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Telecommunications: Agencies Are Generally Following Sound Transition Planning Practices, and GSA Is Taking Action to Resolve Challenges

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The General Services Administration (GSA) is responsible for ensuring that federal agencies have access to the telecommunications needed to meet mission requirements. GSA's current telecommunications program, called FTS2001, has contracts in place that will expire by June 2010. Thus, agencies face the difficult task of transitioning their services to a successor program, known as Networx. GAO was asked … more
Date: June 27, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Postal Service: Delivery Performance Standards, Measurement, and Reporting Need Improvement

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "U.S. Postal Service (USPS) delivery performance standards and results, which are central to its mission of providing universal postal service, have been a long-standing concern for mailers and Congress. Standards are essential to set realistic expectations for delivery performance and organize activities accordingly. Timely and reliable reporting of results is essential for management, over-sight, and a… more
Date: July 27, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Veterans Benefits Administration: Progress Made in Long-Term Effort to Replace Benefits Payment System, but Challenges Persist

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 1996, the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) has been working on an initiative to replace its aging system for paying compensation and pension benefits. In 2005, concerned about the slow pace of development, VBA contracted with the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) for an independent evaluation of the project, known as the Veterans Service Network (VETSNET). SEI advised VBA to continue worki… more
Date: April 27, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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DHS Privacy Office: Progress Made but Challenges Remain in Notifying and Reporting to the Public

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Privacy Office was established with the appointment of the first Chief Privacy Officer in April 2003, as required by the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The Privacy Office's major responsibilities include: (1) reviewing and approving privacy impact assessments (PIA)--analyses of how personal information is managed in a federal system, (2) integrating privacy cons… more
Date: April 27, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Access to Arts Education: Inclusion of Additional Questions in Education's Planned Research Would Help Explain Why Instruction Time Has Decreased for Some Students

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA), districts and schools must demonstrate adequate yearly progress (AYP) for all students. Because schools may spend more time improving students' academic skills to meet NCLBA's requirements, some are concerned that arts education might be cut back. To determine how, if at all, student access to arts education has changed since NCLBA, the Congress asked: (1) has… more
Date: February 27, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Competitive Sourcing: Greater Emphasis Needed on Increasing Efficiency and Improving Performance

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In August 2001, the administration announced competitive sourcing as one of five initiatives in the President's Management Agenda. Under competitive sourcing, federal agencies open their commercial activities to competition among public and private sector sources. While competitive sourcing is expected to encourage innovation and improve efficiency and performance, it represents a major management change for m… more
Date: February 27, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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DOD Business Transformation: Lack of an Integrated Strategy Puts the Army's Asset Visibility System Investments at Risk

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) established a goal to achieve total asset visibility (TAV) over 30 years ago, but to date it has been unsuccessful. GAO was requested to (1) determine whether the Army has a systems strategy for achieving TAV, (2) determine if the Army's business system investment governance structure is consistent with DOD guidance, and (3) evaluate the Army's effort to correct previousl… more
Date: July 27, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Immigration Enforcement: Better Data and Controls Are Needed to Assure Consistency with the Supreme Court Decision on Long-Term Alien Detention

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Supreme Court's June 2001 ruling, Zadvydas v. Davis, held that indefinite detention of certain removable aliens was unlawful if their removal was not likely in the reasonably foreseeable future, even if they were deemed to be a threat to the community or a flight risk. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducts post order custody reviews of removable aliens to determine if continued deten… more
Date: May 27, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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2010 Census: Census Bureau Should Refine Recruiting and Hiring Efforts and Enhance Training of Temporary Field Staff

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The success of the 2010 Census depends, in part, upon the U.S. Census Bureau's (Bureau) ability to recruit, hire, and train over half a million temporary workers at peak. Under the Comptroller General's authority, GAO reviewed the extent that the Bureau's (1) recruiting and hiring processes for these staff are consistent with selected human capital principles and (2) training delivery and content take i… more
Date: April 27, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Combating Alien Smuggling: Opportunities Exist to Improve the Federal Response

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Globally, alien smuggling generates billions of dollars in illicit revenues annually and poses a threat to the nation's security. Creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in March 2003 has provided an opportunity to use financial investigative techniques to combat alien smugglers by targeting and seizing their monetary assets. For instance, the composition of DHS's largest investigative com… more
Date: May 27, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Fair Lending: Race and Gender Data Are Limited for Nonmortgage Lending

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Reserve Board's (FRB) Regulation B, which implements the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974 (ECOA), generally prohibits lenders from collecting certain data from loan applicants, such as their race or gender, for nonmortgage loans (e.g., small business loans). FRB has stated that this provision of Regulation B minimizes the chances that lenders would use such data in an unlawful and discri… more
Date: June 27, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Information Management: Freedom of Information Act Fee and Fee Waiver Processing at the Department of Energy

