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Yucca Mountain Project: Information on Estimated Costs to Respond to Employee E-Mails That Raised Questions about Quality Assurance (open access)

Yucca Mountain Project: Information on Estimated Costs to Respond to Employee E-Mails That Raised Questions about Quality Assurance

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In March 2005, the Department of Energy (DOE) reported the discovery of a series of e-mail messages written in the late 1990s by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) employees working under a contract with DOE on the Yucca Mountain Project. These e-mails alerted DOE that USGS workers may have falsified records for scientific work on the project and may have been disdainful of the project's quality assurance program and its requirements. In March 2006, we reported that DOE was engaged in a detailed review of these and other project e-mails and was reworking technical documents to ensure the credibility of the USGS's scientific analyses, particularly its conclusions on water infiltration. At Congress' request, we undertook follow-on work to determine the estimated costs incurred in DOE's response, which also included additional management and quality assurance training for project personnel. We briefed Congressional staff on October 23, 2006, on the results of this work. As Congress requested, we also briefed Congressional staff on the estimated cost of completing the Yucca Mountain Project, based on DOE's new schedule for receiving a license and opening the nuclear waste repository by 2017."
Date: January 19, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Missouri River Navigation: Data on Commodity Shipments for Four States Served by the Missouri River and Two States Served by Both the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers (open access)

Missouri River Navigation: Data on Commodity Shipments for Four States Served by the Missouri River and Two States Served by Both the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Missouri River reservoir system is a critical national resource that provides a variety of benefits, including navigation, flood control, irrigation, hydropower, municipal and industrial water supply, recreation, and fish and wildlife habitat. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is responsible for operating the Missouri River system to serve these congressionally authorized purposes. Between 1933 and 1964, the Corps built six dams on the Missouri River to serve the water resource needs within the Missouri River basin. The resulting reservoirs form a series of lakes from Montana to the South Dakota-Nebraska border. The Corps manages the system of dams and reservoirs according to the water control plan presented in its Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System Master Water Control Manual, which was first published in 1960 and most recently revised in 2006. The master manual provides water control criteria for the reservoir system for a spectrum of anticipated runoff conditions. Annual operating plans based on these criteria provide detailed reservoir regulation for each operating year. Four states, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri, are adjacent to the Missouri River and are served by barge and other vessel traffic along …
Date: January 15, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Inventory: Control Weaknesses Leave Restricted and Hazardous Excess Property Vulnerable to Improper Use, Loss, and Theft (open access)

Defense Inventory: Control Weaknesses Leave Restricted and Hazardous Excess Property Vulnerable to Improper Use, Loss, and Theft

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Defense Department (DOD) encourages the reuse of excess property, including vehicles, weapons, hand tools, lumber, medical equipment, and furniture. DOD components, civilian federal agencies, and "special programs" have equal priority and first rights to excess property. This report discusses excess property issued to three of 12 special programs--the Military Affiliate Radio System, the Civil Air Patrol, and the 12th Congressional Regional Equipment Center. Between 1995 and 2000, these programs obtained $34 million worth of items that they were not eligible to receive. The three programs were able to obtain the items because the DOD facilities that store the property are not required to verify which items the programs are eligible to receive, and because program officials do not consistently follow applicable guidelines. GAO also noted that the programs' lists of property they are allowed to obtain are not comprehensive because the lists exclude mission-related items similar to those already permitted. Furthermore, these programs did not have reliable records for more than three-quarters of their excess property. Together, the three special programs obtained more than 80,000 hazardous supplies. In many cases, program officials were unaware that …
Date: January 25, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Adverse Drug Events: The Magnitude of Health Risk Is Uncertain Because of Limited Incidence Data (open access)

Adverse Drug Events: The Magnitude of Health Risk Is Uncertain Because of Limited Incidence Data

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO summarized from available research what is known about adverse drug events (ADE), focusing on the: (1) different types and causes of ADEs; (2) evidence on the overall incidence and cost of ADEs in the United States; and (3) measures that have been proposed to reduce the number and severity of ADEs."
Date: January 18, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security Reform: Analysis of Reform Models Developed by the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security (open access)

