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Social Security Administration: A More Formal Approach Could Enhance SSA's Ability to Develop and Manage Totalization Agreements
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 1977, the U.S. has entered into bilateral social security totalization agreements with 20 foreign countries. In fiscal year 2004, the Social Security Administration (SSA) paid approximately $206 million to 102,000 beneficiaries in these countries based on their eligible periods of coverage. If put into force, pending agreements with Mexico and Japan will increase the number of beneficiaries receiving totalized benefits, as well as the amount of benefits paid. Given the costs to the Social Security Trust Funds posed by existing and pending agreements, GAO was asked to (1) document SSA's policies and procedures for assessing the accuracy of foreign countries' data when entering into a totalization agreement, and (2) examine SSA's processes for verifying beneficiaries' initial and continuing eligibility for benefits once an agreement is in force."
Date:
February 28, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Individual Fishing Quotas: Methods for Community Protection and New Entry Require Periodic Evaluation
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "To assist in deliberations on individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs, GAO determined (1) the methods available for protecting the economic viability of fishing communities and facilitating new entry into IFQ fisheries, (2) the key issues faced by fishery managers in protecting communities and facilitating new entry, and (3) the comparative advantages and disadvantages of the IFQ system and the fishery cooperative approach."
Date:
February 24, 2004
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Employee Compensation: Employer Spending on Benefits Has Grown Faster Than Wages, Due Largely to Rising Costs for Health Insurance and Retirement Benefits
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Because most workers rely primarily on their employers to provide both wages and benefits as part of a total compensation package, the trends in the costs and availability of employer-sponsored compensation have a significant bearing on workers' well-being. Through tax preferences and payroll taxes, federal government policy also has a bearing on employees' access to benefits and on the costs carried by employers. The federal government provides significant tax subsidies for both health insurance plans and qualified retirement plans. In addition, workers and employers are required to pay taxes that fund Social Security and Medicare, programs intended to help provide for workers' economic security and peace of mind in retirement. In this report, GAO examined federal data on private employers' costs for active workers and sought perspectives from 17 experts to identify (1) recent trends in employers' total compensation costs; (2) composition of the trends; (3) whether employees' costs, participation, or access to benefits changed; and (4) possible implications of the changes for private systems. GAO received technical comments from the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services and from some of the experts GAO …
Date:
February 24, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Telecommunications: Wire-Based Competition Benefited Consumers In Selected Markets
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "One of the primary purposes of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was to promote competition in telecommunication markets, but wire-based competition has not developed as fully as expected. However, a new kind of entrant, called broadband service providers (BSP), offers an alternative wire- based option for local telephone, subscription television, and high- speed Internet services to consumers in the markets they have chosen to enter. This report provides information on (1) BSPs' business strategy, (2) the impact of BSPs' market entry on incumbent companies' behavior and consumer prices for telecommunications services, (3) the key factors that BSPs consider when making decisions about which local markets to enter, and (4) the success of BSPs in attaining subscribership and any key factors that may limit their success. We developed a case-study approach to compare 6 cities where a BSP has been operating for at least 1 year with 6 similar cities that do not have such a competitor. The 6 markets with a BSP presently account for more than 20 percent of the households nationwide that are in areas where BSPs currently offer the three-service package, but the …
Date:
February 4, 2004
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Nuclear Weapons: NNSA Needs to Refine and More Effectively Manage Its New Approach for Assessing and Certifying Nuclear Weapons
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 1992, the United States began a unilateral moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons. To compensate for the lack of testing, the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) developed the Stockpile Stewardship Program to assess and certify the safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear stockpile without nuclear testing. In 2001, NNSA's weapons laboratories began developing what is intended to be a common framework for a new methodology for assessing and certifying the safety and reliability of the nuclear stockpile without nuclear testing. GAO was asked to evaluate (1) the new methodology NNSA is developing and (2) NNSA's management of the implementation of this new methodology."
Date:
February 3, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Fisheries Management: Core Principles and a Strategic Approach Would Enhance Stakeholder Participation in Developing Quota-Based Programs
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Dedicated access privilege (DAP) programs are one tool the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) uses to help end overfishing and promote conservation. Under a DAP program, NMFS sets an allowable catch in a fishery and allocates the privilege to harvest a portion of the total to eligible entities, such as fishermen. Because DAP programs can have significant impacts on fishermen and their communities, many believe that effective participation by fishermen and other stakeholders in the development of these programs is critical. GAO was asked to determine (1) the extent to which the regional fishery management councils are using a framework for effective participation and (2) the methods stakeholders and participation experts suggest for enhancing stakeholder participation in developing DAP programs."
