Resource Type

Medicare Home Health Care: Payments to Home Health Agencies Are Considerably Higher than Costs (open access)

Medicare Home Health Care: Payments to Home Health Agencies Are Considerably Higher than Costs

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 significantly changed Medicare's home health care payments to home health agencies (HHAs). Under a prospective payment system (PPS), HHAs are paid a fixed amount, adjusted for beneficiary care needs, for providing up to 60 days of care---termed a "home health episode." The act also imposed new interim payment limits to moderate spending until the PPS could be implemented. Although PPS was designed to lower Medicare spending below what it was under the interim system, GAO found that Medicare's payments for full home health care episodes were 35 percent higher than estimated in the first six months of 2001. These disparities indicate that Medicare's PPS overpays for services actually provided, although some HHAs facing extraordinary costs not accounted for by the payment system may be financially disadvantaged."
Date: May 6, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit: Capitol Preservation Fund's Fiscal Years 2001 and 2000 Financial Statements (open access)

Financial Audit: Capitol Preservation Fund's Fiscal Years 2001 and 2000 Financial Statements

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO audited the financial statements of the Capitol Preservation Fund for fiscal years 2001 and 2000. GAO found that the financial statements (1) were presented fairly in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, (2) contained no material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting and compliance with laws and regulations, and (3) complied with the provisions of laws and regulations tested."
Date: May 17, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Transformation: Army Actions Needed to Enhance Formation of Future Interim Brigade Combat Teams (open access)

Military Transformation: Army Actions Needed to Enhance Formation of Future Interim Brigade Combat Teams

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 1999, the Army announced its plans to transform its forces during the next 30 years to enable them to deploy more rapidly and operate more effectively during all types of military conflicts, from small-scale contingencies to major wars. The Army's goal is to be able to deploy a brigade anywhere in the world within 96 hours, a division within 120 hours, and five divisions within 30 days. The first step is to form and equip six interim brigade combat teams by 2008. Created to fill a gap in military capability, the teams are intended to be a lethal and survivable deterrent force that can be rapidly deployed around the world. The commanders in chief envision different uses for the teams according to the unique requirements of their respective regions. However, they generally agree that the teams should provide them with a broader choice of capabilities to meet their operational needs. The Army faces many challenges in assembling its first team. For example, some planned combat capabilities will not be present when the team is certified for deployment next year. In addition, the interim armored vehicle …
Date: May 17, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Community Investment: Information on Selected Facilities That Received Environmental Permits (open access)

Community Investment: Information on Selected Facilities That Received Environmental Permits

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Industrial facilities that operate under permits regulating some emissions and discharges have been the subject of complaints from community groups and environmental activists who charge that the facilities expose the surrounding communities to greater environmental risk than the general population. In response, the facilities point out that they contribute to the economic growth of the surrounding communities by employing residents and supporting other community needs, such as schools and infrastructure. In a survey of selected facilities, GAO found that the number of jobs in some decreased over time. According to facility officials, these jobs included unskilled, trade, technical, administrative, and professional positions with salaries ranging from $15,000 to $80,000 per year. Most of the facilities identified other contributions that they had made or planned to make in the local communities. These included volunteer work such as organizing cleanups; infrastructure improvements such as installing a new water drainage system; and financial assistance to schools, universities, community groups, and other organizations. Property values in a community are affected by many factors, including the condition of the land and houses, the proximity of the property to natural or man-made …
Date: May 31, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Weapons of Mass Destruction: U.N. Confronts Significant Challenges in Implementing Sanctions against Iraq (open access)

Weapons of Mass Destruction: U.N. Confronts Significant Challenges in Implementing Sanctions against Iraq

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "United Nations sanctions were first imposed in August 1990 following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. In 1991, the Security Council established sanctions to stop Iraq from acquiring or developing biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. To achieve this, the Security Council prohibited all nations from buying Iraqi oil or selling the country any commodities except for food and medicine. It further established a weapons inspection regime to ensure that Iraq destroyed its weapons of mass destruction and stopped its weapons programs. Concerned about the humanitarian need of the Iraqi people, in 1995 the Security Council established a controls program for Iraq's oil sales that allows for the purchase of food, medicine, and essential civilian goods (the oil for food program). With international support for the sanctions eroding, in 2001 the Security Council passed a new sanctions resolution to address humanitarian concerns while keeping Iraq from rebuilding its weapons systems. Although the U.N. controlled $51 billion of Iraq's oil revenues from 1997 to 2001, Iraq earned an additional $6.6 billion in illegal revenue from oil smuggling and surcharges during the same time. Further, although the sanctions prohibit Iraq from …
Date: May 23, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multifamily Rural Housing: Prepayment Potential and Long-Term Rehabilitation Needs for Section 515 Properties (open access)