Social Security Reform: Analysis of Reform Models Developed by the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Social Security is an important social insurance program affecting virtually every American family. It represents a foundation of the nation's retirement income system and provides millions of Americans with disability insurance and survivors' benefits. Over the long term, as the baby boom generation retires, Social Security's financing shortfall presents a major solvency and sustainability challenge. Numerous reform proposals have been put forward in recent years, and in December 2001 a commission appointed by the President presented three possible reform models. Senator Breaux, Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, asked GAO to use its analytic framework to evaluate the Commission's models. This framework consists of three criteria: (1) the extent to which a proposal achieves sustainable solvency and how it would affect the economy and the federal budget; (2) the balance struck between the twin goals of income adequacy and individual equity; and (3) how readily such changes could be implemented, administered, and explained to the public."
Date: January 15, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Understanding Similarities and Differences between Accrual and Cash Deficits: Update for Fiscal Year 2007, an E-supplement to GAO-07-117SP (open access)

Understanding Similarities and Differences between Accrual and Cash Deficits: Update for Fiscal Year 2007, an E-supplement to GAO-07-117SP

Other written product issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The unified budget deficit--sometimes called the "cash deficit"--and the net operating cost-- sometimes called the "accrual deficit"--are two key measures of the government's annual fiscal position. The cash deficit provides information on the government's current cash flow and borrowing needs. The accrual deficit provides information on the current cost of government-- the amount of resources used to produce goods or deliver services during the fiscal year-- regardless of when cash is used."
Date: January 31, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Disaster Relief: Prevention Is the Key to Minimizing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Recovery Efforts (open access)

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Disaster Relief: Prevention Is the Key to Minimizing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Recovery Efforts

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed homes and displaced millions of individuals. While federal and state governments continue to respond to this disaster, GAO has identified significant control weaknesses--specifically in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)'s Individuals and Households Program (IHP) and in Department of Homeland Security (DHS)'s purchase card program--resulting in significant fraud, waste, and abuse. In response to the numerous recommendations GAO made, DHS and FEMA have reported on numerous actions taken to address our recommendations. Lessons learned from GAO's prior work can serve as a framework for an effective fraud prevention system for federal and state governments as they consider spending billions more on disaster recovery. These lessons are particularly important because funding that is lost to fraud, waste, and abuse reduces the amount of money that could be delivered to victims in need. Today's testimony will (1) describe key findings from past GAO work and (2) use the results from that work and GAO's other experiences to discuss the importance of an effective fraud, waste and abuse prevention program."
Date: January 29, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Major Management Challenges and Program Risks: Department of the Treasury (open access)

Major Management Challenges and Program Risks: Department of the Treasury

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report, part of GAO's performance and accountability series, discusses the major management challenges and program risks facing the Department of the Treasury. The primary challenges facing Treasury include (1) modernizing the Internal Revenue Service's tax administration systems; (2) improving Customs Service's regulation of commercial trade; (3) achieving sound financial management; (4) improving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms' performance measures; and (5) improving the management of Treasury's asset forfeiture program."
Date: January 1, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Child Care: State Efforts to Enforce Safety and Health Requirements (open access)

Child Care: State Efforts to Enforce Safety and Health Requirements

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on states' efforts to ensure the safety and health of children in child care settings, focusing on: (1) the most critical licensing and enforcement activities that help states ensure the safety and health of children in child care; (2) the extent to which states conduct these critical activities for their regulated providers; and (3) how states ensure that nonregulated providers receiving block grant funds meet the law's safety and health requirements."
Date: January 24, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Embassy Construction: Better Long-term Planning Will Enhance Program Decision-making (open access)

Embassy Construction: Better Long-term Planning Will Enhance Program Decision-making

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The State Department has determined that about 80 percent of overseas U.S. diplomatic facilities lack adequate security and may be vulnerable to terrorist attack. In September 1998, State expanded its capital construction program to accelerate replacing its most vulnerable embassies and consulates by acquiring sites and preparing plans at 10 priority locations. This report summarizes (1) the status of the 10 priority embassy and consulate construction projects and (2) State's plans for the overall construction program. As of November 2000, seven projects are in the construction phase. The remaining three projects are on hold pending agreement between State and Congress about the Department's construction proposals. Although State envisions a long-term, multi-billion dollar program and has ranked more than 180 facilities it may need to replace, it has not prepared a long-term capital construction plan that identifies (1) proposed construction project's cost estimates and schedules and (2) estimated annual funding requirements for the overall program."
Date: January 22, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Embassy Security: Upgrades Have Enhanced Security, but Site Conditions Prevent Full Adherence to Standards (open access)