Date:
February 23, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Catastrophe Risk: U.S. and European Approaches to Insure Natural Catastrophe and Terrorism Risks
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Natural catastrophes and terrorist attacks can place enormous financial demands on the insurance industry, result in sharply higher premiums and substantially reduced coverage. As a result, interest has been raised in mechanisms to increase the capacity of the insurance industry to manage these types of events. In this report, GAO (1) provides an overview of the insurance industry's current capacity to cover natural catastrophic risk and discusses the impacts of the 2004 hurricanes; (2) analyzes the potential of catastrophe bonds--a type of security issued by insurers and reinsurers (companies that offer insurance to insurance companies) and sold to institutional investors--and tax-deductible reserves to enhance private-sector capacity; and (3) describes the approaches that six European countries have taken to address natural and terrorist catastrophe risk, including whether these countries permit insurers to use tax-deductible reserves for such events. We provided a draft of this report to the Department of the Treasury and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Treasury provided technical comments that were incorporated as appropriate."
Date:
February 28, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
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.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Commercial Vehicle Security: Risk-Based Approach Needed to Secure the Commercial Vehicle Sector
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Numerous incidents around the world have highlighted the vulnerability of commercial vehicles to terrorist acts. Commercial vehicles include over 1 million highly diverse truck and intercity bus firms. Within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has primary federal responsibility for ensuring the security of the commercial vehicle sector, while vehicle operators are responsible for implementing security measures for their firms. GAO was asked to examine: (1) the extent to which TSA has assessed security risks for commercial vehicles; (2) actions taken by key stakeholders to mitigate identified risks; and (3) TSA efforts to coordinate its security strategy with other federal, state, and private sector stakeholders. GAO reviewed TSA plans, assessments, and other documents; visited a nonrandom sample of 26 commercial truck and bus companies of varying sizes, locations, and types of operations; and interviewed TSA and other federal and state officials and industry representatives."
Date:
February 27, 2009
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
DOD Personnel Clearances: Improved Annual Reporting Would Enable More Informed Congressional Oversight
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) industry personnel security clearance program has long-standing delays and backlogs in completing clearance requests and difficulties in accurately projecting its future needs for investigations to be conducted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). In 2006, Congress mandated that DOD report annually on the future requirements of the program and DOD's efforts to improve it, and that GAO evaluate DOD's first report. Specifically, GAO was required to report on (1) the extent to which the report responds to the issues in the mandate, (2) the number and cost of clearance investigations and adjudications in fiscal years 2000-2006, and (3) the extent to which DOD has developed procedures to estimate future needs, plans to reduce delays and backlogs, and plans to provide funding for the program. To accomplish these objectives, GAO obtained and reviewed laws, executive orders, policies, reports, and other documents related to the security clearance process and interviewed officials from a range of government offices concerned with the clearance process."
Date:
February 13, 2008
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Maritime Security: Coast Guard Inspections Identify and Correct Facility Deficiencies, but More Analysis Needed of Program's Staffing, Practices, and Data
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To help secure the nation's ports against a terrorist attack, federal regulations have required cargo and other maritime facilities to have security plans in place since July 2004. U.S Coast Guard (USCG) guidance calls for an annual inspection to ensure that plans are being followed. Federal law enacted in October 2006 required such facilities to be inspected two times a year--one of which is to be conducted unannounced. The USCG plans to conduct one announced inspection and the other as a less comprehensive unannounced "spot check." GAO examined the extent to which the USCG (1) has met inspection requirements and found facilities to be complying with their plans, (2) has determined the availability of trained personnel to meet current and future facility inspection requirements, and (3) has assessed the effectiveness of its facility inspection program and ensured that program compliance data collected and reported are reliable. GAO analyzed USCG compliance data, interviewed inspectors and other stakeholders in 7 of 35 USCG sectors of varying size, geographic location, and type of waterway."
Date:
February 14, 2008
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Tax Administration: IRS Issued Advanced Child Tax Credit Payments on Time but Should Study Lessons Learned
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 provided eligible taxpayers up to $400 in advance Child Tax Credit (ACTC) payments. GAO was asked for information on (1) the number, dollar amount, and timeliness of the ACTC payments, (2) the impact on the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS') toll-free telephone service, (3) the cost to IRS and the Financial Management Service (FMS) for implementing the advance payment effort, including the impact of these costs on other IRS programs, and (4) the extent to which IRS identified and used evaluations from the 2001 advance refund effort to implement the ACTC payment effort and whether an evaluation of the ACTC payment effort is planned."
