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Long-Term Care: Availability of Medicaid Home and Community Services for Elderly Individuals Varies Considerably
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "As the baby boomers age, spending on long-term care for the elderly could quadruple by 2050. The growing demand for long-term care will put pressure on federal and state budgets because long-term care relies heavily on public financing, particularly Medicaid. Nursing home care traditionally has accounted for most Medicaid long-term care expenditures, but the high costs of such care and the preference of many individuals to stay in their own homes has led states to expand their Medicaid programs to provide coverage for home- and community-based long-term care. GAO found that a Medicaid-eligible elderly individual with the same disabling conditions, care needs, and availability of informal family support could find significant differences in the type and intensity of home and community-based services that would be offered for his or her care. These differences were due in part to the very nature of long-term care needs--which can involve physical or cognitive disabling conditions--and the lack of a consensus as to what services are needed to compensate for these disabilities and what balance should exist between publicly available and family-provided services. The differences in care plans were also …
Date:
September 26, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Long-Term Care: Elderly Individuals Could Find Significant Variation in the Availability of Medicaid Home and Community Services
Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "As the baby boomers age, spending on long-term care for the elderly could quadruple by 2050. The growing demand for long-term care will put pressure on federal and state budgets because long-term care relies heavily on public financing, particularly Medicaid. Nursing home care traditionally has accounted for most Medicaid long-term care expenditures, but the high costs of such care and the preference of many individuals to stay in their own homes has led states to expand their Medicaid programs to provide coverage for home- and community-based long-term care. GAO found that a Medicaid-eligible elderly individual with the same disabling conditions, care needs, and availability of informal family support could find significant differences in the type and intensity of home and community-based services that would be offered for his or her care. These differences were due in part to the very nature of long-term care needs--which can involve physical or cognitive disabling conditions--and the lack of a consensus as to what services are needed to compensate for these disabilities and what balance should exist between publicly available and family-provided services. The differences in care plans were also due to …
Date:
September 26, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Electronic Government: Proposal Addresses Critical Challenges
Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "E-government is critical to the government's ability to effectively communicate with the public. Both Congress and current and past administrations have emphasized the importance of e-government and have put forth proposals to address the challenges associated with this issue. Earlier this year, the Senate passed S. 803, the E-government Act of 2002. To accomplish the goal of enhancing the management and promotion of e-government, S. 803 addresses many of the substantive information resource and management challenges facing the government today. Initiatives contained in this bill represent important steps in creating a government that is more efficient, effective, and focused on citizens' needs. Specifically, the bill would (1) secure the transmission of sensitive information in e-government transactions by promoting the development of electronic signatures, (2) protect individuals' privacy by requiring agencies to conduct privacy impact assessments, and (3) make government information more accessible to the public."
Date:
September 18, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
VA Information Technology: Management Making Important Progress in Addressing Key Challenges
Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In March of this year, GAO testified before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, about the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) information technology (IT) program, and the strides that the Secretary had made in improving departmental leadership and management of this critical area--including the hiring of a chief information officer. At the Subcommittee's request, GAO evaluated VA's new IT organizational structure, and provided an update on VA's progress in addressing other specific areas of IT concern and our related recommendations pertaining to enterprise architecture, information security, the Veterans Benefits Administration's replacement compensation and pension payment system and maintenance of the Benefits Delivery Network, and the government computer-based patient record initiative."