Embassy Security: Upgrades Have Enhanced Security, but Site Conditions Prevent Full Adherence to Standards

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Following the 1998 embassy bombings, the Department of State (State) determined that more than 85 percent of diplomatic facilities did not meet security standards and were vulnerable to terrorist attacks. State's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) has undertaken a program to replace or upgrade the security of these facilities. As of 2007, OBO had constructed more than 50 new embassies and moved nearly 15,000 staff to safer facilities. However, most remaining facilities will not be replaced in the near term. To address these facilities, OBO has obligated about $140 million per year for its Compound Security Upgrade Program (CSUP). GAO was asked to (1) describe the process that OBO follows to prioritize and plan CSUP projects, including stakeholder involvement; (2) determine the extent to which CSUP projects met contracted cost and time frames and whether OBO has procedures to ensure security upgrades are installed; and (3) assess whether State's CSUP efforts have enhanced posts' abilities to comply with State's physical security standards. To address these objectives, GAO reviewed pertinent State documents, met with State officials in Washington, D.C., and overseas, and traveled to 11 posts …
Date: January 18, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of the Navy: Unauthorized Activity Codes Used to Requisition New and Excess DOD Property (open access)

Department of the Navy: Unauthorized Activity Codes Used to Requisition New and Excess DOD Property

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO examined Navy inventory management activities to determine whether any unauthorized activity codes had been used to requisition new and excess property. GAO found that as of June 2000, the Navy maintained 2,002 activity codes identified as unauthorized to requisition government property. However, during the last five years, 663 of these codes were used to requisition more than $2 billion in new and excess government property. In addition, there were no safeguards in the Defense Automatic Addressing System Center or the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service to prevent these activity codes from being used. This has created a condition in which government property is vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse."
Date: January 8, 2001
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: First-Year Experience with High-Deductible Health Plans and Health Savings Accounts (open access)

Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: First-Year Experience with High-Deductible Health Plans and Health Savings Accounts

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) recently began offering high-deductible health plans (HDHP) coupled with tax-advantaged health savings accounts (HSA) that enrollees use to pay for health care. Unused HSA balances may accumulate for future use, providing enrollees an incentive to purchase health care prudently. The plans also provide decision support tools to help enrollees make purchase decisions, including health care quality and cost information. Concerns have been expressed that HDHPs coupled with HSAs may attract younger, healthier, or wealthier enrollees, leaving older, less healthy enrollees to drive up costs in traditional plans. Because the plans are new, there is also interest in the plan features and the decision support tools they provide to enrollees. GAO was asked to evaluate the experience of the 14 HDHPs coupled with an HSA that were first offered under the FEHBP in January 2005. GAO compared the characteristics of enrollees in the 14 HDHPs to those of enrollees in another recently introduced (new) plan without a high deductible and to all FEHBP plans. GAO also compared characteristics of the three largest HDHPs to traditional FEHBP plans offered by the …
Date: January 31, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Base Closures: Updated Status of Prior Base Realignments and Closures (open access)

Military Base Closures: Updated Status of Prior Base Realignments and Closures

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As the Department of Defense (DOD) prepares for the 2005 base realignment and closure (BRAC) round, questions continue to be raised about the transfer and environmental cleanup of unneeded property arising from the prior four BRAC rounds and their impact on cost and savings and on local economies. This report, which is being issued to the defense authorization committees that have oversight responsibility over defense infrastructure, describes DOD's progress in implementing prior BRAC postclosure actions. It addresses (1) the transfer of unneeded base property to other users, (2) the magnitude of the net savings accruing from the prior rounds, (3) estimated costs for environmental cleanup of BRAC property, and (4) the economic recovery of communities affected by base closures."
Date: January 13, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Office of Personnel Management: Improvements Needed to Ensure Successful Retirement Systems Modernization (open access)

