# Coronavirus Oversight

Reports News from the GAO

- Commercial Aviation: Key Lessons from COVID-19 Preparedness and Emergency Financial Assistance to the Industry What GAO FoundA key lesson from GAO's prior work is that greater federal leadership could benefit both aviation pandemic  preparedness  and disease mitigation  research  .The Department of...
- Child Care: Selected States Are Taking Steps to Sustain Program Changes Implemented with COVID-19 Funding What GAO FoundIn all five selected states, child care officials reported using supplemental funding to make investments and program changes to address preexisting challenges facing families and...
- Pandemic Risk: Federal Insurance Approaches Would Entail Costs to Taxpayers and Businesses Might Not Participate What GAO FoundPrivate insurance played a limited role in addressing business losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some businesses turned to business interruption coverage to recoup losses. But...
- COVID-19 Relief: Treasury Could Improve Its Administration and Oversight of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds What GAO FoundNearly all—$325.5 billion—of the $350 billion in State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) was allocated to state and local governments. As of March 31, 2023, states reported...
- Federal Spending Transparency: Opportunities Exist to Improve COVID-19 and Other Grant Subaward Data on USAspending.gov What GAO FoundFederal grant award recipients, such as nonprofit organizations, can pass on a portion of their awards to another entity as a subaward to carry out a portion of the work. Office of...
- COVID-19 Relief Funds: State Experiences Could Inform Future Federal Relief Funding What GAO FoundBudget office staff in eight states told GAO they worked with state legislatures, agencies, and other stakeholders to plan the use of COVID-19 relief funds. While budget staff said...
- COVID-19: Insights from Fraud Schemes and Federal Response Efforts What GAO FoundThe Department of Justice (DOJ) has brought federal fraud-related charges against at least 2,191 individuals or entities in cases involving federal COVID-19 relief programs, consumer...
- COVID-19: Insights and Actions for Fraud Prevention What GAO FoundChallenges that agencies faced in implementing COVID-19 relief programs provide insights into fraud prevention for normal operations and future emergencies. Specifically,...
- Public Health Preparedness: Building and Maintaining Infrastructure beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic What GAO FoundThe COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of a strong public health infrastructure to prepare for and respond to threats, including a skilled workforce, and physical...
- Credit Cards: Pandemic Assistance Likely Helped Reduce Balances, and Credit Terms Varied Among Demographic Groups What GAO FoundApproximately half of active credit card accounts carried a balance during the period from June 2013 through 2019, according to GAO's analysis of a nongeneralizable sample of more...
- COVID-19: Key Elements of Fraud Schemes and Actions to Better Prevent Fraud What GAO FoundMost COVID-19 relief funds went to the intended recipients in the intended amounts. In other instances, significant funds went to those who engaged in fraud schemes. Federal fraud...
- COVID-19 Relief: States' and Localities' Fiscal Recovery Funds Spending as of March 31, 2023 What GAO FoundState and local government recipients of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program obligated more than half and spent less than half of their awards, per...
- COVID-19: USAID Plans to Share Lessons Learned from Efforts to Meet Global Vaccination Goal What GAO FoundThe U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supports COVID-19 vaccine country readiness and delivery abroad by assisting a country's capacity to receive and administer...
- COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund: HRSA Continues to Recover Remaining Payments Due from Providers What GAO FoundThe Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), administers and oversees the Provider Relief Fund (PRF)....
- COVID-19: U.S. Territory Experiences Could Inform Future Federal Relief What GAO FoundFederal agencies allocated more than $32 billion in COVID-19 relief funding to the five permanently inhabited U.S. territories—American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana...
- COVID-19: GAO Recommendations Can Help Federal Agencies Better Prepare for Future Public Health Emergencies What GAO FoundThis report presents key findings and recommendations of GAO's recent COVID-19 oversight reports in several topic areas, with an eye towards helping federal agencies to better prepare...
- Meat and Poultry Worker Safety: OSHA Should Determine How to Address Persistent Hazards Exacerbated by COVID-19 What GAO FoundCompanies reported taking steps to address COVID-19 in response to federal guidance. Most of the 15 companies responding to GAO's survey said they encouraged distancing in communal...
- Child Care: Observations on States' Use of COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Funding What GAO FoundThe Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the largest federal child care program, providing grants to states to improve the affordability, availability, and quality of child care...
- COVID Relief: Fraud Schemes and Indicators in SBA Pandemic Programs What GAO FoundThe Small Business Administration (SBA) moved quickly under challenging circumstances to develop and launch pandemic relief programs to help small businesses. These programs,...
- 340B Drug Discount Program: Information about Hospitals That Received an Eligibility Exception as a Result of COVID-19 What GAO FoundThe 340B Drug Pricing Program (340B Program) requires drug manufacturers to sell outpatient drugs at discounted prices to covered entities (including certain types of hospitals) for...
- High-Risk Series: Efforts Made to Achieve Progress Need to Be Maintained and Expanded to Fully Address All Areas What GAO FoundCongress and executive agencies have made substantial progress addressing high-risk issues since the previous High-Risk List update in 2021. Sixteen of 34 high-risk areas improved...
- High-Risk Series: Efforts Made to Achieve Progress Need to Be Maintained and Expanded to Fully Address All Areas What GAO FoundCongress and executive agencies have made substantial progress addressing high-risk issues since the previous High-Risk List update in 2021. Sixteen of 34 high-risk areas improved...
- High-Risk Series: Efforts Made to Achieve Progress Need to Be Maintained and Expanded to Fully Address All Areas What GAO FoundCongress and executive agencies have made substantial progress addressing high-risk issues since the previous High-Risk List update in 2021. Sixteen of 34 high-risk areas improved...
- COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: Experts Identified Actions Aimed at Improving Infection Prevention and Control What GAO FoundThe Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), primarily through the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has led...
- COVID-19 Relief: Funding and Spending as of Jan. 31, 2023 The federal government has provided about $4.6 trillion to help the nation respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Tracking federal spending is complex—especially at this unprecedented...
- Unemployment Insurance: DOL Needs to Address Substantial Pandemic UI Fraud and Reduce Persistent Risks What GAO FoundGAO found evidence of substantial levels of fraud and potential fraud in unemployment insurance (UI) during the pandemic. GAO estimated over $60&nbsp;billion in fraudulent UI payments...
- Supply Chain Resilience: Agencies Are Taking Steps to Expand Diplomatic Engagement and Coordinate with International Partners What GAO FoundSince the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Departments of Commerce, State, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative have expanded diplomatic engagement on strengthening...
- Public Health Preparedness: HHS Should Plan for Medical Countermeasure Development and Manufacturing Risks What GAO FoundIn 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) established a program to improve domestic infrastructure and expertise to produce medical countermeasures—such as drugs and...
- Pandemic Origins: Technologies, Challenges, and Policy Options to Support Investigations What GAO FoundDetermining the likely origin of pandemics is challenging. Researchers may use several technologies to investigate a pandemic's origin. For example, researchers use technologies such...
- Pandemic Origins: Technologies and Challenges for Biological Investigations What GAO FoundDetermining the likely origin of pandemics is challenging. Researchers may use several technologies to investigate a pandemic’s origin. For example, researchers use technologies such...
- Emergency Relief Funds: Significant Improvements Are Needed to Address Fraud and Improper Payments What GAO FoundWhile fraud and accountability issues will continue to occur in COVID-19 relief programs, there is already ample evidence of widespread fraud, improper payments, and accountability...
- COVID-19: HHS Funds Allocated to Support Disproportionately Affected Communities What GAO FoundThe Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided $75 billion in pandemic relief funding from its Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to four agencies: the...
- Medicare: CMS Needs to Address Risks Posed by Provider Enrollment Waivers and Flexibilities What GAO FoundGAO identified 47 waivers and flexibilities that the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) issued to sustain Medicare's provider workforce capacity and beneficiary access...
- COVID-19 Relief Funds: Lessons Learned Could Improve Future Distribution of Federal Emergency Relief to Tribal Recipients What GAO FoundAgencies used various approaches to provide COVID-19 pandemic relief to tribal entities, tribal members, and American Indian or Alaska Native individuals (tribal recipients)....
- COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: Outbreak Duration Averaged 4 Weeks and Was Strongly Associated with Community Spread What GAO FoundGAO analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that, from June 2020 through December 2021, nursing homes faced many separate COVID-19 outbreaks,...
- CARES Act: Structural Characteristics That Can Help Insulate HHS Agencies against Potential Political Interference What GAO FoundThe  Sourcebook of United States Executive Agencies  describes over 60 structural characteristics or features related to an agency's organization or design. These features can affect...
- Export-Import Bank: Loan and Loan Guarantee Program Updates in Response to COVID-19 What GAO FoundUsing its existing authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) developed four temporary relief measures for its loan and loan guarantee programs in response to the...
- Veterans Affairs: Projection, Use, and Oversight of COVID-19 Relief Funding What GAO FoundThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) received approximately $36.70 billion in supplemental funding outside of its annual appropriation from three COVID-19 relief laws between 2020...
- Social Security Administration: Remote Service Delivery Increased during COVID-19, but More Could Be Done to Assist Vulnerable Populations What GAO FoundCOVID-19 prompted the Social Security Administration (SSA) to make dramatic changes in the way it delivers services and administers its programs. On March 17, 2020, SSA closed its...
- Maternal Health: Outcomes Worsened and Disparities Persisted During the Pandemic What GAO FoundEach year in the U.S., hundreds of women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth—known as maternal death. GAO's analysis of Centers for Disease Control and...
- Public Health Preparedness: HHS Should Address Strategic National Stockpile Requirements and Inventory Risks What GAO FoundThe Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) is a multibillion dollar inventory of drugs, vaccines, supplies, and other medical countermeasures that can be used in emergencies. GAO reported...
- COVID Relief: SBA Could Improve Communications and Fraud Risk Monitoring for Its Arts and Entertainment Venues Grant Program What GAO FoundThe Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program was created to financially assist businesses in the performing arts and entertainment industries hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The...
- COVID-19: CBP Acted to Mitigate Challenges Affecting Its Trade Operations What GAO FoundThe COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift in U.S. international trade trends. In particular, an initial decline in imports occurred at the pandemic's onset in March 2020, followed by a...
- Maritime Cargo Security: CBP's Efforts to Address the Impacts of COVID-19 What GAO FoundThe COVID-19 pandemic impacted two of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) key maritime cargo security programs—the Container Security Initiative (CSI) and the Customs Trade...
- COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: CMS Needs to Continue to Strengthen Oversight of Infection Prevention and Control What GAO FoundThe Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) is responsible for ensuring that nursing homes meet federal standards. CMS enters into agreements with state survey agencies to...
- Coronavirus Food Assistance Program: USDA Should Conduct More Rigorous Reviews of Payments to Producers What GAO FoundThe Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) provided producers $31.0 billion for various commodities. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) paid producers $13.8...
