A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments, known as e-FOIA, require federal agencies to make certain types of information available for public inspection. GAO reviewed 25 federal agencies and found that they have implemented many of the e-FOIA provisions. However, agencies have not made all required documents electronically available. Furthermore, the Department of Justice and other federal agencies have implemented reporting provisions required by e-FOIA, including annual workload reports. Although these reports provide a good overview of FOIA activities across the government, data quality issues limit their usefulness."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) has not developed a proposal to improve the accuracy of the reporting of contract service costs. Without accurate and reliable information, Congress cannot effectively use the information reported for DOD in the President's budget as it drafts and passes laws that affect spending. Last year, DOD agreed to develop a proposal to resolve this problem. GAO was told recently that DOD's momentum to develop a written proposal had subsided."

A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The collection of outstanding criminal debt has been a long-standing problem for the federal government. Since October 1985, as reported in the U.S. Attorney's statistical reports, the balance of outstanding criminal debt has grown from $260 million to more than $13 billion. Currently, the receipting of collections and recordkeeping for criminal debt is primarily the responsibility of the U.S. Courts, while the Department of Justice is responsible for collecting criminal debt. This report reviews (1) the key reasons for the growth in reported uncollected criminal debt; (2) whether adequate processes exist to collect criminal debt; and (3) what role, if any, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of the Treasury play in monitoring the government's collection of criminal debt. GAO found that four key factors have contributed to the significant growth of uncollected criminal debt. These factors are (1) the nature of the debt, in that it involves criminals who may be incarcerated or deported or who have minimal earning capacity; (2) the assessment of mandatory restitution regardless of the criminal's ability to pay, as required by the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76 competitions have reduced the estimated costs of Defense Department activities primarily through reducing the number of positions needed to perform activities being studied. The impact on employment, pay, and benefits of individual employees affected by A-76 studies varies depending on factors such as the results of the competitions, the availability of other government jobs, and other individual factors such as retirement eligibility. Pay may also be affected by the location and technical nature of the work. These factors make it difficult to draw universal conclusions about the effects of A-76 decisions on affected federal employees; employment options, pay, and benefits. GAO's analysis of three completed A-76 studies showed that about half of the civilian government employees remained in federal service following the studies, either in the new or another government organization with similar pay and benefits. There were relatively few involuntary separations."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Army has begun to transform itself into a more rapidly deployable and responsive force better able to meet the diverse defense challenges of the future. These far-reaching organizational and operational changes, which will affect virtually every aspect of the Army, will take decades to implement. Funding the transformation, from developing future combat systems to modernizing aging equipment, will be difficult. The Army has developed a Transformation Campaign Plan, which is a mechanism for integrating transformation efforts within the Army and for achieving the goal of transforming the Army over 30 years. The Army's Transformation Campaign plan serves as a common frame of reference for officials throughout the Army. It defines transformation goals, sets milestones for achieving them, and assigns lines of responsibilities for each aspect of the plan. The Army has established several forums at various levels to discuss evolving issues and address matters of concern. However, the lack of an overall DOD transformation strategy has led the Army to proceed with its transformation plans solely on the basis of broad departmental guidance rather than a clear understanding of how its efforts fit into an …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report analyzes the gender and racial/ethnic diversity in the career Senior Executive Service (SES) governmentwide. GAO examines (1) whether the composition of the career SES changed during the 10-year period ending in fiscal year 1999 to include more minorities and women, (2) what proportion of women and minorities were appointed to the career SES annually during this 10-year period and whether the appointments reflected the SES "pipeline"--the group from which new SES members were generally appointed, and (3) how the representation of women and minority employees in the career SES as of fiscal year 1999 compared with other labor forces. GAO found that the representation of women and minorities in the career SES steadily increased during the 1990's, with the proportion of women going from 10 percent in 1990 to 22 percent in 1999. Similarly, the percentage of minority members went from seven percent to about 13 percent. The vast majority of these appointments came from within the ranks of GS-15 employees. Women and minorities had a somewhat lower representation in the SES when compared to other labor forces."