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Open Recommendations

Economic Development Administration: Actions Needed to Assess Disaster Recovery Outcomes
GAO-26-107742
Jul 02, 2026
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Economic Development Administration The Secretary of Commerce should ensure that EDA, in coordination with Economic RSF participating agencies, implements a way to periodically monitor, assess, and report on progress toward the Economic RSF's strategic outcomes. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Economic Development Administration The Secretary of Commerce should ensure that EDA, in coordination with Economic RSF participating agencies, updates the Economic RSF operating documents in a timely manner. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Economic Development Administration The Secretary of Commerce should ensure that EDA implements performance measures that specifically address its disaster recovery work and intended outcomes. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Economic Development Administration The Secretary of Commerce should ensure that EDA resumes procedures for validating grantee-reported performance data. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Puerto Rico Grid Recovery: Limited Progress Toward Stability and Opportunities Exist to Improve Federal Assistance
GAO-26-107772
Jul 02, 2026
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5 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Emergency Management Agency The Acting Administrator of FEMA should update its guidance to provide information on potential flexibilities that could be used to streamline the environmental and historic preservation review process, such as categorical exclusions. (Recommendation 1).
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Federal Emergency Management Agency The Acting Administrator of FEMA should take steps to help ensure sufficient and consistent resources are available to conduct environmental and historic preservation reviews. (Recommendation 2).
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Federal Emergency Management Agency The Acting Administrator of FEMA, to the extent that FEMA implements broader reforms to federal disaster assistance, should take steps to identify and communicate opportunities to streamline its programs funding grid recovery in Puerto Rico, including trade-offs and any statutory changes required. (Recommendation 3).
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy, in coordination with FEMA, HUD, and the Government of Puerto Rico, should clarify objectives, roles, and responsibilities for collaboration by, for example, updating or establishing a new memorandum of understanding for collaboration among federal and Puerto Rico entities to reflect current roles, responsibilities, and objectives. (Recommendation 4).
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy, in coordination with FEMA and HUD, should take steps to establish a mechanism to support coordination among federal and Puerto Rico entities involved in Puerto Rico's grid recovery and modernization. (Recommendation 5).
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Small Business Research Programs: Clearer Guidance Could Improve Award Data to More Effectively Measure Outcomes
GAO-25-107942
Sep 23, 2025
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Small Business Administration The Administrator of SBA should develop formal definitions for open and conventional topics and provide that guidance to participating agencies to encourage the consistent categorization of topic types in SBIR and STTR solicitations. (Recommendation 1)
Open
In its comments on a draft of this report, SBA's Director of the Office of Strategic Management and Enterprise Integrity reported that SBA concurs with GAO's recommendation, but did not provide additional information on plans to implement the recommendation. We will continue to monitor SBA's implementation of this recommendation.

Fishery Disaster Assistance: Process is Changing, but Challenges Remain to Improve Timeliness and Communication [Reissued with revisions on Jun. 25, 2025]
GAO-25-107076
Jun 25, 2025
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Marine Fisheries Service The Assistant Administrator for NMFS should provide access to the tracking system to staff working on the fishery resource disaster program and use information from this system to update the program website. (Recommendation 1)
Open
NOAA agreed with this recommendation and said it would grant access to the tracking system to regional staff involved in the fisheries resource disaster program and that it would work to ensure that up to date information is available on its website. GAO will continue to monitor the actions NOAA takes in response to this recommendation.
National Marine Fisheries Service The Assistant Administrator for NMFS should provide more detailed information on NMFS' website about the fishery resource disaster process to clarify the requirements for documents submitted by requesters, such as requests for fishery resource disaster assistance and spend plans. (Recommendation 2)
Open
NOAA agreed with this recommendation and said it was working to make information more readily available on its website. GAO will continue to monitor the actions NOAA takes in response to this recommendation.
National Marine Fisheries Service The Assistant Administrator for NMFS should assess whether staffing capacity is sufficient to administer the fishery resource disaster program. (Recommendation 3)
Open
NOAA agreed with this recommendation and said it will evaluate whether the staffing capacity across the agency is sufficient to administer the the program. GAO will continue to monitor the actions NOAA takes in response to this recommendation.
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