- Bank Supervision: Lessons Learned from Remote Supervision during Pandemic Could Inform Future Disruptions What GAO FoundTo assess challenges that COVID-19 posed to their supervisory missions, the federal banking regulators convened working groups to assess risks related to conducting fully remote bank...
- Public Health Preparedness: COVID-19 Medical Surge Experiences and Related HHS Efforts What GAO FoundThe COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of hospitals' abilities to evaluate and care for an increased volume of patients exceeding normal operating capacity, known as...
- Air Travel and Communicable Diseases: Federal Leadership Needed to Advance Research What GAO FoundGAO identified research conducted on communicable diseases in air travel in several areas. For example, research has examined how air moves in aircraft and studied the effect of...
- Restaurant Revitalization Fund: Opportunities Exist to Improve Oversight What GAO FoundThe Restaurant Revitalization Fund was established in March 2021 to support eligible entities suffering revenue losses from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Small Business Administration (...
- 2020 Elections: State and Local Perspectives on Election Administration during the COVID-19 Pandemic What GAO FoundGAO surveyed state election offices and local election jurisdictions about steps they took to prepare for and conduct the 2020 elections during the pandemic. The surveys asked...
- Contact Tracing for Air Travel: CDC's Data System Needs Substantial Improvement What GAO FoundThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) plays a key role in contact tracing for air travel—the process of identifying and notifying passengers who may have come into...
- Stimulus Checks: Direct Payments to Individuals during the COVID-19 Pandemic In 2020 and 2021, IRS and Treasury issued $931 billion in direct payments to individuals to ease financial stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some eligible Americans never received...
- COVID-19: Agencies Increased Use of Some Regulatory Flexibilities and Are Taking Steps to Assess Them What GAO FoundTwenty-three of 24 major agencies GAO surveyed reported implementing regulatory flexibilities in response to COVID-19. Regulatory flexibilities can include actions that modify...
- COVID-19: Pandemic Lessons Highlight Need for Public Health Situational Awareness Network What GAO FoundSince 2006, multiple federal laws have mandated that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) take steps to improve the nation's situational awareness of threats related to...
- Pandemic Learning: Less Academic Progress Overall, Student and Teacher Strain, and Implications for the Future What GAO FoundCompared to a typical school year, teachers reported that more of their students started the 2020-21 school year behind and made less academic progress, according to GAO's...
- Unemployment Insurance: Transformation Needed to Address Program Design, Infrastructure, and Integrity Risks What GAO FoundGAO and others have reported that challenges with Unemployment Insurance (UI) administration have affected states' ability to effectively meet the needs of unemployed workers, both...
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance: Federal Program Supported Contingent Workers Amid Historic Demand, but DOL Should Examine Racial Disparities in Benefit Receipt What GAO FoundWhen the pandemic began, states faced historic demand and urgency to pay unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, and their experiences implementing the new Pandemic Unemployment...
- Unemployment Insurance: Pandemic Programs Posed Challenges, and DOL Could Better Address Customer Service and Emergency Planning What GAO FoundState officials GAO interviewed in six selected states that varied across characteristics, such as IT modernization, described facing shortages of experienced staff and IT challenges...
- Pandemic Learning: Teachers Reported Many Obstacles for High-Poverty Students and English Learners As Well As Some Mitigating Strategies What GAO FoundWhile the pandemic presented obstacles for many students during the 2020-21 school year, GAO's nationwide survey of public K-12 teachers showed that teachers with certain vulnerable...
- Private Health Insurance: Limited Data Hinders Understanding of Short-Term Plans' Role and Value During the COVID-19 Pandemic What GAO FoundOne option that may be available to those who lose jobs with employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) during the COVID-19 pandemic is short-term plans, which can cover certain health...
- COVID-19: IRS Implemented Tax Relief for Employers Quickly, but Could Strengthen Its Compliance Efforts What GAO FoundStarting in March 2020, Congress passed several laws, including the CARES Act, to provide employers with tax relief in response to the economic burden brought on by the COVID-19...
- COVID-19: FDA Took Steps to Help Make Tests Available; Policy for Future Public Health Emergencies Needed What GAO FoundThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took several actions aimed at increasing the availability of COVID-19 tests in the United States. This included granting emergency use...
- Pandemic Learning: Technical Materials for Teacher Survey and Discussion Groups with Public K-12 School Principals, Teachers, and Parents This supplement is a companion to GAO's report entitled, "Pandemic Learning: As Students Struggled to Learn, Teachers Reported Few Strategies as Particularly Helpful to Mitigate Learning Loss," GAO-...
- Pandemic Learning: As Students Struggled to Learn, Teachers Reported Few Strategies as Particularly Helpful to Mitigate Learning Loss What GAO FoundDuring the 2020-21 school year, students in all grade levels, whether learning in person or virtually, struggled with many obstacles. These ranged from lack of appropriate workspaces...
- COVID-19: Current and Future Federal Preparedness Requires Fixes to Improve Health Data and Address Improper Payments What GAO FoundBy late March 2022, daily COVID-19 cases in the U.S. had fallen substantially since the Omicron-related peak in January 2022. Though COVID-19-associated hospitalizations and deaths...
- Indian Health Service: Relief Funding and Agency Response to COVID-19 Pandemic What GAO FoundThe Indian Health Service (IHS) received more than $9 billion in COVID-19 relief funding, an amount 50 percent greater than its fiscal year 2020 total budget authority. These funds...
- Medicaid: CMS Should Assess Effect of Increased Telehealth Use on Beneficiaries' Quality of Care What GAO FoundGAO's analysis of Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) data in five selected states shows that the number and percentage of services delivered via telehealth and...
- COVID-19: Information on HHS's Public Education Campaign What GAO FoundIn the summer of 2020, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) worked with procurement offices within...
- Freedom of Information Act: Selected Agencies Adapted to COVID-19 Challenges but Actions Needed to Reduce Backlogs What GAO FoundIn January 2022, GAO reported that the COVID-19 pandemic affected selected government-wide measures of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) administration, while other indicators...
- Emergency Relief Funds: Significant Improvements Are Needed to Ensure Transparency and Accountability for COVID-19 and Beyond What GAO FoundWhen reviewing the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, GAO found that agencies had significant shortcomings in their application of fundamental internal controls...
- COVID-19: State Should Strengthen Policies to Better Maintain Overseas Operations in Future Crises What GAO FoundThe Department of State made key decisions for overseas posts (e.g., U.S. embassies and consulates) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as shown in the figure below, but did not communicate...
- Transportation Security: TSA Efforts to Coordinate with Stakeholders on COVID-19 Security Directives What GAO FoundStarting in January 2020, presidential executive actions imposed restrictions on international air travel to the U.S. from certain countries and mandated that face masks be worn on...
- Science & Tech Spotlight: Long COVID Why This MattersLong COVID has potentially affected up to 23 million Americans, pushing an estimated 1 million people out of work. The full magnitude of health and economic effects is unknown but...
- COVID-19: Federal Telework Increased During the Pandemic, but More Reliable Data Are Needed to Support Oversight What GAO FoundThe Office of Personnel Management (OPM) collects data on federal telework to report annually to Congress, but has made limited progress addressing long-standing data issues. In 2016...
- COVID-19: Federal Efforts to Provide Vaccines to Racial and Ethnic Groups What GAO FoundIn February 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)...
- Defense Health Care: DOD Expanded Telehealth for Mental Health Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic What GAO FoundThe Department of Defense's (DOD) Military Health System provides a full range of medical care, including mental health care for conditions like anxiety and depression to...
- COVID-19: Significant Improvements Are Needed for Overseeing Relief Funds and Leading Responses to Public Health Emergencies What GAO FoundNew U.S. COVID-19 cases and virus variants continue to challenge the nation. New daily reported cases increased sharply from December 21, 2021 to January 3, 2022 due primarily to...
- Freedom of Information Act: Selected Agencies Adapted to the COVID-19 Pandemic but Face Ongoing Challenges and Backlogs What GAO FoundThe COVID-19 pandemic affected some measures of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) administration government-wide. For example, FOIA requests received declined government-wide by 8...
- COVID-19: Better USAID Documentation and More-Frequent Reporting Could Enhance Monitoring of Humanitarian Efforts What GAO FoundThe Department of State (State) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) shifted to remote monitoring of their humanitarian assistance awards in response to COVID-19...
- Federal Prisons: Monitoring Efforts to Implement COVID-19 Recommendations and Examining First Step Act Implementation What GAO FoundGAO's July 2021 report on the Bureau of Prison's (BOP) response to the COVID-19 pandemic found that, while BOP developed and updated COVID-19 guidance with input from the Centers for...
- COVID-19: HHS and DOD Transitioned Vaccine Responsibilities to HHS, but Need to Address Outstanding Issues What GAO FoundStarting in May 2020, federal efforts to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines had been led by a partnership between the Department of...
- Housing Finance System: Future Reforms Should Consider Past Plans and Vulnerabilities Highlighted by Pandemic What GAO FoundThe COVID-19 pandemic highlighted three vulnerabilities in the housing finance system—although thus far mitigated by federal actions and market conditions—that remain relevant to the...
- COVID-19: Agencies Are Taking Steps to Improve Future Use of Defense Production Act Authorities What GAO FoundFederal agencies used the Defense Production Act (DPA) and other actions over 100 times to help address COVID-19 medical supply needs through September 2021. Agencies used DPA...
- COVID-19: Selected States Modified Meal Provision and Other Older Americans Act Services to Prioritize Safety What GAO FoundStates spent most of their supplemental COVID-19 funding from the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA) to provide meals, and reported using certain pandemic-related flexibilities to...
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—Applicability of Congressional Review Act to Requirement for Persons to Wear Masks While on Conveyances and at Transportation Hubs &nbsp;On February 3, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a document in the Federal Register entitled Requirement for Persons to Wear Masks While on Conveyances and...
- Behavioral Health and COVID-19: Higher-Risk Populations and Related Federal Relief Funding What GAO FoundThe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic crisis—such as increased social isolation, stress, and unemployment—have intensified concerns about the number of people in...
- U.S. International Development Finance Corporation: Actions Needed to Improve Management of Defense Production Act Loan Program What GAO FoundThe primary mission of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is to partner with the private sector to invest in development projects around the world. Since the...
- Vaccine Development: Capabilities and Challenges for Addressing Infectious Diseases What GAO FoundVaccines protect people from disease by preparing the body to respond to an infection. Vaccinations are a key part of individual and community health, but vaccine development remains...
- Critical Infrastructure Protection: Education Should Take Additional Steps to Help Protect K-12 Schools from Cyber Threats What GAO FoundFederal guidance, such as the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (National Plan), specify the roles and responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity...
- Election Assistance Commission: Assessment of Lessons Learned Could Improve Grants Administration What GAO FoundThe U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC)—established to serve as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration, among other responsibilities—shared...
- COVID-19: HHS Agencies' Planned Reviews of Vaccine Distribution and Communication Efforts Should Include Stakeholder Perspectives What GAO FoundIn late 2020 and early 2021, agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) set up federal programs for vaccine distribution and administration. State and local...