Multifamily Rural Housing: Prepayment Potential and Long-Term Rehabilitation Needs for Section 515 Properties

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Nearly 450,000 elderly and other households depend on federal assistance to live in multifamily rural rental properties that were constructed with subsidized federal loans. Because the properties were built in areas when and where privately financed housing units, affordable by lower income households, were not considered economically feasible, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service (RHS) has made direct loans available to developers of affordable multifamily housing under its section 515 program. RHS has funded many more new properties than the portfolio has lost through prepayment. The number of new properties added to the portfolio exceeded the number that left the program after prepayment in every year except 2001. If the statutory requirement restricting prepayment for loans made before December 1989, were changed to allow prepayment without restrictions after 20 years from the date of the loan, prepayment could be an option for the owners of 3,900 of all section 515 properties over the next eight years. RHS field staff routinely inspect properties, complete and retain detailed descriptions of noted deficiencies, and transmit the summaries of the deficiencies identified to a central database. Only current …
Date: May 10, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Accounting Profession: Status of Panel on Audit Effectiveness Recommendations to Enhance the Self-Regulatory System (open access)

The Accounting Profession: Status of Panel on Audit Effectiveness Recommendations to Enhance the Self-Regulatory System

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The accounting profession maintains a voluntary, self-regulatory system through the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) that includes establishing professional standards, monitoring compliance with professional standards, disciplining members for improper acts and substandard performance, and conducting oversight. The Panel of Audit Effectiveness, set up to examine the AICPA's methods, made recommendations to enhance the accounting profession's self-regulatory system. Implementing actions taken or in process have addressed many of the Panel's recommendations. However, the Panel's recommendations did not fully address the limitations of the self-regulatory system identified in its report. Also, some of the Panel's recommendations were either not accepted or are still under study. Additional experience is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken or planned. However, the system is fragmented, uncoordinated, and has a disciplinary function that is widely perceived to be ineffective. The self-regulatory system is unable to protect the confidentiality of investigative information about alleged audit failures or other disciplinary matters concerning members of the profession. The lack of such protective powers hinders the timing of investigations and affects the public's perception of the self-regulatory system's effectiveness. The Panel recognized the …
Date: May 17, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: Navy Needs Plan to Address Rising Prices in Aviation Parts (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: Navy Needs Plan to Address Rising Prices in Aviation Parts

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Since fiscal year 1999, the Navy's budget for repairing spare parts to support its aviation weapons systems has increased by about 50 percent, from $1.2 billion to $1.8 billion. Some military commands have asserted that the escalating cost of these parts has adversely impacted the funds available for the readiness of military forces. Overall, the prices for Navy repairable spare parts continue to climb for the three aircraft and their engines that GAO focused on in its November 2000 report. GAO's assessment of selected parts being repaired showed that while nearly 45 percent of the parts decreased in price, about 55 percent increased an average of 91.5 percent between fiscal year 1999 and 2002. The price increases were primarily due to the dramatically higher costs of the materials needed to repair spare parts, although other factors, such as overhead fees and labor rates, contributed. However, GAO could not determine the underlying causes for the rising material costs because the Navy's database lacked key information on each repair. The Navy's progress in developing an overall plan to identify and address the reasons for higher spare parts prices …
Date: May 31, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Restructured Electricity Markets: Three States' Experiences in Adding Generating Capacity (open access)

Restructured Electricity Markets: Three States' Experiences in Adding Generating Capacity