Date:
September 26, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
VA Health Care: Nonprofit Corporations Enhance VA Research, but Would Benefit from Increased Oversight
Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) nonprofit research corporations, which receive funds primarily from non-VA sources to conduct medical research at VA facilities. Since VA's nonprofit corporations were first established, there has been limited oversight of their operations and contributions to VA research. Nonprofit corporations support VA's research environment by funding a portion of the department's research needs, such as laboratory equipment and improvements to infrastructure, and by providing flexible personnel and contracting arrangements to respond to investigators' needs. To detect conflict of interest, investigators on research projects administered by VA's nonprofit corporations are subject to federal statutes and regulations applicable to federal employees concerning conduct and conflicts of interest and may be required to disclose their financial interests. Institutional conflicts of interest are unlikely to occur in VA's nonprofit research corporations because they cannot own stock, have an equity interest in private companies, or obtain intellectual property rights. VA has delegated responsibility for monitoring and overseeing the activities of nonprofit corporations to the directors of VA medical centers; however, VA headquarters does not oversee and monitor corporations' financial activities and ensure that identified deficiencies are …
Date:
September 19, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Mass Transit: Challenges in Securing Transit Systems
Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Over a year has passed since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, realigned national priorities. Although most of the early attention following the attacks focused on airport security, emphasis on the other modes of transportation has since grown. Addressing transit safety and security concerns is complicated by the nature and scope of transit in the United States. About 6,000 agencies provide transit services, and each workday, 14 million Americans ride on some form of transit. Transit agencies face significant challenges in making their systems secure. Certain characteristics make them both vulnerable and difficult to secure. The high ridership of some transit agencies makes them attractive targets for terrorists but also makes certain security measures, like metal detectors, impractical. Another challenge is funding identified security enhancements. Despite the formidable challenges in securing transit systems, transit agencies have taken a number of steps to improve the security of their systems. Transit agencies visited by GAO were implementing strategies to improve both safety and security prior to September 11; however, the events of September 11 elevated the importance of security-related activity. Many agencies assessed vulnerabilities, provided additional training on emergency …
Date:
September 18, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Transportation Infrastructure: Alternative Financing Mechanisms for Surface Transportation
Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "As Congress considers reauthorizing the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) in 2003, it does so in the face of a continuing need for the nation to invest in its surface transportation infrastructure at a time when both the federal and state governments are experiencing severe financial constraints. As transportation needs have grown, Congress provided states--in the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 and TEA-21--additional means to make highway investments through alternative financing mechanisms. A number of states are using existing alternative financing tools such as State Infrastructure Banks, Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicles bonds, and loans under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. These tools can provide states with additional options to accelerate projects and leverage federal assistance--they can also provide greater flexibility and more funding techniques. Federal funding of surface transportation investments includes federal-aid highway program grant funding appropriated by Congress out of the Highway Trust Fund, loans and loan guarantees, and bonds that are issued by states that are exempt from federal taxation. Expanding the use of alternative financing mechanisms has the potential to stimulate additional investment and private participation. However, expanding …
Date:
September 25, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Childhood Vaccines: Challenges in Preventing Future Shortages
Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Vaccine shortages began to appear in November 2000, when supplies of the tetanus and diptheria booster fell short. By October 2001, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported shortages of five vaccines that protect against eight childhood diseases. In addition to diptheria and tetanus vaccines, vaccines to protect against pertussis, invasive pneumococcal disease, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella were in short supply. In July 2002, updated CDC data indicated supplies were returning to normal for most vaccines. However, the shortage of vaccine to protect against invasive pneumococcal disease was expected to continue through at least late 2002. Shortages have prompted federal authorities to recommend deferring some vaccinations and have caused most states to reduce or suspend immunization requirements for school and day care programs so that children who have not received all mandatory immunizations can enroll. States are concerned that failure to be vaccinated at a later date may reduce the share of the population protected and increase the potential for disease to spread; however, data are not currently available to measure these effects. Many factors, including production problems and unanticipated demand for new vaccines, contributed …
Date:
September 17, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Commercial Activities Panel: Improving the Sourcing Decisions of the Federal Government
Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Commercial Activities Panel is a congressionally mandated panel to study and make recommendations for improving the policies and procedures governing the transfer of commercial activities from government to contractor personnel. The growing controversy surrounding competitions, under the Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-76 to determine whether the government should obtain commercially available goods and services from the public or private sectors, led to the establishment of this Panel. In establishing the Panel, several steps were taken to ensure representation from all major stakeholders as well as to ensure a fair and balanced process. To ensure a broad range of views on the Panel, a Federal Register notice was used to seek suggestions for the Panel's composition. As the Panel began its work, it recognized the need for a set of principles for sourcing decisions. These principles provide for an assessment of what does or does not work in the current A-76 process and provide a framework for identifying needed changes. Many of the Panel's recommendations can be accomplished administratively under existing law, and the Panel recommends that they be implemented as soon as practical. The Panel …
