A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Between 1987 and 1997, the growth in mental health spending in the United States roughly paralleled the growth in overall health care spending. However, federal mental health spending grew at more than twice the rate of state and local spending. This led to the federal government's share surpassing that of state and local governments, while the share attributable to private sources declined slightly. The ability to care for more people in the community has been facilitated by the continued development of new medications that have fewer side effects and are more effective in helping people manage their illness. Furthermore, treatment approaches, such as assertive community treatment, supported employment, and supportive housing, provide the ongoing assistance that adults with serious mental illness (SMI) often need to function in the community. The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) has encouraged the use of community-based services for Medicaid beneficiaries with SMI by disseminating information on the use of new medications and treatment models, which can help people function better in the community. HCFA also supports states' use of Medicaid managed health care services. However, incentives associated with capitated payment can …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has decided to move its technical training center from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to near its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. The relocation is intended to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the agency's operations. The center provides diverse training curricula on such topics as nuclear power plant technology augmented by training on simulators, risk assessment, radiation protection, and regulatory skills. NRC used a reasonable methodology to determine the costs of relocating its facility. It considered costs related to staff salaries, travel costs for center participants, and lease payments. However, NRC used several assumptions that, if changed, would affect the cost of the move. For example, a change in the number of staff who would relocate would have an impact on costs. According to NRC, the objective of the move was not to minimize the cost of operating the center but rather to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the agency's operations. NRC believes that the move would yield many benefits, including greater access to training facilities by its headquarters staff and frequent use of simulators in investigations. NRC needs to resolve several issues …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The first Internet pharmacies began online service in early 1999. Public health officials are concerned about Internet pharmacies that do not adhere to state licensing requirements and standards. Public officials are also concerned about the validity of prescriptions and international drugs that are not approved in the United States being sent by mail. The unique qualities of the Internet pose new challenges for enforcing state pharmacy and medical practice laws because they allow pharmacies and physicians to reach consumers across state and international borders and remain anonymous. Congress is considering legislation to strengthen oversight of Internet pharmacies."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the states' roles in implementing the Safe Drinking Water Act, focusing on: (1) how the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) budget requests for state program implementation compared to the amounts that are authorized and estimated to be needed; (2) how much the states have spent since the passage of the 1996 amendments to implement their drinking water programs and how their expenditures compare with estimated needs; (3) what effects federal funding levels have had, and could have in the future, on the states' ability to implement their programs; and (4) what existing practices have the potential to help the states implement their drinking water programs more effectively and efficiently."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed financial management at the Department of Education, focusing on: (1) Eduction's current financial management status as evidenced by its fiscal year (FY) 1999 financial audit results and the corrective actions it has taken to resolve weaknesses identified in that audit; and (2) the relationship between the audit findings and the potential for waste, fraud, and abuse."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the preliminary results of its review of U.S. assistance provided to Haiti's justice system, focusing on the: (1) results of the U.S. assistance provided to the Haitian police and judicial sector and the major problems that continue to affect these justice institutions; and (2) primary factors that have affected the success of the assistance."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the details of Martin Frankel's insurance scandal, focusing on: (1) how the scam happened; (2) the regulatory weaknesses exposed by this scam; and (3) the crucial importance of regulatory information sharing."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO evaluated insurance regulatory oversight and information-sharing in the matter of a highly publicized insurance investment scam exposed in May 1999, focusing on: (1) the alleged scam; (2) the oversight and information-sharing by insurance regulators; and (3) cross-financial-sector coordination issues, including those emanating from the scam relevant to financial regulators' efforts to implement the Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB) Act."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the federal costs of conducting validity examinations at three California Desert parks, focusing on whether: (1) data are available on the National Park Service's costs of conducting validity examinations at these parks since 1994; and (2) the Park Service recovers the costs of such examinations from claimants."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) new rule on unlisted trading privileges. GAO noted that: (1) under the rule, a national securities exchange extending unlisted trading privileges to an initial public offering (IPO) listed on another exchange will no longer be required to wait until the day after trading has commenced on the listing exchange to allow trading in that security; (2) the rule would allow a national securities exchange to begin trading an IPO issue immediately after the first trade in the security is reported to the Consolidated Tape; and (3) SEC complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Postal Service's (USPS) performance measures, reports, and plans, focusing on: (1) how well USPS fiscal year (FY) 1999 performance report addressed USPS' progress toward achieving the goals established by the FY 1999 performance plan; and (2) whether USPS' FY 2001 preliminary performance plan demonstrates continued progress in developing a reasonable basis for establishing accountability for results."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Postal Service's (USPS) overall performance as well as the challenges that persist as mail volume growth continues to slow and competition from the private sector increases."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the impact of crime and corruption on the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, focusing on: (1) how organized crime and public sector corruption have affected implementation of the agreement in Bosnia; (2) what the international community has done to improve Bosnia's law enforcement and judicial system and reduce corruption; and (3) how international assistance resources are being safeguarded and whether such assistance is being used by Bosnia in place of domestic revenues lost due to crime and corruption."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO evaluated the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to protect U.S. forces stationed overseas from terrorist attacks, focusing on: (1) the extent to which DOD has made improvements to its antiterrorism/force protection program overseas; (2) changes in DOD's process for assessing and reporting vulnerability at overseas installations; and (3) the adequacy of antiterrorism/force protection funding and staff."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the the Department of Defense's (DOD) initiatives to change export and procurement policies and procedures that relate to the transfer or sale of defense articles and services that may have national security implications."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation's (FCIC) new rule on crop insurance policies. GAO noted that: (1) the new rule would implement the changes to the crop insurance policies mandated by the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000; and (2) FCIC complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) management and oversight of the administrative funds associated with the Wildlife Restoration Program and, to a lesser extent, with the Sport Fish Restoration Program."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the improper trafficking of food stamp benefits, focusing on: (1) federal efforts to identify storeowners who engage in trafficking; (2) the amount of penalties assessed and collected against these storeowners; and (3) the extent to which states with statewide electronic benefit transfer (EBT) systems are identifying and disqualifying recipients who engage in trafficking."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the effects of recent Medicare payment reforms, focusing on the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) payment reforms affecting home health agencies, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), and the health plans in Medicare's managed care program, known as Medicare Choice."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the National Park Service's (NPS) structural fire safety efforts, focusing on: (1) whether the parks were meeting their structural fire safety responsibilities; (2) if the parks were not meeting their responsibilities, why not; and (3) what efforts were underway to address any identified problems."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO assessed the strengths and weaknesses of the Small Business Administration's (SBA) 8(a) program information system, focusing on: (1) whether the system meets the information needs of SBA field and headquarters staff; and (2) what plans, if any, does SBA have for improving the existing system."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Department of State's progress in addressing the challenges it faces in its efforts to achieve a more secure, efficient, and effective network of operations."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Gun Buyback Violence Reduction Initiative, focusing on whether HUD: (1) may use funds appropriated for the Public Housing Drug Elimination Grants Program (PHDEG) for gun buyback programs; and (2) has used PHDEG funds for that purpose. GAO noted that HUD would need additional authority to use appropriated funds to support the gun buyback program. In addition, HUD nor GAO has identified any other HUD appropriation that would be available to pay for the gun buyback program."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the health safety controls over the use of beryllium, focusing on: (1) beryllium's uses and risks; and (2) key events that illustrate the evolution of the federal government's response to risks posed by beryllium."