Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO's work over the past several years has demonstrated that improper payments are a long-standing, widespread, and significant problem in the federal government. The Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA) has increased visibility over improper payments by requiring executive branch agency heads, using guidance from the Office of Management and Budget, to identify programs and activities susceptible to significant improper payments, estimate amounts improperly paid, and report on the amounts of improper payments and their actions to reduce them. This testimony addresses (1) progress made in agencies' implementation of IPIA for fiscal year 2008, and (2) several major challenges that continue to hinder full reporting of IPIA information. GAO was also asked to provide an overview of Medicare and Medicaid programs' implementation of IPIA. This testimony is based primarily on GAO products, Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit reports, and agencies' fiscal year 2008 reported improper payment information, including information reported by the Department of Health and Human Service's (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). GAO also analyzed fiscal year 2008 governmentwide improper payment information to identify trends and reviewed Medicare and Medicaid programs' reported …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), provides health care services to American Indians and Alaskan Natives. For fiscal year 2009, Congress appropriated approximately $3.6 billion for health care services to be made available through IHS. The agency provides direct medical care, including primary care services, ancillary services, and some specialty services, through its network of facilities, including hospitals, health centers, and clinics. IHS also provides funding to direct care facilities that are operated by tribes. IHS headquarters oversees 12 area offices that cover 161 service units in 35 states. The Indian Health Care Improvement Act of 1976, as amended, authorizes IHS to collect reimbursement for services provided at IHS facilities from third-party insurers, including Medicare, the federal health insurance program for elderly and disabled individuals; Medicaid, a joint federal and state health financing program for certain low-income families and individuals; and private health insurers. IHS is allowed to retain funds collected from these insurers without a corresponding offset against its appropriations, so that all revenue collected by a facility remains with that facility, supplementing its appropriations. For fiscal …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that it had obtained the voluntary recall of 563 unsafe or potentially unsafe products by the companies that manufactured, imported, distributed, or sold the products--the largest number for the agency in the past 10 years. In the prior year, CPSC announced 472 recalls--which was also an increase from the previous year and included some high-profile recalls of lead-tainted toys--leading some consumer groups to call 2007 the "year of the recall." Consumer products can be recalled for a variety of reasons, including violations of safety standards, incidents of injuries that can occur from the design or manufacture of a product, or other conditions that present an imminent or substantial hazard to consumers. Since 1979 there have been few instances in which CPSC could not obtain cooperation from manufacturers or importers to conduct recalls, either because these companies did not have the financial resources to conduct a recall or because the companies refused to assume responsibility for a recall. This included troubled recalls involving more than 1.5 million imported cribs associated with multiple deaths of children. Another recall of imported tires, …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "A growing number of states--35 as of June 2009--have created high-risk health insurance pools (HRPs) primarily to provide coverage to individuals whose health status limits their access to coverage in the private individual health insurance market. HRPs--typically state-run nonprofit associations--often contract with a private health insurance carrier to administer the pool and offer a range of health plan options to such individuals, who are commonly referred to as medically uninsurable. Plan options vary within pools and from state to state, and like the private individual market, HRPs typically impose waiting periods for coverage of preexisting conditions to discourage medically uninsurable individuals from foregoing health insurance until they require care. Because of the higher health care costs typically incurred by medically uninsurable individuals, all pools operate at a loss. Premiums for HRP health plans are higher than for plans offered to healthy individuals in the private health insurance market; however, these premiums are capped to limit enrollees' costs and are thus insufficient to cover the costs of enrollee health care claims. As a result, all HRPs supplement their revenues through various funding mechanisms, such as assessments on health insurance …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "From fiscal years 2006 through 2008, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) within the Department of Justice (DOJ) awarded $1.2 billion in funds through approximately 2,000 grants in support of its mission to help states and communities prevent and reduce juvenile delinquency and victimization and improve their juvenile justice systems. OJJDP awards grants to states, territories, localities, and organizations to address a variety of issues, such as reducing juvenile substance abuse, combating Internet crimes against children, preventing youth gang involvement, and providing youth mentoring services. The scope and administration of OJJDP grants also vary, ranging from private organization recipients that implement programs directly in a single community to states that administer grants by awarding the funds they receive to subgrantees to implement programs locally and statewide. Assessing the performance of these programs through grant monitoring is a key management tool to hold grantees accountable for implementing programs as agreed to in their awards, to verify they are making progress toward the objectives of their programs, and to ensure that grant funds are used in support of OJJDP's mission. DOJ's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) establishes …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Biosafety laboratories are primarily regulated by either the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), depending on whether the substances they handle pose a threat to the health of humans or plants, animals, and related products, respectively. Currently, all operational biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) labs are overseen by HHS's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). BSL-4 labs handle the world's most dangerous agents and toxins that cause incurable and deadly diseases. This testimony summarizes GAO's previously issued reports on perimeter security at the nation's BSL-4 laboratories that were issued in September 2008 (GAO-08-1092) and July 2009 (GAO-09-851). Specifically, this testimony describes (1) the findings and recommendation on key perimeter security controls at five of the nation's operational BSL-4 labs, (2) CDC efforts to address our recommendation, (3) improvements that have been made to the perimeter security controls at the two labs found to be deficient, and (4) other observations about the BSL-4 labs GAO assessed."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federal agencies have identified billions of dollars in reinvestment requirements to maintain their aging facilities and bring them up to current standards. In addition, according to Department of Energy (DOE) estimates, federal agencies will need over a billion dollars annually through 2015 for projects needed to meet congressional energy efficiency goals. As the nation's single largest energy consumer, the federal government spent approximately $17 billion in fiscal year 2007 on energy use in buildings and vehicles. This total represents almost 1 percent of all federal expenditures for 2007, and these costs have risen in recent years. This testimony discusses the potential benefits that may accrue from infrastructure investment, including energy reductions within federal buildings, and principles that could help guide infrastructure investment. Our comments are based on our body of work on repair and maintenance and energy management issues associated with federal real property."

