Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit report covering the financial statements of The American Society of International Law for fiscal year 2000. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit report contains the auditor's opinion that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit reports covering the financial statements of the American Council of Learned Societies for fiscal year 2000. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit reports included the auditors' opinions that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report reviews the Farm Credit Administration's (FCA) oversight of the safety and soundness of the Farm Credit System (FCS). GAO found that FCA's oversight and supervision appeared to be timely, comprehensive, and effective. FCA required FCS institutions to take appropriate and timely corrective actions to address any identified weaknesses and closely monitored the institutions' compliance. FCA had special supervisory and enforcement procedures in place and used them when it found more serious weaknesses at FCS institutions. In addition, off-site monitoring efforts included timely analyses of relevant qualitative and quantitative information that allowed FCA to identify, monitor, evaluate, and proactively address risks faced by FCS institutions. FCA follows processes designed to ensure the quality and reliability of its safety and soundness examination process through periodic quality assurance reviews and the Inspector General's audits and inspection reports."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit reports covering the financial statements of the Agricultural Hall of Fame for fiscal years 2000, and 1999. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit reports included the auditors' opinions that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Although pilots and other crew members are currently prohibited from carrying weapons on-board aircraft, the Aviation and Transportation Security Act raises the possibility of arming pilots in the future. In responses to a congressional request, GAO provided information on reasons for and against allowing pilots to carry firearms in the cockpit; questions to be addressed if pilots were armed; and possible alternatives to arming pilots, such as providing them with less than lethal weapons. Proponents' and opponents' views on firearms in the cockpit fall into four categories: the potential effectiveness, risk, and cost-effectiveness of pilots carrying weapons, and policy issues that would arise if pilots were allowed to carry weapons. GAO concluded that without additional research, the potential benefits, risks, and costs of using weapons on aircraft cannot be fully determined."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Congress limited the Executive Office of the President's use of systems modernization funds until the White House gave Congress a report that included an enterprise architecture, a description of information technology (IT) capital planning and investment control processes, a capital investment plan, and an IT human capital plan. The White House submitted its report to Congress in March 2002. GAO reviewed the report and found progress in the following four areas: (1) developing an officewide blueprint for modernizing its enterprise architecture; (2) defining officewide IT capital planning and investment control processes for implementing the enterprise architecture consistent with best practices; (3) correcting existing system problems and introducing infrastructure upgrades consistent with its defined technical rules and definitions; and (4) facilitating ongoing and planned efforts to complete the enterprise architecture, expand the capital planning and investment process, and manage the implementation of its fiscal year 2002 and 2003 capital investment plans. The White House has also begun using effective IT human capital management practices. Theses efforts should be considered a work in progress rather than a completed task. Therefore, the success of the White House's modernization effort depends on …