- COVID-19: State Carried Out Historic Repatriation Effort but Should Strengthen Its Preparedness for Future Crises What GAO FoundFrom January to June 2020, the Department of State carried out a historic effort in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to repatriate more than 100,000 individuals who were in...
- COVID-19: Lessons Learned from Interior and Treasury's Administration of CARES Act Funds Could Improve Federal Emergency Relief to Tribes What GAO FoundThe Department of the Interior distributed the CARES Act Operation of Indian Programs (OIP) appropriation through existing programs while the Department of the Treasury had to set up...
- COVID-19: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Accountability and Program Effectiveness of Federal Response What GAO FoundAs the nation continues to respond to, and recover from, the COVID-19 pandemic, increases in COVID-19 cases in July, August, and September 2021, primarily due to the Delta variant...
- COVID-19: Federal Agencies' Initial Reentry and Workplace Safety Planning What GAO FoundFederal agencies adopted a maximum telework posture following the March 2020 national emergency declaration related to COVID-19. In April 2020, Office of Management and Budget (OMB)...
- Federal Hiring: OPM Should Collect and Share COVID-19 Lessons Learned to Inform Hiring During Future Emergencies What GAO FoundThe CARES Act provided temporary hiring authorities to six agencies with responsibilities for responding to the public health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19. A hiring...
- COVID-19 Pandemic: Observations on the Ongoing Recovery of the Aviation Industry What GAO FoundThe COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the aviation and aerospace sectors that depend on commercial passenger travel. As demand for air travel plummeted and remained low throughout...
- Federal Reserve Lending Programs: Credit Markets Served by the Programs Have Stabilized, but Vulnerabilities Remain What GAO FoundThe Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) authorized 13 lending programs—known as facilities—to ensure the flow of credit to various parts of the economy...
- COVID-19 Contracting: Indian Health Service Used Flexibilities to Meet Increased Medical Supply Needs Why This MattersThe Indian Health Service (IHS) serves over 2 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. These groups have been disproportionately vulnerable to negative outcomes from COVID-19....
- COVID-19: Additional Risk Assessment Actions Could Improve HUD Oversight of CARES Act Funds What GAO FoundThe Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) oversight of $12.4 billion in CARES Act funding included monitoring spending and addressing reporting requirements, but further...
- College Closures: Many Impacted Borrowers Struggled Financially Despite Being Eligible for Loan Discharges Why This MattersWhen a college closes, it can derail the education of many students, leaving them with loans but no degree. Those who cannot complete their education may be eligible to have their...
- COVID-19: Selected Agencies Overcame Technology Challenges to Support Telework but Need to Fully Assess Security Controls What GAO FoundEach of the 12 agencies GAO selected for review had information technology (IT) in place to support remote access for telework during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the agencies...
- COVID-19: Reviewing Existing Policies Could Help Selected Agencies Better Prepare for Dedicated User Fee Revenue Fluctuations What GAO FoundExecutive branch agencies' revenues from dedicated user fees were lower in fiscal year 2020 and in the first half of fiscal year 2021 compared to average annual revenues in fiscal...
- COVID-19: Defense-Wide Working Capital Fund Cash Management and Defense Logistics Agency Pandemic Response What GAO FoundThree Department of Defense (DOD) agencies, including the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), use the Defense-Wide Working Capital Fund (DWWCF) to fund their operations and then deposit...
- Paycheck Protection Program: Program Changes Increased Lending to the Smallest Businesses and in Underserved Locations What GAO FoundThe Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) supports small businesses through forgivable loans for payroll and other eligible costs. Early lending favored larger and rural businesses,...
- Exposure Notification: Benefits and Challenges of Smartphone Applications to Augment Contact Tracing Why GAO Did This StudyWith the emergence and rapid global spread of COVID-19, smartphone apps have been developed to supplement manual contact tracing, which is a public health measure used to slow...
- Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services: Evaluating COVID-19 Response Could Help CMS Prepare for Future Emergencies What GAO FoundCOVID-19 presented risks to Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS) programs, where providers help beneficiaries with daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, and...
- USDA Food Box Program: Key Information and Opportunities to Better Assess Performance What GAO FoundThrough contractors, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farmers to Families Food Box Program purchased fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, and meat products from producers...
- COVID-19: Improvements Needed in Guidance and Stakeholder Engagement for Immigration Courts What GAO FoundThe Department of Justice's (DOJ) Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) took steps to modify immigration court operations and guidance to respond to COVID-19. For instance,...
- Federal Debt Management: Treasury Quickly Financed Historic Government Response to the Pandemic and is assessing Risks to Market Functioning What GAO FoundIn response to COVID-19, in March 2020 many investors rapidly sold their Treasury securities for cash. This led to a severe liquidity disruption when prices fell and transaction costs...
- COVID-19: HHS's Collection of Hospital Capacity Data What GAO FoundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) made frequent and significant changes to the collection of hospital capacity data. In April 2020, HHS...
- Biodefense: After-Action Findings and COVID-19 Response Revealed Opportunities to Strengthen Preparedness What GAO FoundKey federal agencies, including the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Defense (DOD), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Agriculture (USDA), developed a range of interagency...
- Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Communication with Applicants and Address Fraud Risks What GAO FoundEconomic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applicants and recipients varied in terms of business size, years in operation, and industry, based on GAO's analysis of Small Business...
- COVID-19 Contracting: Opportunities to Improve Practices to Assess Prospective Vendors and Capture Lessons Learned What GAO FoundAs of May 31, 2021, agencies obligated $61.4 billion for contracts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Agencies cancelled $4 billion in obligations, in some cases due to contract...
- Bureau of Prisons: BOP Could Further Enhance its COVID-19 Response by Capturing and Incorporating Lessons Learned What GAO FoundThe Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has developed COVID-19 guidance, with input in part from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and periodically updates this guidance,...
- Paycheck Protection Program: SBA Added Program Safeguards, but Additional Actions Are Needed What GAO FoundThe Small Business Administration (SBA) quickly implemented the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in April 2020 to assist small businesses adversely affected by COVID-19. But SBA's...
- Child Welfare: Pandemic Posed Challenges, but also Created Opportunities for Agencies to Enhance Future Operations What GAO FoundChild welfare officials GAO interviewed in five selected states reported challenges affecting both child protective and foster care services during the pandemic in 2020-2021....
- COVID-19 Pandemic: Actions Needed to Improve Federal Oversight of Assistance to Individuals, Communities, and the Transportation Industry What GAO FoundThe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and Department of the Treasury (Treasury), among others, continue to provide financial assistance...
- COVID-19: VA Should Assess Its Oversight of Infection Prevention and Control in Community Living Centers What GAO FoundThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) took steps—such as issuing guidance and trainings—to support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Community Living Centers (CLC), which are...
- COVID-19 Contracting: Contractor Paid Leave Reimbursements Could Provide Lessons Learned for Future Emergency Responses What GAO FoundTo help government contractors keep their workforce in a ready state during the COVID-19 pandemic, section 3610 of the CARES Act generally authorized government agencies to reimburse...
- COVID-19 Contracting: Actions Needed to Enhance Transparency and Oversight of Selected Awards What GAO FoundIn response to COVID-19, as of March 2021, the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security obligated at least $12.5 billion using a contracting mechanism...
- COVID-19: Continued Attention Needed to Enhance Federal Preparedness, Response, Service Delivery, and Program Integrity What GAO FoundThe nation is concurrently responding to, and recovering from, the COVID-19 pandemic, as the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have declined in recent months. Among the...
- COVID-19: The Coast Guard Has Addressed Challenges, but Could Improve Telework Documentation and Personnel Data What GAO FoundThe U.S. Coast Guard took steps to safeguard its personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic by updating its policies and guidance, expanding telework, and administering COVID-19 vaccines...
- State and Local Governments: Fiscal Conditions During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Selected States What GAO FoundState and local government revenues from individual, corporate, and sales taxes declined about $61 billion in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the second quarter in 2019 and...
- COVID-19 Housing Protections: Mortgage Forbearance and Other Federal Efforts Have Reduced Default and Foreclosure Risks What GAO FoundMany single-family mortgage borrowers who missed payments during the pandemic used the expanded mortgage forbearance provision in the CARES Act. This provision allowed borrowers with...
- Immigration Detention: ICE Efforts to Address COVID-19 in Detention Facilities What GAO FoundTo guide immigration detention facilities' response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) developed the  COVID-19 Pandemic Response...
- COVID-19: Implementation and Oversight of Preparedness Strategies at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers What GAO FoundBeginning in January 2020, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) took actions to help the Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers (VAMC) prepare for COVID-19. VHA's Office...
- Veterans Community Care Program: VA Took Action on Veterans' Access to Care, but COVID-19 Highlighted Continued Scheduling Challenges What GAO FoundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) took action regarding veterans' access to care through the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). For example,...
- COVID-19: Federal Air Marshal Service Should Document Its Response to Cases and Facilitate Access to Testing What GAO FoundThe U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), reported 345 cases of COVID-19 among employees, as of January 31, 2021.Federal Air...
- Independence Day Celebrations: Estimated Costs and COVID-19 Protective Measures for 2020 Fourth of July Events What GAO FoundFederal agencies and state and local jurisdictions combined spent millions of dollars for the estimated costs of 2020 Fourth of July events in Washington, D.C., and at Mount Rushmore...
- Management Report: Preliminary Information on Potential Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Receipt of Unemployment Insurance Benefits during the COVID-19 Pandemic What GAO FoundAs part of ongoing work on unemployment insurance (UI) benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, GAO found potential racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of UI benefits,...
- VA COVID-19 Procurements: Pandemic Underscores Urgent Need to Modernize Supply Chain What GAO FoundLike most medical institutions nationwide, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) faced difficulties obtaining medical supplies, including personal protective equipment for its...
- Border Security: CBP's Response to COVID-19 What GAO FoundAccording to data from the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), through February 2021, over 7,000 Office of Field Operations (OFO) and U.S....
- COVID-19: TSA Could Better Monitor Its Efforts to Reduce Infectious Disease Spread at Checkpoints What GAO FoundTo reduce the spread of COVID-19 at passenger checkpoints, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials issued amended safety measures to require that Transportation...
- VA Health Care: Additional Data Needed to Inform the COVID- 19 Response in Community Living Centers What GAO FoundSince November 2020, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has had facility-specific data on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and deaths among residents in Community Living...
- National Science Foundation: COVID-19 Affected Ongoing Construction of Major Facilities Projects What GAO FoundSince GAO's April 2020 report on the status of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) major facilities projects, the Large Hadron Collider High Luminosity Upgrade program began...
- Science & Tech Spotlight: Digital Vaccine Credentials Why This MattersDigital vaccine credentials certify that a person has been vaccinated or tested for COVID-19. Such credentials can be a tool to mitigate COVID-19 transmission as countries seek to...
