A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2002, the President and Secretary of Defense called for the creation of the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) to anticipate and counter global threats. Currently, USSTRATCOM has responsibility for seven mission areas including nuclear deterrence and integrated missile defense. GAO was asked to determine the extent to which USSTRATCOM has made progress in (1) implementing its new missions and assessing mission results and (2) defining organizational responsibilities and establishing relationships with other Department of Defense (DOD) commands and organizations. To assess progress, GAO compared USSTRATCOM's efforts with lessons learned in implementing successful organizational transformations."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation's primary medical and behavioral research agency. NIH's need for leased space has more than doubled since 1996 to about 3.9 million square feet in 2005. In 1996, General Services Administration (GSA) delegated leasing authority to NIH that includes performing budget scoring and prospectus analysis. In light of NIH's increased use of leased space, GAO was asked to address two issues: (1) Is NIH complying with budget scorekeeping guidelines and Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) requirements for implementing the guidelines to determine if a lease should be classified as operating or capital and ensure that no violations of the Antideficiency Act occur because of improper budget scorekeeping? and (2) Is NIH complying with the congressional prospectus process for both leases and alterations to leased buildings? To address these issues we interviewed leasing and financial officials, reviewed laws and reviewed budget scoring and prospectus analysis of 59 leases."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) has long been challenged in implementing key information technology (IT) management controls on its thousands of business system investments. For this and other reasons, GAO has designated DOD's business systems modernization efforts as high-risk. One of the larger business system investments is the Department of the Navy's Enterprise Resource Planning (Navy ERP) program. Initiated in 2003, the program is to standardize the Navy's business processes, such as acquisition and financial management. It is being delivered in increments, the first of which is to cost about $2.4 billion over its useful life and be fully deployed in fiscal year 2013. GAO was asked to determine whether key IT management controls are being implemented on the program. To do this, GAO analyzed, for example, requirements management, economic justification, earned value management, and risk management."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a variety of long-term care services that includes nursing home care and noninstitutional care provided in community-based settings or in the homes of veterans. One important noninstitutional service is home-based primary care, which uses a multidisciplinary team approach involving VA health care providers and others such as social workers to treat veterans who are homebound. As part of GAO's work for the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives, to assess how VA meets veterans' long-term care needs, GAO reviewed how VA measures workload for home-based primary care and five other noninstitutional services."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Identity thieves may use a taxpayer's name and social security number to fraudulently claim a refund or gain employment. This creates tax problems for the innocent taxpayer when the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) discovers a duplicate refund claim or unreported wage income. IRS is revising its strategy for preventing, detecting, and resolving identity theft-related tax problems. GAO was asked to (1) describe the extent of identity theft-related refund and employment fraud, (2) assess IRS's actions to prevent and resolve such problems, and (3) describe IRS's identity theft- related coordination with other agencies. GAO analyzed IRS data on identity theft cases, reviewed revisions to the Internal Revenue Manual and other agency documents, and interviewed IRS officials responsible for the new strategy"

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The United States has exported special nuclear material, including enriched uranium, and source material such as natural uranium under nuclear cooperation agreements. The United States has 27 nuclear cooperation agreements for peaceful civilian cooperation. Under the U.S. Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (AEA), as amended, partners are required to guarantee the physical protection of U.S. nuclear material. GAO was asked to (1) assess U.S. agency efforts to account for U.S. nuclear material overseas, (2) assess the Department of Energy's (DOE) and U.S. agencies' efforts to evaluate the security of U.S. material overseas, and (3) describe DOE's activities to secure or remove potentially vulnerable U.S. nuclear material at partner facilities. GAO analyzed agency records and interviewed DOE, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Department of State (State), and partner country officials. This report summarizes GAO's classified report issued in June 2011."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, natural gas prices spiked to more than $15 per thousand cubic feet, nearly seven times higher than in the late 1990s. As a result, policymakers have increasingly focused on better understanding how prices are overseen. The prices that consumers pay for natural gas are composed of (1) the commodity price, (2) the cost of interstate transportation, and (3) local distribution charges. Oversight of these components belongs to the federal government, through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and the states. In 1993, federal price controls over commodity prices were removed, but FERC is still charged with ensuring that prices are fair. Recently, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) broadened FERC's authority. GAO agreed to (1) analyze FERC's role overseeing natural gas prices, (2) summarize FERC's progress in implementing EPAct 2005, and (3) examine states' role in overseeing natural gas prices. In preparing this report, GAO met with officials from 10 states that regulate gas in different ways and analyzed relevant laws and documentation."