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Russian Nuclear Submarines: U.S. Participation in the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation Program Needs Better Justification (open access)

Russian Nuclear Submarines: U.S. Participation in the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation Program Needs Better Justification

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Norway, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States participate in the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEC) program, a multilateral effort that seeks to reduce the environmental impacts of Russia's military activities through technology development projects. AMEC has primarily focused on Russia's aging fleet of nuclear submarines. Section 324 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 required GAO to review AMEC, including its relationship to the Department of Defense's (DOD) Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program. In accordance with the act, GAO (1) assessed the extent to which AMEC supports and complements the CTR program, (2) identified AMEC member countries' financial contributions to the program, (3) assessed AMEC's future program objectives, and (4) evaluated DOD's proposal to expand its technology development activities to Russia's Pacific region."
Date: September 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Contract Management: Coast Guard's Deepwater Program Needs Increased Attention to Management and Contractor Oversight (open access)

Contract Management: Coast Guard's Deepwater Program Needs Increased Attention to Management and Contractor Oversight

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Coast Guard's Deepwater program, the largest acquisition program in its history, involves modernizing or replacing ships, aircraft, and communications equipment. The Coast Guard awarded the Deepwater contract to Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) in June 2002. The Coast Guard estimates the program will cost $17 billion over a 30-year period. ICGS is a system integrator, with responsibility for identifying and delivering an integrated system of assets to meet the Coast Guard's missions. GAO was asked to assess whether the Coast Guard is effectively managing the Deepwater program and overseeing the contractor and to assess the implications of using the Deepwater contracting model on opportunities for competition."
Date: March 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nuclear Waste: Absence of Key Management Reforms on Hanford's Cleanup Project Adds to Challenges of Achieving Cost and Schedule Goals (open access)

Nuclear Waste: Absence of Key Management Reforms on Hanford's Cleanup Project Adds to Challenges of Achieving Cost and Schedule Goals

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford Site in Washington State houses DOE's largest and most complex nuclear cleanup project--treating and preparing for disposal 55 million gallons of high-level radioactive waste. In 2000, DOE awarded an 11-year, $4.3 billion contract to design, construct, and test treatment facilities at Hanford. GAO was asked to review (1) efforts to accelerate the project's completion, (2) implementation on this project of agencywide management reforms, and (3) the challenges resulting from any unimplemented reforms."
Date: June 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD Travel Cards: Control Weaknesses Resulted in Millions of Dollars of Improper Payments (open access)

DOD Travel Cards: Control Weaknesses Resulted in Millions of Dollars of Improper Payments

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Ineffective management and oversight of the Department of Defense's (DOD) premium class travel and unused airline tickets led to concerns about DOD's overall management of the centrally billed accounts. GAO was asked to determine whether (1) DOD improperly reimbursed travelers for airline tickets DOD paid for using centrally billed accounts, (2) internal controls were effective in preventing issuance of unauthorized airline tickets, and (3) other control weaknesses led to compromised and fraudulently used centrally billed accounts."
Date: June 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Mutual Funds: SEC Should Modify Proposed Regulations to Address Some Pension Plan Concerns (open access)

Mutual Funds: SEC Should Modify Proposed Regulations to Address Some Pension Plan Concerns

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Mutual fund investments represent more than 20 percent of Americans' pension plan assets. Since late 2003, two abusive trading practices in mutual funds have come to light. Late trading allowed some investors to illegally place orders for funds after the close of trading. Market timing allowed some investors to take advantage of temporary disparities between the value of a fund and the value of its underlying assets despite stated policies against such trading. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed regulations intended to stop late trading and reduce market timing. We were asked to (1) report on what is known about how these practices have affected the value of retirement savings of pension plan participants, (2) describe the actions taken by SEC and the Department of Labor (DOL) to address these practices, and (3) explain how plan participants may be affected by SEC's proposed regulations."
Date: July 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
FY 2005 Annual Report on the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program (open access)