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Deepwater Program is intended to recapitalize the Coast Guard's fleet and includes efforts to build or modernize five classes each of ships and aircraft, and procure other key capabilities. In 2002, the Coast Guard contracted with Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) to manage the acquisition as systems integrator. After the program experienced a series of failures, the Coast Guard announced in April 2007 that it would take over the lead role, with future work on individual assets to be potentially bid competitively outside of the existing contract. A program baseline of $24.2 billion was set as well. In June 2008, GAO reported on the new approach and concluded that while these steps were beneficial, continued oversight and improvement was necessary. The Coast Guard has taken actions to address the recommendations in that report. This testimony updates key issues from prior work: (1) Coast Guard program management at the overall Deepwater Program and asset levels; (2) how cost, schedules, and capabilities have changed from the 2007 baseline and how well costs are communicated to Congress; and (3) Coast Guard efforts to manage and build its acquisition workforce. GAO …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses our report to this committee on climate change adaptation and the role strategic federal planning could play in government decision making. Changes in the climate attributable to increased concentrations of greenhouse gases may have significant impacts in the United States and internationally. For example, climate change could threaten coastal areas with rising sea levels. In recent years, climate change adaptation--adjustments to natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climate change--has begun to receive more attention because the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere are expected to continue altering the climate system into the future, regardless of efforts to control emissions. According to a recent report by the National Research Council (NRC), however, individuals and institutions whose futures will be affected by climate change are unprepared both conceptually and practically for meeting the challenges and opportunities it presents. In this context, adapting to climate change requires making policy and management decisions that cut across traditional economic sectors, jurisdictional boundaries, and levels of government. This testimony is based on our October 2009 report, which is being publicly released today, and addresses three issues: (1) …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses our work on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), under which the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), through the Office of Financial Stability (OFS), has the authority to purchase and insure almost $700 billion in troubled assets held by financial institutions. Treasury was granted this authority in response to the financial crisis that has threatened the stability of the U.S. banking system and the solvency of numerous financial institutions. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (the act) that authorized TARP on October 3, 2008, requires GAO to report at least every 60 days on findings resulting from our oversight of the status of actions taken under the program. This statement today is based on our fifth mandated report, issued on June 17, 2009, which follows up on the previous recommendations and covers the actions taken as part of TARP through June 12, 2009. Our oversight work under the act is ongoing, and our next report will be issued later this month, and will focus on TARP's loan modification program. Specifically, this statement focuses on (1) the nature and purpose of activities that have been initiated under …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses our report on a national strategy for high-containment laboratories that deal with dangerous--pathogens also known as biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) laboratories and biosafety level-4 (BSL-4) laboratories--in the United States, which was released yesterday. The number of high-containment laboratories that work with dangerous biological pathogens have proliferated in recent years. In 2007, we reported on several issues associated with the proliferation of high-containment laboratories in the United States, including risks posed by biosafety incidents that have occurred in the past. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's allegation in August 2008 that a scientist at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases was the sole perpetrator of the 2001 anthrax attacks raised additional concerns about the possibility of insider misuse of high-containment laboratory facilities, material, and technology. The public is concerned about these laboratories because the deliberate or accidental release of biological agents can have disastrous consequences by exposing workers and the public to dangerous pathogens. Highly publicized laboratory errors and controversies about where high-containment laboratories should be located have raised questions about whether the governing framework, oversight, and standards for biosafety and biosecurity measures are adequate. …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses taxpayers' use of the First-time Homebuyer Credit (FTHBC) and the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) implementation and compliance challenges. As an important part of the recent economic stimulus efforts, Congress enacted the FTHBC to assist the struggling real estate market and encourage taxpayers to purchase their first home. The credit initially was enacted by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Housing Act) and revised by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The 2008 FTHBC provided taxpayers a credit of up to $7,500 that must be paid back over 15 years. The Recovery Act increased the maximum credit for the 2009 FTHBC to $8,000, with no payback required unless the home ceases to be the taxpayer's principal residence within 3 years. This $8,000 credit is a refundable tax credit that is paid out even if there is no tax liability or the credit exceeds the amount of any tax due. The 2009 FTHBC was enacted into law on February 17, 2009, but eligibility was made retroactive for homes purchased beginning January 1, 2009. This testimony today, based on on-going work, describes …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses our report on a national strategy for high-containment laboratories that deal with dangerous--pathogens also known as biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) laboratories and biosafety level-4 (BSL-4) laboratories--in the United States, which was released yesterday. The number of high-containment laboratories that work with dangerous biological pathogens have proliferated in recent years. In 2007, we reported on several issues associated with the proliferation of high-containment laboratories in the United States, including risks posed by biosafety incidents that have occurred in the past. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's allegation in August 2008 that a scientist at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases was the sole perpetrator of the 2001 anthrax attacks raised additional concerns about the possibility of insider misuse of high-containment laboratory facilities, material, and technology. The public is concerned about these laboratories because the deliberate or accidental release of biological agents can have disastrous consequences by exposing workers and the public to dangerous pathogens. Highly publicized laboratory errors and controversies about where high-containment laboratories should be located have raised questions about whether the governing framework, oversight, and standards for biosafety and biosecurity measures are adequate. …