Date:
February 17, 2004
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Clean Coal: DOE's Decision to Restructure FutureGen Should Be Based on a Comprehensive Analysis of Costs, Benefits, and Risks
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Coal-fired power plants generate about one-half of the nation's electricity and about one-third of its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which contribute to climate change. In 2003, the Department of Energy (DOE) initiated FutureGen--a commercial-scale, coal-fired power plant to incorporate integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), an advanced generating technology, with carbon capture and storage (CCS). The plant was to capture and store underground about 90 percent of its CO2 emissions. DOE's cost share was 74 percent, and industry partners agreed to fund the rest. Concerned about escalating costs, DOE restructured FutureGen. GAO was asked to examine (1) the original and restructured programs' goals, (2) similarities and differences between the new FutureGen and other DOE CCS programs, and (3) if the restructuring decision was based on sufficient information. GAO reviewed best practices for making programmatic decisions, FutureGen plans and budgets, and documents on the restructuring of FutureGen. GAO contacted DOE, industry partners, and experts."
Date:
February 13, 2009
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Workforce Investment Act: Labor Actions Can Help States Improve Quality of Performance Outcome Data and Delivery of Youth Services
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) has been in effect for several years and is currently undergoing reauthorization. In order to provide the Congress with information on the implementation and effectiveness of the WIA youth program, GAO was asked to explore how services have been delivered at the local level, whether the Department of Labor's guidance has addressed challenges faced by local areas, and how effective the program has been."
Date:
February 23, 2004
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Food Safety: Experiences of Seven Countries in Consolidating Their Food Safety Systems
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The safety and quality of the U.S. food supply are governed by a complex system that is administered by 15 agencies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), have primary responsibility for food safety. Many legislative proposals have been made to consolidate the U.S. food safety system, but to date no other action has been taken. Several countries have taken steps to streamline and consolidate their food safety systems. In 1999, we reported on the initial experiences of four of these countries--Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Since then, additional countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, have undertaken consolidations. This report describes the approaches and challenges these countries faced in consolidating food safety functions, including the benefits and costs cited by government officials and other stakeholders. In commenting on a draft of this report, HHS and USDA said that the countries' consolidation experiences have limited applicability to the U.S. food safety system because the countries are much smaller than the United States. The two agencies believe that they …
Date:
February 22, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
DOD Systems Modernization: Management of Integrated Military Human Capital Program Needs Additional Improvements
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) has long-standing problems with its information technology (IT) systems supporting military personnel and pay. To address these problems, DOD initiated the Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System (DIMHRS) program, which is to provide a joint, integrated, standardized military personnel and pay system across all military components. In November 2004, DOD accepted the design for the first of three phases, DIMHRS (Personnel/Pay). GAO reviewed DOD's management of the requirements definition for the system as well as the program's management structure."
Date:
February 11, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Energy Employees Compensation: Adjustments Made to Contracted Review Process, But Additional Oversight and Planning Would Aid the Advisory Board in Meeting Its Statutory Responsibilities
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For the last several decades, the Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies and contractors have employed thousands of individuals in secret and dangerous work in the atomic weapons industry. In 2000, Congress enacted the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act to compensate those individuals who have developed cancer or other specified diseases related to on-the-job exposure to radiation and other hazards at these work sites. Under Subtitle B, determining the eligibility of claimants for compensation is a complex process, involving several federal agencies and a reconstruction of the historical evidence available. The Department of Labor must consider a claimant's case based on records of his or her employment and work activities, which are provided by the Department of Energy. Labor considers the compensability of certain claims by relying on estimates of the likely radiation levels to which particular workers were exposed. These "dose reconstructions" are developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). NIOSH also compiles information in "site profiles" about the radiation protection practices and hazardous materials used at various plants …
Date:
February 10, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Bioterrorism: Information on Jurisdictions' Expenditure and Reported Obligation of Program Funds
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 1999, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began funding jurisdictions' efforts to prepare for bioterrorism attacks through the Public Health Preparedness and Response for Bioterrorism program. After the events of September 11, 2001, and the 2001 anthrax incidents, program funds increased almost twentyfold. Citing jurisdictions' unexpended program funds, HHS reallocated some fiscal year 2004 funds to support other local and national bioterrorism initiatives. Jurisdictions and associations representing jurisdictions disputed HHS's assertion that large amounts of funds remain unused, noting that HHS did not acknowledge obligated funds that had not yet been expended. GAO was asked to provide information on (1) the extent to which jurisdictions had expended the fiscal year 2002 funds awarded for the program's third budget period as of August 30, 2003, and August 31, 2004, and the fiscal year 2003 funds awarded for the program's fourth budget period, as of August 30, 2004; (2) the extent to which fiscal year 2001, 2002, and 2003 funds awarded for the third and fourth budget periods remained unobligated as of August 30, 2004; and (3) factors …
Date:
February 28, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
International Taxation: Information on Federal Contractors With Offshore Subsidiaries
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Every year, U.S.-based multinational corporations transfer hundreds of billions of dollars of goods and services between their affiliates in the United States and their foreign subsidiaries. Such transactions may be a part of normal business operations for corporations with foreign subsidiaries. However, it is generally recognized that given the variation in corporate tax rates across countries, an incentive exists for corporations with foreign subsidiaries to reduce their overall tax burden by maximizing the income they report in countries with low income tax rates, and minimizing the income they report in or repatriate to countries with high income tax rates. Various studies have suggested that U.S.-based multinational corporations appear to engage in transactions such as these that shift income from their affiliates in high-tax countries to subsidiaries in low-tax countries to take advantage of the differences in tax rates in foreign countries. In 2002, GAO reported that 4 of the 100 largest publicly traded federal contractors are incorporated in a "tax haven" country that either does not tax corporate income or taxes the income at a low rate. As a follow-up to the report, Congress asked us …
Date:
February 2, 2004
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Federal Capital: Three Entities' Implementation of Capital Planning Principles Is Mixed
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2005, the federal government spent nearly $117 billion on capital investments intended to yield long-term benefits for its operations. Effective capital planning ensures that the sizable investments made by federal agencies result in the most efficient return to taxpayers. Accordingly, GAO evaluated (1) how well selected entities followed the planning phase principles of GAO's Executive Guide and the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Capital Programming Guide, (2) OMB's actions to encourage all agencies to conform with capital planning principles, and (3) what capital planning information is received by or would be useful to congressional decision makers. Based on missions, asset types, and capital spending, we selected three entities to review within the Departments of Energy (DOE) and Homeland Security (DHS)."