FY 2005 Annual Report on the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Under section 1308 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (P.L. 106-398), the Department of Defense (DOD) is to submit an annual report to Congress on its Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program no later than the first Monday in February of each year. The report should include a 5-year plan that discusses the amount and purpose of funding needed over the term of the plan and a description of efforts conducted by the United States to ensure that CTR assistance is fully accounted for and used for its intended purposes. The act requires the Comptroller General to assess this 5-year plan and the description of efforts to account for CTR assistance within 90 days of the report's submission to Congress. The Department submitted its CTR annual report for fiscal year 2005 to Congress in early February 2004, and we briefed Congressional staff on April 29, 2004. We analyzed the 2005 report to determine whether (1) the 5-year plan addresses legislative requirements and presents accurate information, (2) the accountability section addresses legislative requirements and presents accurate information, and (3) past GAO recommendations have been adopted."
Date: July 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bonneville Power Administration: Better Management of BPA's Obligation to Provide Power Is Needed to Control Future Costs (open access)

Bonneville Power Administration: Better Management of BPA's Obligation to Provide Power Is Needed to Control Future Costs

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has experienced significant financial problems in recent years. BPA's cash reserves at the end of fiscal year 2002 had fallen to $188 million, and BPA estimated in February 2003 that it had a 74 percent chance of missing its Treasury debt payment that year. While BPA's finances have recently improved, and the agency made its Treasury payment in 2003, BPA's financial condition is still far from robust. In this context, GAO was asked to report on (1) the advantages and disadvantages BPA faces in marketing electric power in a more competitive environment, (2) the major causes of BPA's recent cost increases, and (3) the extent to which BPA is taking actions to control its costs."
Date: July 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Prekindergarten: Four Selected States Expanded Access by Relying on Schools and Existing Providers of Early Education and Care to Provide Services (open access)

Prekindergarten: Four Selected States Expanded Access by Relying on Schools and Existing Providers of Early Education and Care to Provide Services

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For nearly 40 years, the federal government has played a role in providing early childhood development programs for children of low-income families through Head Start and other programs. Since 1980, the number of states with preschool programs has also significantly increased. While most of these programs have targeted children at risk of school failure, more recently, interest has grown in expanding these limited programs because of the growing concern about children's readiness for school and subsequent achievement. It has also been fueled by new research on early brain development that suggests the importance of early education and by the high rate of mothers in the workforce and their need for early childhood services. In this context, questions have arisen about how the various programs are coordinated and what lessons have been learned from broad-based state preschool efforts. This work focused on four states that have expanded their preschool programs to serve more children. In these states, GAO addressed (1) how prekindergarten programs were designed and funded, (2) the potential implications of these program features for children's participation and other programs that serve four year-olds, and (3) …
Date: September 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit: Senate Restaurants Revolving Fund for Fiscal Years 2003 and 2002 (open access)

Financial Audit: Senate Restaurants Revolving Fund for Fiscal Years 2003 and 2002

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO contracted with Clifton Gunderson LLP to audit the financial statements of the Senate Restaurants Revolving Fund for fiscal years 2003 and 2002. Clifton Gunderson LLP found that (1) the financial statements were presented fairly, in all material respects, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; (2) the Fund maintained effective internal control over financial reporting (including safeguarding assets) and compliance with laws and regulations; and (3) there was no reportable noncompliance with selected provisions of laws and regulations it tested."
Date: March 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Child Care: State Efforts to Enforce Safety and Health Requirements (open access)