- COVID-19: DOD Has Focused on Strategy and Oversight to Protect Military Servicemember Health What GAO FoundSince January 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD) has developed a strategy to protect the health of military servicemembers from COVID-19, with a goal of minimizing risks while...
- Small Business Administration: Use of Supplemental Funds for Administering COVID-19-Related Programs What GAO FoundIn fiscal year 2020, Congress provided the Small Business Administration (SBA) about $3.4 billion in supplemental appropriations to administer small business assistance during the...
- Employee Benefits Security Administration: Enforcement Efforts to Protect Participants' Rights in Employer-Sponsored Retirement and Health Benefit Plans What GAO FoundThe Department of Labor's (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration's (EBSA) enforcement focuses on encouraging retirement and health plans to comply with the Employee...
- Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Health and Human Services What GAO FoundIn April 2020, GAO identified 55 priority recommendations for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since then, HHS has implemented eight of those recommendations by,...
- COVID-19 Pandemic: VA Provides Health Care Assistance to Civilians as Part of the Federal Response What GAO FoundAs part of its federal response to COVID-19, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) participates in a multiagency council, which includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (...
- Medicare and Medicaid: COVID-19 Program Flexibilities and Considerations for Their Continuation What GAO FoundIn response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency responsible for overseeing Medicare and Medicaid, made widespread use...
- COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: Most Homes Had Multiple Outbreaks and Weeks of Sustained Transmission from May 2020 through January 2021 What GAO FoundGAO analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that, from May 2020 through January 2021, nursing homes commonly experienced multiple COVID-19...
- Veterans Affairs: Use of Additional Funding for COVID-19 Relief What GAO FoundThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) received $19.6 billion in supplemental funding—additional funding above the annual appropriation—in March 2020 to respond to the COVID-19...
- Behavioral Health: Patient Access, Provider Claims Payment, and the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic What GAO FoundGAO found that there have been longstanding concerns about the availability of behavioral health treatment, particularly for low-income individuals. According to a review of federal...
- U.S. Postal Service: Volume, Performance, and Financial Changes since the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic What GAO FoundIn 2020, the majority of which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) experienced a 9 percent drop in total mail volume when compared to 2019. The...
- Indian Education: Schools Need More Assistance to Provide Distance Learning What GAO FoundThe Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), within the Department of the Interior (Interior), has not provided BIE-funded schools with comprehensive guidance on distance learning during the...
- COVID-19: Emergency Financial Aid for College Students under the CARES Act What GAO FoundAs of November 2020, the Department of Education (Education) had distributed $6.19 billion in grants to 4,778 schools (colleges and other institutions of higher education) that had...
- COVID-19 Loans: SBA Has Begun to Take Steps to Improve Oversight and Fraud Risk Management What GAO FoundIn April 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) quickly implemented the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and expedited the processing of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)...
- COVID-19: HHS Should Clarify Agency Roles for Emergency Return of U.S. Citizens during a Pandemic What GAO FoundAt the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. returned, or repatriated, about 1,100 U.S. citizens from abroad and quarantined them domestically to prevent the spread of COVID-19...
- Sécurité Sanitaire Mondiale: Financements, activités et évaluations de l'USAID et des CDC relatifs aux capacités des pays à faire face aux menaces des maladies infectieuses avant l'apparition du COVID-19 This is the French language highlights associated with GAO-21-359.Constats du GAOAu 31 mars 2020, l’Agence des États-Unis pour le développement international (USAID) et les Centres des États-Unis...
- COVID-19: Efforts to Increase Vaccine Availability and Perspectives on Initial Implementation What GAO FoundThe federal government has taken several actions to increase the availability of COVID-19 vaccine doses and indicated it expects to have enough doses available for all adults in the...
- Global Health Security: USAID and CDC Funding, Activities, and Assessments of Countries' Capacities to Address Infectious Disease Threats before COVID-19 Onset Pour la version française de cette page, voir&nbsp;GAO-21-484.What GAO FoundAs of March 31, 2020, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Centers for Disease Control and...
- Depot Maintenance: DOD Should Improve Pandemic Plans and Publish Working Capital Fund Policy What GAO FoundThe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated productivity challenges Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force depots already faced, such as not having enough personnel to...
- Commuter Rail: Information on Benefits and Funding Challenges for Service in Less Urbanized Communities What GAO FoundCommuter rail is a widely used public transit alternative to driving between suburban communities and city centers, and in many areas of the country, transit agencies have extended...
- COVID-19: Sustained Federal Action Is Crucial as Pandemic Enters Its Second Year What GAO FoundMore than a year after the U.S. declared COVID-19 a public health emergency, the pandemic continues to result in catastrophic loss of life and substantial damage to the global...
- Grants Management: OMB Should Collect and Share Lessons Learned from Use of COVID-19-Related Grant Flexibilities What GAO FoundIn March and April 2020, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) identified 15 exceptions to government-wide grants management requirements agencies could make available to grantees...
- Biomedical Research: Information on Federal Contributions to Remdesivir What GAO FoundBetween 2013 and 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted and funded...
- Small Business Administration: Steps Needed to Address COVID-19 Loans' Susceptibility to Fraud What GAO FoundIn April 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) quickly implemented the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and expedited the processing of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)...
- The Nation’s Fiscal Health: After Pandemic Recovery, Focus Needed on Achieving Long-Term Fiscal Sustainability The Government’s Fiscal Condition in 2020 Reflects Response to the PandemicThe COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in catastrophic loss of life and substantial damage to the global economy, stability,...
- 2020 Census: Bureau Needs to Ensure Transparency over Data Quality, Finalize Plans for Data Protection, and Examine Lessons Learned What GAO FoundThe U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) has critical work remaining to deliver apportionment counts and redistricting data. Specifically, the Bureau did not meet the deadline of delivering...
- Decennial Census: Bureau Should Assess Significant Data Collection Challenges as It Undertakes Planning for 2030 What GAO FoundIn March 2020, the Census Bureau (Bureau) delayed the start of field data collection because of COVID-19 safety, and then revised several operational timelines in response to the...
- Covid-19 In Nursing Homes: HHS Has Taken Steps in Response to Pandemic, but Several GAO Recommendations Have Not Been Implemented What GAO FoundGAO's review of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that winter 2020 was marked by a significant surge in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in...
- Covid-19 Housing Protections: Moratoriums Have Helped Limit Evictions, but Further Outreach Is Needed What GAO FoundEviction moratoriums at the federal, state, and local levels reduced eviction filings during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, some eligible renters may not have benefitted from a...
- Drug Safety: FDA's Future Inspection Plans Need to Address Issues Presented by COVID-19 Backlog What GAO FoundFiscal year 2015 was the first time that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted more inspections of foreign drug manufacturers than domestic manufacturers, with the majority...
- High-Risk Series: Dedicated Leadership Needed to Address Limited Progress in Most High-Risk Areas What GAO FoundOverall ratings in 2021 for 20 of GAO's 2019 high-risk areas remain unchanged, and five regressed. Seven areas improved, one to the point of removal from the High-Risk List. Two new...
- COVID-19 Pandemic: Preliminary Observations on Efforts toward and Factors Affecting the Aviation Industry's Recovery What GAO FoundAviation businesses took a range of actions to respond to the dramatic reduction in passenger demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Airlines, airports, and others leveraged federal...
- High-Risk Series: Dedicated Leadership Needed to Address Limited Progress in Most High-Risk Areas What GAO FoundOverall ratings in 2021 for 20 of GAO's 2019 high-risk areas remain unchanged, and five regressed. Seven areas improved, one to the point of removal from the High-Risk List. Two new...
- Tax Filing: Actions Needed to Address Processing Delays and Risks to the 2021 Filing Season What GAO FoundThe 2020 filing season occurred during the global COVID-19 pandemic, introducing challenges that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had to respond to quickly to fulfill its mission-...
- Covid-19: Key Insights from GAO's Oversight of the Federal Public Health Response What GAO FoundMore than a year after the U.S. declared COVID-19 a public health emergency, the pandemic continues to result in catastrophic loss of life and substantial damage to the economy. It...
- Science & Tech Spotlight: Vaccine Safety Why this MattersSafe vaccines are critical to fighting diseases, from polio to COVID-19. Research shows that the protection provided by U.S. licensed vaccines outweighs their potential risks....
- Child Care: Subsidy Eligibility and Receipt, and Wait Lists What GAO FoundAn estimated 1.9 million children received child care subsidies in fiscal year 2017, representing approximately 14 percent of all children estimated to be eligible under federal rules...
- Medicaid in Times of Crisis What GAO FoundThis Capsule—named for its 2-page format—draws from a number of GAO reports to provide examples of how the federal government and states have used Medicaid during pandemics, economic...
- Operation Warp Speed: Accelerated COVID-19 Vaccine Development Status and Efforts to Address Manufacturing Challenges What GAO FoundOperation Warp Speed (OWS)—a partnership between the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DOD)—aimed to help accelerate the development of a COVID-19 vaccine....
- VA Health Care: Community Living Centers Were Commonly Cited for Infection Control Deficiencies Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic What GAO FoundThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is responsible for overseeing the quality of nursing home care provided to residents in VA-owned and -operated community living centers (CLC)....
- The Nation's Fiscal Health: Information on the Spending and Revenue Implications of Potential Debt Targets What GAO FoundThe COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated major federal spending to respond to the national public health emergency and resulting economic turmoil. This response and the severe economic...
- Financial Assistance: Lessons Learned from CARES Act Loan Program for Aviation and Other Eligible Businesses What GAO FoundThe CARES Act authorized up to $46 billion for the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) to make loans to aviation and other eligible businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of...
- Federal Reserve Lending Programs: Use of CARES Act-Supported Programs Has Been Limited and Flow of Credit Has Generally Improved What GAO FoundThe Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) authorized 13 lending programs—known as facilities—to ensure the flow of credit to various parts of the economy...
- 2020 Census: Census Bureau Needs to Ensure Transparency over Data Quality What GAO FoundThis 2020 Census was taken under extraordinary circumstances. In response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and related executive branch decisions, the Bureau made a...
- 2020 Census: Census Bureau Needs to Assess Data Quality Concerns Stemming from Recent Design Changes What GAO FoundThe U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) responded to COVID-19 in multiple phases. The Bureau first suspended field operations in March 2020 for two successive 2-week periods to promote the...
- COVID-19: Urgent Actions Needed to Better Ensure an Effective Federal Response What GAO FoundThe COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in catastrophic loss of life and substantial damage to the global economy, stability, and security. According to federal data, the U.S. had an...
- Distance Learning: Challenges Providing Services to K-12 English Learners and Students with Disabilities during COVID-19 What GAO FoundSome English learners and their families had difficulty fully participating in distance learning during spring 2020 due to a lack of necessary technology, language barriers, and the...
- Defense Production Act: Opportunities Exist to Increase Transparency and Identify Future Actions to Mitigate Medical Supply Chain Issues: What GAO FoundFederal agencies used the Defense Production Act (DPA) to help address medical supply shortages from COVID-19. The DPA gives agencies the authority to (1) prioritize contracts for...