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "About two-thirds of the married and one-third of the single servicemembers in the United States live in private housing in the communities surrounding military bases. These members are given a cash allowance to help defray the cost of renting or buying housing. In fiscal year 2000, housing allowances totaled about $6 billion and covered about 81 percent of the typical member's housing and utility costs, with the member paying the remaining costs out-of-pocket. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998 required the Department of Defense (DOD) to better match the allowance rates with actual housing costs in various parts of the country. It was expected that the changes would cause some rates to rise and others to decline. As of January 2000, however, rate decreases outnumbered the increases. In some cases, these rate decreases were substantial. DOD quickly took steps to address the concerns about the new housing rates and to improve the process used to set allowance rates for 2001. However, because DOD does not routinely provide detailed feedback to installation officials explaining the basis for the rates for their areas, these officials …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "To promote U.S. interests in the face of rapid economic, political, technological, and environmental change, 24 federal agencies are engaged in foreign affairs activities at 255 overseas locations in 162 countries. The Department of State is responsible for coordinating and supporting federal agencies' international activities and providing a means for effective interagency information sharing. State is leading a multiagency program to modernize the information technology (IT) environment supporting federal agencies' overseas operations. State is in the early, formative stage of a long-term plan to acquire and deploy a common knowledge management system for overseas-based agencies. This system is to provide basic Internet access and e-mail to mission-critical policy formulation and crisis management support. In the near-term, State is using informal management controls, which are adequate given the department's stated purposes and scope of these activities. However, acquiring and deploying system capabilities for operational use, particularly a system that involves multiple agencies and performs mission-critical functions, requires a much greater level of management discipline than that needed for system prototyping and pilot testing. It is appropriate that State has not yet established these rigorous management controls because …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "A number of serious control weaknesses in the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) electronic filing systems placed personal taxpayer data in IRS' electronic filing system at significant risk of unauthorized disclosure, use, and modification during the 2000 tax filing season. IRS recognized the importance of promptly addressing these weaknesses and stated that it has taken steps to correct them prior to the current tax filing season. Ensuring that ongoing controls over electronic filing are effective requires top-management support and leadership, disciplined processes, and consistent oversight. IRS' efforts to achieve the goal that 80 percent of all tax and information returns be filed electronically by 2007 must be balanced with the need to adequately ensure the security, privacy, and reliability of taxpayer and other sensitive information. Failure to maintain adequate security over IRS' electronic filing systems could erode public confidence in electronically filing tax returns, jeopardize IRS' ability to meet the 80 percent goal, and deprive IRS of the many benefits that electronic filing offers."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Although most Americans are familiar with Internet service providers that give consumers a pathway, or "on-ramp," to the Internet, few are familiar with Internet backbone providers and backbone networks. At the Internet's core are many high-capacity, long-haul "backbone" networks that route data traffic over long distances using high-speed fiber lines. Internet backbone providers compete in the marketplace and cooperate in the exchange of data traffic. The cooperative exchange of traffic among backbone providers is essential if the Internet is to remain a seamless and widely accessible public medium. Interconnection among Internet backbone providers varies both in terms of the physical structure and financial agreements of data traffic exchange. The physical structure of interconnection takes two forms: (1) the exchange of traffic among many backbone providers at a "network access point"--a common facility--and (2) the exchange of traffic between two or more backbone providers at "private" interconnection points. No publicly available data exist with which to evaluate competitiveness in the Internet backbone market. Evolution of this market is likely to be largely affected by two types of emerging services. First, demand is likely to rise for time-sensitive …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Americans' use of the Internet has grown dramatically during the last few years. Nationally, more