Reports and Testimony: August 1996 (Other Written Prod., 09/01/96,
GAO/OPA-96-11).

GAO published a listing of its reports and testimonies issued in July
and August 1996.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  OPA-96-11
     TITLE:  Reports and Testimony: August 1996
      DATE:  09/01/96
   SUBJECT:  Education or training costs
             Colleges/universities
             Transportation safety
             International relations
             Defense operations
             Financial management
             Information resources management
             Environmental monitoring
IDENTIFIER:  Bosnia
             Bibliographies
             
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REPORTS AND TESTIMONY:  AUGUST
1996

GAO/OPA-96-11


Highlights

College Tuition

Between 1980 and 1995, tuition at four-year public colleges and
universities rose by 234 percent, nearly three times the increase in
median household income.  The principal reasons for this rise are a
121 percent increase in schools' expenditures and a greater
dependence on tuition as a source of revenue.  Page 4. 

Aviation Security

To protect against terrorist attack, a mix of improved explosives
detection technology and new procedures are needed to improve
aviation security at a cost that could reach $6 billion over 10
years.  Congress, the Federal Aviation Administration, intelligence
agencies, and the aviation industry must agree on steps to take and
how to pay for new security measures.  Page 27. 

Bosnia

The cost of deploying U.S.  troops in and around Bosnia as part of an
international peacekeeping operation spanning fiscal years 1996 and
1997 could exceed the Defense Department's initial estimate of $3
billion by more than $450 million, and further increases are
possible.  Page 18. 

GAO/OPA-96-11



Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV

  CPI - x
  DBOF - x
  DOD - x
  DOE - x
  EOS - x
  EPA - x
  FAA - x
  FCS - x
  FECA - x
  FHA - x
  INTELSAT - x
  NASA - x
  NASD - x
  NPR - x
  R&D - x
  SSA - x
  UI - x
  USDA - x
  VA - x

REPORTS AND TESTIMONY:  AUGUST
1996
=========================================================== Appendix 0


   AGRICULTURE AND FOOD
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:1

Department of Agriculture:
Team Nutrition Personnel and Under Secretary's Travel

GAO/RCED-96-229R, Aug.  8 (40 pages). 

The Department of Agriculture developed the Team Nutrition initiative
to teach children about choosing healthy foods in their diets and to
help elementary and secondary schools plan and prepare nutritious
meals that are attractive to students.  The initiative is run by the
Department's Food and Consumer Services (FCS).  This report provides
information on the employment of Team Nutrition's former project
manager, former assistant project manager, and project coordinator. 
GAO discusses whether (1) FCS complied with federal procedures in
establishing these jobs, (2) these employees were qualified for these
jobs, (3) FCS had an adequate basis for setting salaries for these
employees, and (4) these employees submitted financial disclosure
statements as required by law.  GAO also provides information on the
official travel of the Under Secretary between January 1994 and
February 1996, including the number of her trips, their destinations,
lodging costs, and the extent to which she combined personal and
business travel. 

School Lunch Program:
Role and Impacts of Private Food Service Companies

GAO/RCED-96-217, Aug.  26 (62 pages). 

Under the National School Lunch Program, local school districts
receive federal funds for lunches that meet the program's
requirements for nutritious, well-balanced meals.  Although these
school districts have traditionally run their own school meals
programs, several have contracted with private food service
management companies to plan, prepare, and serve school meals.  Also,
some school districts have purchased brand-name fast foods to serve
as part of their school meals or as a la carte items.  This report
(1) discusses the extent to which food authorities use food service
companies to operate their school lunch program and the impact that
the use of food service companies has had on the National School
Lunch Program; (2) describes the terms and the conditions in the
contracts between food authorities and food service companies; (3)
discusses the extent to which fast foods and snack foods in vending
machines are available in participating schools; and (4) describes
the types, the brands, and the nutritional content of the fast foods
most commonly offered. 

Federally Donated Meat and Poultry:
Information on Extent and Impact of States' Restrictions
on Processors

GAO/RCED-96-220, Aug.  29 (12 pages). 