Date:
September 27, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Performance Budgeting: Opportunities and Challenges
Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses efforts to link resources to results--also known as "performance budgeting." During the past decade, Congress and several administrations have put in place a structure for increasing the focus on and accountability for government performance. Federal agencies have been working to carry out the Government Performance Act, which requires the development of periodic strategic and annual performance plans and reports. Absent structural change in a number of major entitlement programs, budgetary flexibility will continue to decline and eventually disappear--while demands for new federal resources to address such emerging challenges as homeland security and other issues become more compelling and pressing. Given the country's longer-range fiscal imbalance, there is also a need to broaden the measures and focus of the federal budget process to accommodate these goals. The nation's fiscal challenges escalate rapidly just beyond the 10-year budget projection period. As a result, new metrics and mechanisms are needed to better highlight the longer-term implications of existing programs and proposed new fiscal commitments. Furthermore, in order to address emerging challenges, it is necessary to address both retirement and health programs encumbering the nation's fiscal future, in addition …
Date:
September 19, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Employee Privacy: Computer-Use Monitoring Practices and Policies of Selected Companies
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Over the past decade, there has been a technological revolution in the workplace as businesses have increasingly turned to computer technology the primary tool to communicate, conduct research, and store information. Also during this time, concern has grown among private sector employers that their computer resources may be abused by employees--either by accessing offensive material or jeopardizing the security of proprietary information--and may provide an easy entry point into a company's electronic systems by computer trespassers. As a result, companies have developed "computer conduct" policies and implement strategies to monitor their employees' use of e-mail, the Internet, and computer files. Federal and state laws and judicial decisions have generally given private sector companies wide discretion in their monitoring and review of employee computer transmissions. However, some legal experts believe that these laws should be more protective of employee privacy by limiting what aspects of employee computer use employers may monitor and how they may do so. Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, policymakers re-examined many privacy issues as they debated the USA PATRIOT Act, which expands the federal government's authority to …
Date:
September 27, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Telecommunications: Better Coordination and Enhanced Accountability Needed to Improve Spectrum Management
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The radiofrequency spectrum is the medium that enables wireless communications of all kinds, such as mobile phone and paging services, radio and television broadcasting, radar, and satellite-based services. As new spectrum-dependent technologies are developed and deployed, the demand for this limited resource has escalated among both government and private sector users. Meeting these needs domestically is the responsibility of the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for federal government users and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for all other users. The current legal framework for domestic spectrum management evolved as a compromise over the questions of who should determine how spectrum is allocated among competing users and what standard should be applied in making this determination. Current methods for allocating spectrum face difficulties, and FCC and NTIA's efforts are not guided by a national spectrum strategy. Since nearly all of the usable radio spectrum has been allocated already, accommodating more services and users generally involves redefining current radiofrequency allocations. One method used by FCC and NTIA is to increase the amount of spectrum that is designated for shared use, so that additional types …
Date:
September 30, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Force Structure: Review of B-1B Process Identifies Opportunity to Improve Future Analysis
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The B-1B began operations in 1986 as a long-range heavy bomber designed primarily to carry nuclear munitions. Although the B-1B's nuclear mission was withdrawn in October 1997, the Air Force continues to rely on the B-1B to support conventional wartime missions. The B-1B has the largest payload of the Air Force's three bombers, and recent modifications have provided the capability to deliver near precision munitions. Future upgrades to the B-1B are expected to provide greater flexibility by enabling it to carry three different types of bombs simultaneously and eliminate some of its long-term survivability and maintainability problems by improving its radar warning systems, jamming ability, and other electronic countermeasures. In May 2001, the Office of the Secretary of Defense suggested retiring the entire B-1B fleet by October 2001. In June 2001, the Air Force proposed an alternative that reduced the B-1B fleet from 93 to 60 aircraft and consolidated them at two active duty locations instead of the three active duty and two National Guard locations that housed the aircraft. Congress delayed implementation of the fleet reduction until the Air Force completed a review of bomber …
Date:
September 6, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Export Controls: Department of Commerce Controls over Transfers of Technology to Foreign Nationals Need Improvement
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "To protect its national security and foreign policy interests, the United States controls exports of civilian technologies that have military uses. U.S. firms may be required to obtain a license from the Department of Commerce before exporting these "dual-use" technologies from the United States to many other countries, including countries of concern. Since Commerce regulations also deem domestic transfers of controlled dual-use technologies to citizens of these countries to be exports, Commerce may require firms that employ foreign nationals working with these technologies in this country to obtain "deemed" export licenses. The firms should, in many cases, hold a deemed export license, and the foreign nationals should have an appropriate visa classification, such as an H-1B specialized employment classification. Commerce issues deemed export licenses to firms that employ or sponsor foreign nationals after consulting the Departments of Defense, State, and Energy. Deemed export licenses are generally valid for 2 years and comprise almost 10 percent of all export licenses approved by Commerce. In fiscal year 2001, Commerce approved 822 deemed export license applications and rejected 3. Most of the approved licenses allowed foreign nationals from countries …
