernize operations. This testimony discusses (1) updated information on USPS's financial condition and outlook, (2) the need to modernize and restructure USPS, and (3) key …

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the weaknesses in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) controls over seized drugs that are used in reverse undercover operations (RUO) by the Miami Field Office."

Contains notes and research (Naval Warfare Development Command) Newport, RI, by David Epstein of the NAVY Team. Part 2 of 2(DCN:11705)

Contains notes and research(FINAL Report documents)Various States by the INTERAGENCY TEAM. Part 2 of 2

Contains notes and research (651 MUNS Briefing) Lackland, AFB TX, by Art Beauchamp of the AIR FORCE Team.

Contains notes and research (General) NUWC Newport, RI by David Epstein of the NAVY Team.

Contains notes and research (NSWC Indian Head Detachment Louisville, KY) by David Epstein of the NAVY Team.

Contains notes and research (General) NASVSTA Newport, RI by David Epstein of the NAVY Team.

Contains notes and research (Naval Warfare Development Command) Newport RI, by David Epstein of the NAVY TEAM. Part 1 of 2(DCN:11706)

An invoice for the grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts to the North Texas Institute for Educators on the Visual Arts. The amount is listed as $5,689.00.

Letter from Patricia Russell-McCloud to chapter presidents of The Links, Inc. informing members that the national offices of The Links, Inc. and The Links Foundation will undergo reorganizations at the beginning of the new year in 1997. Consequently, members trying to contact the offices, especially the human resources department, may experience delays. Also, as a result of the reorganization, many positions in the national offices will open and Links' members from all chapters are encouraged to apply.

Minutes for December 2, 2004 Texas Daily Newspaper Association Board of Directors' Meeting at the Headliner's Club in Austin, Texas. The members in attendance of the meeting were, Donnis Baggett, Larry Walker, Jeremy Halbreich, Wesley R. Turner Gary Borders, Bob Carlquist, Buddy King, Charles Moser, Doug Toney, Phil Berkebile, Ken Whalen and Darla Thompson. President Donnis Bagget opened the meeting and read announcements to the committee members.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether there is a gallonage limit on sales by a winery permit holder under subsection (d), section 16.01 of the Alcoholic Beverage Code (RQ-583)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether House Bill 859, Acts 1992, 73d Leg., ch. 473 (now codified at public utility to keep portion of its customer records confidential under certain circumstances, is applicable to the Franklin County Water District (RQ-619)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Waggoner Carr, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Construction of Senate Bill 527, Acts of the 59th Legislature, Regular Session, 1965, relating to the financing of services to crippled children with blindness, and related questions.