35 Years of Water Policy: The 1973 National Water Commission and Present Challenges (open access)

35 Years of Water Policy: The 1973 National Water Commission and Present Challenges

This report presents the National Water Commission's (NWC) recommendations and analyzes how issues targeted by the recommendations have evolved during the intervening years. The report focuses on key federal-level recommendations, thereby targeting what has been accomplished since 1973, what issues remain unresolved, and what additional concerns have developed.
Date: May 11, 2009
Creator: Cody, Betsy A. & Carter, Nicole T.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
401(k) Plans: Policy Changes Could Reduce the Long-term Effects of Leakage on Workers' Retirement Savings (open access)

401(k) Plans: Policy Changes Could Reduce the Long-term Effects of Leakage on Workers' Retirement Savings

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Under federal regulations, 401(k) participants may tap into their accrued retirement savings before retirement under certain circumstances, including hardship. This "leakage" from 401(k) accounts can result in a permanent loss of retirement savings. GAO was asked to analyze (1) the incidence, amount, and relative significance of the different forms of 401(k) leakage; (2) how plans inform participants about hardship withdrawal provisions, loan provisions, and options at job separation, including the short- and long-term costs of each; and (3) how various policies may affect the incidence of leakage. To address these matters, GAO analyzed federal and 401(k) industry data and interviewed federal officials, pension experts, and plan administrators responsi- ble for managing the majority of 401(k) participants and assets."
Date: August 28, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
401(k) Plans: Several Factors Can Diminish Retirement Savings, but Automatic Enrollment Shows Promise for Increasing Participation and Savings (open access)

401(k) Plans: Several Factors Can Diminish Retirement Savings, but Automatic Enrollment Shows Promise for Increasing Participation and Savings

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Over the past 25 years, the number of defined benefit (DB) plans has declined while the number of defined contribution (DC) plans has increased. Today, DC plans are the dominant type of employer-sponsored retirement plans, with more than 49 million U.S. workers participating in them. 401(k) plans currently cover over 85 percent of active DC plan participants and are the fastest growing type of employer-sponsored pension plan. Given these shifts in pension coverage, workers are increasingly relying on 401(k) plans for their pension income. Recently, policy makers have focused attention on the ability of 401(k) plans to provide participants with adequate retirement income and the challenges that arise as 401(k) plans become the predominant retirement savings plan for employees. As a result, GAO was asked to report on (1) challenges to building and maintaining of savings in 401(k) plans, and (2) recent measures to improve 401(k) participation and savings levels."
Date: October 28, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
501(c)(3) Hospitals and the Community Benefit Standard (open access)

501(c)(3) Hospitals and the Community Benefit Standard

This report examines the standard under which hospitals qualify for tax-exempt charitable status under federal law, recent inquiries made by Congress and the IRS into whether hospitals are conducting sufficient activities to justify their exemption, and section 6007 of S. 1796.
Date: November 10, 2009
Creator: Lunder, Erika K. & Liu, Edward C.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
2008 Lobbying Disclosure: Observations on Lobbyists' Compliance with Disclosure Requirements (open access)

2008 Lobbying Disclosure: Observations on Lobbyists' Compliance with Disclosure Requirements

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (HLOGA) of 2007 amended the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 by doubling the frequency of lobbyists' reporting and increasing criminal and civil penalties. This is GAO's second report in response to the Act's requirement for GAO to annually (1) determine the extent to which lobbyists can demonstrate compliance with the Act by providing support for information on their registrations and reports, (2) describe challenges identified by lobbyists to complying with the Act, and (3) describe the resources and authorities available to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia's efforts to enforce the Act. For this report, GAO placed increased emphasis on written documentation to support disclosure reports. GAO reviewed a random sample of 100 lobbyist disclosure reports filed during the first three quarters of calendar year 2008. GAO also selected a random sample of 100 reports of federal political contributions, filed for the first time, for mid-calendar-year 2008. This methodology allowed GAO to generalize the sample results to the populations of 40,169 lobbying activity disclosure reports and 6,048 reports with contributions filed. GAO met with lobbyists regarding …
Date: April 1, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
2009 H1N1 "Swine Flu": CRS Experts (open access)

2009 H1N1 "Swine Flu": CRS Experts

This report includes a table which provides access to names and contact information for CRS experts on policy concerns relating to swine influenza A virus (H1N1). Policy areas identified include: Identification, diagnosis, and surveillance of the virus; Treatment and prevention: antiviral drugs (Tamiflu, Relenza) and vaccines; Declarations of emergencies; Official plans and organizational responsibilities; and Restrictions on travel and trade.
Date: October 26, 2009
Creator: Lister, Sarah A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2009 H1N1 "Swine Flu" Outbreak: An Overview (open access)

