[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 4032]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-618]



[[Page 4031]]

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Part V





Department of Labor





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Management of United States Government Accountability Office Reports; 
Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 24, 2006 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary

[Secretary's Order 02-2006]


Management of United States Government Accountability Office 
Reports

    1. Purpose. To delegate authority and assign overall responsibility 
for coordinating, reviewing, and processing United States Government 
Accountability Office (GAO) reports.
    2. Authority. This Order is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 
301 (Departmental Regulations); 29 U.S.C. 551 (Establishment of 
Department: Secretary; Seal); Reorganization Plan No. 6 of 1950 (5 
U.S.C. Appendix 1); 31 U.S.C. 720 (Government Accountability Office, 
Agency Reports); and OMB Circular A-50 (Audit Followup).
    3. Redelegations/Transfers of Authority. Unless provided otherwise 
in this or another Secretary's Order, the authority delegated in this 
Order may be redelegated or transferred, as permitted by law or 
regulation.
    4. Reservation of Authority. The submission of reports and 
recommendations to the President and the Congress concerning the 
administration of statutory or administrative provisions is reserved to 
the Secretary.
    5. Directives Affected. Secretary's Order 04-1992 is canceled. This 
Secretary's Order does not affect the authorities and responsibilities 
of the Office of the Inspector General under the Inspector General Act 
of 1978, as amended, or under Secretary's Order 2-90 (January 31, 
1990).
    6. Background. Title 31, Chapter 7 of the United States Code 
establishes GAO as an independent instrumentality of the U.S. 
Government independent of executive departments, and sets forth the 
duties and powers of its head, the Comptroller General. Among these 
duties is the responsibility to investigate the use of public money. 
Federal agencies are charged with giving the Comptroller General 
specified information and permitting GAO inspection of agency records. 
In addition, GAO evaluates programs and activities of the U.S. 
Government. 31 U.S.C. 719 directs the Comptroller General to report to 
Congress on agency expenditures, contracts, administrative controls, 
and the status of fiscal accounts. 31 U.S.C. 720 requires that 
following issuance of a GAO report that contains recommendations to the 
head of an agency, the agency must submit a written statement to the 
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the 
House Committee on Government Reform, the Committees on Appropriations 
of the Senate and the House and GAO indicating the action taken by the 
agency on the recommendations. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
Circular A-50, Audit Followup, revised September 29, 1982, provides 
policies and procedures for use by executive agencies when considering 
reports issued by GAO where follow-up is necessary. OMB Circular A-50 
also specifies those GAO reports for which agency heads will submit 
statements to OMB.
    7. Scope. These delegations apply to draft and final GAO reports as 
well as to related correspondence addressed to the Secretary of Labor 
or other DOL official.
    8. Policy. Findings, recommendations, or suggestions presented to 
the Department in a GAO report will be given prompt and careful 
consideration. DOL agency heads must act promptly on all 
recommendations that merit action. The action agency will comment on 
the findings in a GAO report indicating whether the recommendations 
will be adopted, considered further, or have been found to be 
unacceptable. Comments indicating agreement must include planned 
corrective actions and, where appropriate, dates for implementing these 
actions. If the recommendations are found to be unacceptable, the 
reasons for disagreement shall be fully explained.
    9. Delegation of Authority and Assignment of Responsibilities.
    A. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is delegated overall authority 
and assigned responsibility for the GAO reports and will:
    (1) Act as the DOL control official for all GAO audits, studies, 
and reports and all correspondence received from the Congress and other 
governmental agencies relating to such GAO matters.
    (2) Serve as the GAO Liaison and point of contact for all GAO 
audits and studies (hereinafter, ``reviews'').
    (3) Review and approve, or disapprove, all written comments on 
draft and final GAO reports.
    (4) Resolve all disagreements that may arise between DOL agencies 
regarding responses to GAO reports, both draft and final.
    (5) Act as DOL's liaison to other Federal agencies for GAO report 
matters.
    (6) Notify appropriate DOL agencies of planned GAO work.
    (7) Designate action agencies to prepare responses to GAO reports 
and stipulate the deadline required for such responses.
    (8) Maintain liaison with GAO concerning all reports and responses.
    (9) Provide oversight of DOL's responses to GAO reports, both draft 
and final, monitor DOL's implementation of accepted recommendations, 
and provide periodic reports to the Deputy Secretary.
    (10) Provide advice and assistance to agency heads with regard to 
GAO findings, recommendations, or suggestions involving internal 
control, accounting, and financial policies and procedures.
    (11) Establish policies and procedures for DOL's responses to GAO 
reviews and reports.
    (12) Apprise the Deputy Secretary on a quarterly basis, or as 
designated by the Deputy Secretary, of active GAO reviews and reports 
relating to the Department.
    B. DOL Agency Heads will:
    (1) Expeditiously review and comment on GAO's findings and 
recommendations, and submit prepared responses to OCFO for final 
clearance through the Executive Secretariat.
    (2) Establish sufficient controls to ensure the prompt preparation 
of comments to be furnished to Congressional committees, OMB, GAO, and 
implementation of recommendations that merit action.
    (3) Designate an individual within the agency to serve as the 
central contact for the CFO regarding GAO review and report activities 
and related matters.
    (4) Direct all communications received from the GAO, Congress, or 
other government agencies pertaining to GAO reports to the attention of 
the CFO.
    (5) Ensure that appropriate departmental clearances on responses to 
GAO reports are obtained, including coordinating with SOL to obtain OMB 
clearances. Items found at issue during the response clearance phase 
will promptly be brought to the attention of the CFO for resolution.
    (6) Ensure that appropriate GAO responses with the agency heads' 
signature reach Congressional committees, OMB, and GAO within mandated 
time frames.
    C. The Solicitor of Labor is delegated authority and assigned 
responsibility to:
    (1) Provide legal advice and assistance to all officials of the 
Department relating to the authorities of this Order.
    (2) Review proposed agency submissions of records and responses.
    10. Effective Date. This Order is effective immediately.

    Dated: January 17, 2006.
Elaine L. Chao,
Secretary of Labor.
[FR Doc. 06-618 Filed 1-23-06; 8:45 am]
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