Office of Personnel Management: Improvements Needed to Ensure Successful Retirement Systems Modernization

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Through its Retirement Systems Modernization (RSM) program, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is modernizing the paper intensive processes and antiquated information systems it uses to support the retirement of civilian federal employees. RSM is intended to deploy new or modified systems beginning in February 2008 to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the agency's retirement program. GAO was asked to (1) determine whether OPM is effectively managing the RSM program to ensure that system components perform as intended and (2) evaluate the risks, cost, and progress of the RSM program. To meet these objectives, GAO analyzed program documentation against relevant plans, policies, and practices."
Date: January 31, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bankruptcy and Child Support Enforcement: Improved Information Sharing Possible without Routine Data Matching (open access)

Bankruptcy and Child Support Enforcement: Improved Information Sharing Possible without Routine Data Matching

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Recognizing the importance of child support, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 requires that if a parent with child support obligations files for bankruptcy, a bankruptcy trustee must notify the relevant custodial parent and state child support enforcement agency so that they may participate in the case. The act also required GAO to study the feasibility of matching bankruptcy records with child support records to assure that filers with child support obligations are identified. GAO therefore (1) identified the percent of bankruptcy filers with obligations nationwide, (2) examined the potential for routine data matching to facilitate the identification of filers with child support obligations, and (3) studied the feasibility and cost of doing so. GAO interviewed child support enforcement and bankruptcy officials at the federal level and in six states. GAO also conducted a nationwide test data match and reviewed national bankruptcy filings for people with support obligations in Texas for an indication of whether filers are failing to provide this information."
Date: January 23, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Review of the Office of Personnel Management's Analysis of the United States Postal Service's Funding of Civil Service Retirement System Costs (open access)

Review of the Office of Personnel Management's Analysis of the United States Postal Service's Funding of Civil Service Retirement System Costs

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In our December 2001 report, "United States Postal Service: Information on Retirement Plans" (GAO-02-170), we raised the question of whether the United States Postal Service (USPS) was paying more or less than appropriate to cover benefit payments for the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) for which it is responsible. In May 2002, we asked the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to calculate a hypothetical "Postal Fund" balance and projected funding status by estimating the present value (PV) of the future benefits USPS is required to fund for CSRS retirees and survivors under current law and extent to which prior and projected future contributions required by current law would fund these benefits. OPM released its analysis in November 2002, indicating that, based on current contributions, USPS's CSRS obligations would be significantly overfunded in the future. The Administration has proposed legislation that addresses this overfunding. In this correspondence we will (1) review OPM's analysis for reasonableness and (2) analyze the legislative proposal to identify any issues needing further consideration."
Date: January 31, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Charitable Choice: Overview of Research Findings on Implementation (open access)

Charitable Choice: Overview of Research Findings on Implementation

A briefing report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Charitable choice provisions require states and localities to allow religious organizations to compete for federal funding on the same basis as other social service providers, without impairing the religious character of such organizations. Congress has been considering legislation to expand charitable choice provisions to other government programs. At least 19 states have contracted with faith-based organizations (FBOs) to provide some welfare services. Moreover, states are using various approaches to implement charitable choice legislation. For example, some states have created state faith-based liaisons to promote greater awareness of charitable choice provisions or removed barriers to contracting with FBOs. Several factors have limited the establishment of collaborations between FBOs and states, including some FBOs' lack of awareness and understanding of charitable choice provisions, their reluctance to partner with government, and the limited financial and administrative capacity of some FBOs. Once collaborations have occurred, some small FBOs have had problems (1) covering ongoing costs while awaiting government reimbursement or (2) managing the performance-based contracts because of limited technological and management systems. GAO found no information with which to assess the effectiveness of FBOs as providers of social services. Although …
Date: January 18, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federally Chartered Corporation: Financial Statement Audit Reports for the Legion of Valor of the United States of America, Inc., for Fiscal Years 2006 and 2005 (open access)

Federally Chartered Corporation: Financial Statement Audit Reports for the Legion of Valor of the United States of America, Inc., for Fiscal Years 2006 and 2005

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit reports covering the financial statements of the Legion of Valor of the United States of America, Inc., for fiscal years 2006 and 2005. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit reports included the auditor's opinion that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles."
Date: January 26, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Single-Family Housing: Cost, Benefit, and Compliance Issues Raise Questions about HUD's Discount Sales Program (open access)