than half of all households have a computer and more than 80 percent of those households have access to the Internet. Yet, during the last few years, even as Internet usage has continued to expand, concerns have arisen about whether access to the Internet and other advanced telecommunications services is limited for Americans in lower socioeconomic classes or who live in rural areas. GAO found that Internet users are more likely to be white and well-educated and have higher-than-average household incomes. There is no noticeable difference between the genders when it comes to Internet usage. GAO also found that the availability of some services is limited by location. Some of this information points to the existence of the "digital divide," but the evidence is not clear. It is important, however, to ensure that the differences in Internet availability do not adversely affect existing societal divisions."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The impending retirement of the "baby boom" generation is receiving considerable attention. The number of older workers will grow substantially during the next two decades, and they will become an increasingly significant share of the U.S. workforce. Although older workers are less likely than younger workers to lose a job, when they do lose a job, they are less likely than younger workers to find other employment. To retain older workers and extend their careers, some public and a few private employers are providing options, including flexible hours and financial benefits, reduced workloads through the use of part-time or part-year schedules, and job-sharing. Most employers are not yet facing labor shortages or other economic pressures that would require them to consider flexible employment arrangements because the retirement of the baby boom generation will occur gradually during the next several decades."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report examines the use of impact evaluations to determine program effectiveness for early childhood programs. GAO (1) describes the value of conducting impact evaluations, (2) describes their current use in evaluating selected early childhood education and care programs and (3) discusses the value of other types of early childhood education and care studies the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education promote and sponsor. GAO found that many researchers consider impact evaluations to be the best method of determining the extent to which the program itself is causing participant outcomes. Two federal programs that focus on early childhood education--Head Start and Even Start--are now being studied using impact evaluations. Both of these programs are intended to improve children's school readiness and educational outcomes, including enhanced literacy. HHS is conducting two studies on its Head Start program, which will cost about $28.3 million, and Education will conduct a $21 million study on its Even Start program. Finally, HHS and Education promote and sponsor many types of research and evaluation studies. The value of a varied study agenda is that it provides agencies with answers …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The west campus of St. Elizabeths hospital is a unique property that is generally acknowledged to be in poor condition. GAO concludes that a significant sum of money and much work would be needed to prepare the west campus for reuse. This work would include stabilizing and mothballing the buildings for the period of time when the excess and disposal process will take place, developing plans for protection and maintenance, addressing environmental and historic preservation issues, studying potential uses for the property, and identifying user(s). The historic significance of the property, as well as the economic implications of its reuse for the District of Columbia will be key factors to be considered in determining the property's future. A successful outcome that is agreeable to all the interested stakeholders and is in the government's best interest will be a challenging and complex task."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report reviews the coordination efforts involved in foreign counterintelligence investigations where the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has been or may be employed. The act established (1) requirements and a process for seeking electronic surveillance and physical search authority in national security investigations seeking foreign intelligence and counterintelligence information within the United States and (2) the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which has jurisdiction to hear applications for and grant orders approving Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act surveillance and searches. GAO found that coordination between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Criminal Division has been limited in those foreign counterintelligence cases in which criminal activity is indicated and surveillance and searches have been, or may be, employed. A key factor inhibiting this coordination is the concern over how the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court or another federal court might rule on the primary purpose of the surveillance or search in light of such coordination. In addition, the FBI and the Criminal Division differ on the interpretations of DOJ's 1995 procedures concerning counterintelligence investigations. In January 2000, the Attorney General issued additional procedures to …

