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Open Recommendations

Service Member Reemployment Rights: Enhanced Education and Additional Training Could Improve Investigations
GAO-26-108197
Jun 16, 2026
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Labor The Secretary of Labor should ensure that VETS reviews its existing resources on USERRA and identifies and implements options to streamline or modify them to help individuals better understand their potential eligibility under USERRA before filing a complaint as well as the evidence needed to show that an employer action constitutes a USERRA violation. (Recommendation 1)
Open
VETS agreed with this recommendations. VETS officials outlined steps they plan to take to improve claimants' ability to obtain information about their eligibility before filing a claim, such as redeveloping and modernizing the USERRA elaws Advisor. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.
Department of Labor The Secretary of Labor should ensure that VETS's national office assesses investigator training needs and takes steps to address those needs, including soliciting input from investigators. (Recommendation 2)
Open
VETS agreed with this recommendations. VETS officials outlined steps they plan to take to address investigator training needs, such as continuing to solicit input from investigators who attend training courses and taking steps to address proposed improvements, as appropriate. We will monitor the progress of these efforts.

Service Member Rights: Intelligence Community Guidance Could Better Address Reemployment Protections
GAO-26-108133
May 21, 2026
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Director of the DIA includes within DIA's guidance all five of the IC reemployment provisions, as required by sections 4315 and 4325 of title 38, U.S. Code. (Recommendation 1)
Open
DIA concurred with this recommendation and, in September 2026, stated it was in the process of rewriting its current guidance to include reemployment provisions that had been partially included. Upon revising this guidance, DIA plans to incorporate it into a DIA instruction that they anticipate will be available to its workforce in January 2027. Once DIA provides an update and documentation supporting the completion of these planned actions, we will assess the extent to which its actions address this recommendation and will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Director of the NRO includes within NRO's guidance all five of the IC reemployment provisions as required by sections 4315 and 4325 of title 38, U.S. Code. (Recommendation 2)
Open
NRO concurred with this recommendation and, in September 2026, stated it had updated an NRO directive to incorporate all five reemployment provisions, with final publication of the revised directive anticipated in December 2026. Once NRO provides an update and documentation supporting the completion of its planned action, we will assess the extent to which it addresses this recommendation and will provide updated information.
Department of Defense The Secretary of Defense should ensure that the Director of the NSA includes within NSA's guidance all five of the IC reemployment provisions as required by sections 4315 and 4325 of title 38, U.S. Code. (Recommendation 3)
Open
NSA concurred with this recommendation and, in September 2026, stated it was actively working on updates to an NSA/CSS policy manual and anticipates completing this effort in June 2027. Once NSA provides an update and documentation supporting the completion of these planned actions, we will assess the extent to which its actions address this recommendation and will provide updated information.
Department of Justice The Attorney General should ensure that the Director of the FBI includes within FBI's guidance all five of the IC reemployment provisions as required by sections 4315 and 4325 of title 38, U.S. Code. (Recommendation 4)
Open
FBI concurred with this recommendation and indicated planned actions to address it. When we confirm what actions FBI has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Agencies Should Assess Risk of Ending Foreign Worker Program
GAO-26-108239
May 13, 2026
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Interior The Secretary of the Interior should ensure that the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs, or other appropriate office, in collaboration with the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security, the CNMI government, and other U.S. agencies, as appropriate, conducts a study to identify, analyze, and determine options for responding to the potential risks to the CNMI workforce and economy associated with the end of the CNMI CW-1 nonimmigrant visa program.
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Air Traffic Control Workforce: FAA Should Establish Goals and Better Assess Its Hiring Processes
GAO-26-107320
Dec 17, 2025
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3 Open Recommendations
1 Priority
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Federal Aviation Administration The Administrator of FAA should ensure that FAA develops a system, such as its planned dashboard for applicants, that provides applicants with the ability to efficiently access information related to their application, including the ability to check their application status and obtain the information they need to complete their next steps. (Recommendation 1)
Open
On May 28, 2026, DOT sent its 180-day letter concurring with our recommendation. According to FAA, as the agency advances implementation of the government-wide Human Capital Management system, it will utilize dashboards to support Air Traffic Control applicants in navigating the clearance process more effectively. Further, the agency stated that as an interim solution, FAA is developing a candidate-status dashboard prototype. FAA expects to launch the interim candidate status dashboard no later than June 30, 2026. We will continue to monitor agency efforts to implement this recommendation.
Federal Aviation Administration The Administrator of FAA should establish and document measurable goals for its processes to recruit, hire, and train air traffic controllers. (Recommendation 2)
Open
On May 28, 2026, DOT sent its 180-day letter concurring with our recommendation. According to FAA, in its Flight Plan 2026, FAA documented measurable activities and goals to improve its hiring and training of air traffic controllers. In addition, the agency stated that it has initiated a data-driven process improvement study to identify constraints and opportunities for added efficiencies in its controller hiring and training processes. They further noted that actions to identify any additional required goals and metrics will be completed by September 30, 2026. We will continue to monitor agency efforts to implement this recommendation.
Federal Aviation Administration
Priority Rec.
The Administrator of FAA should use the information FAA collects across its databases to assess its processes for recruiting, hiring, and training air traffic controllers and inform decisions about any needed improvements. (Recommendation 3)
Open
On May 28, 2026, DOT sent its 180-day letter concurring with our recommendation and indicating that the agency had developed a performance dashboard integrating controller hiring and training data from various databases to inform decisions needed to meet controller hiring targets and other metrics. GAO is currently reviewing FAA's documentation of its dashboard efforts to determine if the agency has achieved the recommendation's intend.
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