Single-Family Housing: Cost, Benefit, and Compliance Issues Raise Questions about HUD's Discount Sales Program

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 reduce HUD's property inventory in a timely, efficient, and cost-effective manner. Although the Inspector General recommended that the agency suspend the program and evaluate its viability, HUD did neither. GAO was asked to assess (1) the costs of the program to HUD, (2) the benefits of the program to homebuyers, and (3) HUD's efforts to monitor participating nonprofits and enforce program requirements."
Date: January 30, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Homeland Security: Agency Plans, Implementation, and Challenges Regarding the National Strategy for Homeland Security (open access)

Homeland Security: Agency Plans, Implementation, and Challenges Regarding the National Strategy for Homeland Security

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Strategy for Homeland Security sets forth a plan to improve homeland security through the cooperation of federal, state, local, and private sector organizations on an array of functions. These functions are organized into the six distinct "critical mission areas" of (1) intelligence and warning, (2) border and transportation security, (3) domestic counterterrorism, (4) protecting critical infrastructures and key assets, (5) defending against catastrophic threats, and (6) emergency preparedness and response. Within each of these mission areas, the strategy identifies "major initiatives" to be addressed. In all, the strategy cites 43 initiatives across the six mission areas. GAO reviewed the strategy's implementation to (1) determine whether its initiatives are being addressed by key departments' strategic planning and implementation activities, whether the initiatives have lead agencies identified for their implementation, and whether the initiatives were being implemented in fiscal year 2004 by such agencies and (2) identify ongoing homeland security challenges that have been reflected in GAO products since September 11, 2001, by both mission area and issues that cut across mission areas."
Date: January 14, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard: Station Readiness Improving, but Resource Challenges and Management Concerns Remain (open access)

Coast Guard: Station Readiness Improving, but Resource Challenges and Management Concerns Remain

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For years, the Coast Guard has conducted search and rescue operations from its network of stations along the nation's coasts and waterways. In 2001, reviews of station operations found that station readiness--the ability to execute mission requirements in keeping with standards--was in decline. The Coast Guard began addressing these issues, only to see its efforts complicated by expanded post-September 11, 2001, homeland security responsibilities at many stations. GAO reviewed the impact of changing missions on station needs, the progress made in addressing station readiness needs, and the extent to which plans are in place for addressing any remaining needs."
Date: January 31, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Thrift Savings Plan: Customer Service Practices Adopted by Private Sector Plan Managers Should Be Considered (open access)

Federal Thrift Savings Plan: Customer Service Practices Adopted by Private Sector Plan Managers Should Be Considered

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Intended to resemble private sector 401(k) pension plans, the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) held more than $128 billion in retirement assets for over 3 million participants at the end of 2003. Customer service-related difficulties during the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board's (TSP's governing body) record-keeping system conversion in 2003 led the Chairman of a Senate Committee to ask GAO to examine the customer service provided to TSP participants. This review describes (1) customer service provisions within TSP and those offered by private sector managers and (2) customer service practices used by private sector plan managers that could be considered for use in TSP."
Date: January 18, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
State and Local Government Retiree Benefits: Current Funded Status of Pension and Health Benefits (open access)

State and Local Government Retiree Benefits: Current Funded Status of Pension and Health Benefits

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Pension and other retiree benefits for state and local government employees represent liabilities for state and local governments and ultimately a burden for state and local taxpayers. Since 1986, accounting standards have required state and local governments to report their unfunded pension liabilities. Recently, however, standards changed and now call for governments also to report retiree health liabilities. The extent of these liabilities nationwide is not yet known, but some predict they will be very large, possibly exceeding a trillion dollars in present value terms. The federal government has an interest in assuring that all Americans have a secure retirement, as reflected in the federal tax deferral for contributions to both public and private pension plans. Consequently, the GAO was asked to examine: 1) the key measures of the funded status of retiree benefits and 2) the current funded status of retiree benefits. GAO analyzed data on public pensions, reviewed current literature, and interviewed a range of experts on public retiree benefits, actuarial science, and accounting."
Date: January 29, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library