Child Care: State Efforts to Enforce Safety and Health Requirements

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The federal government requires states that receive funds from the Child Care and Development Fund to establish basic health and safety requirements. The federal government also requires states receiving federal funds for child care to have procedures in place to ensure that providers being paid with grant dollars comply with the applicable safety and health requirements. Because of the significant federal role in paying for child care services and congressional concerns about the way in which states ensure the safety and health of children in child care settings, we were asked to follow up on our prior report, Child Care: State Efforts to Enforce Safety and Health Requirements (GAO/HEHS-00-28, Jan. 24, 2000). This report (1) identifies changes in states' licensing and enforcement activities for various types of licensed and nonlicensed providers since 1999, (2) describes the ways child care licensing agencies organize inspection staff and use technology, and (3) provides examples of promising practices in state child care licensing and enforcement activities. To obtain data, we surveyed state licensing officials in 2004 about their 2003 activities, interviewed experts and made site visits to four states--Delaware, Florida, …
Date: September 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Operations: DOD Needs to Provide Central Direction for Supporting Coalition Liaison Officers (open access)

Military Operations: DOD Needs to Provide Central Direction for Supporting Coalition Liaison Officers

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003, Congress authorized the Secretary of Defense to provide administrative services and support to foreign coalition liaison officers temporarily assigned to the headquarters of a combatant command or any of its subordinate commands. Congress required GAO to assess the implementation of this legislation. Specifically, GAO's objectives were to determine (1) what guidance the Department of Defense (DOD) has provided on the implementation of this legislation, (2) the extent to which the commands are aware of and are using this legislation, and (3) the level of support being provided by commands using this legislation and the benefits derived from it."
Date: April 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD Personnel Clearances: DOD Needs to Overcome Impediments to Eliminating Backlog and Determining Its Size (open access)

DOD Personnel Clearances: DOD Needs to Overcome Impediments to Eliminating Backlog and Determining Its Size

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Terrorist attacks and espionage cases have heightened national security concerns and highlighted the need for a timely, high-quality personnel security clearance process. However, GAO's past work found that the Department of Defense (DOD) had a clearance backlog and other problems with its process. GAO was asked to address: (1) What is the size of DOD's security clearance backlog, and how accurately is DOD able to estimate its size? (2) What factors impede DOD's ability to eliminate the backlog and accurately determine its size? (3) What are the potential adverse effects of those impediments to eliminating DOD's backlog and accurately estimating the backlog's size? GAO was also asked to determine the status of the congressionally authorized transfer of Defense Security Service (DSS) investigative functions and personnel to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)."
Date: February 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Special Education: Improved Timeliness and Better Use of Enforcement Actions Could Strengthen Education's Monitoring System (open access)

Special Education: Improved Timeliness and Better Use of Enforcement Actions Could Strengthen Education's Monitoring System

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures the education of the nation's disabled children. As a condition of receiving IDEA funds, states must provide educational and related services that facilitate learning to students with disabilities based on their individual needs. The Department of Education (Education) is responsible for ensuring state compliance with the law. In recent years, questions have been raised about Education's oversight of IDEA. GAO agreed to determine how Education monitors state compliance with IDEA for children aged 3-21, the extent and nature of noncompliance found, and how Education has ensured that noncompliance is resolved once identified. GAO analyzed Education monitoring documents, interviewed state and federal officials, and visited 5 state special education offices."
Date: September 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Critical Infrastructure Protection: Improving Information Sharing with Infrastructure Sectors (open access)

Critical Infrastructure Protection: Improving Information Sharing with Infrastructure Sectors

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Critical infrastructure protection (CIP) activities called for in federal policy and law are intended to enhance the security of the public and private infrastructures that are essential to our nation's security, economic security, and public health and safety. Effective information-sharing partnerships between industry sectors and government can contribute to CIP efforts. Federal policy has encouraged the voluntary creation of information sharing and analysis centers (ISAC) to facilitate infrastructure sector participation in CIP information sharing efforts. GAO was asked to identify actions that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could take to improve the effectiveness of CIP information-sharing efforts."
Date: July 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Foreign Military Sales: DOD Needs to Take Additional Actions to Prevent Unauthorized Shipments of Spare Parts (open access)

Foreign Military Sales: DOD Needs to Take Additional Actions to Prevent Unauthorized Shipments of Spare Parts

