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Humane Methods of Slaughter Act: USDA Has Addressed Some Problems but Still Faces Enforcement Challenges (open access)

Humane Methods of Slaughter Act: USDA Has Addressed Some Problems but Still Faces Enforcement Challenges

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In 1978, the Congress passed the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act to ensure that cattle, sheep, hogs, and other animals destined for human consumption are handled and slaughtered humanely. Within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for enforcing the act. Recently, the Congress took additional actions to improve FSIS enforcement. GAO reviewed (1) the frequency and scope of humane handling and slaughter violations, (2) actions to enforce compliance, and (3) the adequacy of existing resources to enforce the act."
Date: January 30, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information on Options for Naval Surface Fire Support (open access)

Information on Options for Naval Surface Fire Support

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Land-, air-, and sea-based components form the "fires triad" that is used to support Marine Corps amphibious assault operations. The sea-based part of the fires triad is referred to as Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS). The retirement of the last Iowa class battleship left a void in the NSFS part of the fires triad. To field a replacement NSFS capability, the Navy developed a two-phased plan in 1994. In the near-term to midterm, it would modify the capability of 5-inch guns on existing destroyers and cruisers, and develop extended-range guided munitions for the modified 5-inch gun. In the far term, it would field a sufficient number of new destroyers fitted with an even-longerrange advanced gun system and ultimately a very-long-range electromagnetic gun or "Rail Gun." However, in 1996, congressional authorizers became concerned that the Navy would not be able to produce a replacement NSFS capability comparable to the battleships until well into the twenty-first century. In that year's Defense Authorization Act, the Congress directed the Secretary of the Navy to restore at least two Iowa class battleships to the naval vessel registry until a capability was developed equal …
Date: November 19, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Overstay Tracking: A Key Component of Homeland Security and a Layered Defense (open access)

Overstay Tracking: A Key Component of Homeland Security and a Layered Defense

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Each year, millions of visitors, foreign students, and immigrants come to the United States. Foreign visitors may enter on a legal temporary basis--that is, with an authorized period of admission that expires on a specific date--either (1) with temporary visas (generally for tourism, business, or work) or, in some cases, (2) as tourists or business visitors who are allowed to enter without visas. (The latter include Canadians and qualified visitors from 27 countries who enter under the visa waiver program.) The majority of visitors who are tracked depart on time, but others overstay--and since September 11, 2001, the question has arisen as to whether overstay issues might have an impact on domestic security. In this report, we (1) describe available data on the extent of overstaying, (2) report on weaknesses in the Department of Homeland Security's long-standing overstay tracking system, and (3) provide some observations on the impact that tracking system weaknesses and significant levels of overstaying may have on domestic security."
Date: May 21, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coins and Currency: How the Costs and Earnings Associated with Producing Coins and Currency Are Budgeted and Accounted For (open access)

Coins and Currency: How the Costs and Earnings Associated with Producing Coins and Currency Are Budgeted and Accounted For

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The government produces billions of coins and currency notes each year. Coins are made by the U.S. Mint and issued by the Treasury Department. Currency notes are made by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and issued by the Federal Reserve System (Fed). The Fed buys coins from the Mint at face value but pays the Bureau only the costs of printing currency. Coins on the books of the Fed are assets that are issued by the Mint, and notes are liabilities of the Federal Reserve Banks. In recent years congressional hearings have highlighted the confusion over differences in the budgetary and accounting treatment of coins and currency. In addition, the Treasury Inspector General and others have reported problems with Mint and Bureau operations. GAO was asked to review (1) how the costs and earnings from coins and currency are budgeted and accounted for and (2) whether any operational problems at the Mint and Bureau need further action."
Date: April 23, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Posthearing Questions Related to Agencies' Implementation of the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Act (open access)

Posthearing Questions Related to Agencies' Implementation of the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Act

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This letter responds to the request by the Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization, House Committee on Government Reform that GAO provide answers to follow-up questions from recent hearing entitled "First Year on the Job: Chief Human Capital Officers.""
Date: June 18, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Training: DOD Report on Training Ranges Does Not Fully Address Congressional Reporting Requirements (open access)

