[Comments on DOD Data Center Consolidation Plan]

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed whether the Department of Defense's (DOD) submission of its Data Center Consolidation Plan to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) violated 1993 DOD Appropriations Act provisions. GAO noted that: (1) DOD site visits should not be construed as implementation of the consolidation plan, since DOD only gathered information needed to plan the possible consolidation; (2) DOD did not violate any legislative restrictions, since it did not obligate or expend funds to implement the consolidation plan; (3) DOD submission of its consolidation plan to BRAC constituted a recommendation for review by BRAC; and (4) Congress instructed DOD not to use the BRAC process to circumvent its oversight or legislative restrictions that affect below threshold data processing initiatives.