Collection
Texas Laws and Resolutions Archive
1,470
Government Accountability Office Reports
695
Texas Patents
651
Congressional Research Service Reports
606
Texas Attorney General Opinions
485
Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission
463
Technical Report Archive and Image Library
284
TRAIL Microcard Collection
227
Texas State Publications
154
Texas Register
122
17 More
Country
States
Decade
Month
Day
Language
4,993 Matching Results
Results open in a new window/tab.
Financial Management: FBI Has Designed and Implemented Stronger Internal Controls over Sentinel Contractor Invoice Review and Equipment Purchases, but Additional Actions Are Needed
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In February 2006, we reported on significant internal control deficiencies related to contractor payments and property accountability associated with the development of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Trilogy information technology (IT) modernization project. In that audit, we found FBI's invoice review and approval process did not provide an adequate basis to verify that goods and services billed were actually received and that amounts billed were appropriate. We also found that FBI relied extensively on Trilogy contractors to purchase and account for Trilogy equipment without controls or data to verify the accuracy and completeness of the contractor records. Additionally, once FBI took possession of the Trilogy equipment, it did not have adequate controls to safeguard those assets. FBI is now acquiring and deploying a new automated case management system, known as Sentinel, to replace the case management system that was to be delivered as part of the Trilogy project. Sentinel is being developed in four phases at an estimated cost of $425 million and is scheduled to be completed in May 2010. Phase 1 of the project was completed in June 2007. In light of the problems we …
Date:
July 15, 2008
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Traffic Safety Data: State Data System Quality Varies and Limited Resources and Coordination Can Inhibit Further Progress
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Traffic crashes kill or injure millions of people each year. High-quality traffic safety data is vital to allocate resources and target programs as the Department of Transportation's (DOT) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and states work to improve traffic safety through data-driven approaches. To qualify for federal funding, states must submit plans which include fatality and crash data analyses to identify areas for improvement. This requested report provides information on (1) the extent to which state traffic safety data systems meet NHTSA performance measures for assessing the quality of data systems, and (2) progress states have made in improving traffic safety data systems, and related challenges. To conduct this work, GAO analyzed state traffic records assessments, visited eight states, and interviewed federal officials and other traffic safety experts."
Date:
April 15, 2010
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Pipeline Permitting: Interstate and Intrastate Natural Gas Permitting Processes Include Multiple Steps, and Time Frames Vary
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Both the interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline permitting processes are complex and can involve multiple federal, state, and local agencies, as well as public interest groups and citizens, and include multiple steps. The interstate process involves a voluntary pre-filing phase, an application phase, and a post-authorization phase with multiple steps that stakeholders reported to be consistent among projects because the process is led by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC coordinates with federal, state, and local agencies that have statutory and regulatory authority over various environmental laws and regulations. For example, if a proposed pipeline may affect endangered species, FERC coordinates with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which reviews the impacts on such species. The intrastate process can also involve multiple stakeholders and steps, but, unlike in the interstate process, GAO found that the stakeholders and steps vary by state. For example, of the 11 states GAO reviewed, 5 have agencies charged with approving the route of natural gas pipelines and require advance approval of the location and route, and the remaining 6 do not. Pipeline companies must also comply with various federal …
Date:
February 15, 2013
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Veterans Affairs: Opportunities Exist to Improve Potential Recipients' Awareness of the Temporary Residence Adaptation Grant
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Adaptive housing assistance grants help eligible service members or veterans adapt or modify a residence to accommodate disabilities sustained through military service. The Veterans' Housing Opportunity and Benefits Improvement Act of 2006 authorized the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to expand its existing adaptive housing assistance grants to include eligible individuals temporarily living in a home owned by a family member, known as Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grants. The act also mandated GAO to issue interim and final reports on VA's implementation of TRA. This final report examines (1) the characteristics of TRA grants and grantees and (2) what accounts for low utilization of the program and how to ensure that the program serves its intended recipients. To address these objectives, GAO analyzed VA data and documents and interviewed service members and veterans who both had and had not used the TRA grant."