Military Training: DOD Report on Training Ranges Does Not Fully Address Congressional Reporting Requirements

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Section 366 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 required the Secretary of Defense to develop a report outlining a comprehensive plan to address training constraints caused by limitations on the use of military lands, marine areas, and air space that are available in the United States and overseas for training. The foundation for that plan is an inventory identifying training resources, capacities and capabilities, and limitations. In response to section 366, this report discusses the extent to which (1) the Office of the Secretary of Defense's (OSD) training range inventory is sufficient for developing the comprehensive training range plan and (2) OSD's 2004 training range report meets other requirements mandated by section 366."
Date: June 4, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
School Meal Programs: Competitive Foods Are Available in Many Schools; Actions Taken to Restrict Them Differ by State and Locality (open access)

School Meal Programs: Competitive Foods Are Available in Many Schools; Actions Taken to Restrict Them Differ by State and Locality

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The nation faces a complex challenge in addressing recent trends in children's health and eating habits. To address these trends, in 2001, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity among all Americans, especially children. In this statement, schools were identified as one of the key settings for public health strategies to address these issues. The National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs provide millions of children with nutritious meals each school day. The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers these programs at the federal level, and FNS subsidizes the meals served through these programs in local schools as long as the meals meet certain nutritional guidelines. In the last decade, these nutritional guidelines were amended to require schools to serve meals that adhere to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which limit total and saturated fat and provide specific minimum levels of vitamins and nutrients. Despite these efforts to improve the nutritional quality of meals offered through the school meal programs, other foods not provided through these programs are often available to …
Date: April 23, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Transportation Security Administration: High-Level Attention Needed to Strengthen Acquisition Function (open access)

Transportation Security Administration: High-Level Attention Needed to Strengthen Acquisition Function

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), within the Department of Homeland Security, was established to secure the nation's transportation systems, beginning with commercial airports. To meet its mission, TSA has awarded over $8.5 billion in contracts since its creation in 2001. Spending on contracts accounted for 48 percent of TSA's fiscal year 2003 budget. Because of TSA's reliance on contracts to carry out its mission, its acquisition infrastructure-- including oversight, policies and processes, acquisition workforce, and information about its acquisitions--is critical. GAO was asked to review TSA's acquisition infrastructure to assess how well TSA is positioned to carry out its acquisition function."
Date: May 28, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Drug Control: Aviation Program Safety Concerns in Colombia Are Being Addressed, but State's Planning and Budgeting Process Can Be Improved (open access)

Drug Control: Aviation Program Safety Concerns in Colombia Are Being Addressed, but State's Planning and Budgeting Process Can Be Improved

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of State supports foreign governments' efforts to eradicate illicit drug crops. In recent years, State's Office of Aviation has maintained aircraft and provided support for the aerial eradication program of the Colombian National Police. However, eradication aircraft are often shot at from the ground requiring helicopter gunships and a search and rescue helicopter to accompany each mission. In 2003, the Office of Aviation fumigated more than 132,000 hectares of coca, a record amount. GAO examined (1) how the threat to the spray planes has changed since 2001, (2) what actions State has taken to address any operational safety concerns, and (3) what resources State provided for the expanding program during fiscal years 2001-04 and how it planned and budgeted for the program's growth."
Date: July 29, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iraq's Transitional Law (open access)

Iraq's Transitional Law

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "On June 30, 2004, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) intends to transfer power in Iraq to a fully sovereign Iraqi interim government. CPA and the Iraq Governing Council took a fundamental step toward this goal in March 2004, when they signed the Law of Administration for the State of Iraq for the Transitional Period (hereafter referred to as the transitional law). The transitional law is intended to govern the affairs of Iraq until Iraqis approve a permanent constitution and a permanent Iraqi government takes office. GAO has ongoing and completed work reviewing various aspects of the U.S. effort to reconstruct Iraq. Our ongoing work includes reviewing the costs associated with reconstruction; the process used to award reconstruction contracts; efforts to develop Iraq's security forces; the rebuilding of Iraq's oil, electricity, and water infrastructure; and programs to help Iraq develop a unified, democratic government. For this report, we describe the following information as it exists at this time: (1) the time frames and Iraqi governmental structures established by the transitional law; (2) arrangements in the law for the U.S.-led multinational force, Iraqi security forces, and militias; and (3) mechanisms …
Date: May 25, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit Manual: Update (Exposure Draft) (open access)