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense's (DOD) acquisition of weapon systems and modernization of business systems have both been on GAO's list of high-risk areas since 1995. To assist DOD in managing software-intensive systems, Section 804 of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 required the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and DOD component organizations, including the military departments, to undertake certain software and systems process improvement (SSPI) actions. As requested, GAO assessed (1) the extent to which DOD has implemented the process improvement provisions of the act, and (2) the impact of DOD's process improvement efforts. To do so, GAO analyzed relevant plans, policies, guidance, performance measures, and reports against statutory requirements and relevant guidance, and interviewed DOD officials."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Smart cards--plastic devices about the size of a credit card--use integrated circuit chips to store and process data, much like a computer. Among other uses, these devices can provide security for physical assets and information by helping to verify the identity of people accessing buildings and computer systems. They can also support functions such as tracking immunization records or storing cash value for electronic purchases. Government adoption of smart card technology is being facilitated by the General Services Administration (GSA), which has implemented a governmentwide Smart Card Access Common ID contract, which federal agencies can use to procure smart card products and services. GAO was asked to update information that it reported in January 2003 on the progress made by the federal government in promoting smart card technology. Specific objectives were to (1) determine the current status of smart card projects identified in GAO's last review, (2) identify and determine the status of projects initiated since the last review, and (3) identify integrated agencywide smart card projects currently under way. To accomplish these objectives, GAO surveyed the 24 major federal agencies. In commenting on a draft …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of State (State) has embassies in about 180 countries, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) maintains missions in about 90 of those countries. At many posts, State and USAID are located on separate compounds and maintain multiple support service operations, such as warehouses. However, the United States is in the process of building new embassy compounds that will collocate all agencies, creating opportunities for greater sharing of services. In September 2004, we recommended that State pursue the elimination of duplicative support structures at overseas facilities. We reviewed (1) the status of State and USAID's joint initiative to consolidate overseas services, and plans for advancing the initiative; and (2) the challenges State and USAID face in these efforts."

A briefing report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed international parental child abduction issues, focusing on German, Swedish, and Austrian handling of U.S. cases."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2004, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) launched the financial management line of business (FMLOB) initiative, in part, to reduce the cost and improve the quality and performance of federal financial management systems by leveraging shared services available from external providers. In response to a request to study FMLOB-related issues, this report (1) identifies the steps agencies have taken, or planned to take, to modernizing their core financial systems and migrate to an external provider and (2) assesses the reported benefits and significant challenges associated with migrations, including any factors related to OMB's new financial systems modernization approach. GAO's methodology included surveying federal agencies to obtain the status of their financial management systems as of September 30, 2009 (prior to OMB's March 2010 announcement of a new approach), and interviewing officials with selected agencies, external providers, and OMB. In oral comments on a draft of this report, OMB stated its position that it was too early for GAO to draw conclusions on its new approach because it is still a work in progress. For this reason, GAO is not making any new recommendations. However, …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal funding for highways is provided to the states mostly through a series of grant programs known as the Federal-Aid Highway Program, administered by the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In 2005, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) authorized $197.5 billion for the Federal-Aid Highway Program for fiscal years 2005 through 2009. The program operates on a "user pay" system, wherein users contribute to the Highway Trust Fund through fuel taxes and other fees. The distribution of funding among the states has been a contentious issue. States that receive less than highway users contribute are known as "donor" states and states that receive more than users contribute are known as "donee" states. GAO was asked to examine for the SAFETEA-LU period (1) how contributions to the Highway Trust Fund compared with the funding states