Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To address projected increases in air traffic and current problems with aviation congestion and delays, the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), an interagency organization within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is working to plan and implement a new air traffic management system, known as the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). This effort involves implementing new technologies and air traffic control procedures, airspace redesign, and infrastructure developments, including new or expanded runways and airports. Community opposition is, however, a major challenge, largely because of concerns about aviation noise. As a result, according to JPDO, aviation noise will be a primary constraint on NextGen unless its effects can be managed and mitigated. GAO's requested testimony addresses (1) the key factors that affect communities' level of exposure to aviation noise, (2) the status of efforts to address the impact of aviation noise, and (3) major challenges and next steps for reducing and mitigating the effects of aviation noise. The testimony is based on prior GAO work (including a 2000 survey of the nation's 50 largest airports), updated with reviews of recent literature, FAA data and forecasts, and interviews with …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Energy prices for crude oil, heating oil, unleaded gasoline, and natural gas have risen substantially since 2002, generating questions about the role derivatives markets have played and the scope of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) authority. This testimony focuses on (1) trends and patterns in the futures and physical energy markets and their effects on energy prices, (2) the scope of CFTC's regulatory authority, and (3) the effectiveness of CFTC's monitoring and detection of abuses in energy markets. The testimony is based on the GAO report, Commodity Futures Trading Commission: Trends in Energy Derivatives Markets Raise Questions about CFTC's Oversight (GAO-08-25, October 19, 2007). For this work, GAO analyzed futures and large trader data and interviewed market participants, experts, and officials at six federal agencies."

This report provides a brief overview of these laws, including examples of prohibited conduct and penalties for violation.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) are engaged in ongoing efforts to share medical information, which is important in helping to ensure high-quality health care for active-duty military personnel and veterans. These efforts include a long-term program to develop modernized health information systems based on computable data: that is, data in a format that a computer application can act on--for example, to provide alerts to clinicians of drug allergies. In addition, the departments are engaged in short-term initiatives involving existing systems. GAO was asked to testify on the history and current status of the departments' efforts to share health information. To develop this testimony, GAO reviewed its previous work, analyzed documents about current status and future plans and interviewed VA and DOD officials."

This report provides a brief overview and summary of the federal laws, ethical rules, and regulations which may be relevant to the activities of those who lobby the United States Congress.

Other written product issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "One of the greatest challenges facing the United States in the 21st century is sustaining our natural resources and safeguarding our environmental assets for future generations while promoting economic growth and maintaining our quality of life. To manage natural resources effectively and efficiently, policymakers need information and methods to analyze the dynamic interplay between the economy and the environment. Enhancing the information to make sound decisions can be facilitated by developing national environmental accounts. These accounts provide a framework for organizing information on the status, use, and value of natural resources and environmental assets, as well as on expenditures on environmental protection and resource management. While many countries have developed and are using environmental accounts, the United States lags behind. GAO and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) convened this forum to discuss developing accounts in the United States. Participants included U.S. federal agency officials and national and international statistical, energy, environment, and natural resource experts. Comments expressed do not necessarily represent the views of any one participant or the organizations that these participants represent, including GAO and NAS."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "According to Labor's most recent data, there are an estimated 44 million active participants in 401(k) plans. As participants accrue earnings on their investments, they also pay a number of fees, associated with 401(k) plans. Over the course of the employee's career, fees may significantly decrease retirement account balances. For plan sponsors, understanding the fees they are being charged helps fulfill their fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of plan participants. GAO's prior work on 401(k) fees found that fee disclosures are limited and do not allow an easy comparison of investment options. GAO previously made recommendations to both Congress and Labor on ways to improve the disclosure of fee information to both plan participants and sponsors. Both Labor and Congress now have efforts under way to ensure that both participants and sponsors receive the necessary fee information to make informed decisions. These efforts on the subject have generated significant debate. This testimony provides information about the way fee information could be disclosed to benefit 401(k) participants and sponsors, focusing on 1) the information on fees that could be most useful for plan participants and plan …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In November 2005, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the Secure Border Initiative (SBI), a multiyear, multibillion dollar program to secure U.S. borders. One element of SBI is SBInet--the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program responsible for developing a comprehensive border protection system through a mix of security infrastructure (e.g., fencing), and surveillance and communication technologies (e.g., radars, sensors, cameras, and satellite phones). The House Committee on Homeland Security asked GAO to monitor DHS progress in implementing the SBInet program. This testimony provides GAO's observations on (1) SBInet technology implementation; (2) SBInet infrastructure implementation; (3) the extent to which CBP has determined the impact of SBInet technology and infrastructure on its workforce needs and operating procedures; and (4) how the CBP SBI Program Management Office (PMO) has defined its human capital goals and the progress it has made to achieve these goals. GAO's observations are based on analysis of DHS documentation, such as program schedules, contracts, status, and reports. GAO also conducted interviews with DHS officials and contractors, and visits to sites in the southwest border where SBInet deployment is underway. GAO performed the work from …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) maintains a consolidated watch list of known or appropriately suspected terrorists and sends records from the list to agencies to support terrorism-related screening. This testimony discusses (1) standards for including individuals on the list, (2) the outcomes of encounters with individuals on the list, (3) potential vulnerabilities in screening processes and efforts to address them, and (4) actions taken to promote effective terrorism-related screening. This statement is based on GAO's report (GAO-08-110). To accomplish the objectives, GAO reviewed documentation obtained from and interviewed officials at TSC, the FBI, the National Counterterrorism Center, the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies that perform terrorism-related screening."

