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Purchase Cards: Control Weaknesses Leave DHS Highly Vulnerable to Fraudulent, Improper, and Abusive Activity (open access)

Purchase Cards: Control Weaknesses Leave DHS Highly Vulnerable to Fraudulent, Improper, and Abusive Activity

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In the wake of the 2005 hurricanes in the Gulf Region, GAO and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) initiated a number of audits and investigations addressing the federal government's response to those events. On July 19, 2006, GAO testified on the results of its purchase card work. This report summarizes the testimony and provides recommendations. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cardholders made thousands of transactions related to hurricane relief operations. GAO analyzed transactions between June and November of 2005 to determine if (1) DHS's control environment and management of purchase card usage were effective; (2) DHS's key internal control activities operated effectively and provided reasonable assurance that purchase cards were used appropriately; and (3) potentially fraudulent, improper, and abusive purchase card activity existed at DHS."
Date: September 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Bureau of Investigation: Weak Controls over Trilogy Project Led to Payment of Questionable Contractor Costs and Missing Assets (open access)

Federal Bureau of Investigation: Weak Controls over Trilogy Project Led to Payment of Questionable Contractor Costs and Missing Assets

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Trilogy project--initiated in 2001--is the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) largest information technology (IT) upgrade to date. While ultimately successful in providing updated IT infrastructure and systems, Trilogy was not a success with regard to upgrading FBI's investigative applications. Further, the project was plagued with missed milestones and escalating costs, which eventually totaled nearly $537 million. In light of these events, Congress asked GAO to determine whether (1) internal controls provided reasonable assurance that improper payment of unallowable contractor costs would not be made or would be detected in the normal course of business, (2) payments to contractors were properly supported as a valid use of government funds, and (3) FBI maintained proper accountability for assets purchased with Trilogy project funds."
Date: February 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nuclear Waste: DOE's Efforts to Protect the Columbia River from Contamination Could Be Further Strengthened (open access)

Nuclear Waste: DOE's Efforts to Protect the Columbia River from Contamination Could Be Further Strengthened

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Energy's (DOE) Hanford site in Washington State is one of the most contaminated nuclear waste sites in North America. The Columbia River flows through about 50 miles of the site. Radioactive and hazardous contamination from decades of producing nuclear materials for the nation's defense have migrated through the soil into the groundwater, which generally flows toward the river. In November 2005, GAO reported on the potential for the Hanford site to contaminate the Columbia River. To address continuing concerns, GAO reviewed the status of DOE's efforts to (1) understand the risk to the Columbia River from Hanford site contamination and to deploy effective technologies to address contamination near the river and (2) strengthen the management of its river protection program. To assess DOE's efforts, GAO reviewed numerous reports by DOE and others, and discussed the problem with federal and state regulators and DOE officials."
Date: August 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Small Business Administration: Actions Needed to Provide More Timely Disaster Assistance (open access)

Small Business Administration: Actions Needed to Provide More Timely Disaster Assistance

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma (the Gulf Coast hurricanes) caused more than $118 billion in estimated property damages across the Gulf Coast region in 2005. The Small Business Administration (SBA) helps individuals and businesses recover from disasters through its Disaster Loan Program. GAO initiated work to determine how well SBA provided victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes with timely assistance. This report, the first of two, focuses primarily on the Disaster Credit Management System (DCMS) and disaster loan process. Here, GAO evaluates (1) what affected SBA's ability to provide timely disaster assistance and (2) actions SBA took after the disasters to improve its response to disaster victims. In conducting this study, GAO analyzed data on loan applications and assessed key aspects of SBA's acquisition and implementation of DCMS."
Date: July 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Farm Loan Programs: GAO Reports on USDA Lending Practices (open access)

Farm Loan Programs: GAO Reports on USDA Lending Practices

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report responds to a Congressional request for information relating to a June 13, 2006 Congressional hearing on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) farm loan programs. In particular, the May 16, 2006 letter requested that we summarize our findings from the 1990s through 2002 on USDA's farm loan programs. Congress also requested that we provide any GAO opinions on the current management and status of the loan programs and identify any matters that Congress should consider."
Date: June 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
OCC Preemption Rules: OCC Should Further Clarify the Applicability of State Consumer Protection Laws to National Banks (open access)

OCC Preemption Rules: OCC Should Further Clarify the Applicability of State Consumer Protection Laws to National Banks