Date:
September 6, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Worker Protection: Labor's Efforts to Enforce Protections for Day Laborers Could Benefit from Better Data and Guidance
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Day laborers generally are individuals who work and get paid on a daily or short-term basis. To find work, they often congregate on street corners and wait for employers to drive by and offer them work. Day laborers may also be employed by temporary staffing agencies that assign them work on a daily basis with client employers. Day laborers have an informal relationship with the labor market, often working for different employers each day, being paid in cash, and lacking key benefits, such as health or unemployment insurance. However, day laborers may be eligible for wage and safety protections provided by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act. The U.S. Department of Labor administers both acts. Its Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is responsible for ensuring that all covered workers receive at least the federal minimum hourly wage and overtime pay. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is required to ensure that employers provide safe and healthy workplaces to help their workers avoid injury or death. Coverage under both laws does not depend on a worker's immigration status. …
Date:
September 26, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Hazard Mitigation: Proposed Changes to FEMA's Multihazard Mitigation Programs Present Challenges
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Over the past 12 years, federal disaster assistance costs have totaled more than $39 billion (in fiscal year 2001 dollars)--a nearly fivefold increase over the previous 12-year period--as a result of a series of unusually large and frequent disasters and an increasing federal role in assisting communities and individuals affected by disasters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the lead agency for providing federal disaster relief, has provided the bulk of the assistance to help those in need respond to and recover from disasters. As the costs for disaster assistance have risen, FEMA has made disaster mitigation a primary goal in its efforts to reduce the long-term cost of disasters and has developed mitigation programs designed to minimize risk to property or individuals from natural or man-made hazards. FEMA's multihazard mitigation programs differ substantially in how they have sought to reduce the risks from hazards but each has features that the state emergency management community believes has been successful for mitigation. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), FEMA's oldest multihazard mitigation programs, is a post disaster program that has provided the bulk of mitigation assistance to …
Date:
September 30, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Combating Terrorism: Department of State Programs to Combat Terrorism Abroad
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Efforts to combat terrorism have become an increasingly important part of government activities. These efforts have also become important in the United States' relations with other countries and with international organizations, such as the United Nations (U.N.). The Department of State is charged with coordinating these international efforts and protecting Americans abroad. State has helped direct the U.S. efforts to combat terrorism abroad by building the global coalition against terrorism, including providing diplomatic support for military operations in Afghanistan and other countries. State has also supported international law enforcement efforts to identify, arrest, and bring terrorists to justice, as well as performing other activities intended to reduce the number of terrorist attacks. The State Department conducts multifaceted activities in its effort to prevent terrorist attacks on Americans abroad. For Americans traveling and living abroad, State issues public travel warnings and operates warning systems to convey terrorism-related information. For American businesses and universities operating overseas, State uses the Overseas Security Advisory Councils--voluntary partnerships between the State Department and the private sector--to exchange threat information. To disrupt and destroy terrorist organizations abroad, State has numerous programs and activities …
Date:
September 6, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Information Technology: Greater Use of Best Practices Can Reduce Risks in Acquiring Defense Health Care System
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report examines the acquisition of the Composite Health Care System (CHCS) II. It is one in a series of reports reviewing the Department of Defense's use of best practices in acquiring information technology systems. CHCS II is expected to cost about $1 billion to deliver full capability to almost 1,100 health facilities worldwide by 2008. GAO's objectives were to determine (1) what progress has been made against project commitments, (2) whether the system has been economically justified, and (3) whether effective technical and management controls are in place."
Date:
September 26, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Catastrophe Insurance Risks: The Role of Risk-Linked Securities and Factors Affecting Their Use
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Because of population growth, resulting real estate development, and using real estate values in hazard-prone areas, the nation is increasingly exposed to much higher property-casualty losses--both insured and uninsured--from natural catastrophes than in the past. In the 1990s, a series of natural disasters, (1) raised questions about the adequacy of the insurance industry's financial capacity to cover large catastrophes without limiting coverage or substantially raising premiums and (2) called attention to ways of raising additional sources of capital to help cover catastrophic risk. Catastrophe risk includes exposure to losses from natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes, which are infrequent events that can cause substantial financial loss but are difficult to reliably predict. The characteristics of natural disasters prompt most insurers to limit the amount and type of catastrophic risk they hold. Risk-linked securities that can be used to cover risk from natural catastrophes employ many structures and include catastrophic bonds and catastrophic options. GAO identified and analyzed several issues that might affect the use of risk-linked securities. First, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and insurance industry representatives are considering revisions in the regulatory …
Date:
September 24, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Electronic Transfers: Use by Federal Payment Recipients Has Increased but Obstacles to Greater Participation Remain