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have restructured electricity markets by shifting from service provided through a regulated monopoly to service provided through open competition among the local utilities and their competitors. The restructuring was intended to boost competition and expand consumer choice, increase efficiency, and lower prices. Of the three states GAO studied, Texas had the greatest need for additional electric power, and it added the most new capacity from 1995 through 2001. In contrast, California added 25 percent of the forecasted need for capacity over this period. Although Pennsylvania added less than half of its forecasted need for capacity, the state continues to be a net exporter of electricity to nearby states. The three states have similar processes for approving applications to build and operate new power plants. In all three states, state and local agencies must review the applications to ensure that the developer complies with environmental, land use, and other requirements before issuing the permits necessary to build and operate a power plant. California also has a state energy commission that reviews each power plant application to determine whether the benefits …
Date: May 24, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
FAA Alaska: Weak Controls Resulted in Improper and Wasteful Purchases (open access)

FAA Alaska: Weak Controls Resulted in Improper and Wasteful Purchases

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed purchasing controls and activities within the Airway Facilities Division of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Alaska. This unit, referred to as AFA, is responsible for maintaining airway navigation and communication equipment throughout the state. AFA implemented a pilot program in March 1997 called the Corporate Maintenance Philosophy (CMP) that reduced periodic maintenance and certification requirements for equipment, thus allowing AFA to work with fewer staff. Under this program, AFA's funds originally intended for payroll compensation and benefits were freed for use on capital improvements and an employee recognition system. However, AFA did not have good internal controls. GAO reviewed 150 purchases made in fiscal years 1999 through 2001. Of these, 118 did not comply with one or more FAA purchasing requirements. AFA's highly decentralized operating environment made it susceptible to internal controls weaknesses and improper or wasteful purchases. FAA headquarters in Washington, DC, provides little oversight of spending practices, and regional officials in Alaska have no oversight authority over AFA's practices. AFA personnel work in various locations, with more than half having agency credit cards. GAO found that most cardholders received no training …
Date: May 30, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Internal Revenue Service: Efforts to Identify and Combat Abusive Tax Schemes Have Increased, but Challenges Remain (open access)

Internal Revenue Service: Efforts to Identify and Combat Abusive Tax Schemes Have Increased, but Challenges Remain

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) characterizes an abusive tax scheme as any plan or arrangement created and used to obtain tax benefits not allowable by law. According to IRS, abusive tax schemes fall into four categories: frivolous returns, frivolous refunds, abusive domestic trusts, and offshore schemes. IRS estimates the potential revenue loss from abusive tax schemes to be in the tens of billions of dollars annually. Developing accurate estimates is difficult because of the limited numbers of cases examined and investigated. IRS identifies and examines abusive tax scheme promoters and participants through its Small Business and Self-Employed Division and Criminal Investigation. In fiscal year 2000, IRS created a program that focuses on false and frivolous schemes. IRS has also created new offices that focus exclusively on abusive tax schemes that use legal structures like domestic and offshore trusts and partnerships. IRS coordinates with federal agencies to identify, monitor, and prosecute promoters and participants in abusive tax schemes. These activities range from sharing information and detection techniques with agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to assisting in the prosecution of …
Date: May 22, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare: Recent CMS Reforms Address Carrier Scrutiny of Physicians' Claims for Payment (open access)

Medicare: Recent CMS Reforms Address Carrier Scrutiny of Physicians' Claims for Payment

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 1990, GAO designated the Medicare program to be at high-risk for waste, fraud, and abuse. More than a decade later, Medicare remains on GAO's high-risk list. This report examines Medicare's claims review process, which is designed to detect improper billing or payments. GAO found that most physicians who bill Medicare are largely unaffected by carriers' medical reviews, with 90 percent of physician claims going unreviewed in fiscal year 2001. At the three carriers GAO studied, implementation of the progressive corrective action initiative has reduced medical reviews of claims and has increased carrier education to individual physicians. The carriers in the study generally made appropriate payment determinations in examining physician claims selected for a medical review. By targeting claims that are more likely to have errors, carriers could improve the efficiency of their own operations and reduce administrative demands on the small proportion of physician practices with claims selected for review. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is refocusing its oversight of carrier performance in processing and reviewing claims. The agency intends to hold carriers accountable for the overall level of payment errors in …
Date: May 28, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Great Lakes: EPA Needs to Define Organizational Responsibilities Better for Effective Oversight and Cleanup of Contaminated Areas (open access)