Date:
July 15, 2010
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Transportation Research: Opportunities for Improving the Oversight of DOT's Research Programs and User Satisfaction with Transportation Statistics
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Transportation's (DOT) research, development, and technology (RD&T) budget totaled $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2005. DOT's Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)--which includes the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)--oversees DOT's RD&T activities. GAO examined (1) how RITA's responsibilities for overseeing DOT's RD&T activities differ from those of its predecessor, the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA); (2) RITA's practices for coordinating, facilitating, and reviewing RD&T activities; (3) the progress DOT has made in implementing GAO's 2003 recommendations on how to improve the coordination and evaluation of RD&T activities; and (4) how BTS identifies and monitors how well it serves its users. To address these issues, GAO reviewed relevant documentation and interviewed officials from RITA, BTS, and three operating administrations."
Date:
August 15, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Internal Revenue Service: 2013 Tax Filing Season Performance to Date and Budget Data
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In summary, so far in the 2013 filing season, GAO found the following:"
Date:
April 15, 2013
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Federal Actions Needed to Ensure Safety and Expand Their Potential Uses within the National Airspace System
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Government and private-sector interest is growing in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for use in a variety of missions such as U.S. border protection, hurricane research, law enforcement, and real estate photography. However, UASs can fly only after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducts a case-by-case safety analysis. GAO's research questions included (1) What are the current and potential uses and benefits of UASs? (2) What challenges exist in operating UASs safely and routinely in the national airspace system? and (3) What is the federal government's response to these challenges? To address these questions, GAO reviewed the literature, interviewed agency officials and aviation stakeholders, and surveyed 23 UAS experts."
Date:
May 15, 2008
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Department of Energy: Certain Postretirement Benefits for Contractor Employees Are Unfunded and Program Oversight Could Be Improved
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Energy (DOE), which carries out its national security, environmental cleanup, and research missions through extensive use of contractors, faces significant costs for postretirement health and pension benefits for contractor employees. Given DOE's long history of using contractors and the rising cost of postretirement benefits, the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, asked GAO to (1) analyze DOE's estimated financial obligation for postretirement health and pension benefits for contractor employees at the end of fiscal year 2003, (2) determine how DOE evaluates its contractor postretirement health and pension benefit programs and assesses the comparative levels of benefits offered by contractors, and (3) assess how DOE's oversight of these benefits could be enhanced."
Date:
April 15, 2004
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Flood Insurance: Emerging Opportunity to Better Measure Certain Results of the National Flood Insurance Program
A statement of record issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the preliminary results of GAO's ongoing review of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is run by the Federal Emergency Management Administration's (FEMA) Federal Insurance Administration (FIA) and Mitigation Directorate, a major component of the federal government's efforts to provide flood assistance. This program creates standards to minimize flood losses. GAO found that FEMA has several performance goals to improve program results, including increasing the number of insurance policies in force. Although these goals provide valuable insight into the degree to which the program has reduced flood losses, they do not assess the degree to which the most vulnerable residents--those living in flood-prone areas--participate in the program. Capturing data on the number of uninsured and insured structures in flood-prone areas can provide FEMA with another indication of how well the program is penetrating those areas with the highest flood risks, whether the financial consequences of floods in these areas are increasing or decreasing, and where marketing efforts can better be targeted. However, before participation rates can be used to measure the program's success, better data are needed on the total number …
Date:
May 15, 2001
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Medicare Fraud Prevention: CMS Has Implemented a Predictive Analytics System, but Needs to Define Measures to Determine Its Effectiveness
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented its Fraud Prevention System (FPS) in July 2011, as required by the Small Business Jobs Act, and the system is being used by CMS and its program integrity contractors who conduct investigations of potentially fraudulent claims. Specifically, FPS analyzes Medicare claims data using models of fraudulent behavior, which results in automatic alerts on specific claims and providers, which are then prioritized for program integrity analysts to review and investigate as appropriate. However, while the system draws on a host of existing Medicare data sources and has been integrated with existing systems that process claims, it has not yet been integrated with the agency's payment-processing system to allow for the prevention of payments until suspect claims can be determined to be valid. Program officials stated that this functionality has been delayed due to the time required to develop system requirements; they estimated that it will be implemented by January 2013 but had not yet developed reliable schedules for completing this activity."