Date:
February 23, 2007
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Health-Care-Associated Infections: HHS Action Needed to Obtain Nationally Representative Data on Risks in Ambulatory Surgical Centers
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Health-care-associated infections (HAI) are a leading cause of death. Recent high-profile cases of HAIs in ambulatory surgical centers (ASC) due to lapses in recommended infection control practices may indicate a more widespread problem in ASCs, but the prevalence of such lapses is unknown. The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other entities collect data on HAIs, including process data on the use of recommended practices and outcome data on HAI incidence. CMS conducts standard surveys on about half of ASCs every 3 to 4 years, assessing compliance with its standard on infection control. In this report, GAO examines the availability of data on HAIs in ASCs nationwide. GAO interviewed subject-matter experts, agency officials, and trade and professional group officials."
Date:
February 25, 2009
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Storm Water Pollution: Information Needed on the Implications of Permitting Oil and Gas Construction Activities
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To prevent pollutants from entering storm water runoff, the Clean Water Act's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Storm Water Program requires controls for construction activities that disturb land. Phase I of this program requires permitting for construction activities that disturb 5 acres or more, while Phase II requires permitting for activities disturbing between 1 and 5 acres. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) extended the Phase II compliance date for discharges associated with oil and gas construction activities until March 2005 to analyze the impact of Phase II on the oil and gas industry. GAO was asked to provide information about oil and gas construction activities--such as well drilling and pipeline construction--affected by Phase I and likely to be affected by Phase II, as well as Phase II's financial and environmental implications."
Date:
February 9, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Private Health Insurance: Employers and Individuals Are Vulnerable to Unauthorized or Bogus Entities Selling Coverage
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Health insurance premiums have increased at double-digit rates over the past few years. While searching for affordable options, some employers and individuals have purchased coverage from certain entities that are not authorized by state insurance departments to sell this coverage. Such unauthorized entities--also sometimes referred to as bogus entities or scams--may collect premiums and not pay some or all of the legitimate medical claims filed by policyholders. GAO was asked to identify the number of these entities that operated from 2000 through 2002, the number of employers and policyholders covered, the amount of unpaid claims, and the methods state and federal governments employed to identify such entities and to stop and prevent them from operating. GAO analyzed information on these entities obtained from the Department of Labor (DOL) and from a survey of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. GAO also interviewed officials at DOL headquarters, at three regional offices, and at state insurance departments responsible for investigating these entities in four states--Colorado, Florida, Georgia, and Texas."
Date:
February 27, 2004
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Foreign Investment: Laws and Policies Regulating Foreign Investment in 10 Countries
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Foreign acquisitions of U.S. companies can pose a significant challenge for the U.S. government because of the need to balance the benefits of foreign investment with national security concerns. The Exon-Florio amendment to the Defense Production Act authorizes the President to suspend or prohibit foreign acquisitions of U.S. companies that may harm national security. To better understand how other countries deal with similar challenges, GAO was asked to identify how other countries address the issues that Exon-Florio is intended to address. Specifically, this report describes selected countries' (1) laws and policies enacted to regulate foreign investment to protect their national security interests and (2) implementation of those laws and policies. This report updates a 1996 GAO report that describes how four major foreign investors in the United States--France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom--monitored foreign investment in their own countries to protect national security interests. It also examines foreign investment in six additional countries: Canada, China, India, the Netherlands, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). GAO reviewed selected laws and regulations and interviewed foreign government officials and others concerning their implementation and any planned changes …
Date:
February 28, 2008
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
System:
The UNT Digital Library