Puerto Rico:
Update of Selected Information Contained in a 1981 GAO Report
HRD-89-104FS: Published: Aug 9, 1989. Publicly Released: Aug 9, 1989.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO updated certain information from an earlier GAO report on the political status of Puerto Rico, focusing on: (1) government finances; (2) socioeconomic conditions; (3) federal legislation and court cases pertaining to Puerto Rico; and (4) a bibliography of documents relating to Puerto Rican politics and other local self-determination processes.
GAO found that: (1) Puerto Rico's economy grew at an average annual rate of 5.2 percent from 1950 to 1979, declined at an average annual rate of about 1 percent for 1979 to 1983, and grew to an annual rate of 3.9 percent by 1988; (2) Puerto Rican per capita income was only 47 percent of that in the state with the lowest per capita income; (3) the Puerto Rican unemployment rate was 15.9 percent in 1988, while the highest state unemployment rate was 10.9 percent; (4) Puerto Rico funds most governmental functions and delegates only limited functions to its municipalities; (5) Puerto Rico operates a number of government corporations engaging in varied activities unparalleled in existing states; (6) Puerto Rico's per capita debt was comparable to states'; (7) many federal laws applied to Puerto Rico in the same manner as to states, but many income support programs provided lower benefits for Puerto Ricans; (8) federal income tax laws do not apply to Puerto Rico; and (9) recent court cases pertaining to Puerto Rico mostly treated it as a state, but the Supreme Court upheld a lower reimbursement rate for it under a public assistance program.
Oct 1, 2020
Child Care Facilities:
Federal Agencies Need to Enhance Monitoring and Collaboration to Help Assure Drinking Water is Safe from LeadGAO-20-597: Published: Sep 28, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 1, 2020.
Aug 21, 2020
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Federal Employees' Compensation Act:
Comparisons of Benefits in Retirement and Actions Needed to Help Injured Workers Choose Best OptionGAO-20-523: Published: Jul 23, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 21, 2020.
Aug 13, 2020
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Social Security Disability:
Information on Wait Times, Bankruptcies, and Deaths among Applicants Who Appealed Benefit DenialsGAO-20-641R: Published: Aug 13, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 13, 2020.
Aug 10, 2020
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Child Welfare and Aging Programs:
HHS Could Enhance Support for Grandparents and Other Relative CaregiversGAO-20-434: Published: Jul 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Aug 10, 2020.
Jul 29, 2020
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Economic Adjustment Assistance:
Actions Needed to Better Address Workers' Needs and Assess Program EffectivenessGAO-20-521: Published: Jul 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 29, 2020.
Jul 9, 2020
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Child Welfare:
Various HHS Offices Provided Input on Decision to Grant Exception from Religious Nondiscrimination Requirement [Reissued with revisions on Jul. 9, 2020.]GAO-20-69R: Published: Oct 25, 2019. Publicly Released: Nov 25, 2019.
Jun 17, 2020
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Department of Defense:
Actions Needed to Improve Management and Oversight of Dependency Determinations for Incapacitated Adult ChildrenGAO-20-335: Published: Jun 17, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 17, 2020.
May 7, 2020
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Poverty Reduction:
HHS Can Improve Information to Assist States and Localities in Adopting Approaches That Serve Whole FamiliesGAO-20-382: Published: May 7, 2020. Publicly Released: May 7, 2020.
Apr 13, 2020
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Child Care and Development Fund:
Office of Child Care Should Strengthen Its Oversight and Monitoring of Program-Integrity RisksGAO-20-227: Published: Mar 2, 2020. Publicly Released: Apr 13, 2020.
Feb 26, 2020
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Black Lung Benefits Program:
Improved Oversight of Coal Mine Operator Insurance Is NeededGAO-20-21: Published: Feb 21, 2020. Publicly Released: Feb 26, 2020.
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