Each year, the Agriculture Department purchases and donates hundreds
of millions of dollars' worth of agricultural commodities to various
domestic food assistance programs, including the National School
Lunch Program.  Schools receive donated meat and poultry in a
finished form, such as hamburger patties or chicken nuggets, and
either use the product immediately for school lunches or store it for
future use.  Schools sometimes send fine-ground beef to a commercial
processor, who might turn it into products such as barbecue-flavored
hamburgers or meatballs.  To gain greater production efficiency, some
large processors may combine federally donated meat or poultry
received from multiple sources, a process known as "batching."
However, the contracts of some local school food authorities and
state agencies restrict commercial processors from batching their
products under certain conditions.  This report discusses the (1)
reasons for and extent of batching restrictions among schools and
state agencies; (2) impact that batching restrictions have on
commercial processors, schools, and the federal government; and (3)
mechanisms that schools and state agencies use to ensure compliance
with
batching restrictions. 


   BUDGET AND SPENDING
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:2

Impoundments:
Proposed Deferral of Funds for SSA Administrative Expenses

GAO/OGC-96-25, July 26 (two pages). 

On June 24, 1996, the President submitted to Congress his eighth
special impoundment message for fiscal year 1996, which affects
administrative expenses at the Social Security Administration.  GAO
reviewed the revised deferral of budget authority in that message and
found it to be in accordance with the Impoundment Control Act. 

Debt Ceiling:
Analysis of Actions During the 1995-1996 Crisis

GAO/AIMD-96-130, Aug.  30 (40 pages). 

Congress has traditionally limited the size of the federal debt by
establishing ceilings on the amount of Treasury securities than can
be outstanding.  During the past 50 years, Congress has enacted about
60 temporary and permanent increases in the debt ceiling.  On August
10, 1993, Congress raised the debt ceiling to $4.9 trillion.  This
limit was reached in the fall of 1995, but was not raised until the
following March, when it was set at $5.5 trillion.  The intervening
period, when the Secretary of the Treasury announced a debt issuance
suspension period, became known as the 1995-1996 debt ceiling crisis. 
Treasury took several measures during the period to raise funds to
meet federal obligations without exceeding the debt ceiling.  This
report (1) discusses the chronology of these actions and (2) provides
a financial and legal analysis of them. 


   EDUCATION
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:3

Higher Education:
Tuition Increasing Faster Than Household Income and Public Colleges'
Costs

GAO/HEHS-96-154, Aug.  15 (76 pages). 

During the past 15 years, tuition at four-year public colleges and
universities rose 234 percent.  In contrast, median household income
rose only 82 percent.  This increase in tuition also substantially
exceeded the 74-percent increase in the cost of consumer goods--as
measured by the Consumer Price Index.  The two factors most
responsible for the rise in tuition were increases in schools'
expenditures and schools' greater dependency on tuition as a source
of revenue.  Increases in instruction, administration, and research
expenditures accounted for much of the increase.  The increased
spending for instruction was driven largely by increases in faculty
salaries, which rose 97 percent during the period.  At the same time,
the share of schools' revenue provided by tuition rose from 16
percent to 23 percent, as the share of revenue derived from state
appropriations fell by 14 percentage points.  GAO found wide
variation in tuition charges among states in school year 1995-96. 
These variations are explained partly by states' levels of support. 
Colleges have tried to deal with students' increasing financial
burden in several ways, including holding down tuition increases,
making paying for college easier, and streamlining students' progress
to graduation to keep their total charges lower.  Because some of the
efforts are in the early stages of implementation, little has been
done to evaluate their effectiveness. 

School Finance:
Options for Improving Measures of Effort and Equity in Title I

GAO/HEHS-96-142, Aug.  30 (46 pages). 