received, (2) what provisions were used to address rate-of-return issues across states, and (3) what additional factors affect the relationship between contributions to the Highway Trust Fund and the funding states receive. To conduct this review, GAO obtained and analyzed data from …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO has designated the Department of Defense's (DOD) multi-billion dollar business systems modernization efforts as high risk, in part because key information technology (IT) management controls have not been implemented on key investments, such as the Navy Cash program. Initiated in 2001, Navy Cash is a joint Department of the Navy (DON) and Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service (FMS) program to create a cashless environment on ships using smart card technology, and is estimated to cost about $320 million to fully deploy. As requested, GAO analyzed whether DON is effectively implementing IT management controls on the program, including architectural alignment, economic justification, requirements development and management, risk management, security management, and system quality measurement against relevant guidance."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The opportunity for employment is an important magnet attracting immigrants, including unauthorized immigrants, to countries. The policies and practices used by other countries to manage foreign workers, including actions to limit illegal immigration and to reduce the employment of unauthorized foreign workers, have been shaped by country-specific economic, demographic, and political factors. Immigration reform is a matter of continuing debate in the United States. This report examines selected countries' (1) programs for admitting foreign workers; (2) efforts to limit the employment of unauthorized foreign workers; and (3) programs for providing unauthorized immigrants with an opportunity to obtain legal status, referred to as regularization. To address these objectives, we examined reports from foreign countries, intergovernmental organizations, and research organizations. We also interviewed government officials and experts from 8 countries--Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom--and surveyed 6 other countries. We selected these countries based on their net immigration rate, population size, membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development or World Bank classification as high income, range of immigration policies, and geographic location."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 requires that operators (1) assess gas transmission pipeline segments in about 20,000 miles of highly populated or frequently used areas by 2012 for safety threats, such as incorrect operation and corrosion (called baseline assessments), (2) remedy defects, and (3) reassess these segments at least every 7 years. Under the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) regulations, operators must reassess their pipeline segments for corrosion at least every 7 years and for all safety threats at least every 10, 15, or 20 years, based on industry consensus standards--and more frequently if conditions warrant. Operators must also carry out other prevention and mitigation measures. To meet a requirement in the 2002 act, this study addresses how the results of baseline assessments and other information inform us on the need to reassess gas transmission pipelines every 7 years and whether inspection services and tools are likely to be available to do so, among other things. In conducting its work, GAO contacted 52 operators that have carried out about two-thirds of the baseline assessments conducted to date."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Consumers can be violating the law and possibly risking their health by purchasing imported prescription drugs over the Internet. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), work with other federal agencies at international mail and express carrier facilities to inspect for and interdict prescription drugs illegally imported for personal use. This report addresses (1) available data about the volume and safety of personal prescription drug imports, (2) the procedures and practices used to inspect and interdict prescription drugs unapproved for import, (3) factors affecting federal efforts to enforce the laws governing prescription drugs imported for personal use, and (4) efforts federal agencies have taken to coordinate enforcement efforts."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2007, the majority of the Department of Defense's (DOD) basic research obligations were provided to higher education institutions. DOD reimburses these institutions for both direct and indirect costs for research. Two federal agencies, DOD and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), negotiate indirect cost rates used to reimburse higher education institutions for indirect costs on federally funded research awards, including DOD awards. GAO was asked to examine the following issues related to higher education institutions performing basic research for DOD: (1) the variation in proposed and negotiated indirect cost rates and factors that may contribute to variations; (2) how and to what extent the administrative cap and the DOD basic research cap limit reimbursement of indirect costs; and (3) the methods DOD uses for overseeing compliance with indirect cost reimbursement for grants. GAO surveyed a generalizable sample of higher education institutions performing basic research for DOD; reviewed agency guidance and policies; and interviewed officials from federal agencies, independent public accounting firms, and higher education institutions."