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In January 2004, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)--the federal supervisor of federally chartered or "national" banks--issued two final rules referred to jointly as the preemption rules. The "bank activities" rule addressed the applicability of state laws to national banking activities, while the "visitorial powers" rule set forth OCC's view of its authority to inspect, examine, supervise, and regulate national banks and their operating subsidiaries. The rules raised concerns among some state officials and consumer advocates. GAO examined (1) how the rules clarify the applicability of state laws to national banks, (2) how the rules have affected state-level consumer protection efforts, (3) the rules' potential effects on banks' choices of a federal or state charter, and (4) measures that could address states' concerns regarding consumer protection."
Date: April 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Chemical and Biological Defense: DOD Needs Consistent Policies and Clear Processes to Address the Survivability of Weapon Systems Against Chemical and Biological Threats (open access)

Chemical and Biological Defense: DOD Needs Consistent Policies and Clear Processes to Address the Survivability of Weapon Systems Against Chemical and Biological Threats

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The possibility that an adversary may use chemical or biological weapons against U.S. forces makes it important for a weapon system to be able to survive such attacks. In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005, Congress mandated that the Department of Defense submit a plan to address weapon system chemical and biological survivability by February 28, 2005. This plan was to include developing a centralized database with information about the effects of chemical and biological agents on materials used in weapon systems. DOD did not submit its plan as mandated. GAO was asked to evaluate (1) the extent to which DOD addresses weapon system chemical and biological survivability during the acquisition process, and (2) DOD's internal controls for maintaining a comprehensive database that includes chemical and biological survivability research and test data for weapon system design and development."
Date: April 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
D.C. Child and Family Services Agency: Performance Has Improved, but Exploring Health Care Options and Providing Specialized Training May Further Enhance Performance (open access)

D.C. Child and Family Services Agency: Performance Has Improved, but Exploring Health Care Options and Providing Specialized Training May Further Enhance Performance

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The District of Columbia's Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) has a history of serious performance problems. A court case in 1989 set in motion sweeping efforts to improve the District's child welfare system. Since then, CFSA has worked to meet performance requirements ordered by the U.S. District Court. However, recent reports by the court monitor show that CFSA is not meeting performance requirements on many measures. To update Congress, we assessed (1) whether CFSA is likely to meet requirements by December 2006; (2) what factors, if any, hinder the agency from meeting requirements; (3) how CFSA is monitoring its progress; and (4) the extent to which CFSA has implemented initiatives to achieve unmet requirements. To conduct this work, we reviewed reports by CFSA and the court monitor and interviewed stakeholders, including the court monitor and CFSA managers, supervisors, and caseworkers."
Date: September 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Pay: DOD Improperly Paid Army National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers in Deserter Status (open access)

Military Pay: DOD Improperly Paid Army National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers in Deserter Status

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Over the past several years, we have reported examples of hundreds of Army National Guard and Army Reserve (Army Guard and Reserve) soldiers who received inaccurate and untimely payroll payments due to a labor-intensive, error-prone pay process; human capital weaknesses; and the lack of integrated pay and personnel systems. As part of that work, we reported several cases for which mobilized Army Reserve soldiers never reported for active duty and improperly received pay that they did not earn. If a soldier remains absent, without authority, from his or her unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to remain away permanently, a soldier is guilty of desertion. Desertion from the military is a serious offense. The civilian law enforcement community sometimes assists the Army on desertion cases. For example, the U.S. Army Deserter Information Point (USADIP) enters data about soldiers in deserter status into the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Crime Information Center's (NCIC) Wanted Person File that is used by civilian law enforcement officers. Whenever a civilian law enforcement officer has reason to question someone about any apparent unlawful activity, standard practice for the law enforcement officer …
Date: July 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Baby Boom Generation: Retirement of Baby Boomers Is Unlikely to Precipitate Dramatic Decline in Market Returns, but Broader Risks Threaten Retirement Security (open access)

Baby Boom Generation: Retirement of Baby Boomers Is Unlikely to Precipitate Dramatic Decline in Market Returns, but Broader Risks Threaten Retirement Security

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The first wave of baby boomers(born between 1946 and 1964) will become eligible for Social Security early retirement benefits in 2008. In addition to concerns about how the boomers' retirement will strain the nation's retirement and health systems, concerns also have been raised about the possibility for boomers to sell off large amounts of financial assets in retirement, with relatively fewer younger U.S. workers available to purchase these assets. Some have suggested that such a sell-off could precipitate a market "meltdown," a sharp and sudden decline in asset prices, or reduce long-term rates of return. In view of such concerns, we have examined (1) whether the retirement of the baby boomers is likely to precipitate a dramatic drop in financial asset prices; (2) what researchers and financial industry participants expect the effect of the boomer retirement to have on financial markets; and (3) what role rates of return will play in providing retirement income in the future. We have prepared this report under the Comptroller General's authority to conduct evaluations on his own initiative as part of the continued effort to assist Congress in addressing these …
Date: July 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bank Secrecy Act: Opportunities Exist for FinCEN and the Banking Regulators to Further Strengthen the Framework for Consistent BSA Oversight (open access)