- COVID-19: Federal Efforts Accelerate Vaccine and Therapeutic Development, but More Transparency Needed on Emergency Use Authorizations What GAO FoundThrough Operation Warp Speed—a partnership between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD)—the federal government is accelerating efforts...
- Financial Audit: Bureau of the Fiscal Service's FY 2020 and FY 2019 Schedules of Federal Debt What GAO FoundIn GAO's opinion, the Bureau of the Fiscal Service's (Fiscal Service) Schedules of Federal Debt for fiscal years 2020 and 2019 are fairly presented in all material respects, and...
- Disaster Recovery: COVID-19 Pandemic Intensifies Disaster Recovery Challenges for K-12 Schools What GAO FoundLocal education officials in natural disaster-affected areas told us the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues and contributed to lost...
- Federal Oil and Gas Revenue: Actions Needed to Improve BLM's Royalty Relief Policy What GAO FoundIn reaction to falling domestic oil prices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) developed a temporary policy in spring 2020 for oil and gas royalty relief...
- Small Business Administration: COVID-19 Loans Lack Controls and Are Susceptible to Fraud What GAO FoundIn April 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) moved quickly to implement the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provides loans that are forgivable under certain...
- COVID-19: Federal Efforts Could Be Strengthened by Timely and Concerted Actions What GAO FoundIn the government’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Congress and the administration have taken action on multiple fronts to address challenges that have contributed...
- VA Acquisition Management: COVID-19 Response Strains Supply Chain While Modernization Delays Continue What GAO FoundGAO's preliminary observations show that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has leveraged multiple approaches—including a new personal protective equipment tracking tool,...
- Agriculture Spending: Opportunities Exist for USDA to Identify Successes and Challenges of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program to Inform Future Efforts What GAO FoundUnder the new Farmers to Families Food Box Program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continued to spend funds for food purchases for redistribution to food banks, nonprofits...
- Public Health Preparedness: Information on the Use of Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers during Emergencies What GAO FoundAlmost all states have a network of health care volunteers—the Medical Reserve Corps—who can augment federal, state, and local capabilities in response to public health emergencies,...
- COVID-19 Contracting: Observations on Contractor Paid Leave Reimbursement Guidance and Use What GAO FoundSection 3610 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act generally authorizes agencies at their discretion to reimburse a contractor for the cost of paid leave...
- COVID-19: Brief Update on Initial Federal Response to the Pandemic Why GAO Did This StudyAs of August 20, 2020, the U.S. had over 5.5 million cumulative reported cases of COVID-19, and 158,000 reported deaths, according to federal agencies. The country also...
- 2020 Census: Recent Decision to Compress Census Timeframes Poses Additional Risks to an Accurate Count The 2020 Decennial Census is underway after pausing operations in response to the COVID-19 national emergency. As the Bureau resumes its operations, it faces a new set of operational and public...
- Covid-19: Data Quality and Considerations for Modeling and Analysis What GAO FoundThe rapid spread and magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored the importance of having quality data, analyses, and models describing the potential trajectory of COVID-19 to...
- Covid-19 Contracting: Observations on Federal Contracting in Response to the Pandemic What GAO FoundGovernment-wide contract obligations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic totaled $17.8 billion as of June 11, 2020. Four agencies accounted for 85 percent of total COVID-19 contract...
- Public Health Preparedness: HHS Has Taken Some Steps to Implement New Authority to Speed Medical Countermeasure Innovation What GAO FoundThe Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority has taken steps towards implementing an authority provided by the 21st...
- Science & Tech Spotlight: Contact Tracing Apps Why This MattersContact tracing can help reduce transmission rates for infectious diseases like COVID-19 by identifying and notifying people who may have been exposed. Contact tracing apps, notably...
- COVID-19: FEMA's Role in the Response and Related Challenges What GAO FoundThe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator, together with key officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, is responsible for managing the whole-of-...
- Science & Tech Spotlight: Herd Immunity For COVID-19 Why This MattersIncreasing the immunity of a population to an infectious disease like COVID-19 can slow the spread of infection and protect those most vulnerable. However, with limited information...
- Rental Housing: As More Households Rent, the Poorest Face Affordability and Housing Quality Challenges What GAO FoundIn 2017, almost 7 million more households rented their homes than in 2001, which brought the share of households that rent from an estimated 34 percent to 36 percent. Renting became...
- COVID-19: Opportunities to Improve Federal Response and Recovery Efforts What GAO FoundIn response to the national public health and economic threats caused by COVID-19, four relief laws were enacted as of June 2020 that appropriated $2.6 trillion. This funding provided...
- Covid-19: Opportunities to Improve Federal Response and Recovery Efforts What GAO FoundIn response to the national public health and economic threats caused by COVID-19, four relief laws were enacted as of June 2020, including the CARES Act, in March 2020. These laws...
- Federal Workforce: Key Considerations for Agencies Returning Employees to Workplaces during Pandemics What GAO FoundThe rapidly escalating challenges from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) global outbreak present critical workforce issues for federal agencies to assess and address. GAO's...
- Air Travel and Communicable Diseases: Status of Research Efforts and Action Still Needed to Develop Federal Preparedness Plan What GAO FoundThe United States still lacks a comprehensive plan for national aviation preparedness to limit the spread of communicable diseases through air travel. In December 2015 during the...
- Public Health Preparedness: HHS Should Take Actions to Ensure It Has an Adequate Number of Effectively Trained Emergency Responders What GAO FoundMajor natural disasters in the past 3 years, as well as the COVID-19&nbsp;pandemic, have heightened attention to the nation's ability to respond to these types of emergencies. The...
- VA Acquisition Management: Supply Chain Management and COVID-19 Response What GAO FoundThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has taken some steps in recent years to modernize its processes to acquire hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of medical supplies annually....
- 2020 Census: COVID-19 Presents Delays and Risks to Census Count The 2020 Decennial Census began its operations to count the population of the United States. However, the COVID-19 national emergency has forced the Bureau to adjust its plans and timelines for...
- Infectious Disease Modeling: Opportunities to Improve Coordination and Ensure Reproducibility What GAO FoundWithin the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response...
- Science & Tech Spotlight: COVID-19 Modeling Why This MattersInfectious disease models can help guide major policy decisions, such as how to allocate health care resources in the COVID-19 response. However, limitations in data inputs and...
- Drug Safety: COVID-19 Complicates Already Challenged FDA Foreign Inspection Program What GAO FoundIn December 2019, GAO found that a growing number of foreign drug manufacturing inspections conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were in China and India (43 percent in...
- Science & Tech Spotlight: COVID-19 Vaccine Development [Updated on June 29, 2021] Why This MattersSARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, has killed millions worldwide. Vaccines can help save lives and speed economic recovery. Developing a safe, effective vaccine is a complicated,...
- Infection Control Deficiencies Were Widespread and Persistent in Nursing Homes Prior to COVID-19 Pandemic What GAO FoundThe Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is responsible for ensuring that approximately 15,500...
- Science & Tech Spotlight: COVID-19 Testing Why This MattersAs the nation works to save lives and flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases, widespread testing could help reduce the death rate, help identify those who should self-isolate, and help...
- Science & Tech Spotlight: Social Distancing During Pandemics Why This MattersInfectious diseases like COVID-19 can spread rapidly from person to person. Social distancing saves lives by slowing disease transmission and reducing the load on the health care...
- Biomedical Research: HHS Has Not Yet Used New Authorities to Improve Recruitment and Retention of Scientists What GAO FoundOn April 20, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued regulations for the recruitment and retention of research scientists actively engaged in biomedical...
- U.S. Postal Service: Congressional Action Is Essential to Enable a Sustainable Business Model What GAO FoundSince GAO's 2009 high-risk designation, the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) financial viability has progressively worsened due to declining mail volume, increased employee compensation...
- FEMA Disaster Workforce: Actions Needed to Address Deployment and Staff Development Challenges What GAO FoundThe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has established mechanisms to qualify and deploy staff to disasters. For example, the FEMA Qualification System tracks training and task...
- National Preparedness: Additional Actions Needed to Address Gaps in the Nation's Emergency Management Capabilities What GAO FoundThe Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) National Preparedness System and associated grants have helped build some emergency management capabilities, but gaps remain....
- Priority Open Recommendations: U.S. Department of Transportation What GAO FoundIn April 2019, GAO identified 16 priority recommendations for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Since then, DOT has implemented 8 of those recommendations by, among other...
- Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Health and Human Services What GAO FoundIn March 2019, GAO identified 54 priority recommendations for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since then, HHS has implemented 13 of those recommendations by, among...
- National Biodefense Strategy: Opportunities and Challenges with Early Implementation What GAO FoundIssued in September 2018, the National Biodefense Strategy (Strategy) and implementation plan, along with National Security Presidential Memorandum-14 (NSPM-14), are designed to...
- Science & Tech Spotlight: Coronaviruses Why This MattersCoronaviruses can spread rapidly and cause outbreaks with high mortality rates. They were not considered a major risk for humans until the SARS outbreak in 2002. Since then, there...
- Troubled Asset Relief Program: Status Update on Treasury's Two Active Investment Programs What GAO FoundAs of September 30, 2019, seven participants remained in the Troubled Asset Relief Program’s two active investment programs. Those participants included two institutions in the...
- Federal Student Loans: Education Needs to Verify Borrowers' Information for Income-Driven Repayment Plans What GAO FoundGAO identified indicators of potential fraud or error in income and family size information for borrowers with approved Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans. IDR plans base monthly...
- 2017 Disaster Relief Oversight: Strategy Needed to Ensure Agencies’ Internal Control Plans Provide Sufficient Information What GAO FoundOf the six agencies GAO selected for review, only the Department of Education submitted its internal control plan for disaster relief funds by the statutory deadline. The Department...
- Biodefense: The Nation Faces Long-Standing Challenges Related to Defending Against Biological Threats What GAO FoundGAO's past work has identified a number of challenges related to the nation's ability to detect and respond to biological events that transcend what any one federal department or...
- Older Americans Act: HHS Could Help Rural Service Providers by Centralizing Information on Promising Practices Why This MattersRural areas cover the vast majority of the country and tend to be “grayer” than urban areas, with higher percentages of older adults. Many older adults prefer to stay in their...
- Foster Care: States with Approval to Extend Care Provide Independent Living Options for Youth up to Age 21 What GAO FoundThe 26 states that have approval to receive federal funding to support their extended foster care programs for youth ages 18 up to 21 reported providing a range of supervised...
- Emergency Management: FEMA Has Made Progress, but Challenges and Future Risks Highlight Imperative for Further Improvements What GAO FoundGAO's issued and ongoing work identified progress and challenges in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster resilience, response, recovery, and workforce management...
- Disaster Assistance: FEMA Action Needed to Better Support Individuals Who Are Older or Have Disabilities What GAO FoundA range of officials from entities that partner with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—including states, territories, localities, and nonprofits)—reported challenges...