Great Lakes: EPA Needs to Define Organizational Responsibilities Better for Effective Oversight and Cleanup of Contaminated Areas

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "To protect the Great Lakes and to address common water quality problems, the United States and Canada entered into the bilateral Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972. The agreement has been amended several times, most recently in 1987. That year, the two countries agreed to cooperate with state and provincial governments to develop and implement remedial action plans (RAPs) for designated areas in the Great Lakes Basin--areas contaminated, for example, by toxic substances. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leads the effort to meet the goals of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, which include RAP development and implementation. As of April 2002, all of the 26 contaminated areas in the Great Lakes Basin that the United States is responsible for have completed the first stage of the RAP process; however, only half have completed the second stage. Even though EPA has been charged with leading the effort to meet the goals of the agreement, it has not clearly delineated responsibility for oversight of RAPs within the agency, and, citing resource constraints and the need to tend to other Great Lakes priorities, reduced its staff and …
Date: May 17, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Health Care: Health Care Benefit for Women Comparable to Other Plans (open access)

Defense Health Care: Health Care Benefit for Women Comparable to Other Plans

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Half of all beneficiaries in the Department of Defense's (DOD) Tricare health care program are women. With a health care system historically oriented towards men, DOD has had to work to ensure that its women beneficiaries receive the full range of medical services they are entitled to, including obstetrical and gynecological care and diagnostic services such as Pap smears and mammograms. TRICARE-covered benefits are in line with American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines and are comparable to women's health benefits offered by two of the largest health plans under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). DOD also requires some beneficiaries to share in the cost of their health care. Both DOD's and FEHBP's copayments, which are the same for men and women, vary depending on the plan option and the providers selected. Women beneficiaries report being satisfied with the health care benefits they receive under TRICARE. Some women beneficiaries, however, have expressed concerns about obtaining services when they are stationed overseas or in remote areas. Some active duty women are also concerned that command personnel may not understand women's health care needs."
Date: May 1, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nuclear Nonproliferation: U.S. Efforts to Help Other Countries Combat Nuclear Smuggling Need Strengthened Coordination and Planning (open access)

Nuclear Nonproliferation: U.S. Efforts to Help Other Countries Combat Nuclear Smuggling Need Strengthened Coordination and Planning

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The worldwide trafficking and smuggling of nuclear material has reportedly increased in recent years. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports 181 confirmed cases of illicit trafficking of nuclear material since 1993. Many of the cases reported by IAEA involved material that could be used to produce a "dirty bomb" that could spread radioactive contamination over a wide area. Nuclear material can be smuggled across a country's border through various means. Many nuclear smuggling cases have been traced to nuclear material that originated in the former Soviet Union. The United States, through the Department of Energy's Material Protection, Control, and Accounting program, has helped them secure nuclear material at civilian and defense facilities--the first line of defense against potential theft and diversion of nuclear materials. To address the threat posed by nuclear smuggling, the United States is helping these countries improve their border security--a second line of defense--but these assistance efforts face daunting challenges. U.S. efforts to combat nuclear smuggling are divided among six federal agencies--the Departments of Energy, State, and Defense; the U.S. Customs Service; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the U.S. Coast Guard. …
Date: May 16, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Budget: Need to Strengthen Guidance and Oversight of Contingency Operation Costs (open access)

Defense Budget: Need to Strengthen Guidance and Oversight of Contingency Operation Costs

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The incremental costs for overseas military contingency operations, which include the enforcement of no-fly zones, humanitarian assistance, and peace enforcement, totaled more than $29 billion since 1991. Most of these costs were incurred in the Balkans and Southwest Asia. The Department of Defense (DOD) defines incremental costs as those above and beyond baseline training, operations, and personnel costs. Although most contingency operations expenditures GAO reviewed were appropriate, as much as $101 million was spent on questionable items, including cappuccino machines, golf memberships, and decorator furniture. Limited guidance and oversight, combined with a lack of cost consciousness, contributed to the questionable expenditures."
Date: May 21, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Waste Cleanup: Status and Implications of DOE's Compliance Agreements (open access)