Bank Secrecy Act: Opportunities Exist for FinCEN and the Banking Regulators to Further Strengthen the Framework for Consistent BSA Oversight

A chapter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. government's framework for preventing, detecting, and prosecuting money laundering has been expanding through additional pieces of legislation since the passage of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) in 1970. In recent years, noncompliance with BSA requirements has raised concerns in Congress about the ability of federal banking regulators to oversee compliance at depository institutions and ensure that these institutions have the controls necessary to identify suspicious activity. In light of these concerns, GAO was asked to determine how federal banking regulators examine for BSA compliance and identify and track violations to ensure timely corrective action. GAO also was asked to determine how enforcement actions are taken for violations of the BSA."
Date: April 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Highway Finance: States' Expanding Use of Tolling Illustrates Diverse Challenges and Strategies (open access)

Highway Finance: States' Expanding Use of Tolling Illustrates Diverse Challenges and Strategies

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Congestion is increasing rapidly across the nation and freight traffic is expected to almost double in 20 years. In many places, decision makers cannot simply build their way out of congestion, and traditional revenue sources may not be sustainable. As the baby boom generation retires and the costs of federal entitlement programs rise, sustained, large-scale increases in federal highway grants seem unlikely. To provide the robust growth that many transportation advocates believe is required to meet the nation's mobility needs, state and local decision makers in virtually all states are seeking alternative funding approaches. Tolling (charging a fee for the use of a highway facility) provides a set of approaches that are increasingly receiving closer attention and consideration. This report examines tolling from a number of perspectives, namely: (1) the promise of tolling to enhance mobility and finance highway transportation, (2) the extent to which tolling is being used and the reasons states are using or not using this approach, (3) the challenges states face in implementing tolling, and (4) strategies that can be used to help states address tolling challenges. GAO is not making any …
Date: June 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare: CMS's Proposed Approach to Set Hospital Inpatient Payment Appears Promising (open access)

Medicare: CMS's Proposed Approach to Set Hospital Inpatient Payment Appears Promising

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS), hospitals generally receive fixed payments for hospital stays based on diagnosis-related groups (DRG), a system that classifies stays by patient diagnosis and procedures. CMS is required to at least annually update DRG payments to address changes in the cost of inpatient care. CMS uses charge-based weights to update these payments. Cost-based weights are used to set payments in the outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS). The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 required GAO to study IPPS payments in relation to costs. During the course of GAO's work, CMS proposed a new cost-based method for determining DRG weights. This report (1) examines the applicability of CMS's cost-based method--used for the OPPS--to weight DRGs in the IPPS and (2) evaluates whether CMS's proposed approach is an improvement over its OPPS method for setting cost-based weights. Using fiscal year 2002 cost reports and claims from 2001, 2002, and 2003 to examine the applicability of the OPPS method, GAO estimated costs for 1,025 IPPS hospitals whose Medicare cost reports most consistently reflected the total charges and number of Medicare stays …
Date: July 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Technologies: DOD's Critical Technologies Lists Rarely Inform Export Control and Other Policy Decisions (open access)

Defense Technologies: DOD's Critical Technologies Lists Rarely Inform Export Control and Other Policy Decisions

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Major acquisitions in the Department of Defense's (DOD) force transformation rely on maintaining technological superiority to ensure U.S. military dominance. Failure to identify and protect critical technologies makes U.S. military assets vulnerable to cloning, neutralization, or other action that degrades current and anticipated capabilities. To help minimize these risks, DOD's Militarily Critical Technologies Program developed and periodically updates two lists of technologies--the Militarily Critical Technologies List (MCTL) and the Developing Science and Technologies List (DSTL). While the lists are primarily intended to inform U.S. export control decisions, they can also inform counterintelligence activities, research plans, and technology protection programs, making MCTL and DSTL fundamental resources for security decisions. To ensure these lists are informative, GAO assessed the Militarily Critical Technologies Program's process for updating the MCTL and DSTL and determined how the lists are used to inform export control and DOD policy decisions."
Date: July 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Millennium Challenge Corporation: Compact Implementation Structures Are Being Established; Framework for Measuring Results Needs Improvement (open access)