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit report covering the financial statement of the Disabled American Veterans for fiscal year 2000. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit report included the auditors' opinion that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit report covering the financial statements of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, Inc. for fiscal years 2000 and 1999. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit report included the auditors' opinions that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO reviewed the audit report covering the financial statements of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society of the United States of America for fiscal year 2000. GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance. The audit report included the auditors' opinion that the financial statements of the corporation were presented fairly on a modified cash basis of accounting."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the subsequent anthrax incidents, there has been concern about the ability of the federal government to prepare for and coordinate an effective public health response given the broad distribution of responsibility for that task at the federal level. More then 20 federal departments and agencies carry some responsibility for bioterrorism preparedness and response. The President's proposed Homeland Security Act of 2002 would bring many of these federal entities with homeland security responsibilities--including public health preparedness and response--into one department to mobilize and focus assets and resources at all levels of government. The proposed reorganization has the potential to assist in the coordination of public health preparedness and response programs at the federal, state, and local levels. There are concerns, however, about the proposed transfer of control of public health assistance programs that have both basic public health and homeland security functions from Health and Human Services to the new department. Transferring control over these programs, including priority setting, to the new department has the potential to disrupt some programs critical to basic public health responsibilities. The President's proposal is …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Federal, state, and local governments share responsibility in preparing for catastrophic terrorist attacks. Because the national security threat is diffuse and the challenge is intergovernmental, national policymakers need a firm understanding of the interests, capacity, and challenges when formulating antiterrorism strategies. Key aspects of this strategy should include a definition and clarification of the appropriate roles and responsibilities of federal, state, and local entities. GAO has found fragmentation and overlap among federal assistance programs. More than 40 federal entities have roles in combating terrorism, and past federal efforts have resulted in a lack of accountability, a lack of cohesive effort, and program duplication. This situation has led to confusion, making it difficult to identify available federal preparedness resources and effectively partner with the federal government. Goals and performance measures should be established to guide the nation's preparedness efforts. For the nation's preparedness programs, however, outcomes have yet to be defined in terms of domestic preparedness. Given the recent and proposed increases in preparedness funding, real and meaningful improvements in preparedness and establishing clear goals and performance measures are critical to ensuring a successful and a fiscally responsible effort. …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In its audit for year 2001, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General found that $12.1 billion was improperly paid to Medicare providers. GAO's February report (GAO-02-249) showed that physicians often do not receive complete, accurate, clear, or timely guidance on Medicare billing and payment policies. At the carriers studied, GAO found significant shortcomings in printed material, web sites, and telephone help lines used to provide information and respond to physicians' questions. GAO concluded the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) needed to initiate a more centralized and coordinated approach and provide technical assistance to carriers to improve provider communications. In fiscal year 2001, CMS revised its policy on conducting medical reviews. The policy directs carriers to differentiate among levels of billing problems and tailor corrective actions accordingly. As a result of this and other medical review modifications, the highest overpayment amounts assessed a physician practice by a carrier dropped substantially."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Two bills before Congress would introduce a new legal basis for controls over exports of dual use goods and services. In GAO's view, a new export administration act will need to balance stakeholder interests, assess the national security risks presented by end users, and balance the needs of exporters with foreign policy and national security interests. Both bills seek to balance these interests by involving the departments of Commerce, Defense and State. However, the lack of clear provisions raises questions about the balance between U.S. foreign policy and national security interests with economic interests. The House bill places greater emphasis on protecting foreign policy and national security interests, while the Senate bill emphasizes economic interests. A series of GAO reports suggests that the new legislation alone will not ensure that regulations and practices are implemented as Congress intended. Congress will need to oversee executive branch compliance with the law."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Under the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, entitlement communities--also called grantees--receive funds that they can spend to support specific community development activities, such as rehabilitating housing, improving public facilities, and providing public services. Most grantees are prohibited by statute from spending more than 15 percent of their CDBG funding on public service activities, such as child care, health care, and crime prevention. However, in the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest, Congress gave an exemption from this statutory cap to two grantees--the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles--allowing them to spend up to 25 percent of their funds on public services. In December 2001, the exemption was extended through 2003. Between 1993 and 2001, the City of Los Angeles spent between 20 and 25 percent of its CDBG funding to support public service activities, while the County of Los Angeles spent between 9 and 20 percent. According to HUD data for 1999 through 2001, the city and county used a majority of their public service funding to support general public services and either youth …

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the Texas Health Care Information Council must provide a hospital with an opportunity to review and and comment on certain data and analysis of that data before releasing it in response to a request for information about the hospital (RQ-0518-JC)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the son of a city council member of the City of Azle, Texas may be promoted to a higher position in the Azle Police Department (RQ-0520-JC)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a mayor may serve as both a member and executive director of an industrial development corporation created by his city (RQ-0521-JC)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether, under section 1701.356 of the Occupations Code, an honorably retired peace officer within the State Park Law Enforcement Program holds an active license, without the need for further continuing-education under section 1701.351 of the state code.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Plumbing Code applicable to residential construction and related questions(RQ-0406-JC).

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Authority of a justice of the peace to sentence a juvenile to detention for contempt, and related questions (RQ-0408-JC)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a member of a governed body that is located within the boundaries of the Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District may serve as a member of the board of directors of the district (RQ-0423-JC)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether the state employee pay rise effective September 1,2002 applies to appellate court briefing attorneys and law clerks(RQ-0428-JC).

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether new construction in an area of the state that is outside municipal jurisdiction may delay complying with the Texas Building Energy Performance Standards, chapter 388 of the Health and Safety Code, until September 1, 2002 (RQ-0430-JC)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a 1999 amendment to article XVI, section 65 of the Texas Constitution, which removed the staggered terms for certain county offices, substantively affects offices created after that date (RQ-0488-JC)