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Open Recommendations

Whistleblowers: VA Should Assess Data and Monitor Settlement Agreements to Better Ensure Protections
GAO-25-106780
Jul 31, 2025
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Veterans Affairs The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should ensure that OAWP consistently collects information on corrective actions VA takes on behalf of whistleblowers during the whistleblower retaliation investigation process. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of Special Counsel The Special Counsel of the Office of Special Counsel should coordinate with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that VA whistleblower retaliation settlement agreements that arise from cases filed with OSC are accurately tracked. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Veterans Affairs The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should coordinate with the Special Counsel of the Office of Special Counsel to ensure that VA whistleblower retaliation settlement agreements that arise from cases filed with OSC are accurately tracked. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Veterans Affairs The Secretary of Veterans Affairs should ensure that OAWP is delegated the authority to monitor and then monitors whistleblower retaliation settlement agreement implementation, including tracking of relevant settlement agreement data. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families: Additional Actions Needed to Strengthen Fraud Risk Management
GAO-25-107290
Jan 28, 2025
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7 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should finalize its key guidance documents on fraud risk management—the Fraud Risk Management Implementation Plan and the Fraud Risk Assessment Portal Methodology—and clearly establish a process for conducting fraud risk assessments for HHS programs, including TANF, at regular intervals and when there are changes to the program or its operating environment. (Recommendation 1)
Open
HHS concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. We will provide updated information when we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation.
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should develop and document standard operating procedures for conducting regular fraud risk assessments tailored to TANF. This should include the roles and responsibilities of HHS entities involved in the process. (Recommendation 2)
Open
HHS concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. We will provide updated information when we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation.
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should develop a process for direct and regular communication with state and local agencies, and their respective OIGs or auditors, about TANF fraud risks that includes an approach for soliciting information from these entities and document this process in its standard operating procedures for conducting fraud risk assessments tailored to TANF. (Recommendation 3)
Open
HHS concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. We will provide updated information when we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation.
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should update the design of HHS's Fraud Risk Assessment Portal to have the functionality to allow users to assess the likelihood and impact of each fraud risk identified in a program, such as TANF; determine the related fraud risk tolerance; and include those results in the portal as part of their fraud risk assessments. (Recommendation 4)
Open
HHS did not concur with this recommendation. We continue to believe that this recommendation is valid because users should be able to perform the likelihood, impact, and fraud risk tolerance assessment of each fraud risk identified in a program, such as TANF, in HHS's centralized Fraud Risk Assessment Portal as part of their fraud risk assessments. We will monitor HHS's efforts to address this recommendation.
Department of Health and Human Services As part of finalizing HHS's key guidance documents on fraud risk management, the Secretary of HHS should require users to assess the likelihood and impact of each fraud risk identified in a program, such as TANF; determine the related fraud risk tolerance; and include those results in the Fraud Risk Assessment Portal as part of their fraud risk assessments. (Recommendation 5)
Open
HHS did not fully concur with this recommendation. We continue to believe that this recommendation is valid because HHS should require users to perform the likelihood, impact, and fraud risk tolerance assessment of each fraud risk identified in a program, such as TANF, in HHS's centralized Fraud Risk Assessment Portal as part of their fraud risk assessments. We will monitor HHS's efforts to address this recommendation.
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should update the design of HHS's Fraud Risk Assessment Portal to have the functionality to allow for the regular assessment of any additional fraud risks facing TANF, including those identified by GAO. (Recommendation 6)
Open
HHS concurred with this recommendation and said it would take steps to implement it. We will provide updated information when we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation.

Foster Care: HHS Should Help States Address Barriers to Using Federal Funds for Programs Serving Youth Transitioning to Adulthood
GAO-25-107154
Jan 22, 2025
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary for Health and Human Services should ensure the Administration for Children and Families documents a plan to have regional offices work with states, Tribes, and U.S. territories to address any barriers they face in spending federal Chafee funds and ensure the plan includes guidance on how regional office staff can help jurisdictions address these challenges.
Open
HHS agreed with this recommendation and said it would develop a plan to share information with regional offices on states, Tribes, and U.S. territories spending of Chafee funds. In addition, the agency said regional offices will use this information to reach out to relevant states, Tribes, and U.S. territories to discuss reasons for underspending and provide technical assistance. As of June 2025, HHS anticipates implementing this recommendation in fiscal year 2026.

Older Americans: HHS Should Apply Leading Practices as It Coordinates Overlapping Programs
GAO-25-107020
Jan 08, 2025
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of HHS should ensure that ACL, in consultation with other member agencies as appropriate, develop a written plan for its work with the Coordinating Committee that incorporates the eight leading practices on enhancing interagency collaboration. (Recommendation 1)
Open
As of July 2025, HHS reports that ACL has developed a draft written plan to govern the work of the Coordinating Committee, which incorporates the eight leading practices for enhancing interagency collaboration. HHS anticipates providing more information by the end of 2025. We will continue to monitor the agency's efforts until it has finalized a written plan that incorporates the leading practices.
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