Millennium Challenge Corporation: Compact Implementation Structures Are Being Established; Framework for Measuring Results Needs Improvement

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In January 2004, Congress established the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to administer the Millennium Challenge Account. MCC's mission is to reduce poverty by supporting sustainable, transformative economic growth in developing countries that create and maintain sound policy environments. MCC has received more than $4.2 billion in appropriations, and, as of May 2006, it had disbursed $22.4 million to four countries whose signed MCC compacts have entered into force. For the first three countries with compact entry into force--Madagascar, Cape Verde, and Honduras--GAO was requested to examine (1) key aspects that MCC reviewed, and the criteria it used, in its due diligence assessments; and (2) the structures that have been established for implementing the compacts."
Date: July 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program: Program and Risk Management Could Be Enhanced (open access)

Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program: Program and Risk Management Could Be Enhanced

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Under its Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insures nearly $5 billion in mortgage loans for the renovation or construction of hospitals that would otherwise have difficulty accessing capital. In response to a requirement in the 2005 Consolidated Appropriations Conference Report, GAO examined (1) the design and management of the program, as compared with private insurance, (2) the nature and management of the relationship between HUD and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in implementing the program, (3) the financial implications of the program to the General Insurance/Special Risk Insurance (GI/SRI) fund, including risk posed by program and market trends, and (4) how HUD estimates the annual credit subsidy for the program, including the factors and assumptions used."
Date: February 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tax Debt: Some Combined Federal Campaign Charities Owe Payroll and Other Federal Taxes (open access)

Tax Debt: Some Combined Federal Campaign Charities Owe Payroll and Other Federal Taxes

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The continued success of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), which is administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), is predicated on donor confidence that each donation reaches a legitimate charitable organization. The Ways and Means Committee's review of tax-exempt entities has led to concerns that charities listed in CFC are failing to remit payroll and other taxes to IRS as required by law. Specifically, GAO was asked to determine whether and to what extent (1) charities listed in the 2005 CFC have unpaid payroll and other taxes; (2) selected charities, their directors, or senior officers are abusing the federal tax system; and (3) OPM screens charities for federal tax problems before allowing them to be listed with CFC."
Date: July 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Housing: Management Issues Require Attention as the Privatization Program Matures (open access)

Military Housing: Management Issues Require Attention as the Privatization Program Matures

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) intends to privatize about 87 percent of the military-owned housing in the United States by 2010. As of December 2005, it had awarded 52 projects to privatize over 112,000 family housing units and had plans to award 57 more projects to privatize over 76,000 more units over the next 4 years. The program, begun in 1996, has become DOD's primary means to improve family housing and to meet its housing needs when communities near installations do not have enough suitable, affordable housing. Because of expressed interest related to the oversight responsibilities of several committees, GAO assessed (1) whether opportunities exist to improve DOD's oversight of awarded housing privatization projects, and (2) to what extent projects are meeting occupancy expectations."
Date: April 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
WIC Program: More Detailed Price and Quantity Data Could Enhance Agriculture's Assessment of WIC Program Expenditures (open access)

WIC Program: More Detailed Price and Quantity Data Could Enhance Agriculture's Assessment of WIC Program Expenditures

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), authorizes retail grocers, called regular WIC vendors, to provide the food benefit. Recently, some states have seen an increase in vendors called WIC-only vendors, who stock only WIC food and accept only WIC vouchers. Both vendor types accept WIC vouchers in exchange for a cash payment, or redemption, from WIC state agencies with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant funds. To determine what effect WIC-only vendors' growth would have on program expenditures, in the absence of recent cost containment legislation, Congress asked GAO (1) what is known about WIC-only vendors' growth and their share of the WIC market in recent years, (2) to what extent do WIC-only and regular WIC vendors differ, and (3) what would WIC-only vendors' contribution to WIC program expenditures have been, if their market share increased. GAO analyzed national WIC vendor data, interviewed WIC state officials about vendors' business practices, and analyzed redemption data from California, Texas and Florida."
Date: July 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Process for Admitting Additional Countries into the Visa Waiver Program (open access)