Date:
October 15, 2012
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Compacts of Free Association: Micronesia and the Marshall Islands Face Challenges in Planning for Sustainability, Measuring Progress, and Ensuring Accountability
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2003, the United States signed Compacts of Free Association with the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), amending a 1986 compact with the countries. The amended compacts provide the countries with a combined total of $3.6 billion from 2004 to 2023, with the annual grants declining gradually. The assistance, targeting six sectors, is aimed at assisting the countries' efforts to promote economic advancement and budgetary self-reliance. The Department of the Interior (Interior) administers and oversees the assistance. Complying with a legislative requirement, GAO examined, for fiscal years 2004 through 2006, (1) the FSM's and the RMI's use of compact funds, (2) their efforts to assess progress toward development goals, (3) their monitoring of sector grants and accountability for compact funds, and (4) Interior's administrative oversight of the assistance. GAO visited the FSM and the RMI; reviewed reports; and interviewed officials from the FSM, RMI, and U.S. governments."
Date:
December 15, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Hospital Accreditation: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' Relationship with Its Affiliate
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Hospitals must meet certain conditions of participation established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in order to receive Medicare payments. In 2003, most hospitals--over 80 percent--demonstrated compliance with most of these conditions through accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (Joint Commission). Established in 1986, Joint Commission Resources, Inc. (JCR), a nonprofit affiliate of the Joint Commission, provides consultative technical assistance services to hospitals. Both organizations acknowledge the need to ensure that JCR's services do not--and are not perceived to--affect the independence of the Joint Commission's accreditation process. GAO was asked to provide information on the relationship between the Joint Commission and JCR. This report describes (1) their organizational relationship, and (2) the significant steps they have taken to prevent the improper sharing of information, obtained through their accreditation and consulting activities, respectively, since JCR was established. GAO reviewed pertinent documents, including conflict-of-interest policies and information about the organizations' financial relationship, and interviewed staff and board members from both organizations, JCR clients, and CMS officials."
Date:
December 15, 2006
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit: Federal Housing Finance Agency's Fiscal Years 2010 and 2009 Financial Statements
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) created the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and gave it responsibility for, among other things, the supervision and oversight of the housing-related government-sponsored enterprises (GSE): Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the 12 federal home loan banks. Specifically, FHFA was assigned responsibility for ensuring that each of the regulated entities operates in a fiscally safe and sound manner, including maintenance of adequate capital and internal controls, and carries out its housing and community development finance mission. HERA also requires FHFA to annually prepare financial statements, and further requires GAO to audit these statements. Pursuant to HERA's requirement, GAO audited FHFA's fiscal years 2010 and 2009 financial statements to determine whether (1) the financial statements were fairly stated, and (2) FHFA management maintained effective internal control over financial reporting. GAO also tested FHFA's compliance with selected laws and regulations. GAO is not making any recommendations in this report. In commenting on a draft of this report, FHFA stated that it was pleased with the results of the audit, and it would continue to work to enhance its internal controls …
Date:
November 15, 2010
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Law Enforcement Body Armor: DOJ Supports Its Use and Enhancements, but Could Strengthen Management of Its Related Grant Programs
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "DOJ has a number of initiatives to support body armor use by state and local law enforcement, including grant funding, research, standards development, and testing programs. Two separate BJA grant programs provide funding to state and local law enforcement to facilitate their body armor purchases. The BVP program offers 2-year grants on a reimbursable, matching basis to state and local law enforcement agencies to assist in their purchasing of ballistic-resistant and stab-resistant body armor. Generally, the JAG program provides 4-year grant money up front that can be used to fund body armor procurement along with other criminal justice activities. Since the BVP program’s inception in 1999, it has reimbursed grantees $247 million for their purchases of nearly 1 million vests. The JAG program has provided nearly $4 billion from fiscal years 2006 through 2011, but BJA does not know how much of this amount grantees have spent on body armor because it is not required to track expenditures for specific purposes. Instead, BJA reports that from fiscal years 2006 through 2011, 357 grantees intended to use JAG funds for ballistic-resistant vest procurement, but it does not track how …