Disparities in per pupil funding for elementary and secondary
education within each state have long been a concern of parents,
teachers, state officials, and federal officials.  Since the early
1970s, these disparities have prompted poor districts in more than 40
states to challenge the constitutionality of their states' school
finance systems.  Under Title I's Education Finance Incentive
Program, states with high levels of "fiscal effort" for
education--that is, high state spending relative to the state's
ability to pay--and equity in per pupil spending would receive
additional funds.  In June 1994, GAO cited weaknesses in the proposed
measures of effort and equity used in the Title I program.  (See
GAO/HEHS-94-190R.) Members of Congress have also called for these
measures to be improved.  This report (1) examines the measures now
included in Title I's Education Finance Incentive Program to reflect
state fiscal effort for education and equity in per pupil spending,
(2) proposes several options for improving these measures, (3)
describes the characteristics of states with higher levels of effort
and equity under both the current definitions and the options GAO
developed, and (4) suggests alternative ways the options GAO
developed could be used in allocating funds under the Education
Finance and Incentive Program. 


   ENERGY
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:4

Nuclear Weapons:
Improvements Needed to DOE's Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Surveillance
Program

GAO/RCED-96-216, July 31 (14 pages). 

The Energy Department (DOE) is falling years behind schedule in
testing the nation's nuclear stockpile for reliability and safety
problems, and the agency has yet to develop written plans detailing
how it will get the testing program back on track.  DOE lags behind
schedule in conducting many stockpile surveillance tests, including
flight tests, nonnuclear systems laboratory tests, and laboratory
tests of key components.  The delay has been caused by several
factors.  At one facility, testing was suspended because the facility
lacked an approved safety study required to disassemble and inspect
one type of weapon.  Testing was suspended at another facility
because of concerns about safety procedures.  Testing delays also
arose during the transfer of testing functions to new facilities. 

Northwest Power Planning Council:
Greater Public Oversight of Business Operations Would
Enhance Accountability

GAO/RCED-96-226, Aug.  30 (17 pages). 

The Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning
Council, a four-state body mandated by law, oversees regional energy
and fish and wildlife policies.  The eight-member Council, which is
appointed by the governors of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington,
has a central staff of about 40.  In response to congressional
concerns about a controversial severance package offered to the
Council's former executive director, this report addresses the
following questions:  Are the Council's program activities consistent
with congressional direction?  Is the Council following sound
business practices and exercising adequate oversight of its
business operations? 


      TESTIMONY
------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:4.1

Energy Research:  Recovery of Federal Investment in Technology
Development Projects, by Allen Li, Associate Director for Energy,
Resources, and Science Issues, before the Subcommittee on Energy and
Environment, House Committee on Science.  GAO/T-RCED-96-225, Aug.  1
(11 pages). 

The Energy Department (DOE) generally does not require repayment of
its investment in cost-shared technology development projects.  GAO
identified only four DOE programs requiring repayment of the federal
investment if the technologies are commercialized.  The four DOE
offices GAO focused on--Fossil Energy, Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, Environmental Management, and Nuclear Energy--plan
to devote about $8 billion in federal funds to cost-shared projects,
of which about $2.5 billion is subject to repayment.  With repayment,
the government generally receives a share of the royalties and fees
from licensing technologies and revenues from commercial sales.  One
program allows for recovering 150 percent of the federal investment,
while the other three are limited to 100 percent.  The main advantage
of a repayment policy is that the federal government can recoup some
of its investment in successfully commercialized technologies. 
However, DOE officials believe that repayment could discourage
industry from commercializing technologies or participating in
projects, pose an administrative burden on both DOE and industry, and
make technologies less competitive.  In GAO's view, a flexible
repayment requirement could overcome many of these problems and
provide the government with hundreds of millions of dollars in
revenue from successfully commercialized technologies. 


   ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:5

International Environment:
Environmental Infrastructure Needs in the U.S.-Mexican Border Region
Remain Unmet

GAO/RCED-96-179, July 22 (28 pages). 