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Under Department of Defense (DOD) policy, the export of classified and controlled spare parts must be managed to prevent their release to foreign countries that may use them against U.S. interests. GAO has issued a series of reports on the foreign military sales program in which weaknesses in the military services' internal controls were identified. This report highlights (1) a systemic problem that GAO identified in the internal controls of the military services' requisition-processing systems and (2) a potential best practice that GAO identified in one service that provides an additional safeguard over foreign military sales of classified and controlled parts."
Date: November 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Postal Service: Better Guidance Is Needed to Ensure an Appropriate Response to Anthrax Contamination (open access)

U.S. Postal Service: Better Guidance Is Needed to Ensure an Appropriate Response to Anthrax Contamination

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In September and October 2001, at least four letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to news media personnel and two U.S. Senators, leading to the first cases of bioterrorism-related anthrax in the United States. The contaminated letters, which were delivered through the U.S. mail system, caused 22 cases of anthrax, 5 of them fatal. Nine postal employees associated with two postal facilities that processed the letters--Trenton in New Jersey and Brentwood in Washington, D.C.--contracted anthrax and two Brentwood employees died. The U.S. Postal Service closed Trenton and Brentwood, but other contaminated postal facilities remained open. GAO's review covers Trenton, Brentwood, and three of these other facilities. As requested, this report describes (1) the factors considered in deciding whether to close the five facilities, (2) the information communicated to postal employees about health risk and the extent of the facilities' contamination, and (3) how lessons learned from the response to the contamination could be used in future situations."
Date: September 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Follow-Up on GAO Recommendations Concerning the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (open access)

Follow-Up on GAO Recommendations Concerning the Securities Investor Protection Corporation

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This letter responds to a Congressional request that GAO report on the status of our recommendations relating to the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) oversight of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) and investor education. As requested, this letter also includes information on SIPC's progress in implementing SEC's recommendations from its January 2003 examination of SIPC and the status of excess SIPC coverage. Specifically, GAO'S objectives were to (1) determine the status of our recommendations to SEC and SIPC from our two previous reports on SIPC, (2) review recent actions SIPC has taken to address recommendations from the 2003 SEC examination report, and (3) determine the status of excess SIPC coverage after three U.S. insurers ceased offering the product."
Date: July 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Border Security: State Department Rollout of Biometric Visas on Schedule, but Guidance Is Lagging (open access)

Border Security: State Department Rollout of Biometric Visas on Schedule, but Guidance Is Lagging

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As a complement to the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program--a governmentwide program to better control and monitor the entry, visa status, and exit of visitors--the State Department (State) is implementing the Biometric Visa Program at all 207 overseas consulates by October 26, 2004. This program, required by the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002, requires that all persons applying for U.S. visas have certain biometrics (fingerprints) and a digital photograph collected during the visa application interview. This information must be cleared through the DHS Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) before an applicant can receive a visa. GAO reviewed State's rollout of the program, including its implementation progress and how State and DHS envision the program being used to help adjudicate visas."
Date: September 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Security: Technologies to Secure Federal Systems (open access)

Information Security: Technologies to Secure Federal Systems

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Federal agencies rely extensively on computerized information systems and electronic data to carry out their missions. The security of these systems and date is essential to preventing data tampering, disruptions in critical operations, fraud, and inappropriate disclosure of sensitive information. Congress and the executive branch have taken actions to address this challenge, such as enacting and implementing the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). FISMA and other federal guidance discuss the need for specific technical controls to secure information systems. In order to meet the requirements of FISMA to effectively implement these technical controls, it is critical that federal agencies consider whether they have adequately implemented available cybersecurity technologies. GAO was asked by the Chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform and its Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census to identify commercially available, state-of-the-practice cybersecurity technologies that federal agencies can use to defend their computer systems against cyber attacks."
Date: March 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Commuter Rail: Information and Guidance Could Help Facilitate Commuter and Freight Rail Access Negotiations (open access)