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Because wetlands provide valuable functions, the administration set a national goal of no net loss of wetlands in 1989. Section 404 of the Clean Water Act generally prohibits the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, which include certain wetlands, without a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). To help achieve the goal of no net loss, the Corps can require compensatory mitigation, such as restoring a former wetland, as a condition of a permit when the loss of wetlands is unavoidable. Permittees can perform the mitigation or pay a third party--a mitigation bank or an in-lieu-fee arrangement--to perform the mitigation. GAO was asked to review the (1) guidance the Corps has issued for overseeing compensatory mitigation, (2) extent to which the Corps oversees compensatory mitigation, and (3) enforcement actions the Corps can take if required mitigation is not performed and the extent to which it takes these actions."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "American Indians and Alaska Natives generally face worse economic conditions than the rest of the U.S. population. The Economic Development Administration (EDA) within the Department of Commerce provides grants to distressed communities, including to American Indian tribes and Alaska Native entities, to generate employment and stimulate economic growth. Because data on how these EDA grants helped tribes was not publicly available, GAO analyzed all EDA grants made to Indian tribes from 1993-2002 and determined what economic development resulted. Tribes also enter into self-governance and other contracting arrangements with two federal agencies--the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Indian Health Service--to assume the management of individual services, including law enforcement, education, social services, and road maintenance. GAO also analyzed the relationship between changes in tribes' economic profile and the extent to which they had self-governance or contracting arrangements to perform their own services. BIA and EDA provided comments on a draft of this report. BIA generally agreed with GAO's conclusions. EDA took issue with GAO's characterization of the relative success of EDA grant programs."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 established a risk-based program for gas transmission pipelines--the integrity management program. The program requires operators of natural and other gas transmission pipelines to identify "high consequence areas" where pipeline incidents would most severely affect public safety, such as those occurring in highly populated or frequented areas. Operators must assess pipelines in these areas for safety risks and repair or replace any defective segments. Operators must also submit data on performance measures to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The 2002 act also directed GAO to assess this program's effects on public safety. Accordingly, we examined (1) the effect on public safety of the integrity management program and (2) PHMSA and state pipeline agencies' plans to oversee operators' implementation of program requirements. To fulfill these objectives, GAO interviewed 51 gas pipeline operators and surveyed all state pipeline agencies."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Vibrio vulnificus (V. vulnificus) is a bacterium that occurs naturally in the Gulf of Mexico. On average, since 2000, about 32 individuals a year in the United States have become ill from eating raw or undercooked oysters containing V. vulnificus, and about half have died. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for ensuring oyster safety and works with the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC), which includes representatives from FDA, states, and the shellfish industry to establish guidelines for sanitary control of the shellfish industry. GAO was asked to determine the extent to which FDA and the ISSC agree on the V. vulnificus illness reduction goal, use a credible approach to measure progress toward the illness rate reduction goal, have evaluated the effectiveness of their actions in reducing V. vulnificus illnesses, and whether the Gulf Coast oyster industry has adequate capacity to postharvest process oysters harvested April through October. GAO reviewed data and documents and interviewed officials in FDA, the ISSC, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Home Loan Bank System's (FHLBank System) traditional approach to providing community and housing finance through 12 regional FHLBanks faces continual challenges due to consolidation in the financial services industry and the emergence of mortgage lenders with nationwide operations. In addition, the Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB), the System's financial regulator, is analyzing the benefits and costs of potential changes to the System's membership rules that would make it easier for financial institutions to join multiple FHLBank districts (referred to as multidistrict membership). To provide information that would be helpful in assessing the potential safety and soundness implications of these developments, GAO was asked among other items to (1) determine whether key differences exist in the terms--such as interest rates and collateral requirements--that FHLBanks make on loans, also known as advances, to member financial institutions such as banks and thrifts and (2) discuss FHFB's oversight of the FHLBanks and safety and soundness data reporting requirements."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed information system general controls over financial and sensitive veteran medical information maintained by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), focusing on: (1) specific computer security weaknesses GAO identified at the New Mexico and North Texas health care systems in conjunction with the audit of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) fiscal year (FY) 1997 financial statements; and (2) departmentwide computer security initiatives that GAO reported in October 1999."