Waste Cleanup: Status and Implications of DOE's Compliance Agreements

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Energy (DOE) spends between $6 billion and $7 billion annually to store, clean up, and monitor nuclear and hazardous waste at its sites. Various federal and state agencies with jurisdiction over environmental and health issues related to the cleanup are therefore involved in regulating and overseeing DOE's activities. Much of the cleanup activity has been implemented under compliance agreements between the DOE and these agencies. There are three types of compliance agreements governing DOE's sites: (1) legal requirements that address the cleanup of federal sites on the National Priorities List of the nation's most serious hazardous waste sites or that address treatment and storage of mixed hazardous and radioactive waste at DOE facilities; (2) court-ordered agreements resulting from lawsuits initiated primarily by states; and (3) other agreements, such as state administrative orders enforcing state hazardous waste management laws, that do not fall into the first two categories. Through the end of fiscal year 2001, DOE had completed 4,500 milestones, although for several reasons, the number of milestones is not a good indication of cleanup progress. Many of the milestones are administrative in nature, …
Date: May 30, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Public Housing: HUD and Public Housing Agencies' Experiences with Fiscal Year 2000 Plan Requirements (open access)

Public Housing: HUD and Public Housing Agencies' Experiences with Fiscal Year 2000 Plan Requirements

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 was designed to improve the quality of public housing and the lives of its residents. Since fiscal year 2000, housing agencies managing low-rent or tenant-based Section 8 units have been required to develop and submit five-year and annual plans. As of January 2002, 98 percent of public housing agency plans for fiscal year 2000 had been submitted and approved. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had mixed views about the fiscal year 2000 plan process and its value. The field locations that responded to GAO's survey reported that their review of fiscal year 2000 plans was hampered by several factors, including difficulty in transmitting data between public housing agencies and HUD. Most field locations responded that public housing agencies are implementing their plans but acknowledged that there may be some problems, particularly in fulfilling requirements related to resident participation in the process. The eight public housing agencies GAO visited had differing views on the usefulness of the planning process, the level of resources required to prepare the plans, the sufficiency of HUD's guidance on completing …
Date: May 31, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tax Administration: Impact of Compliance and Collection Program Declines on Taxpayers (open access)

Tax Administration: Impact of Compliance and Collection Program Declines on Taxpayers

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "For several years, Congress and others have been concerned about declines in the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) compliance and collection programs. Taxpayers' willingness to voluntarily comply with the tax laws depends in part on their confidence that their friends, neighbors, and business competitors are paying their share of taxes. GAO found large and pervasive declines in five of the six compliance programs and in both collection programs between fiscal years 1996 and 2001. Factors contributing to the declines in the program and in collection coverage include declines in IRS staffing, increased workloads, and increased procedural controls mandated by Congress to better safeguard taxpayer interests. The declines in IRS's compliance and collection programs had several impacts. The likelihood that taxpayer noncompliance would be detected and pursued by IRS declined and the length of time that taxpayers owed back taxes at the time that they were assigned to collection increased between 1996 and 2001. The amount of penalties and interest continued to accumulate on deferred collection cases, making future payment increasingly demanding if subsequently pursued by IRS. Strategic assessments, which were prepared to provide a basis for decisions …
Date: May 22, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Highway Research: Systematic Selection and Evaluation Processes Needed for Research Program (open access)

Highway Research: Systematic Selection and Evaluation Processes Needed for Research Program

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has received hundreds of millions of dollars for its surface transportation research and technology program during the past decade. For example, in 1998 the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, included over $447 million for fiscal year 2002 for FHWA's transportation research and technology efforts for six-year period of 1998 through 2003. FHWA's research and technology program is complex because each of the program offices within the agency are responsible for identifying research needs, formulating strategies to address transportation problems, and setting goals that support the agency's strategic goals. One business unit at FHWA's research laboratory provides support for administering the overall program and conducts some of the research. The agency's leadership team provides periodic oversight of the overall program. FHWA's processes for managing the research and technology program, and in particular for developing research agendas and evaluating research outcomes against intended results, do not always align with the best practices for similar federal research and technology programs. FHWA acknowledges that its approach for developing research agenda and involving external stakeholders in determining the direction of the program's research lacks …
Date: May 24, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Highway Infrastructure: Interstate Physical Conditions Have Improved, but Congestion and Other Pressures Continue (open access)