Commuter Rail: Information and Guidance Could Help Facilitate Commuter and Freight Rail Access Negotiations

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Commuter and freight rail services have the potential to play increasingly important roles in the nation's economy and transportation system as demand for these services increases. Because the cost of building new infrastructure can be costprohibitive, commuter rail agencies typically seek to use existing infrastructure--which is primarily owned by private freight railroads. Consequently, commuter rail agencies must negotiate to purchase, lease, or pay to access the existing infrastructure from freight railroads. GAO was asked to examine (1) the challenges commuter rail agencies and freight railroads face when negotiating and sharing rights-of-way, (2) the actions that help facilitate mutually beneficial arrangements between commuter rail agencies and freight railroads, and (3) the role the federal government plays in negotiations between commuter rail agencies and freight railroads."
Date: January 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nonproliferation: Improvements Needed for Controls on Exports of Cruise Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology (open access)

Nonproliferation: Improvements Needed for Controls on Exports of Cruise Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) pose a growing threat to U.S. national security interests as accurate, inexpensive delivery systems for conventional, chemical, and biological weapons. GAO assessed (1) the tools the U.S. and foreign governments use to address proliferation risks posed by the sale of these items and (2) efforts to verify the end use of exported cruise missiles, UAVs, and related technology."
Date: March 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD Travel Cards: Control Weaknesses Led to Millions in Fraud, Waste, and Improper Payments (open access)

DOD Travel Cards: Control Weaknesses Led to Millions in Fraud, Waste, and Improper Payments

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In November 2003, GAO testified on the significant level of improper premium class travel purchased with centrally billed accounts. These findings led to concerns over the Department of Defense's (DOD) overall management of the centrally billed account program. At the request of this Committee, Senator Grassley, and Representative Schakowsky, GAO performed work to determine whether DOD controls were adequate to protect the centrally billed accounts from fraud, waste, and abuse. This testimony focuses on whether DOD (1) paid for airline tickets that it did not use and did not process for refund, (2) improperly reimbursed travelers for the cost of airline tickets paid for with centrally billed accounts, and (3) adequately secured access to centrally billed accounts against improper and fraudulent use. This testimony also addresses the internal control breakdowns that led to instances of fraud, waste, and abuse and DOD's corrective actions. In two companion reports issued today, DOD concurred with the 31 recommendations GAO made-- including moving to a well- managed individually billed account program--to improve the management of unused tickets, recover the value of outstanding unused tickets, prevent and detect improper payments, reduce the risk …
Date: June 9, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security Numbers: Governments Could Do More to Reduce Display in Public Records and on Identity Cards (open access)

Social Security Numbers: Governments Could Do More to Reduce Display in Public Records and on Identity Cards

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "While the use of Social Security numbers (SSN) can be very beneficial to the public sector, SSNs are also a key piece of information used for committing identity crimes. The widespread use of SSNs by both the public and private sectors and their display in public records have raised concern over how SSNs might be misused and how they should be protected. In light of this concern, GAO was asked to examine (1) the extent to which SSNs are visible in records made available to the public, (2) the reasons for which governments collect SSNs in records that display them to the public, and (3) the formats in which these records are stored and ways that the public gains access to them. As well as looking at public records, GAO also examined the practices of several federal agencies regarding the display of entire nine-digit SSNs on health insurance and other identification cards issued under their authority."
Date: November 9, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
SQUID-Detected MRI at 132 Microtesla with T1 Contrast Weighted at10 Microtelsa-300 mT (open access)

SQUID-Detected MRI at 132 Microtesla with T1 Contrast Weighted at10 Microtelsa-300 mT

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Date: August 9, 2004
Creator: Lee, SeungKyun; Moessle, Michael; Myers, Whittier; Kelso, Nathan; Trabesinger, Andreas H.; Pines, Alex et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library