- School Meals Programs: USDA Has Reported Taking Some Steps to Reduce Improper Payments but Should Comprehensively Assess Fraud Risks What GAO FoundThe Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reported various actions aimed at lowering estimated improper payment error rates in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast...
- Medicaid Demonstrations: Approvals of Major Changes Need Increased Transparency What GAO FoundMedicaid demonstrations allow states flexibility to test new approaches for providing coverage and delivering Medicaid services. Since 2012, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid...
- Emergency Assistance for Zika: USAID Supported Activities Overseas but Could Improve Funds Tracking and Response Planning What GAO FoundThe U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State (State) obligated $385 million of the total $390 million available for international Zika response...
- Drug Policy: Assessing Treatment Expansion Efforts and Drug Control Strategies and Programs What GAO FoundIn an effort to reduce the prevalence of opioid misuse and the fatalities associated with it, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made expanding access to medication...
- Cloud Computing: Agencies Have Increased Usage and Realized Benefits, but Cost and Savings Data Need to Be Better Tracked What GAO FoundThe 16 agencies GAO reviewed made progress in implementing cloud computing services (cloud services)—namely, they established assessment guidance, performed assessments, and...
- 2017 Disaster Contracting: Actions Needed to Improve the Use of Post-Disaster Contracts to Support Response and Recovery What GAO Found	Following hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria and the 2017 California wildfires, federal agencies obligated at least $5 billion in post-disaster contracts—which are awarded after...
- Retirement Security: Most Households Approaching Retirement Have Low Savings, an Update Why GAO Did This Study	GAO was asked to update selected estimates from GAO-15-419 using 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances data.	What GAO Found	This correspondence updates estimates on the...
- Foot-and-Mouth Disease: USDA's Efforts to Prepare for a Potential Outbreak Could Be Strengthened What GAO FoundThe U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) planned approach for responding to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) includes several strategies. These strategies generally rely...
- Economic Adjustment Assistance: Federal Programs Intended to Help Beneficiaries Adjust to Economic Disruption What GAO Found	GAO identified 15 programs and 1 tax expenditure that met its definition of economic adjustment assistance (EAA), which was developed in consultation with relevant federal agencies...
- Contingent Workforce: BLS is Reassessing Measurement of Nontraditional Workers What GAO Found	The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) periodically collects data on and measures contingent, alternative, and electronically-mediated workers in the Contingent Worker Supplement (...
- Housing Finance: Prolonged Conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Prompt Need for Reform What GAO Found	Federal support of the housing finance market remains significant even though the market has largely recovered since the 2007–2009 financial crisis. While down from the peak in...
- Food Insecurity: Better Information Could Help Eligible College Students Access Federal Food Assistance Benefits What GAO Found	There is limited information about the national prevalence of food insecurity among college students. GAO reviewed 31 studies that identified a wide range of food insecurity rates...
- Troubled Asset Relief Program: Monitoring of the Hardest Hit Fund Program Could Be Strengthened What GAO Found	For its Housing Finance Agency Innovation Fund for Hardest Hit Markets (HHF), the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) has addressed or partially addressed all 14 leading...
- National Security: Long-Range Emerging Threats Facing the United States As Identified by Federal Agencies What GAO FoundDOD, State, DHS, and ODNI independently identified various threats to the United States or its national security interests. In analyzing more than 210 individual threats identified by...
- Memory Supplements: Results of Testing for Selected Supplements What GAO Found	GAO found that two of the three memory supplement products that GAO had tested by a qualified and vetted laboratory either did not contain their stated ingredients or did not...
- Opioid Crisis: Status of Public Health Emergency Authorities What GAO Found	The Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency for opioids on October 26, 2017, and the declaration was renewed on January 19, 2018. According...
- Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services: Selected States' Program Structures and Challenges Providing Services What GAO Found	All state Medicaid programs finance coverage of long-term services and supports (LTSS), which help beneficiaries with physical, cognitive, or other limitations perform routine...
- Biological Select Agents and Toxins: Actions Needed to Improve Management of DOD's Biosafety and Biosecurity Program &nbsp;What GAO FoundThe Department of Defense (DOD) has made progress by taking a number of actions to address the 35 recommendations from the Army's 2015 investigation report on the inadvertent...
- Reemployment Services: DOL Could Better Support States in Targeting Unemployment Insurance Claimants for Services What GAO Found	Nationwide, four key federally funded workforce programs helped states provide reemployment services, such as career counseling and job search assistance, to millions of...
- 2017 Hurricanes and Wildfires: Initial Observations on the Federal Response and Key Recovery Challenges What GAO Found	Federal and state preparedness and coordination efforts prior to and after the 2017 hurricane and wildfire disasters facilitated the response in Texas, Florida, and California....
- Federal Student Loans: Further Actions Needed to Implement Recommendations on Oversight of Loan Servicers What GAO Found	The Department of Education (Education) relies on contracted loan servicers to help manage its outstanding federal student loans, but GAO has previously identified weaknesses with...
- Summer Meals: Improvements Needed to Address Participation Estimates and Program Challenges What GAO Found	Nationwide, the total number of meals served to children in low-income areas through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) increased from 113 to 149 million (about 32 percent)...
- Summer Meals: Actions Needed to Improve Participation Estimates and Address Program Challenges What GAO Found	Nationwide, the total number of meals served to children in low-income areas through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) increased from 113 to 149 million (about 32 percent)...
- Foster Care: Additional Actions Could Help HHS Better Support States' Use of Private Providers to Recruit and Retain Foster Families What GAO Found	States employ a range of strategies to recruit foster families and nearly all use private providers to recruit, particularly for therapeutic foster care (TFC) services, in which...
- Infectious Disease Threats: Funding and Performance of Key Preparedness and Capacity-Building Programs What GAO Found	The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has three key preparedness and capacity-building programs—Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC), the...
- Illicit Opioids: Office of National Drug Control Policy and Other Agencies Need to Better Assess Strategic Efforts What GAO Found	Federal agencies have documented specific strategies to combat illicit opioids. However, only one of the five strategies we reviewed included outcome, or results-oriented measures—...
- Zika Supplemental Funding: Status of HHS Agencies' Obligations, Disbursements, and the Activities Funded What GAO FoundAs of September 30, 2017, Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) agencies had obligated nearly all of the $932 million of Zika supplemental funding Congress appropriated in...
- Cybersecurity: DHS Needs to Enhance Efforts to Improve and Promote the Security of Federal and Private-Sector Networks What GAO Found	In recent years, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has acted to improve and promote the cybersecurity of federal and private-sector computer systems and networks, but...
- Ebola Recovery: USAID Has Initiated or Completed Most Projects, but a Complete Project Inventory Is Still Needed for Evaluating Its Efforts What GAO Found	As of September 30, 2017, of the $1.6 billion that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) had obligated for the Ebola outbreak, $411.6 million was obligated for 131...
- Intellectual Property: Agencies Can Improve Efforts to Address Risks Posed by Changing Counterfeits Market What GAO Found	Changes in the market for counterfeit goods entering the United States pose new challenges for consumers, the private sector, and U.S. agencies that enforce intellectual property...
- Emergency Management: Federal Agencies Could Improve Dissemination of Resources to Colleges What GAO Found	Emergency managers at 18 colleges across the country told GAO that their efforts to prepare for emergencies involved working with the campus community to develop, communicate, and...
- Federal Personal Property: Opportunities Exist to Improve Identification of Unneeded Property for Disposal What GAO Found	The five agencies GAO reviewed—the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Forest Service, General Services Administration (GSA), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),...
- Workplace Safety and Health: Better Outreach, Collaboration, and Information Needed to Help Protect Workers at Meat and Poultry Plants What GAO Found	The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) increased its annual inspections of the meat and poultry industry from 177 in 2005 to 244 in 2016....
- Medicare and Medicaid: CMS Needs to Fully Align Its Antifraud Efforts with the Fraud Risk Framework What GAO Found	The approach that the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken for managing fraud risks across its four principal programs—Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's...
- Housing Choice Voucher Program: Limited Indications of Potential Fraud against Participants Identified What GAO Found	Public Housing Agencies (PHA) have reported various types of fraud schemes against Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) participants, including older adults, but were aware of limited...
- Contingent Workforce: Size, Characteristics, Compensation, and Work Experiences of Adjunct and Other Non-Tenure-Track Faculty What GAO Found	According to 2015 Department of Education data, contingent faculty—those employed outside of the tenure track—made up about 70 percent of postsecondary instructional positions...
- Department of Defense: Telehealth Use in Fiscal Year 2016 What GAO Found	The Department of Defense (DOD) uses telehealth to provide health care services to its beneficiaries who include active duty servicemembers, dependents, and retirees. DOD defines...
- High-Containment Laboratories: Coordinated Actions Needed to Enhance the Select Agent Program's Oversight of Hazardous Pathogens What GAO Found	The Federal Select Agent Program (Select Agent Program)—jointly managed by the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA)—oversees laboratories' handling...
- Workforce Training: DOL Can Better Share Information on Services for On-Demand, or Gig, Workers What GAO Found	Studies GAO reviewed suggest that workers who engage in on-demand, or “gig” work, differ in their characteristics and types of work performed, but each of these defined these...
- Biodefense: Federal Efforts to Develop Biological Threat Awareness What GAO Found	Key biodefense agencies—the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Defense (DOD), Agriculture (USDA), and Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Environmental Protection Agency—...
- Higher Education: Education Should Address Oversight and Communication Gaps in Its Monitoring of the Financial Condition of Schools What GAO Found	The Department of Education (Education) reviews the annual audits of postsecondary schools to assess compliance with financial responsibility standards for schools that participate...
- Broadband: Additional Stakeholder Input Could Inform FCC Actions to Promote Competition What GAO Found	Selected experts and stakeholders told GAO that infrastructure costs and other factors can limit broadband deployment and the extent of broadband competition. Factors these...
- Medical Devices: Capabilities and challenges of technologies to enable rapid diagnoses of infectious diseases What GAO Found	Commercially available multiplex point-of-care technologies (MPOCTs) have a range of performance characteristics that describe, among other things, the ability of the technology to...
- Public Health Information Technology: HHS Has Made Little Progress toward Implementing Enhanced Situational Awareness Network Capabilities What GAO Found	The  Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013  (PAHPRA) required the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an electronic nationwide...
- Highlights of a Forum: Combating Synthetic Identity Fraud What Forum Panelists Said	Synthetic identity fraud (SIF) is a crime in which perpetrators combine real and/or fictitious information, such as Social Security numbers (SSN) and names, to create...
- Telehealth: Use in Medicare and Medicaid What GAO Found	Available analysis GAO reviewed shows that Medicare providers used telehealth services (providing clinical care remotely by 2-way video) for a small proportion of beneficiaries and...
- Biological Defense: Additional Information That Congress May Find Useful as It Considers DOD's Advanced Development and Manufacturing Capability What GAO Found	The Department of Defense (DOD) included in its October 2016 report to Congress information that addressed each of the six required elements regarding the department's public-...