Although the United States and Mexico have committed up to $3 billion
each in loans and loan guarantees to fund water, municipal sewage,
and other environmental infrastructure projects along the
U.S.-Mexican border, Mexican border towns and U.S.  rural areas known
as "colonias" face financial and administrative challenges to meeting
their environmental infrastructure needs.  The problem is
particularly severe in many Mexican communities, where infrastructure
systems are often inadequate or nonexistent.  Most environmental
needs on the U.S.  side involve colonias--rural, unincorporated
subdivisions characterized by substandard housing, poor roads and
drainage, and inadequate water and sewer facilities--or upgrades of
existing community infrastructure.  This report discusses the (1)
financial and institutional challenges the United States and Mexico
face in overcoming environmental infrastructure problems and (2) way
in which the Environmental Protection Agency has identified and
prioritized funding for environmental problems along
the border. 


   FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:6

Farm Credit System:
Analysis and Comment on Possible New Insurance
Corporation Powers

GAO/GGD-96-144, Aug.  5 (26 pages). 

The Farm Credit System is a government-sponsored enterprise created
to guarantee a stable supply of credit to American agriculture.  The
Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation maintains an insurance fund,
which ensures the prompt payment of most of the debt obligations of
the System's eight banks.  The Farm Credit Administration recommended
in 1991 that Congress increase the Corporation's powers in three
areas.  Specifically, the Corporation would be permitted to (1)
assess the capital of the 228 System associations that have ownership
interests in the banks that fund them, (2) charge supplemental
insurance premiums to the banks, and (3) base the premiums it charges
banks on the relative riskiness of each bank.  This report describes
each of these possible powers, the Farm Credit Administration's
reasons for requesting them in 1991, and the major advantages and
disadvantages should Congress authorize them.  GAO also reviews
unimplemented recommendations regarding the Insurance Fund that GAO
made in a 1994 report to see whether they are still valid. 

Fair Lending:
Federal Oversight and Enforcement Improved but Some
Challenges Remain

GAO/GGD-96-145, Aug.  13 (130 pages). 

Discrimination in the credit markets, particularly in the market for
home mortgages, has been a concern for some time.  Recently, however,
the media have reported instances when minorities were more likely to
be denied credit for home mortgages than were white applicants with
similar incomes.  Although no single report has offered conclusive
evidence that discrimination is pervasive, collectively they have
heightened concerns.  Partly because of these reports, Members of
Congress and others have begun to question the effectiveness of
federal oversight and enforcement in the fair lending area and the
zeal with which the nation's principal fair lending laws have been
enforced.  This report (1) reviews federal efforts to oversee and
enforce the fair lending laws and (2) discusses the challenges
federal regulators face in their efforts to detect discrimination and
ensure compliance. 

NASD Telephone Hotline:
Enhancements Could Help Investors Be Better Informed About Brokers'
Disciplinary Records

GAO/GGD-96-171, Aug.  19 (57 pages). 

A GAO survey of 500 people who called the toll-free investor hotline
set up by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) found
that most callers were generally satisfied with the services provided
and used the information to make investment decisions, such as
whether to use particular stock brokers.  However, many callers
thought that the hotline did not disclose several important facts,
such as whether their brokers had been the subjects of settled cases,
pending or settled arbitration, or pending customer complaints. 
Hotline officials said that they did not convey this information
because these cases involved unproven allegations.  Most state
securities regulators, however, said that they already disclosed this
information to investors who request it and that it came from the
same source that the hotline used to answer calls.  NASD has begun to
implement some of GAO's suggestions to improve the information
available on its hotline. 


   FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:7

Navy Financial Management:
Improved Management of Operating Materials and Supplies Could Yield
Significant Savings

GAO/AIMD-96-94, Aug.  16 (28 pages). 

In March 1996, GAO reported that the Navy's fiscal year 1994
consolidated financial statements did not include $14 billion worth
of operating materials and supplies, $5.7 billion of which are
located on vessels and at 17 distribution sites throughout the
Atlantic and Pacific fleets.  (See GAO/AIMD-96-7.) These operating
materials and supplies include repair parts and consumables that were
bought from the Defense Business Operations Fund (DBOF), a revolving
fund that finances the purchase of inventory items for the military. 
This report provides a detailed assessment of the Navy's financial
reporting on, and management of, operating materials and supplies
that are not part of DBOF inventories.  GAO discusses (1) the
adequacy of the Navy's accountability and visibility over its $5.7
billion in operating materials and supplies on board vessels and at
distribution sites, (2) the Navy's management of excess items of this
type, and (3) the accuracy of operating unit records for operating
materials and supplies that GAO tested. 


   GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:8

Statistical Agencies:
A Comparison of the U.S.  and Canadian Statistical Systems

GAO/GGD-96-142, Aug.  1 (28 pages). 

Proposals to consolidate the agencies comprising the federal
statistical system have sparked congressional interest in the
centralized Canadian statistical system.  This report provides
information on the Canadian statistical system and Statistics Canada,
that nation's statistical agency, and compares it with the U.S. 
statistical system.  GAO discusses differences between the two
systems in their organizational and budget structures; their legal
frameworks that govern privacy concerns, data confidentiality, and
the ability to share data; and the positions and the authority of the
Chief Statisticians of the United States and Canada. 

Acquisition Reform:
Purchase Card Use Cuts Procurement Costs, Improves Efficiency

GAO/NSIAD-96-138, Aug.  6 (18 pages). 

The National Performance Review recommended in 1993 that agencies
increase their use of government commercial credit cards--called
purchase cards--for small purchases to cut the red tape normally
associated with federal procurement.  Since then, legislation has
eliminated some requirements for purchases of $2,500 or less, called
micropurchases.  Agencies have found that they can carry out their
missions at lower cost by having staff use the purchase cards for
simple purchases.  Further, agency studies have shown that card use
reduces labor and payment-processing costs.  In fact, a 1994
interagency study showed that costs had often been cut by more than
half; other studies have identified millions in potential savings
from card use.  Since the cards first became available
governmentwide, their use has skyrocketed.  Even so, significant room
for growth exists:  the average purchase card transaction was $375 in
fiscal year 1995, well below the micropurchase threshold.  Despite
the growth in purchase card use, GAO found no evidence of increased
abuses.  In fact, the electronic data stored on all purchase card
transactions permits close monitoring of card use.  Officials at most
agencies GAO reviewed believe that the Federal Acquisition
Regulation, which governs federal procurement, should more clearly
address card use.  Also, although agencies want to learn from one
another's experiences, no mechanism exists for them to communicate
with one another and to share their improvements. 

U.S.  Mint:
Commemorative Coins Could Be More Profitable

GAO/GGD-96-113, Aug.  7 (66 pages). 

From 1982 to 1995, Congress authorized 22 commemorative coin programs
and directed that part of the proceeds from four programs be used to
reduce the national debt.  For 19 commemorative coin programs
authorized since 1982--including all 12 programs since 1992--Congress
directed that coin prices include surcharges to be paid to sponsoring
groups.  For the 22 programs, the government earned $179 million,
while the sponsors earned $310 million on sales revenue of more than
$1.6 billion.  In recent years, however, the Mint's commemorative
coin program has been plagued by problems:  The number of
commemorative coins has proliferated and may have saturated the
market, coin prices have become higher than customers want to pay,
and some coin themes have proven unpopular.  In 1994, the Mint lost
more than $4 million on one commemorative coin program, while the
sponsor received more than $9 million.  In 1995, the Mint had three
commemorative coin programs, all of which lost money for the Mint but
generated millions of dollars for the sponsors.  In the case of the
Mint's two-year program commemorating the 1996 Olympics, the Mint has
lost upwards of $3 million while the sponsor has received $18 million
so far.  Although the Citizens' Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee
has made several recommendations to Congress to reform the
commemorative coin program, these proposals have yet to be adopted. 
In particular, the Committee recommended that Congress authorize
circulating commemorative coins, which are coins sold at face value
with distinctive designs that circulate and are used by the public
for legal tender, as well as collected.  GAO estimates that this
proposal would provide about $225 million annually in
seigniorage--the difference between the face value of the coins and
their cost of production--and save about $16 million in annual
interest on the national debt. 

U.S.  Postal Service:
Improved Oversight Needed to Protect Privacy of Address Changes

GAO/GGD-96-119, Aug.  13 (30 pages). 