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 2001, the Department of the Treasury made 764 million payments valued at $549 billion to beneficiaries of federal programs, primarily programs administered by the Social Security Administration. Of these payments, 76 percent were made using electronic funds transfers (EFTs), potentially saving the government millions of dollars in costs associated with disbursing paper checks. In 1996, Congress passed legislation which required that federal payments except tax refunds be made electronically as of January 1999. The act also required that each person affected by this mandate have access to an account at a financial institution at a reasonable cost and with certain consumer protections. To meet this requirement, Treasury developed the Electronic Transfer Account (ETA). Most recipients of federal benefits have their payments deposited electronically. The number of recipients using EFT climbed steadily throughout the 1990s, rising from around half to more than three-quarters of all beneficiaries. Treasury and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have undertaken activities to increase the use of direct deposit, including developing marketing material and directly notifying check recipients of the advantages of using EFT, particularly safety and convenience. Although information describing the …
Date:
September 12, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Student Aid and Tax Benefits: Better Research and Guidance Will Facilitate Comparison of Effectiveness and Student Use
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA), as first adopted in 1965, authorizes federal grant and loan programs, providing a total of $53 billion in assistance to 8.1 million students in fiscal year 1999. The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 allowed eligible taxpayers to reduce their tax liability by receiving up to $1,500 HOPE or $1,000 Lifetime Learning tax credit for tuition and course-related fees paid. The 2001 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act created a new tax deduction for tuition expenses and expanded many existing higher education tax provisions. The federal investment in providing student assistance through the tax code has risen sharply from $.0056 billion in 1996 to $7.6 billion in 2002--more than 80 percent of which is comprised of HOPE and Lifetime Learning tax expenditures. GAO reviewed title IV aid programs and higher education tax provisions designed to assist students and families, to help Congress prepare for the reauthorization of HEA. GAO found that, in the 1999-2000 academic year, the Lifetime Learning and HOPE tax credits provided an estimated 4 in 10 undergraduate students with benefits that equaled a varying share …
Date:
September 13, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Defense Budget: Contingency Operations in the Balkans May Need Less Funding in Fiscal Year 2003
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "From the end of the Persian Gulf War in February 1991 through May 2002, the Department of Defense (DOD) reported over $43.9 billion in incremental costs for its overseas contingency operations. These operations include the enforcement of no-fly zones, humanitarian assistance, and peace enforcement operations, as well as combating terrorism beginning in fiscal year 2001. The majority of these costs were incurred in the Balkans and Southeast Asia. In fiscal year 2002, U.S. military forces are continuing to participate in a number of contingency operations, primarily in the Balkans, Southwest Asia, and a number of locations that involve combating terrorism. The military services received a combination of funding provided in the DOD appropriations act for fiscal year 2002 and money remaining in previously funded contingency fund accounts. The services also took steps to reduce costs in order to keep them in line with available funding. Both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and DOD plan to reduce troop levels in the Balkans during fiscal year 2003, which may reduce funding needs during the year. In Europe, the Army anticipates an overall reduction of 1,160 troops during fiscal …
Date:
September 27, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
School Vouchers: Characteristics of Privately Funded Programs
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Privately funded voucher programs are a new development in the nation's experiment with school vouchers. These programs, started in the early 1990s, provide low-income families with private, nongovernmental tuition assistance at private schools for kindergarten through grade 12. Although private schools have long offered various forms of financial assistance, many of these privately funded voucher programs are different from traditional scholarship efforts in two key respects: they are open to any applicant solely on the basis of family income level, and recipients are free to decide which schools their children should attend. The 78 privately funded voucher programs GAO reviewed shared numerous characteristics and faced common challenges, but the programs varied widely in the dollar amount of the vouchers awarded and the number of students receiving them. The average voucher amount in school year 2001-2002 ranged widely among programs, from $600 to $2,000 per student, and program size ranged from as few as four students to over 3,000 students. Beyond the information needed to determine eligibility and conduct financial oversight, most programs reported collecting little data about participating students, their families, or the schools they attended. …
Date:
September 10, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
District of Columbia: Fiscal Structural Balance Issues
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The District of Columbia has historically faced many challenges due to its unique circumstances and role as the nation's capital. After several years of struggling with financial crises and insolvency in the early 1990s, the District has significantly improved its financial condition by achieving five consecutive balanced budgets, an upgraded bond rating, and unqualified or "clean" opinions on its financial statements. More recently, however, District officials have asserted that the District faces a fiscal structural imbalance as a result of several factors, some stemming from the federal government's presence in the city, the absence of a state to provide funding for the state-like services provided by the District, and restrictions on the District's tax base. The District argues that it faces a fiscal structural imbalance between revenues and its expenditures that undermines its capacity to meet its current responsibilities. In contrast with a cyclical fiscal imbalance caused by temporary economic downturns, the District suggests that its imbalance is longer term and more fundamental and, therefore, structural in nature. The District's estimated measures of fiscal structural imbalance are based on the continuation of current budget policy over …
Date:
September 4, 2002
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library