Date:
February 15, 2012
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
VA Health Care: Additional Steps Needed to Strengthen Beneficiary Travel Program Management and Oversight
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has developed efforts to improve the Beneficiary Travel Program, but lack of internal controls may impede their effectiveness. Specifically, VHA has developed multiple efforts to improve the management and oversight of its process for reimbursing veterans' travel expenses for medical appointments, as well as the timeliness and accuracy of payments, including the following:"
Date:
July 15, 2013
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Maritime Security: New Structures Have Improved Information Sharing, but Security Clearance Processing Requires Further Attention
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Sharing information with nonfederal officials is an important tool in federal efforts to secure the nation's ports against a potential terrorist attack. The Coast Guard has lead responsibility in coordinating maritime information sharing efforts. The Coast Guard has established area maritime security committees--forums that involve federal and nonfederal officials who identify and address risks in a port. The Coast Guard and other agencies have sought to further enhance information sharing and port security operations by establishing interagency operational centers--command centers that tie together the efforts of federal and nonfederal participants. GAO was asked to review the efforts to see what impact the committees and interagency operational centers have had on improving information sharing and to identify any barriers that have hindered information sharing."
Date:
April 15, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Social Security Numbers: Federal and State Laws Restrict Use of SSNs, yet Gaps Remain
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 1936, the Social Security Administration established the Social Security number (SSN) to track worker's earnings for Social Security benefit purposes. Despite its narrowly intended purpose, the SSN is now used for a myriad of non-Social Security purposes. Today, SSNs are used, in part, as identity verification tools for services such as child support collections, law enforcement enhancements, and issuing credit to individuals. Although these uses can be beneficial to the public, the SSN is now a key piece of information in creating false identities. The aggregation of personal information, such as SSNs, in large corporate databases and the increased availability of information via the Internet may provide criminals the opportunities to commit identity theft. Although Congress and the states have enacted a number of laws to protect consumers' privacy, the public and private sectors' continued use of and reliance on SSNs, and the potential for misuse, underscore the importance of strengthening protections where possible. Accordingly, this testimony focuses on describing (1) the public use of SSNs, (2) the use of SSNs by certain private sector entities, and (3) certain federal and state laws regulating the use of …
Date:
September 15, 2005
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Health Care Spending: Public Payers Face Burden of Entitlement Program Growth, While All Payers Face Rising Prices and Increasing Use of Services
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO testified about the challenges involved in financing health care. GAO has been particularly concerned about the federal government's long-term fiscal sustainability and the contribution of health care spending to this troubling picture. For the past several years, we have consistently reported that in just a few decades, the government will face a serious fiscal imbalance driven by known demographic trends and escalating health care cost growth. Over the next several decades, growth in spending on federal retirement and health entitlements will encumber an escalating share of the government's resources. These entitlement programs primarily include Social Security, which provides, among other things, retirement income to individuals aged 62 and older; Medicare, which provides health care coverage primarily for individuals 65 and older; and Medicaid, which is a joint federal-state program providing health care and long-term care for low-income individuals. Congress's concern about the challenges involved in financing health care is consistent with the fact that certain spending pressures faced by Medicare and Medicaid are faced by all health care payers, including the Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Defense, as well as private payers of health care. To …
Date:
February 15, 2007
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Improvement Continues in DOD's Reporting on Sustainable Ranges, but Opportunities Exist to Improve Its Range Assessments and Comprehensive Plan
Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Recent operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world have highlighted the need for U.S. forces to train as they intend to fight. Department of Defense (DOD) training ranges and operating areas are required to be managed and operated to support their long-term viability and utility to meet the national defense mission. The use of military training ranges enhances training by providing realistic, hands-on experience. Sustainable training range management focuses on the practices that allow the military to manage its ranges in a way that ensures their usefulness well into the future. Because the military faces obstacles in acquiring new training lands, the preservation and sustainable management of its current lands must be priorities. New advances in technology, coupled with a shift in force posture, mean that DOD needs to continually update and maintain its training ranges. Military training ranges vary in size from a few acres--for small arms training--to over a million acres for large maneuver exercises and weapons testing, and include broad open ocean areas for offshore training and testing. These ranges face ever increasing limitations and restrictions on land, water, and airspace as …
Date:
December 15, 2008
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Fighter Aircraft: Better Cost Estimates Needed for Extending the Service Life of Selected F-16s and F/A-18s
A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Air Force plans to upgrade and extend the service life of 300 F-16 aircraft and the Navy 150 F/A-18 aircraft, at a combined cost estimated at almost $5 billion in fiscal year 2013 dollars."
Date:
November 15, 2012
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
USDA Graduate School: Revenue Reporting Needs to Be Improved
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Graduate School provides extensive training opportunities to government employees and others. As a nonappropriated fund instrumentality, the Graduate School relies solely on income from the training it offers. During fiscal year 1999, the federal agencies GAO reviewed had 20 interagency agreements with the Graduate School totaling about $5.7 million. The agencies also had 531 contracts, totaling $29 million, with private companies for training and related services. The Graduate School's financial statements for fiscal year 1999 incorrectly identified the portion of revenue that was earned through interagency agreements. This misclassification occurred primarily because of the Graduate School's reporting policies."
Date:
October 15, 2001
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Health Information Technology: Federal Agencies' Experiences Demonstrate Challenges to Successful Implementation
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As GAO and others have reported, the use of information technology (IT) has enormous potential to help improve the quality of health care and is important for improving the performance of the U.S. health care system. Given its role in providing health care, the federal government has been urged to take a leadership role to improve the quality and effectiveness of health care, and it has been working to promote the nationwide use of health IT for a number of years. However, achieving widespread adoption and implementation of health IT has proven challenging, and the best way to accomplish this transition remains subject to much debate. At the committee's request, this testimony discusses important issues identified by GAO's work that have broad relevance to the successful implementation of health IT to improve the quality of health care. To develop this testimony, GAO relied largely on its previous work on federal health IT activities."
Date:
January 15, 2009
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Department of Homeland Security: A Comprehensive Strategy Is Still Needed to Achieve Management Integration Departmentwide
Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Significant management challenges exist for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as it continues to integrate its varied management processes, policies, and systems in areas such as financial management and information technology. These activities are primarily led by the Under Secretary for Management (USM), department management chiefs, and management chiefs in DHS's seven components. This testimony summarizes a new GAO report (GAO-10-131) that examined (1) the extent to which DHS has developed a comprehensive strategy for management integration that includes the characteristics recommended in GAO's earlier 2005 report, (2) how DHS is implementing management integration, and (3) the extent to which the USM is holding the department and component management chiefs accountable for implementing management integration through reporting relationships. GAO reviewed DHS plans and interviewed DHS management officials."
Date:
December 15, 2009
Creator:
United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type:
Text
System:
The UNT Digital Library
SEC and CFTC Fines Follow-Up: Collection Programs Are Improving, but Further Steps Are Warranted
A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Collecting fines ordered for violations of securities and futures laws helps ensure that violators are held accountable for their offenses and may also deter future violations. The requesters asked GAO to evaluate the actions the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have taken to address earlier recommendations for improving their collection programs. The committees also asked GAO to update the fines collection rates from previous reports."
Date:
July 15, 2003
Creator:
United States. General Accounting Office.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library