- Embassy Evacuations: State Department Should Take Steps to Improve Emergency Preparedness What GAO Found	The Department of State (State) has established processes to prepare overseas posts for crises and to conduct evacuations. In particular, posts prepare by developing and updating...
- Telecommunications: Additional Action Needed to Address Significant Risks in FCC's Lifeline Program What GAO Found	The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has not evaluated the Lifeline program's (Lifeline) performance in meeting its goals of increasing telephone and broadband...
- Memory Supplements: Clarifying FDA and FTC Roles Could Strengthen Oversight and Enhance Consumer Awareness &nbsp;What GAO FoundGAO's market review during a 2-month period found most examples of memory supplement marketing on the Internet. About 96 percent of marketing identified appeared on the...
- Emerging Infectious Diseases: Actions Needed to Address the Challenges of Responding to Zika Virus Disease Outbreaks What GAO Found	Since Zika virus disease was a newly emerging disease threat in the United States, and relatively little was known about the Zika virus prior to the 2016 U.S. outbreak, the Centers...
- Avian Influenza: USDA Has Taken Actions to Reduce Risks but Needs a Plan to Evaluate Its Efforts What GAO Found	When avian influenza outbreaks occur, they can have significant effects on human and animal health and the U.S. economy. With regard to human health, avian influenza rarely affects...
- SSA Disability Benefits: Comprehensive Strategic Approach Needed to Enhance Antifraud Activities What GAO Found	The Social Security Administration (SSA) has taken steps to establish an organizational culture and structure conducive to fraud risk management in its disability programs, but its...
- Health Care: Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring Use in Medicare and Selected Federal Programs What GAO Found	Selected associations representing providers and patients most often cited the potential to improve or maintain quality of care as a significant factor that encourages the use of...
- Highlights of a Forum: Data Analytics to Address Fraud and Improper Payments What the Participants Said	During the GAO-sponsored forum, panelists discussed the following topics related to analytics to address improper payments, including fraud:	&nbsp;	►&nbsp;...
- Federal Telework: Additional Controls Could Strengthen Telework Program Compliance and Data Reporting What GAO Found	The telework policies at four selected case study agencies GAO reviewed met select requirements of the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 (the act) for telework eligibility and...
- Cybersecurity: Actions Needed to Strengthen U.S. Capabilities What GAO Found	GAO has consistently identified shortcomings in the federal government's approach to ensuring the security of federal information systems and cyber critical infrastructure as well...
- Defense Civil Support: DOD, HHS, and DHS Should Use Existing Coordination Mechanisms to Improve Their Pandemic Preparedness What GAO Found	The Department of Defense (DOD) has developed guidance and plans to direct its efforts to provide assistance in support of civil authorities—in particular the Departments of Health...
- Public Health Emergencies: HHS Needs to Better Communicate Requirements and Revise Plans for Assessing Impact of Personnel Reassignment What GAO Found	The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has primary federal responsibility for...
- Social Security Offsets: Improvements to Program Design Could Better Assist Older Student Loan Borrowers with Obtaining Permitted Relief What GAO Found	Older borrowers (age 50 and older) who default on federal student loans and must repay that debt with a portion of their Social Security benefits often have held their loans for...
- Federal Student Loans: Education Needs to Improve Its Income-Driven Repayment Plan Budget Estimates What GAO Found	For the fiscal year 2017 budget, the U.S. Department of Education (Education) estimates that all federally issued Direct Loans in Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans will have...
- Federal Reserve: Additional Actions Could Help Ensure the Achievement of Stress Test Goals What GAO Found	The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) has two related supervisory programs that involve stress testing but serve different purposes. Stress tests...
- Emergency Funding for Ebola Response: Some USAID Reimbursements Did Not Comply with Legislative Requirements and Need to Be Reversed What GAO Found	As of July 1, 2016, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State (State) had obligated 58 percent and disbursed more than one-third of the $2.5...
- Defense Civil Support: DOD Needs to Identify National Guard's Cyber Capabilities and Address Challenges in Its Exercises What GAO Found	National Guard units have developed capabilities that could be used, if requested and approved, to support civil authorities in a cyber incident; however, the Department of Defense...
- Federal Telework: Better Guidance Could Help Agencies Calculate Benefits and Costs What GAO Found	Benefits associated with telework programs include continuity of operations and reduced employee absences, based on GAO's literature review and the experiences of six selected...
- Military Personnel: DOD Needs More Complete Data on Active-Duty Servicemembers' Use of Food Assistance Programs What GAO Found	Active-duty servicemembers and their families have access to food assistance through various government and charitable programs, but use of these programs varies, in part, on their...
- Defense Civil Support: DOD Has Made Progress Incorporating the Homeland Response Force into the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Response Enterprise What GAO Found	The National Guard has determined, through established capabilities and readiness measures, that the Homeland Response Force (HRF) is ready to conduct the HRF mission if called...
- Federal Student Loans: Education Could Improve Direct Loan Program Customer Service and Oversight What GAO Found	The Department of Education (Education) and its contracted loan servicers provide a range of information to borrowers about their federal Direct Loans for higher education, such as...
- Unemployment Insurance: States' Customer Service Challenges and DOL's Related Assistance What GAO Found	In GAO focus groups of recent claimants filing for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, those who filed by phone reported experiencing various challenges, such as long call wait...
- Federal Emergency Management Agency: Progress and Continuing Challenges in National Preparedness Efforts What GAO Found	GAO's recent work highlights both the progress and challenges in the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) efforts to strengthen...
- Resolution Plans: Regulators Have Refined Their Review Processes but Could Improve Transparency and Timeliness What GAO Found	The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) have developed separate but similar review processes for determining whether a...
- Emergency Management: Improved Federal Coordination Could Better Assist K-12 Schools Prepare for Emergencies What GAO Found	The Departments of Education (Education), Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security (DHS), and Justice (Justice) support K-12 schools in preparing for emergencies with...
- Civil Support: DOD Needs to Clarify Its Roles and Responsibilities for Defense Support of Civil Authorities during Cyber Incidents What GAO Found	The Department of Defense (DOD) has developed overarching guidance about how it is to support civil authorities as part of its Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) mission,...
- Emerging Infectious Diseases: Preliminary Observations on the Zika Virus Outbreak What GAO Found	While several countries have reported outbreaks of Zika virus disease—which appear to be primarily transmitted to humans by mosquitos—unanswered questions remain regarding the...
- Telecommunications: Additional Coordination and Performance Measurement Needed for High-Speed Internet Access Programs on Tribal Lands What GAO Found	Although all 21 tribes GAO interviewed have some access to high-speed Internet, tribes and providers GAO interviewed cited barriers to increasing access. For example, high poverty...
- Emerging Animal Diseases: Actions Needed to Better Position USDA to Address Future Risks What GAO Found	The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) did not take regulatory action during the initial response to the outbreaks of Swine Enteric Coronavirus Diseases (SECD) beginning in May...
- Air Travel and Communicable Diseases: Comprehensive Federal Plan Needed for U.S. Aviation System's Preparedness What GAO Found	All of the 14 airports and 3 airlines GAO reviewed have plans for responding to communicable disease threats from abroad, although the United States lacks a comprehensive national...
- Federal Student Loans: Key Weaknesses Limit Education's Management of Contractors What GAO Found	The Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid's (FSA) instructions and guidance to loan servicers are sometimes lacking, resulting in inconsistent and inefficient...
- School Nutrition: USDA Has Efforts Underway to Help Address Ongoing Challenges Implementing Changes in Nutrition Standards What GAO Found	Nationwide, participation in the National School Lunch Program declined by 1.4 million children (or 4.5 percent) from school year 2010-2011 through school year 2013-2014, to 30.4...
- Federal Spending Accountability: Preserving Capabilities of Recovery Operations Center Could Help Sustain Oversight of Federal Expenditures What GAO Found	The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board's (Recovery Board) Recovery Operations Center (ROC) provided significant analytical services primarily to Offices of the...
- A Framework for Managing Fraud Risks in Federal Programs What GAO Found	To help managers combat fraud and preserve integrity in government agencies and programs, GAO identified leading practices for managing fraud risks and organized them into a...
- Chemical and Biological Defense: Designated Entity Needed to Identify, Align, and Manage DOD's Infrastructure What GAO Found	A key component of the 26 Department of Defense (DOD) organizations that constitute the Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP) Enterprise is the chemical and biological...
- Older Americans Act: Updated Information on Unmet Need for Services What GAO Found	Per 2013 data, many older adults with low incomes who likely need meals services do not receive them. An estimated 90 percent of low-income older adults (those age 60 and older...
- Civil Support: DOD Is Taking Action to Strengthen Support of Civil Authorities What GAO Found	The Department of Defense (DOD) has taken action to address GAO's prior recommendations to strengthen its strategy, plans and guidance for support of civil authorities. As GAO has...
- Retirement Security: Most Households Approaching Retirement Have Low Savings What GAO Found	Many retirees and workers approaching retirement have limited financial resources. About half of households age 55 and older have no retirement savings (such as in a 401(k) plan or...
- Unemployment Insurance: States' Reductions in Maximum Benefit Durations Have Implications for Federal Costs What GAO Found	The unemployment insurance (UI) system, a federal and state partnership that provides benefits to eligible workers who have lost their jobs, was under financial pressures during...
- Contingent Workforce: Size, Characteristics, Earnings, and Benefits What GAO Found	The size of the contingent workforce as a proportion of the total U.S. employed labor force can range widely, depending on how it is defined. Narrower definitions generally focus...
- Budgeting for Disasters: Approaches to Budgeting for Disasters in Selected States What GAO Found	The 10 selected states in GAO's review—Alaska, California, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Vermont, and West Virginia—had established budget...
- Hurricane Sandy: FEMA Has Improved Disaster Aid Verification but Could Act to Further Limit Improper Assistance What GAO Found	By implementing new controls since the mid-2000s, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) improved its ability to detect improper and potentially fraudulent payments, but...
- Housing Finance System: A Framework for Assessing Potential Changes What GAO Found	Developments in the single-family housing finance market from 2000-2013 led to changes in the federal government's role in the housing finance system and ultimately to a...
- School Meal Programs: Implications of Adjusting Income Eligibility Thresholds and Reimbursement Rates by Geographic Differences What GAO Found	There are a number of measures by which income thresholds for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) school meal programs could be adjusted to account for geographic differences...
- Retirement Security: Challenges for Those Claiming Social Security Benefits Early and New Health Coverage Options What GAO Found	Several work-related factors may cause people to claim Social Security benefits early and suggest they may face challenges in continuing to work at older ages. For example, those...
- Biological Defense: DOD Has Strengthened Coordination on Medical Countermeasures but Can Improve Its Process for Threat Prioritization What GAO Found	From fiscal years 2001 through 2013, the Department of Defense (DOD) received over $4.3 billion in total funding (in constant fiscal year 2013 dollars) to research, develop, and...