Under its National Change of Address program, the Postal Service
collects and widely disseminates change-of-address information
reported by postal customers.  To do this, the Postal Service uses 24
licensees--primarily mail-advertising and credit information
firms--to provide the address-correction service.  The Postal
Service's oversight of the program has fallen short in the timely
prevention and detection of possible breaches of the licensing
agreement and potential violations of federal privacy law.  GAO
identified weaknesses in Postal Service oversight relating to (1)
"seeding" files to detect unauthorized uses of addresses, (2)
auditing the performance of software that licensees use to match
their mailing lists with National Change of Address program files,
(3) reviewing program advertisements that licensees propose to use,
and (4) investigating complaints about the program.  In GAO's view,
use of program data by licensees to create a "new-movers list" would
be inconsistent with the limitations imposed by the Privacy Act.  The
Postal Service did not explain in the acknowledgment form--to be
signed by customers of licensees--that program data are not to be
used to create or maintain
such lists. 

Federal Employees' Compensation Act:
Issues Associated With Changing Benefits for Older Beneficiaries

GAO/GGD-96-138BR, Aug.  14 (65 pages). 

The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) now allows
beneficiaries who are at or beyond retirement age to receive worker's
compensation benefits.  Possible changes to the legislation would
reduce these benefits.  This briefing report provides (1) a profile
of beneficiaries on the long-term FECA rolls, (2) views of proponents
and opponents of changing FECA benefits for older beneficiaries, and
(3) questions and issues that Congress might consider if crafting
benefit changes. 

Federal Downsizing:
Better Workforce and Strategic Planning Could Have Made Buyouts More
Effective

GAO/GGD-96-62, Aug.  26 (75 pages). 

Although buyouts of up to $25,000 helped federal agencies shrink the
federal workforce by almost 230,500 employees (10.5 percent) between
January 1993 and March 1996, some agencies report that the downsizing
has stretched them too thin, causing work backlogs, a loss of
institutional memory, and skill imbalances.  Such consequences could
have been avoided had agencies done adequate strategic and workforce
planning, which would have increased the likelihood that employees
with needed skills and training were retained.  In general, agency
officials viewed the buyouts as an effective downsizing tool,
allowing them to reach their downsizing goals with minimal use of
reductions-in-force.  The buyouts also permitted agencies to downsize
without disproportionately affecting the representation of women and
minorities.  The largest share of the buyouts was paid to employees
who took regular or early retirements.  GAO's analysis of separation
trends suggests that some employees may have delayed their departures
in order to receive buyouts. 

Consumer Price Index:
Cost-of-Living Concepts and the Housing and Medical
Care Components

GAO/GGD-96-166, Aug.  26 (88 pages). 

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the price of a fixed market
basket of goods and services, organized into major components, such
as transportation and medical care.  The government used the CPI in
fiscal year 1995 to adjust for inflation billions of dollars worth of
federal spending and tax receipts--affecting program beneficiaries
and taxpayers alike.  Although it is often referred to as a
cost-of-living index, the CPI is not designed for this purpose.  A
comprehensive cost-of-living index does not exist.  In response to
congressional concerns that taxpayers could be negatively affected if
the estimation problems of the CPI were not well understood, this
report (1) discusses whether a change made to the housing component
in the early 1980s made the CPI either more or less suitable for use
as a cost-of-living measure and (2) identifies the advantages and the
disadvantages of changing the current measurement of medical care
costs to an approach that would more closely match a cost-of-living
measure. 


   HOUSING
--------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:9

Homeownership:
FHA's Role in Helping People Obtain Home Mortgages

GAO/RCED-96-123, Aug.  13 (120 pages). 