Process for Admitting Additional Countries into the Visa Waiver Program

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Visa Waiver Program enables citizens of 27 participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for 90 days or less without first obtaining a visa. The program was created to promote the effective use of government resources and to facilitate international travel without jeopardizing U.S. national security. Indeed, in fiscal year 2004, more than 15 million travelers entered the United States under this program. The United States last expanded the Visa Waiver Program's membership in 1999 with the addition of Portugal, Singapore, and Uruguay; in recent years, other countries have expressed a desire to become members. In addition, Members of Congress have recently introduced bills calling for the expansion of the program. In February 2005, President Bush announced that the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and State (State) would develop a strategy, or "Road Map Initiative," to clarify to prospective candidates the statutory requirements for designation as a participating country--and work with countries to help them comply with these requirements. In response to a Congressional request, this report describes (1) the process for gaining admission into the Visa Waiver Program and (2) the …
Date: July 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Personnel: Actions Needed to Strengthen Management of Imminent Danger Pay and Combat Zone Tax Relief Benefits (open access)

Military Personnel: Actions Needed to Strengthen Management of Imminent Danger Pay and Combat Zone Tax Relief Benefits

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Servicemembers who are assigned, deployed, or travel on temporary duty to certain foreign areas are eligible for special pays and benefits including (1) imminent danger pay (IDP) when the Department of Defense (DOD) determines that members are subject to the threat of physical harm or imminent danger and (2) combat zone tax relief (CZTR) benefits, which allow members to exclude earned income from federal taxes. If travel to IDP- or CZTR-designated areas begins during one month and concludes during another (known as cross-month travel), members could receive 2 full months of benefits. GAO conducted this review under the Comptroller General's authority to initiate such reviews. GAO evaluated DOD's (1) process for reviewing IDP areas and (2) internal controls over servicemembers' temporary duty travel to areas designated for IDP and CZTR benefits. GAO is also providing information on the reporting of IDP and CZTR data. GAO analyzed legislation, guidance, travel vouchers, and internal control standards and interviewed appropriate officials."
Date: September 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Food Assistance: FNS Could Take Additional Steps to Contain WIC Infant Formula Costs (open access)

Food Assistance: FNS Could Take Additional Steps to Contain WIC Infant Formula Costs

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides food, nutrition education, and health care referrals to close to 8 million low-income pregnant and postpartum women, infants, and young children each year. About a quarter of these participants are served using rebate savings from contracts with infant formula manufacturers. WIC is administered by the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). To better understand infant formula cost containment, this report provides information on: (1) factors that influence program spending on infant formula, (2) how the level of savings resulting from infant formula cost containment has changed and the implications of these changes for the number of participants served; and (3) steps federal and state agencies have taken to contain state spending on infant formula."
Date: March 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Child Welfare: Federal Action Needed to Ensure States Have Plans to Safeguard Children in the Child Welfare System Displaced by Disasters (open access)

Child Welfare: Federal Action Needed to Ensure States Have Plans to Safeguard Children in the Child Welfare System Displaced by Disasters

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, there were 48 federally declared disasters in 2005. Two of these disasters--Hurricanes Katrina and Rita--resulted in a prolonged interruption of child welfare services and the dispersion of thousands of children in Louisiana's foster care system to 19 states. As a result, there has been growing interest in the extent to which states have developed strategies to cope with disasters that could result in the dispersion of children in the child welfare system. Congress asked us to conduct a study of the challenges facing state child welfare systems, including the development of plans for dealing with the dispersion of children in the child welfare system due to disasters. This report addresses state child welfare disaster planning. Specifically, we are providing information on (1) the number of states that have statewide child welfare disaster plans and the primary components of those plans, (2) the extent to which states that experienced federally declared disasters in 2005 also had child welfare disaster plans, and (3) how the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) supports states' efforts to develop child welfare disaster plans."
Date: July 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Environmental Compliance and Enforcement: EPA's Effort to Improve and Make More Consistent Its Compliance and Enforcement Activities (open access)

Environmental Compliance and Enforcement: EPA's Effort to Improve and Make More Consistent Its Compliance and Enforcement Activities

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces the nation's environmental laws and regulations through its Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA). While OECA provides overall direction on enforcement policies and occasionally takes direct enforcement action, many enforcement responsibilities are carried out by EPA's 10 regional offices. In addition, these offices oversee the enforcement programs of state agencies that have been delegated the authority to enforce federal environmental protection regulations. This testimony is based on GAO's reports on EPA's enforcement activities issued over the past several years and on observations from ongoing work that is being performed at the request of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, House Committee on Appropriations. GAO's previous reports examined the (1) consistency among EPA regions in carrying out enforcement activities, (2) factors that contribute to any inconsistency, and (3) EPA's actions to address these factors. Our current work examines how EPA, in consultation with regions and states, sets priorities for compliance and enforcement and how the agency and states determine respective compliance and enforcement roles and responsibilities and allocate resources for these …
Date: June 28, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library