Reports & Testimonies

Cities across the nation are using "smart city" technologies like traffic cameras and gunshot detectors to improve public services. In this technology assessment, we looked at their use in transportation and law enforcement. Experts and city officials reported multiple benefits. For example, Houston uses cameras and Bluetooth sensors to measure traffic flow and adjust signal timing. Other cities use license plate readers to find stolen...

Disasters like hurricanes and oil spills can affect fisheries and communities and may result in lost revenue or jobs. When a fishery disaster occurs, eligible entities such as states or Tribes may request assistance from the National Marine Fisheries Service. We found the agency generally took 3 years to disburse funds for some of the 111 requests it received since 2014. The agency is altering...

Research on the human genome—the complete set of a person's DNA—has led to better health care and has many potential benefits. The Department of Health and Human Services has led key research, including a project to create a repository of the genomes of 1 million Americans. Its policy is to responsibly share such data with researchers. But intelligence agencies warn that misuse of U.S. genomic...

Federal employees work across the country—and may make different salaries than their local nonfederal counterparts. To help align federal workers' salaries with their local areas, Congress authorized an annual "locality pay adjustment" starting in 1994. In 2023, 60% of federal employees received a locality pay increase. Even with adjustments over the years, a pay gap persists. Changing how the gap is calculated could make it...

Department of Defense civilian firefighters are a first line of defense when catastrophes threaten DOD installations. But DOD has experienced long-standing staffing issues within this workforce. From FY 2019-2023, DOD employed fewer civilian firefighters than authorized—i.e., below the minimum staffing level required for safe operations. DOD identified causes of its staffing gaps, such as competition from local fire departments that may offer better pay and...

When enforcing regulations, federal agencies use fines to hold violators accountable and to deter future violations. But if agencies don't regularly adjust these fines for inflation, they may become less effective. Congress enacted the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 partly to address this issue. In 2015, Congress amended the act to require GAO to annually review agencies' compliance with certain provisions. We...

Each year, we audit the Federal Housing Finance Agency's financial statements. During our 2024 audit, we found that FHFA doesn't have sufficient guidance to determine and review its accounts payable accruals—expenses incurred but not yet paid. Also, FHFA lacks guidance for communicating between its accounting office and business units. This guidance is necessary to ensure that the accounting office has the information it needs to...

In fiscal year 2024, GAO's work yielded $67.5 billion in financial benefits, a return of about $76 for every dollar invested in GAO. Our average return on investment for the past 6 years is $123 to $1. In this testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations, U.S. Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro discusses GAO's FY 2026 budget request. Our budget request will enable...

DOD's financial management and business systems modernization has been on our High Risk List since 1995. We testified that, while DOD has taken steps to address this issue, it needs to do more in areas like action plans and demonstrating results. Additionally, the full extent of fraud affecting DOD is unknown, so we've expanded this High Risk area to include fraud risk management. Finally, DOD...

Federal law lets some employers pay people with disabilities less than minimum wage. Some states stopped allowing this. We looked at 2 states to find out what happened next. The states could track what happened to about 1,000 people. Almost half got new jobs. This is an "Easy Read" version of our report. Easy Read is a way some groups make their written information easier...

We also published an " Easy Read" version of this report. Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand. We published the Easy Read version to make our report more accessible to certain people with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Employers that hold a certificate from the Department of Labor can pay people with disabilities less than the federal...

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act made $711.8 billion available for grants to Tribes, states, localities, and territories. The grants are intended to support transportation, clean energy and power, broadband, and other infrastructure projects. Fifteen federal agencies reported they got funds to award to Tribes, states, localities, and territories. The Department of Transportation got 74% of these funds. Agencies can't use some of the grant...

The General Services Administration owns more than 1,500 buildings that have been identified as a major source of the federal government's greenhouse gas emissions and energy and water use. GSA developed criteria to select projects that would use federal funds received in 2022 to reduce the environmental impacts of those buildings. But it didn't develop a framework for spending some of that $3.4 billion in...

Cyberattacks on state and local IT systems—like school computing networks and locally owned utilities—are on the rise. A grant program from the Department of Homeland Security provides funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to address cybersecurity risks. We looked at how these governments plan to use their portions of the $172 million in grant money. Their projects include upgrading computer equipment, engaging cybersecurity...

As trade, communication, and infrastructure grow more dependent on cyberspace and digital technology, the nation has new opportunities but also faces more foreign cyber threats. The Department of State created the Bureau of Cybersecurity and Digital Policy to advance U.S. interests in cyberspace. We testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe about the evolution of State's cyber efforts and our prior work on...

Many veterans rely on nursing home care to help meet their health needs. In FY 2023, the Department of Veterans Affairs paid about $1.5 billion for veteran nursing home care provided in state veterans homes. VA provides funding and inspects these homes to ensure compliance with VA quality standards. We made 4 recommendations in our November 2022 report to help VA oversee these homes. We...

Broadband internet is increasingly essential, but millions of Americans don't have access. Congress has provided billions in funding to deploy broadband infrastructure to serve these people. The Federal Communications Commission collects data to identify unserved areas. While the FCC has developed procedures to verify the data, it needs to do more to ensure that the data is complete, accurate, and reliable. The FCC and other...

When it's unclear who controls a company that's participating in federal programs, there's greater risk of fraud. For example, we reported on a scheme where a company owner obscured his identity to claim a contract set aside for disabled veterans. Other cases include hidden foreign ties. A 2024 law directed some companies to report "beneficial ownership" information to the Treasury Department. Law enforcement and inspectors...

Applying for VA benefits can be a complex and lengthy process for veterans. To help veterans with this process, they can appoint a representative, such as an attorney or advocate. VA has a program to accredit representatives to ensure they are knowledgeable and reputable. The program also reviews complaints about representatives and educates veterans about scams. VA is working to improve the program by increasing...