Many changes have occurred in the single-family housing finance
system since the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was established
in the 1930s to insure housing loans made by private lenders.  These
changes include the advent of modern private mortgage insurance, the
emergence of a secondary mortgage market, and various public- and
private-sector initiatives to expand affordable housing for home
buyers.  Critics of FHA argue that other housing finance entities,
such as private mortgage insurers, are filling the role FHA once
filled exclusively.  Supporters of FHA contend that its single-family
program, which has insured about 24 million home mortgages since its
inception, remains the only way for some families to become
homeowners and should be expanded.  This report discusses (1) the
terms of the mortgage insurance offered by FHA, private mortgage
insurers, and the U.S.  Department of Veterans' Affairs; (2) the
characteristics of borrowers of insured mortgages and the overlap
between FHA-insured mortgages and privately insured mortgages; and
(3) other methods used by the federal government to promote
affordable homeownership. 


   INCOME SECURITY
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:10

Social Security Disability:
Backlog Reduction Efforts Under Way; Significant
Challenges Remain

GAO/HEHS-96-87, July 11 (51 pages). 

The Social Security Administration (SSA) runs the nation's largest
programs providing cash benefits to people with severe long-term
disabilities.  The number of persons receiving either disability
insurance or supplemental security income benefits has soared during
the past decade.  At the same time, SSA has struggled to deal with
unprecedented growth in appeals of its disability decisions and the
resulting backlog of cases awaiting hearing decisions.  Processing
delays stemming from a backlog of more than half a million appealed
cases have created hardships for disability claimants, who often wait
more than a year for final disability decisions.  This report
discusses (1) factors contributing to the growth in appealed cases,
(2) SSA initiatives to reduce the backlog, and (3) steps that need to
be taken in the long-term to make the disability appeals process more
timely and efficient. 

401(k) Pension Plans:
Many Take Opportunity to Ensure Adequate Retirement Income

GAO/HEHS-96-176, Aug.  2 (28 pages). 

Many workers fill the gap between social security and an adequate
retirement income with pension benefits, and one in four workers with
pension coverage participates in a 401(k) program.  GAO found, among
other survey results, that workers with higher incomes and college
educations tended to contribute more to 401(k) plans than others, and
women tend to invest more conservatively than do men.  Also,
higher-income workers and better-educated workers with 401(k) pension
plans tend to contribute a larger proportion of their salaries to
their pension accounts and to invest their pension funds in
higher-yielding assets than do other 401(k) plan participants. 
Consequently, although many workers will have enough retirement
income, some workers, especially those with less education and lower
incomes, risk inadequate retirement incomes. 

Unemployment Insurance:
Millions in Benefits Overpaid to Military Reservists

GAO/HEHS-96-101, Aug.  5 (36 pages). 

More than one million Americans serve in the national reserves.  When
these reservists claim unemployment insurance (UI), they must report
reserve income so that state UI programs can reduce benefits
accordingly.  In the seven states GAO reviewed, however, reservists
filing for UI failed to report more than $7 million in reserve income
during fiscal year 1994.  This resulted in $3.6 million in UI benefit
overpayments, of which federal trust fund losses were $1.2 million. 
GAO found that many UI claimants may be unaware of requirements to
report reserve income.  Moreover, many claimants are not specifically
asked to report reserve income, and the incentives not to report
reserve income are increased by the limited ability of states to
detect nonreporting. 

Supplemental Security Income:
Administrative and Program Savings Possible by Directly Accessing
State Data

GAO/HEHS-96-163, Aug.  29 (25 pages). 

The Supplemental Security Income program, which provides cash
benefits to the aged, the blind, and the disabled, could be run more
efficiently.  More importantly, millions of dollars in overpayments
could be prevented or detected quickly if information were available
on-line during eligibility assessments.  GAO estimates that direct
on-line access to state computerized income information could have
prevented or quickly detected more than $131 million in overpayments
caused by unreported or underreported income nationwide in one
12-month period.  However, in Social Security Administration (SSA)
field offices where direct access to computerized state information
has been implemented, SSA claims representatives did not use it to
detect overpayments.  The claims representatives did use it to
process claims more efficiently, and SSA's preliminary results have
shown that its use has reduced administrative expenses.  Establishing
on-line access between SSA field offices and state agency databases
would require only minimal computer programming in most states; some
states would need additional hardware, such as computer lines. 