Highway Infrastructure: Interstate Physical Conditions Have Improved, but Congestion and Other Pressures Continue

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Federal spending on Interstate highways has contributed to changes in residential and business land-use patterns. In 1991, GAO raised concerns about the condition of Interstate highways and rising levels of congestion. The original purposes for the Interstate system were to provide for efficient long-distance travel, support defense, and connect metropolitan and industrial areas. Today, the most important role that the Interstates perform, other than supporting safe travel, is moving freight traffic across their states. The federal government provides funding for, and oversight of, the Interstate system while the states do most of the maintaining and planning for the future of the system. Combined federal and state spending on the Interstate System increased from $13.0 billion in 1992 to 16.2 billion in 2000. States are required to pay ten percent of the cost of an Interstate project; however, GAO found that the average nonfederal share of urban Interstate projects was 15 percent and 11 percent for rural projects. Interstate highways are in better physical condition and are safer than other classes of roads, although they are generally more congested. The states expect that increased traffic, the aging …
Date: May 31, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard: Vessel Identification System Development Needs to Be Reassessed (open access)

Coast Guard: Vessel Identification System Development Needs to Be Reassessed

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The September 11th attacks emphasized the need for sound government information management of potential risks to U.S. assets and citizens. One possible source of that risk is through the vessels that navigate our ports and waterways. Whereas most large commercial vessels and many large recreational vessels obtain federal documentation, most smaller vessels are registered only in the state where they are primarily used. Congress, in 1998, required the Secretary of Transportation to develop a system to share individual states' vessel information as well as information on federally documented vessels. Fourteen years after legislation required the Coast Guard to develop a vessel identification system (VIS), no such system exists. In 1995 the agency contracted to develop the Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement system, of which VIS was a subcomponent. The Coast Guard accepted the contractor-developed VIS in 1998 despite system performance problems, intending to resolve these problems as the system evolved. However, the Coast Guard later found that there was no viable way to correct these problems, and that the cost to populate the system with states' data would be high. Even though the Coast …
Date: May 24, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
D.C. Family Court: Additional Actions Should Be Taken to Fully Implement Its Transition (open access)

D.C. Family Court: Additional Actions Should Be Taken to Fully Implement Its Transition

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The District of Columbia Family Court Act of 2001 was enacted to (1) redesignate the Family Division of the Superior Court as the Family Court of the Superior Court, (2) recruit trained and experienced judges to serve in the Family Court, and (3) promote consistency and efficiency in the assignment of judges and the courts actions and proceedings. The act requires the chief judge of the Superior Court to submit a transition plan outlining the proposed operation of the Family Court. The plan shows that the Superior Court has made progress transitioning its Family Division to a Family Court, but challenges remain. The transition plan addresses most, but not all, of the act's required elements. For example, the plan identifies the number of judges and magistrate judges needed and outlines an approach for closing or transferring cases from other divisions to the Family Court. However, the plan does not include (1) a request that the Judicial Nomination Commission recruit and the president nominate the additional judges the court believes are necessary, (2) the number of nonjudicial staff needed for the Family Court, (3) information on the …
Date: May 6, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Force Structure: Air Force Needs a Periodic Total Force Assessment (open access)

Force Structure: Air Force Needs a Periodic Total Force Assessment

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Air Force began to test the force requirements in its manpower requirements-determination process in May 2000. The defense strategy envisions simultaneously fighting two major theater wars and conducting multiple contingency operations in peacetime. The Total Force Assessment was the Air Force's first evaluation of manpower adequacy in these contexts since 1995. Because the Total Force Assessment was not implemented as planned, the Air Force cannot demonstrate that it has the forces needed to carry out the full spectrum of military operations. Although intended to examine whether authorized Air Force personnel were sufficient to meet both the wartime and peacetime scenarios, the assessment only addressed the wartime scenario and did not address the adequacy of manpower for conducting multiple contingency operations in peacetime. Air Force officials concluded that manpower was adequate to support the wartime scenario but this assessment was inconclusive because the effort was discontinued before all discrepancies in the assessment's results were resolved. Although the Air Force spent considerable time and effort conducting at least a portion of its planned assessment, it has not used the results to the extent anticipated."
Date: May 2, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library