Financial Audit Manual: Update (Exposure Draft)

Guidance issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) and the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) maintain the GAO/PCIE Financial Audit Manual (FAM). The FAM provides guidance for performing financial statement audits of federal entities. The FAM is a key tool for enhancing accountability over taxpayer-provided resources."
Date: April 1, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
National Emergency Grants: Labor Is Instituting Changes to Improve Award Process, but Further Actions Are Required to Expedite Grant Awards and Improve Data (open access)

National Emergency Grants: Labor Is Instituting Changes to Improve Award Process, but Further Actions Are Required to Expedite Grant Awards and Improve Data

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Labor (Labor) awards national emergency grants to states and local areas to provide assistance to workers who lose their jobs because of major economic dislocations or disasters. Most grants awarded are regular grants to assist workers affected by plant closings or mass layoffs. Questions have been raised about whether grant funds are getting to states and local areas quickly enough. GAO was asked to assess the effectiveness of the process for awarding national emergency grants, whether Labor is planning changes that will improve the grant award process, and what is known about how grant funds are used."
Date: April 16, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
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
Kennedy Center: More Information on Project Status and Budgets Needed to Understand the Impact of Future Funding Decisions (open access)

Kennedy Center: More Information on Project Status and Budgets Needed to Understand the Impact of Future Funding Decisions

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since fiscal year 1995, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Center) has been responsible and received federal funding for implementing capital improvement projects and operations and maintenance activities. The Kennedy Center's Comprehensive Building Plan identifies capital projects needed to renovate the Center and bring it into compliance with current life safety and accessibility codes. The Kennedy Center currently is planning to construct, with private funds, two new buildings to open in 2013 on a new plaza to be built adjacent to the existing facility. The Kennedy Center expects federal funding to operate and maintain these buildings. GAO was asked to examine (1) how much the Center has received in federal appropriations for capital projects, (2) the status of the Comprehensive Building Plan and updates, and (3) the potential impact of the Center's plaza project on the need for future operations and maintenance funding."
Date: September 15, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Need for Comprehensive Postal Reform (open access)

Need for Comprehensive Postal Reform

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This letter responds to a request by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, for GAO's views on the need for postal reform and is based upon prior testimonies related to this issue. Since the Postal Service's transformation efforts and financial outlook had been placed on GAO's High-Risk List in April 2001, the Comptroller General has testified on several occasions about the governance, financial, operational, and human capital challenges that threaten the Service's ability to carry out its mission. If not effectively addressed in a timely manner, these challenges serve to threaten the Service's ability to remain self-supporting while providing affordable, high-quality, and universal postal services to all Americans."
Date: February 6, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
The North Texan, Volume 54, Number 3, Fall 2004 (open access)

The North Texan, Volume 54, Number 3, Fall 2004

The North Texan magazine includes articles and notes about UNT students, faculty, and alumni activities.
Date: Autumn 2004
Creator: University of North Texas
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The UNT Digital Library
American Samoa: Accountability for Key Federal Grants Needs Improvement (open access)

American Samoa: Accountability for Key Federal Grants Needs Improvement

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "American Samoa, a U.S. territory, relies on federal funding to support government operations and deliver critical services. The Secretary of the Interior has administrative responsibility for coordinating federal policy in the territory. Under the Single Audit Act of 1996, American Samoa is required to perform a yearly single audit of federal grants and other awards to ensure accountability. To better understand the role of federal funds in American Samoa, GAO (1) examined the uses of 12 key grants in fiscal years 1999-2003, (2) identified local conditions that affected the grants, and (3) assessed accountability for the grants."
Date: December 17, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee: IRAC Representatives Effectively Coordinate Federal Spectrum but Lack Seniority to Advise on Contentious Policy Issues (open access)

Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee: IRAC Representatives Effectively Coordinate Federal Spectrum but Lack Seniority to Advise on Contentious Policy Issues

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) within the Department of Commerce manages the federal government's use of the radio frequency spectrum with coordination and policy input from the Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC), comprised of 20 federal agencies that use spectrum. In recent years, the use of spectrum in wireless applications has expanded dramatically, leading occasionally to contentious disputes between government and commercial users over access to spectrum. Considering IRAC's key role in spectrum management, Congress asked us to (1) describe the evolution of IRAC and (2) obtain IRAC agency representatives' assessment of IRAC's spectrum coordination and policy advice, role as an advisor, and whether IRAC needs to be reformed."
Date: September 30, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Management Systems: Lack of Disciplined Processes Puts Implementation of HHS' Financial System at Risk (open access)

Financial Management Systems: Lack of Disciplined Processes Puts Implementation of HHS' Financial System at Risk

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In June 2001, the Secretary of HHS directed the department to establish a unified accounting system that, when fully implemented, would replace five outdated accounting systems. GAO was asked to review HHS' ongoing effort to develop and implement the Unified Financial Management System (UFMS) and to focus on whether the agency has (1) effectively implemented disciplined processes; (2) implemented effective information technology (IT) investment management, enterprise architecture, and information security management; and (3) taken actions to ensure that the agency has the human capital needed to successfully design, implement, and operate UFMS."
Date: September 23, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The North Texan, Volume 54, Number 1, Spring 2004 (open access)

The North Texan, Volume 54, Number 1, Spring 2004

The North Texan magazine includes articles and notes about UNT students, faculty, and alumni activities.
Date: Spring 2004
Creator: University of North Texas
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The UNT Digital Library
Best Practices: Using Spend Analysis to Help Agencies Take a More Strategic Approach to Procurement (open access)

Best Practices: Using Spend Analysis to Help Agencies Take a More Strategic Approach to Procurement

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""Spend analysis" is a tool that provides knowledge about who are the buyers, who are the suppliers, how much is being spent for what goods and services, and where are the opportunities to leverage buying power. Private sector companies are using spend analysis as a foundation for employing a strategic approach to procurement. Recognizing the potential in government purchasing, GAO examined if the departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services (HHS), Justice, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs are using spend analysis to take a strategic approach. GAO assessed (1) if agencies use spend analysis to obtain knowledge to improve procurement of goods and services and (2) how agencies' practices compare to leading companies best practices."
Date: September 16, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The North Texan, Volume 54, Number 4, Winter 2004 (open access)

The North Texan, Volume 54, Number 4, Winter 2004

The North Texan magazine includes articles and notes about UNT students, faculty, and alumni activities.
Date: Winter 2004
Creator: University of North Texas
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The UNT Digital Library
Project SAFECOM: Key Cross-Agency Emergency Communications Effort Requires Stronger Collaboration (open access)

Project SAFECOM: Key Cross-Agency Emergency Communications Effort Requires Stronger Collaboration

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "One of the five priorities in the President's Management Agenda is the expansion of electronic government (e-government)--the use of Internet applications to enhance access to and delivery of government information and services. Project SAFECOM is one of the 25 initiatives sponsored by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to implement this agenda. Managed by the Department of Homeland Security, the project's goal is to achieve interoperability among emergencyresponse communications at all levels of government, while at the same time realizing cost savings. GAO assessed the government's progress in implementing Project SAFECOM."
Date: April 16, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
GAO's Agency Protocols (open access)

GAO's Agency Protocols

Guidance issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report supersedes GAO-03-232SP, GAO's Agency Protocols. This document contains the updated protocols that govern the U.S. Government Accountability Office's (GAO) work with executive branch agencies. The protocols provide clearly defined and transparent policies and practices on how GAO interacts with agencies in performing its work. GAO supports the Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and strives to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. Although our primary client is the Congress and we must maintain our independence from the entities that are the subject of our work, we seek to continue constructive working relationships with the executive branch. In all cases, we seek to conduct our work in a professional, objective, fact-based, nonpartisan, and nonideological manner, in order to help improve government."
Date: October 21, 2004
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library