- National Preparedness: HHS Has Funded Flexible Manufacturing Activities for Medical Countermeasures, but It Is Too Soon to Assess Their Effect What GAO Found	In fiscal years 2012 and 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) awarded nearly $440 million in...
- Telecommunications: Federal Broadband Deployment Programs and Small Business What GAO Found	Federally funded programs to expand broadband access encompass but do not specifically target small businesses. These programs—the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP), Broadband...
- Recovery Act: Grant Implementation Experiences Offer Lessons for Accountability and Transparency What GAO Found	Federal, state, and local officials responsible for implementing grants funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) as well as the external...
- Dodd-Frank Regulations: Agencies Conducted Regulatory Analyses and Coordinated but Could Benefit from Additional Guidance on Major Rules What GAO FoundFederal agencies conducted the required regulatory analyses for all rules issued pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) that GAO...
- Federal Facilities: Selected Facilities' Emergency Plans Generally Reflect Federal Guidance What GAO FoundFederal agencies occupying facilities owned or leased by the General Services Administration (GSA) are responsible for preparing and maintaining occupant emergency plans (OEP), with...
- Insurance Markets: Impacts of and Regulatory Response to the 2007-2009 Financial Crisis What GAO FoundThe effects of the financial crisis on insurers and policyholders were generally limited, with a few exceptions. While some insurers experienced capital and liquidity pressures in 2008...
- Medicaid Demonstration Waivers: Approval Process Raises Cost Concerns and Lacks Transparency What GAO FoundThe 10 new demonstrations GAO examined expanded states' use of federal funds and implemented new coverage strategies. Arizona and Texas established funding pools to make new...
- Homeland Security: An Overall Strategy Is Needed to Strengthen Disease Surveillance in Livestock and Poultry &nbsp;	What GAO Found	Under a new approach, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has begun broadening its previous disease-by-disease...
- Financial Regulatory Reform: Financial Crisis Losses and Potential Impacts of the Dodd-Frank Act What GAO FoundThe 2007-2009 financial crisis has been associated with large economic losses and increased fiscal challenges. Studies estimating the losses of financial crises based on lost output (...
- Influenza: Progress Made in Responding to Seasonal and Pandemic Outbreaks What GAO FoundGAO's prior work has identified a number of lessons from federal responses to seasonal influenza vaccine shortages and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic that carry implications for future...
- Influenza Pandemic: Agencies Report Progress in Plans to Protect Federal Workers but Oversight Could Be Improved What GAO FoundIn 2012, federal agencies reported they had made progress in planning to protect their federal employees during an influenza pandemic. For example:Twenty-three of 24 federal agencies...
- National Preparedness: Countermeasures for Thermal Burns What GAO FoundThe SNS contains supportive care items for thermal burns, such as bandages, pain medications, intravenous fluids, and topical antimicrobial cream needed for the immediate treatment of...
- Unemployment Insurance: Economic Circumstances of Individuals Who Exhausted Benefits What GAO FoundAmong the 15 million workers who lost jobs from 2007 to 2009, half received Unemployment Insurance (UI), and about one-fourth of the recipients exhausted UI benefits by January 2010....
- Higher Education and Disability: Improved Federal Enforcement Needed to Better Protect Students' Rights to Testing Accommodations What GAO FoundAmong accommodations requested and granted in the most recent testing year, approximately three-quarters were for extra time, and about half were for applicants with learning...
- For-Profit Schools: Experiences of Undercover Students Enrolled in Online Classes at Selected Colleges Once comprised of local, sole-proprietor ownership, the nation's for-profit institutions now range from small, privately owned schools to publicly traded corporations. Enrollment in such colleges has...
- Higher Education: Use of New Data Could Help Improve Oversight of Distance Education &nbsp;As the largest provider of financial aid in higher education, with about $134 billion in Title IV funds provided to students in fiscal year 2010, the Department of Education (Education) has a...
- Biosurveillance: Nonfederal Capabilities Should Be Considered in Creating a National Biosurveillance Strategy The nation is at risk for a catastrophic biological event. The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act directed GAO to report on biosurveillance--to help detect and respond to such...
- National Preparedness: Improvements Needed for Acquiring Medical Countermeasures to Threats from Terrorism and Other Sources What GAO FoundThrough PHEMCE, HHS laid out its CBRN medical countermeasure development and acquisition priorities in 2007 in a publicly available plan based primarily on two types of CBRN risk...
- Income Security: Older Adults and the 2007-2009 Recession The recession of 2007 to 2009 has been the most severe in this country since the 1930s. After adjusting for inflation, gross domestic product declined by 5.1 percent and the national unemployment...
- Homeland Security: Actions Needed to Improve Response to Potential Terrorist Attacks and Natural Disasters Affecting Food and Agriculture The President issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) -9 in 2004 to establish a national policy to defend the food and agriculture systems against terrorist attacks, major disasters,...
- Emergency Preparedness: Agencies Need Coordinated Guidance on Incorporating Telework into Emergency and Continuity Planning When historic snowstorms forced lengthy closings of federal offices in the National Capital Region in 2010, thousands of employees continued to work from their homes, making clear the potential of...
- Influenza Vaccine: Federal Investments in Alternative Technologies and Challenges to Development and Licensure Production delays for the 2009 H1N1 pandemic vaccine using the current egg-based production technology heightened interest in alternative technologies that could expand the supply or accelerate the...
- Influenza Pandemic: Lessons from the H1N1 Pandemic Should Be Incorporated into Future Planning The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic was the first human pandemic in over four decades, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that there were as many as 89 million U.S....
- State and Local Governments: Knowledge of Past Recessions Can Inform Future Federal Fiscal Assistance The most recent recession, which started in December 2007, is generally believed to be the worst economic downturn the country has experienced since the Great Depression. In response to this...
- Defined Contribution Plans: Key Information on Target Date Funds as Default Investments Should Be Provided to Plan Sponsors and Participants To promote the adoption of appropriate default investments by retirement plans that automatically enroll workers, in 2007 the Department of Labor (DOL) identified three qualified default investment...
- Financial Assistance: Ongoing Challenges and Guiding Principles Related to Government Assistance For Private Sector Companies The recent financial crisis resulted in a wide-ranging federal response that included providing extraordinary assistance to several major corporations. As a result of actions under the Troubled Asset...
- Recovery Act: One Year Later, States' and Localities' Uses of Funds and Opportunities to Strengthen Accountability This report responds to two ongoing GAO mandates under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). It is the fifth in a series of reports since passage of the Recovery Act on...
- Status of the Small Business Administration's Implementation of Administrative Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Due to recent turmoil in U.S. credit markets, many lenders have been reluctant to offer conventional loans--that is, loans not guaranteed by the federal government--to small businesses so that they...
- Troubled Asset Relief Program: The U.S. Government Role as Shareholder in AIG, Citigroup, Chrysler, and General Motors and Preliminary Views on its Investment Management Activities The recent financial crisis resulted in a wide-ranging federal response that included infusing capital into several major corporations. The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) has been the primary...
- Higher Education and Disability: Education Needs a Coordinated Approach to Improve Its Assistance to Schools in Supporting Students Research suggests that more students with disabilities are pursuing higher education than in years past, and recent legislative changes, such as those in the Higher Education Opportunity Act and Post...
- Troubled Asset Relief Program: One Year Later, Actions Are Needed to Address Remaining Transparency and Accountability Challenges GAO's eighth report assesses the Troubled Asset Relief Program's (TARP) impact over the last year. Specifically, it addresses (1) the evolution of TARP's strategy and the status of TARP programs as...
- State Department: Wide Range of Emergency Services Provided to American Citizens Overseas, but Improved Monitoring Is Needed In 2008, the Department of State (State) estimated nearly 5 million U.S. citizens lived overseas, and 64 million trips were taken overseas by U.S. citizens. Since protecting and serving U.S. citizens...
- Recovery Act: States' and Localities' Current and Planned Uses of Funds While Facing Fiscal Stresses (Appendixes) This supplementary report to GAO-09-829 provides individual state appendixes for 16 states and the District of Columbia for GAO's work on the second of its bimonthly reviews of the American Recovery...
- Recovery Act: As Initial Implementation Unfolds in States and Localities, Continued Attention to Accountability Issues Is Essential This testimony discusses GAO's work examining the uses and planning by selected states and localities for funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)....
- Small Business Administration's Implementation of Administrative Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvesment Act Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Congress required the Small Business Administration (SBA) to implement a total of eight administrative provisions to help facilitate...
- Influenza Pandemic: Sustaining Focus on the Nation's Planning and Preparedness Efforts GAO has conducted a body of work over the past several years to help the nation better prepare for, respond to, and recover from a possible influenza pandemic, which could result from a novel strain...
- Troubled Asset Relief Program: Additional Actions Needed to Better Ensure Integrity, Accountability, and Transparency On October 3, 2008, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act was signed into law. The act established the Office of Financial Stability (OFS) within the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and...
- Public Health and Border Security: HHS and DHS Should Further Strengthen Their Ability to Respond to TB Incidents In spring 2007, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and state and local health officials worked together to interdict two individuals with...
- Medicaid Demonstration Waivers: Recent HHS Approvals Continue to Raise Cost and Oversight Concerns Medicaid, a joint federal and state program, finances health care for 60 million low-income people. Section 1115 of the Social Security Act authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to...
- Avian Influenza: USDA Has Taken Important Steps to Prepare for Outbreaks, but Better Planning Could Improve Response A highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (AI) has spread to nearly 60 countries over the past few years, killing millions of birds and more than 170 humans. Controlling the virus in poultry is...
- Disaster Preparedness: Better Planning Would Improve OSHA's Efforts to Protect Workers' Safety and Health in Disasters Concerns about the safety and health of workers involved in the response to Hurricane Katrina included their exposure to contaminated floodwaters and injuries from working around debris. The...
- U.S. Postal Service: Better Guidance Is Needed to Ensure an Appropriate Response to Anthrax Contamination In September and October 2001, at least four letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to news media personnel and two U.S. Senators, leading to the first cases of bioterrorism-related anthrax in...
- Distance Education: Challenges for Minority Serving Institutions and Implications for Federal Education Policy The Higher Education Act of 1965 gives special recognition to some postsecondary schools--called Minority Serving Institutions--that serve a high percentage of minority students. These and other...
- Hospital Preparedness: Most Urban Hospitals Have Emergency Plans but Lack Certain Capacities for Bioterrorism Response In the event of a large-scale infectious disease outbreak, as could be seen with a bioterrorist attack, hospitals and their emergency departments would be on the front line. Federal, state, and local...
- Long-Term Care: Federal Oversight of Growing Medicaid Home and Community-Based Waivers Should Be Strengthened Home and community-based settings have become a growing part of states' Medicaid long-term care programs, serving as an alternative to care in institutional settings, such as nursing homes. To cover...
- Distance Education: Growth in Distance Education Programs and Implications for Federal Education Policy Increasingly, the issues of distance education and federal student aid intersect. About one in every 13 postsecondary students enrolls in at least one distance education course, and the Department of...