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A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "International air passengers arriving in the United States are subject to an inspection to ensure they possess legal entry and immigration documents and do not bring in contraband, such as illegal drugs, counterfeit goods, or harmful pests and prohibited agriculture products. With the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2003, the customs, immigration, and agriculture inspections activities were integrated into one program led by DHS's office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). However, the three fees--whose collections totaled about $1 billion in fiscal year 2006--linked to these inspections remain statutorily distinct and are coadministered by CBP, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), both within DHS, and the Department of Agriculture's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). GAO was asked to examine how the fees are set, collected, and distributed, and the benefits and challenges of this process to agencies and stakeholders, including implications of consolidating these fees under the authority of DHS."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "State and local retiree benefits are not subject, for the most part, to federal laws governing private sector retiree benefits. Nevertheless, there is a federal interest in ensuring that all Americans have a secure retirement, as reflected in the special tax treatment provided for both private and public pension funds. In 2004, new government accounting standards were issued, calling for the reporting of liabilities for future retiree health costs. As these standards are implemented and the extent of the related liabilities become known, questions have been raised about whether the public sector can continue to provide the current level of benefits to its retirees. GAO was asked to provide an overview of state and local government retiree benefits, including the following: (1) the types of benefits provided and how they are structured, (2) how retiree benefits are protected and managed, and (3) the fiscal outlook for retiree benefits and what governments are doing to ensure they can meet their future commitments. For this overview, GAO obtained data from various organizations, used our model that simulates the fiscal outlook for the state and local sector, and conducted …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Pending legislation to the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) Title I Manufactured Home Loan program would increase loan limits, insure each loan, incorporate stricter underwriting requirements, and set up-front premiums. GAO was asked to review (1) selected characteristics of manufactured housing and the demographics of the owners; (2) federal and state consumer protections for owners of manufactured homes; and (3) the potential benefits and costs of the proposed changes for borrowers and the federal government. In addressing these objectives, GAO analyzed select Census data; researched federal laws and laws in eight states; interviewed local, state, and federal officials; and analyzed various scenarios that might affect Title I program costs."

A report providing information about the overall operations of the Office of Public Insurance Counsel.

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, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Proper calculation of the fee that a campaign manager may charge to a charitable organization for services rendered in connection with the state employee charitable campaign (RQ-0574-GA)

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For several years, a number of aviation manufacturers have been designing and testing very light jets, a type of small jet aircraft equipped with advanced technologies and priced below other business jets. Aviation forecasters predict that thousands of very light jets will enter the National Airspace System (NAS) over the next two decades, contributing to the overall growth of the general aviation fleet. While some experts predict that very light jets will be used in ways that are similar to current general aviation aircraft, others predict that they will be used to expand the air taxi market to provide on-demand, point-to-point air transportation. In 2006, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified the first very light jets for flight. This report identifies (1) current very light jet forecasts and what factors could affect very light jet deliveries, (2) how increasing numbers of very light jets might affect the capacity and safety of the NAS, (3) how FAA is planning to accommodate the entry of very light jets into the NAS, and (4) how very light jets might affect FAA's costs and Airport and Airway Trust Fund revenues. …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "From 1987 through 2003, the United States provided more than $2 billion in economic assistance to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the RMI under a Compact of Free Association; approximately $579 million of this economic assistance went to the RMI. In 2003, the U.S. government approved an amended compact with the RMI that provides an additional 20 years of assistance, totaling about $1.5 billion from 2004 through 2023. The Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) is responsible for administering and monitoring this U.S. assistance. The amended compact with the RMI identifies the additional 20 years of grant assistance as intended to assist the RMI government in its efforts to promote the economic advancement and budgetary self-reliance of its people. The assistance is provided in the form of annually decreasing grants that prioritize health and education, paired with annually increasing contributions to trust funds intended as a source of revenue for the country after the grants end in 2023. The amended compact also contains several new funding and accountability provisions that strengthen reporting and bilateral interaction. These provisions include requiring the establishment of a …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Navy is beset with long-standing problems that affect its ability to accomplish ambitious goals for its shipbuilding portfolio. Significant cost growth and long schedule delays are persistent problems. Making headway on these problems is essential in light of the serious budget pressures facing the nation. This testimony focuses on (1) cost growth in shipbuilding, (2) acquisition approaches in the LPD 17, Littoral Combat Ship, DDG 1000 and CVN 78 programs and (3) steps the Navy can take to improve its acquisition decision-making, particularly the adoption of a knowledge-based framework."

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This report discusses the designation of spending as emergency, which has had significance in both procedural and budgetary terms.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Farmers receive about $20 billion annually in federal farm program payments, which go to individuals and "entities," including corporations, partnerships, and estates. Under certain conditions, estates may receive payments for the first 2 years after an individual's death. For later years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) must determine that the estate is not being kept open primarily to receive farm program payments. This testimony is based on GAO's report, Federal Farm Programs: USDA Needs to Strengthen Controls to Prevent Improper Payments to Estates and Deceased Individuals (GAO-07-818, July 9, 2007). GAO discusses the extent to which USDA (1) follows its regulations that are intended to provide reasonable assurance that farm program payments go only to eligible estates and (2) makes improper payments to deceased individuals."

This report provides a limited discussion of DRA's effect on former TANF families. The report address only the direct effects of adopting the DRA child support pass-through and disregard.

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