The 2009 H1N1 "Swine Flu" Outbreak: An Overview

This report provides an introduction to the situation regarding the potential of a global human influenza pandemic caused by the new H1N1 flu strain. It includes a brief chronology of events; a discussion of key actions taken and authorities invoked by the WHO and the U.S. government; and information about key U.S. government pandemic flu planning documents.
Date: April 30, 2009
Creator: Lister, Sarah A. & Redhead, C. S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) "Swine Flu" Outbreak: An Overview (open access)

The 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) "Swine Flu" Outbreak: An Overview

This report provides an overview of key actions taken and authorities invoked by WHO and the U.S. government. First, it discusses the WHO process to determine the phase of a threatened or emerging flu pandemic and touches on a number of related issues. The report then examines actions taken by the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services and provides information about appropriations and funding for pandemic flu activities.
Date: May 5, 2009
Creator: Lister, Sarah A. & Redhead, C. S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview (open access)

The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview

This report provides a synopsis of key events in the H1N1 pandemic response, followed by information about selected federal emergency management authorities and actions taken by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Health and Human Services (HHS), and state and local authorities.
Date: November 16, 2009
Creator: Lister, Sarah A. & Redhead, C. Stephen
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview (open access)

The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview

This report first provides a synopsis of key events, actions taken, and authorities invoked by World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. federal government, and state and local governments.
Date: October 15, 2009
Creator: Lister, Sarah A. & Redhead, C. Stephen
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview (open access)

The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview

This report describes the World Health Organization (WHO) process to determine the phase of a threatened or emerging flu pandemic, and touches on several related issues.
Date: August 6, 2009
Creator: Lister, Sarah A. & Redhead, C. Stephen
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview (open access)

The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: An Overview

This report describes the World Health Organization (WHO) process to determine the phase of a threatened or emerging flu pandemic, and touches on several related issues.
Date: October 15, 2009
Creator: Lister, Sarah A. & Redhead, C. Stephen
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues (open access)

The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues

This report provides a brief overview of selected legal issues regarding the H1N1 influenza, including emergency measures, civil rights, liability issues, and employment issues.
Date: October 29, 2009
Creator: Swendiman, Kathleen S. & Jones, Nancy Lee
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues (open access)

The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues

Recent human cases of infection with a novel influenza A(H1N1) virus have been identified both internationally and in the United States. Since there has been human to human transmission and the new virus has the potential to become pandemic, it is timely to examine legal issues surrounding this emerging public health threat. This report will provide a brief overview of selected legal issues.
Date: May 4, 2009
Creator: Swendiman, Kathleen S. & Jones, Nancy L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues (open access)

The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues

This report provides a brief overview of selected legal issues including emergency measures, civil rights, liability issues, and employment issues.
Date: September 1, 2009
Creator: Swendiman, Kathleen S. & Jones, Nancy Lee
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues (open access)

The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues

Recent human cases of infection with a novel influenza A(H1N1) virus have been identified both internationally and in the United States. Since there has been human to human transmission and the new virus has the potential to become pandemic, it is timely to examine legal issues surrounding this emerging public health threat. This report will provide a brief overview of selected legal issues.
Date: May 6, 2009
Creator: Swendiman, Kathleen S. & Jones, Nancy L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues (open access)

The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues

This report provides a brief overview of selected legal issues including emergency measures, civil rights, liability issues, and employment issues.
Date: October 8, 2009
Creator: Swendiman, Kathleen S. & Jones, Nancy Lee
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues (open access)

The 2009 Influenza Pandemic: Selected Legal Issues

This report provides a brief overview of selected legal issues regarding the H1N1 influenza, including emergency measures, civil rights, liability issues, and employment issues.
Date: August 11, 2009
Creator: Swendiman, Kathleen S. & Jones, Nancy L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
2009 Tax Filing Season: IRS Met Many 2009 Goals, but Telephone Access Remained Low, and Taxpayer Service and Enforcement Could Be Improved (open access)

2009 Tax Filing Season: IRS Met Many 2009 Goals, but Telephone Access Remained Low, and Taxpayer Service and Enforcement Could Be Improved

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) filing season is an enormous undertaking that includes processing tax returns, issuing refunds, and responding to taxpayer questions. IRS's efforts to ensure compliance begin during the filing season. GAO was asked to assess IRS's 2009 filing season performance, identify ways to reduce taxpayers' use of short-term, high-interest refund anticipation loans (RAL) offered by paid preparers or banks, and identify ways to enhance compliance during processing. GAO analyzed IRS performance data, reviewed IRS operations, interviewed IRS officials, and reviewed its compliance programs and relevant statutes."
Date: December 10, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
2010 Census: Census Bureau Continues to Make Progress in Mitigating Risks to a Successful Enumeration, but Still Faces Various Challenges (open access)