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives the public the right to access information about the federal government. In addressing requests for information, agencies have the authority to assess fees for certain categories of requesters to cover the costs of locating and copying records, as well as discretion to waive fees if specific criteria are met. GAO was asked to determine, for fiscal year 2004, t… more
Date: May 27, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy Security: Issues Related to Potential Reductions in Venezuelan Oil Production

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Venezuela is the world's eighth-largest oil exporter and among the top 10 countries in total proven oil reserves. Venezuela also supplies about 11 percent of current U.S. imports of crude oil and petroleum products and wholly owns five refineries in the U.S. Consequently, Venezuela is a key player in the future energy security of the United States and the world. The current global oil market is tight an… more
Date: June 27, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Health Information Technology: HHS Is Taking Steps to Develop a National Strategy

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To prevent medical errors, reduce costs, improve quality, and produce greater value for health care expenditures, President Bush has called for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and implement a strategic plan to guide the nationwide implementation of health information technology (IT) in both the public and private health care sectors. The Departments of Defense (DOD) and Vete… more
Date: May 27, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Public Transportation: Future Demand Is Likely for New Starts and Small Starts Programs, but Improvements Needed to the Small Starts Application Process

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Through the New Starts program, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) identifies and recommends new fixed-guideway transit projects for funding. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) created a separate program, commonly called Small Starts, which is intended to offer a streamlined evaluation and rating process for smaller-scale transit p… more
Date: July 27, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Credit Unions: Financial Condition Has Improved, but Opportunities Exist to Enhance Oversight and Share Insurance Management

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Recent legislative and regulatory changes have blurred some distinctions between credit unions and other depository institutions such as banks. The 1998 Credit Union Membership Access Act (CUMAA) allowed for an expansion of membership and mandated safety and soundness controls similar to those of other depository institutions. In light of these changes and the evolution of the credit union industry, GAO evalua… more
Date: October 27, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections

Description: This fact sheet tracks the current heads of government in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It provides the dates of the last and next elections for the head of government and the national independence date for each country.
Date: March 27, 2009
Creator: Gomez-Granger, Julissa & Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bank Secrecy Act: Suspicious Activity Report Use Is Increasing, but FinCEN Needs to Further Develop and Document Its Form Revision Process

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To assist law enforcement agencies in their efforts to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) requires financial institutions to file suspicious activity reports (SAR) to inform the federal government of transactions related to possible violations of law or regulation. Depository institutions have been concerned about the resources required t… more
Date: February 27, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Economic Development Administration: Remediation Activities Account for a Small Percentage of Total Brownfield Grant Funding

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Economic Development Administration (EDA) Reauthorization Act of 2004 (P. L. 108-373) included a requirement that GAO evaluate grants made by EDA for the economic development of brownfield sites. More than 450,000 brownfield sites--properties where redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination--are scattered across the United States. This report discusses… more
Date: October 27, 2005
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Impact of Gambling: Economic Effects More Measurable Than Social Effects

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the National Gambling Impact Study Commission's (NGISC) case study on gambling, focusing on: (1) the economic effects of gambling, particularly on employment, bankruptcy, and tax revenues and community investment; (2) the social effects of gambling; (3) the prevalence of pathological gambling; and (4) whether communities offer incentives to attract gambling est… more
Date: April 27, 2000
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Inventory: The Army Needs a Plan to Overcome Critical Spare Parts Shortages

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Prior reports and studies have identified major risks in the Department of Defense's (DOD) management, funding, and reporting of spare parts spending programs. Spare parts shortages adversely affect the U.S. Army's operations and can compromise the readiness of weapon systems. To address these issues, Congress has fully funded DOD's requests for spare parts spending and in some instances increased funding for … more
Date: June 27, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Homeland Security: First Responders' Ability to Detect and Model Hazardous Releases in Urban Areas Is Significantly Limited

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "First responders are responsible for responding to terrorist-related and accidental releases of CBRN materials in urban areas. Two primary tools for identifying agents released and their dispersion and effect are equipment to detect and identify CBRN agents in the environment and plume models to track the dispersion of airborne releases of these agents. GAO reports on the limitations of the CBRN detecti… more
Date: June 27, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Information Management: The National Archives and Records Administration's Fiscal Year 2007 Expenditure Plan

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2001, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has been working to acquire the Electronic Records Archives (ERA) system. As required by law, the agency submitted its fiscal year 2007 expenditure plan to congressional appropriations committees, seeking the release of $23.4 million for the development of the system. GAO's objectives in reviewing the expenditure plan were to (1) determ… more
Date: July 27, 2007
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Tax Administration: Comparison of the Reported Tax Liabilities of Foreign- and U.S.-Controlled Corporations, 1996-2000

Description: A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In prior reports, GAO found differences in the percentages of foreign-controlled corporations (FCC) and U.S.-controlled corporations (USCC) reporting no tax liability. Based on concerns that FCCs could be avoiding taxes by improperly shifting income to lower tax countries, GAO was asked to compare, for the years 1996 through 2000, (1) FCCs and USCCs, based on the tax liabilities they reported on their U.S. inc… more
Date: February 27, 2004
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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