The Department of Defense (DOD) has addressed the committee direction to identify the root causes regarding the improper documentation and packaging of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) shipments and any needed corrective actions, but it is too soon to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts. In its September 2015 report, DOD identified:contract- and documentation-related issues and human error as...

Behavioral health conditions disproportionately affect low-income people. Some states expanded Medicaid to cover low-income adults, as authorized by the Affordable Care Act, so we examined how many people in this expansion group received behavioral health treatment. In four states—Iowa, New York, Washington, and West Virginia—we found that in 2014: Up to 1 in 3 Medicaid expansion enrollees r...

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) does not have valid evidence that most of the revised behavioral indicators (28 of 36) used in its behavior detection activities can be used to identify individuals who may pose a threat to aviation security. GAO defined valid evidence as original research that meets generally accepted research standards and presents evidence that is applicable in s...

For the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau originally planned to phase in technology and third-party data sources to build its address list—reducing the need to go door-to-door. The Bureau estimated it could update 75% of its address list this way, reducing costs by $900 million. However, the Bureau has not evaluated the accuracy of its approach, which involves comparing aerial images to data in th...

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) has conducted key efforts to establish the network, namely releasing the request for proposal (RFP) for the network and awarding the network contract to AT&T. As the contractor, AT&T will be responsible for the overall design, development, production, operation, and evolution of the network. Additionally, FirstNet consulted with state and local, fed...

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can manage unneeded property under its various real property authorities, but only one of these—enhanced use leases (EUL)—is used to provide homeless veteran housing. VA's EUL program leases unneeded properties to public or private sector entities if they agree to develop the property into supportive housing for homeless veterans and their families. Beca...

The Department of Defense has a history of investing in innovative technologies, allowing the United States to maintain superiority on the battlefield and beyond. Now that commercial science and tech firms—"non-traditional companies"—are on the leading edge of innovation, DOD relies on them for new products and ideas. The trouble is many non-traditional companies find the cost of doing busine...

The fiscal year 2017 joint report submitted by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Energy (DOE) in August 2016 includes 10-year budget estimates for sustaining and modernizing U.S. nuclear weapons (see figure below), and these estimates are generally consistent with the two departments' internal funding and modernization plans—with some exceptions. GAO could not verify that DOD...

Participation of older workers in the labor market has increased in the last decade, according to GAO analysis. Further, most individuals ages 61 to 66 who were still working maintained a full-time work schedule. However, although about a quarter of workers in this age group had planned to reduce hours as they transitioned to retirement, fewer than 15 percent subsequently reported being partly ret...

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) has conducted key efforts to establish the network, namely releasing the request for proposal (RFP) for the network and awarding the network contract to AT&T. As the contractor, AT&T will be responsible for the overall design, development, production, operation, and evolution of the network. Additionally, FirstNet consulted with state and local, fed...