2010 Census: Census Bureau Continues to Make Progress in Mitigating Risks to a Successful Enumeration, but Still Faces Various Challenges

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The decennial census is a constitutionally-mandated activity that produces data used to apportion congressional seats, redraw congressional districts, and help allocate billions of dollars in federal assistance. In March 2008, GAO designated the 2010 Census a high-risk area in part because of information technology (IT) shortcomings. The U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) has since strengthened its risk management efforts and made other improvements; however, in March 2009, GAO noted that a number of challenges and uncertainties remained. This testimony discusses the Bureau's readiness for 2010 and covers: (1) the delivery of key IT systems, (2) preliminary findings on the results of address canvassing and the lessons learned from that operation that can be applied to subsequent field operations, and (3) the Bureau's progress in improving its cost estimation abilities. The testimony is based on previously issued and ongoing GAO work."
Date: October 7, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
2010 Census: Census Bureau Has Made Progress on Schedule and Operational Control Tools, but Needs to Prioritize Remaining System Requirements (open access)

2010 Census: Census Bureau Has Made Progress on Schedule and Operational Control Tools, but Needs to Prioritize Remaining System Requirements

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To carry out the decennial census, the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) conducts a sequence of thousands of activities and numerous operations. As requested, The Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined (1) the Bureau's use of scheduling tools to maintain and monitor progress and (2) the status of two systems key to field data collection: the control system the Bureau will use to manage the work flow for paper-based operations, including nonresponse follow-up, and the system used to manage quality control of two major field operations. GAO applied schedule analysis tools; reviewed Bureau evaluations, planning documents, and other documents on work flow management; and interviewed Bureau officials."
Date: November 13, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
2010 Census: Communications Campaign Has Potential to Boost Participation (open access)

2010 Census: Communications Campaign Has Potential to Boost Participation

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "A complete and accurate census is becoming an increasingly daunting task, in part because the nation's population is growing larger, more diverse, and more reluctant to participate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau). When the census misses a person who should have been included, it results in an undercount, and the differential impact on various subpopulations, such as minorities, is particularly problematic. This testimony provides an update on the Bureau's readiness to implement its Integrated Communications Campaign, one of several efforts aimed at reducing the undercount. GAO focused on the campaign's key components: partnerships with local and national organizations, paid advertising and public relations, and Census in Schools (designed to reach parents and guardians through their school-age children). GAO also discusses the extent to which the rollout of the campaign is consistent with factors important for greater accountability and successful results. This testimony is based on previously issued work, ongoing reviews of relevant documents, and interviews with key Bureau officials."
Date: March 23, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
2010 Census: Efforts to Build an Accurate Address List Are Making Progress, but Face Software and Other Challenges (open access)

2010 Census: Efforts to Build an Accurate Address List Are Making Progress, but Face Software and Other Challenges

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The decennial census is a constitutionally mandated activity that produces data used to apportion congressional seats, redraw congressional districts, and help allocate billions of dollars in federal assistance. A complete and accurate master address file (MAF), along with precise maps--the U.S. Census Bureau's (Bureau) mapping system is called Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER)--are the building blocks of a successful census. If the Bureau's address list and maps are inaccurate, people can be missed, counted more than once, or included in the wrong location. This testimony discusses the Bureau's readiness for the 2010 Census and covers: (1) the Bureau's progress in building an accurate address list; and (2) an update of the Bureau's information technology (IT) system used to extract information from its MAF/TIGER? database. Our review included observations at 20 early opening local census offices in hard-to-count areas. The testimony is based on previously issued and ongoing work."
Date: October 21, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
2010 Census: Fundamental Building Blocks of a Successful Enumeration Face Challenges (open access)

2010 Census: Fundamental Building Blocks of a Successful Enumeration Face Challenges

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The decennial census is a constitutionally-mandated activity that produces data used to apportion congressional seats, redraw congressional districts, and allocate billions of dollars in federal assistance. In March 2008, GAO designated the 2010 Census a high-risk area in part because of problems with the performance of handheld computers used to collect data. The U.S. Census Bureau has since strengthened its risk management efforts and made other improvements; however, the Bureau curtailed a dress rehearsal scheduled for 2008 and was unable to test key operations under census-like conditions. This testimony discusses the Bureau's readiness for 2010 and covers: (1) importance of reliable cost estimates; (2) building a complete and accurate address list; (3) following up on missing and conflicting responses to ensure accuracy; (4) targeting outreach to undercounted populations; and (5) designing, testing, and implementing technology for the census. The testimony is based on previously issued and ongoing GAO work."
Date: March 5, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library