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses GAO's recently issued report on the North American Aerospace Defense Command's (NORAD) and the Department of Defense's (DOD) air sovereignty alert (ASA) operations. According to the National Strategy for Aviation Security, issued in March 2007, and officials from U.S. intelligence agencies with whom we met, air attacks are still a threat to the United States and its people. To address this threat, NORAD and DOD have fully fueled, fully armed aircraft and trained personnel on alert 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at 18 ASA sites across the United States. Of the 18 sites, 16 are maintained by Air National Guard (ANG) units and 2 are maintained by active duty Air Force units. If warranted, NORAD can increase personnel, aircraft, and the number of ASA sites based on changes in threat conditions. The Air Force provides NORAD with personnel and equipment, including F-15 and F-16 aircraft, for these operations. ASA units are tasked to conduct and train for both expeditionary missions (e.g., military operations in Iraq) and ASA operations. This testimony will discuss whether (1) NORAD routinely conducts risk assessments to determine the …

Application materials submitted to the Texas Historical Commission requesting a historic marker for the Farmers State Bank and Reinstein Store, in Brenham, Texas. The materials include the inscription text of the marker, original application, narrative, floor plans, and photographs.

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, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Observation of county jail inmates while they are confined in courthouse holding cells (RQ-0722-GA)

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, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Authority of a commissioners court to remove from county right-of-way structures it deems to be a safety hazard (RQ-0729-GA)

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, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Authority of the Department of State Health Services to enforce state asbestos regulations against municipalities(RA-0775-GA).

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, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a district attorney's occupation of office space leased by the county from the district attorney's spouse constitutes a conflict of interest (RQ-0780-GA)

Email from Daniel Graney to "TSDC Conference Participants" on February 22, 2009, discussing the Friday night Kickoff Reception at Austin City Hall, and driving directions to access City Hall from the DoubleTree.

Photocopy of an envelope addressed to Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus Al Daniels at Dallas, Texas.

Texas Daily Newspaper Associations' honored Patrick Birmingham with the 2008 Pat Taggart Award, one of the prestigious honors within Texas newspapers. Birmingham was given the award because he represented the ideals of the community and journalistic excellence as exemplified by Fentress Newspapers publisher, Pat Taggart. The second page honors John Roberts of the Victoria Advocate with the Frank W. Mayborn award for Community Leadership. The Mayborn award was established to honor other newspaper men and women who have firm commitment to community service. The document continues with other men and women being awarded for their services to the community and their newspaper.

This study was conducted to find ways to reduce waste and increase recycling and composting in Illinois. The report contains data on the composition of residential and commercial waste from around the state and makes recommendations for future consideration.

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Air ambulance transport is widely regarded as improving the chances of survival for trauma victims and other critical patients. However, recent increases in the number of air ambulance accidents have led to greater industry scrutiny by government agencies, the public, the media, and the industry itself. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and others have called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which provides safety oversight, to issue more stringent safety requirements for the industry. This testimony discusses (1) recent trends in the air ambulance industry with regard to its size, composition, and safety record; (2) recent industry and government efforts to improve air ambulance safety; and (3) potential strategies for improving air ambulance safety. This testimony is based primarily on GAO's February 2007 study on air ambulance safety (GAO-07-353). To update and supplement this 2007 report, GAO analyzed the latest safety information from NTSB and FAA, reviewed published literature on the state of the air ambulance industry, and interviewed FAA officials and industry representatives. GAO provided a copy of the draft testimony statement to FAA. FAA provided technical comments, which GAO incorporated as appropriate."