This field investigation was undertaken to determine the present condition of sediment in Lauritzen Channel and Parr Canal approximately 2 years after completion of sediment remedial actions at the United Heckathorn Superfund site. The study was designed to supplement the post-remediation monitoring program by determining the extent and identifying potential sources of observed pesticide contamination in marine sediments near the site. Core samples collected from Lauritzen Channel and Parr Canal in July 1999 were described geologically, and samples were prepared from different sediment types, such as younger bay mud or older bay mud. Sediment samples were analyzed for grain size, organic carbon, and DDT compounds. Only minor changes have occurred in Parr Canal since remedial actions were taken in 1996-1997, but in Lauritzen Channel, DDT concentrations exceed the remedial goal of 590 ug/kg dry weight in nearly all the unconsolidated sediment (younger bay mud, sand, and disturbed older bay mud). The source of contaminated sediment could not be confirmed by this study; there was no clear correlation between high DDT concentrations and sediment remaining between the pilings, as was originally suspected. There also was no correlation between high DDT concentrations in sediment and the locations of outfalls, although some of …

This report discusses copyright cases in the courts, including Napster, MP3 digital music, and DVD motion picture.

This report briefly discusses the extent to which emissions trading has been used in the United States, explains how trading programs work, analyzes factors that can influence the effectiveness of trading, and examines some of the principal arguments related to the use of trading to control air pollution.

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Custom report with a net income of $355.00 for the period ending on March 16, 2001. There is a balance sheet of total liabilities and equity of $355.00. Included is a general ledger of all the financial transactions as of March 16, 2001. Also, there is an Officers and Board of Directors phone list.

This calculation has several purposes. First the calculation reduces the information contained in ''Committed Materials in Repository Drifts'' (BSC 2001a) to useable parameters required as input to MING V1.O (CRWMS M&O 1998, CSCI 30018 V1.O) for calculation of the effects of potential in-drift microbial communities as part of the microbial communities model. The calculation is intended to replace the parameters found in Attachment II of the current In-Drift Microbial Communities Model revision (CRWMS M&O 2000c) with the exception of Section 11-5.3. Second, this calculation provides the information necessary to supercede the following DTN: M09909SPAMING1.003 and replace it with a new qualified dataset (see Table 6.2-1). The purpose of this calculation is to create the revised qualified parameter input for MING that will allow {Delta}G (Gibbs Free Energy) to be corrected for long-term changes to the temperature of the near-field environment. Calculated herein are the quadratic or second order regression relationships that are used in the energy limiting calculations to potential growth of microbial communities in the in-drift geochemical environment. Third, the calculation performs an impact review of a new DTN: M00012MAJIONIS.000 that is intended to replace the currently cited DTN: GS9809083 12322.008 for water chemistry data used in the current …

The objective of this work is to evaluate the adequacy of chemical thermodynamic data provided by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as DataO.ymp.ROA in response to an input request submitted under AP-3.14Q. This request specified that chemical thermodynamic data available in the file, Data0.com.R2, be updated, improved, and augmented for use in geochemical modeling used in Process Model Reports (PMRs) for Engineered Barrier Systems, Waste Form, Waste Package, Unsaturated Zone, and Near Field Environment, as well as for Performance Assessment. The data are qualified in the temperature range 0 to 100 C. Several Data Tracking Numbers (DTNs) associated with Analysis/Model Reports (AMR) addressing various aspects of the post-closure chemical behavior of the waste package and the Engineered Barrier System that rely on EQ316 outputs to which these data are used as input, are Principal Factor affecting. This qualification activity was accomplished in accordance with the AP-SIII.2Q using the Technical Assessment method. A development plan, TDP-EBS-MD-000044, was prepared in accordance with AP-2.13Q and approved by the Responsible Manager. In addition, a Process Control Evaluation was performed in accordance with AP-SV.1Q. The qualification method, selected in accordance with AP-SIII.2Q, was Technical Assessment. The rationale for this approach is that the data in …

Chromaticity measurements are usually done by changing the energy of the beam by a known amount and measuring the change in betatron tune with a spectrum analyzer. The energy change is done by adjusting the RF frequency. The change in RF frequency is made large enough so that the change in betatron tune can be seen. If synchrotron motion is present in the beam, then measuring the change in betatron tune can be difficult. This note will outline a method to measure the change in betatron tune by phase-modulating the RF and measuring the phase modulated betatron spectrum Extremely small resolution bandwidths are available on modern vector signal analyzers. A small resolution bandwidth is equivalent to measuring the chromaticity many times and averaging the results. This would permit much smaller shifts in betatron tunes to be measured. The phase-modulated signal consists of sidebands whose amplitudes are given by Bessel functions. The complication of the Bessel functions can be removed if the vector signal analyzer is capable of phase demodulation. The sign of the chromaticity can be determined by observing the modulation spectrum at both betatron sidebands.