Supplemental Security Income:
SSA Efforts Fall Short in Correcting Erroneous Payments
to Prisoners

GAO/HEHS-96-152, Aug.  30 (25 pages). 

Despite Social Security Administration (SSA) procedures to detect
supplemental security income recipients in county and local jails,
GAO found that $5 million had been erroneously paid to prisoners in
the jail systems it reviewed.  SSA had been unaware of many of these
payments and, therefore, had made no attempt to recover them. 
Various factors contributed to these payments.  First, SSA field
offices have not been compiling information regularly on prisoners in
country and local jails.  Second, the supplemental security
recipient--or the person or organization designated to receive
payments on the recipient's behalf--has not been reporting the
incarceration, as required.  Third, SSA sometimes falls short in
periodically reviewing--either by mail or interview--a recipient's
continued financial eligibility for supplemental security income. 
Under a new SSA initiative, field offices will be required to obtain
prisoner information from country and local jails, and SSA plans to
monitor field office compliance with this requirement.  It is too
early to tell, however, whether this initiative will be successful. 


   INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:11

Telecommunications:
Competitive Impact of Restructuring the International
Satellite Organizations

GAO/RCED-96-204, July 8 (40 pages). 

At the initiative of the United States, the International
Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) was created in
1964 to provide telephone and data services.  The International
Maritime Satellite Organization was formed in 1979 to provide
maritime communications.  These treaty organizations faced little, if
any, competition for years after their establishment.  Now,
technological advances, such as enhancements in satellite capacity
and capabilities, as well as new applications and rising demand, have
made it economically feasible for private companies to provide
satellite-based services and expand the range of services being
offered, including new video broadcast and mobile telephone services. 
Although some believe that the organizations may no longer be needed,
others contend that the organizations are still necessary to
guarantee safety at sea and services such as telephone and data
transmission, especially for developing countries.  This report
describes the potential competitive impact of (1) different
approaches to reforming the organizations; (2) an Inmarsat affiliate
company, formed in 1994 to provide new services; and (3) proposals
for restructuring INTELSAT. 

NASA Chief Information Officer:
Opportunities to Strengthen Information Resources Management

GAO/AIMD-96-78, Aug.  15 (32 pages). 

NASA established a chief information officer position in 1995, before
enactment of the Information Technology Management Reform Act, which
requires all federal agencies to appoint chief information officers. 
Chief information officers are to provide advice and assistance to
senior management and program officials on acquisition and management
of information resources.  They are also responsible for establishing
procedures to improve planning and control of agency investments in
information technology.  This report (1) reviews NASA's approach to
establishing its chief information officer position, (2) evaluates
chief information officer initiatives to date to improve information
resources management, and (3) identifies opportunities for NASA to
strengthen its chief information officer position and improve its
information resources management program. 

Defense Transportation:
Migration Systems Selected Without Adequate Analysis

GAO/AIMD-96-81, Aug.  29 (34 pages). 

A migration system is an automated information system that replaces
several systems that performed similar functions.  Defense
transportation systems support common-user transportation needs in
the armed forces.  As part of its Corporate Information Management
initiative, the Defense Department (DOD) plans to migrate from an
inventory of about 130 defense transportation systems.  DOD has
little assurance, however, that its transportation migration system
choices are cost-effective.  In April 1994, DOD developed a
structured approach to identify, select, and implement these systems. 
In its haste to meet a March 1997 deadline, however, DOD selected
transportation migration systems without fully analyzing the
alternatives, such as acquiring new systems or contracting for
services.  In making a quarter of its transportation migration system
selections, DOD relied on incomplete and unverified data.  Moreover,
DOD did not assess how making significant changes to transportation
operations--through reengineering and outsourcing--would affect its
migration systems.  The upshot is that DOD has no guarantee that it
will reap the savings anticipated from migration. 


   INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:12

Bosnia:
Costs Are Exceeding DOD's Estimate

GAO/NSIAD-96-204BR, July 25 (36 pages). 

The costs to deploy U.S.  troops in and around Bosnia as part of
international peacekeeping operations spanning fiscal years 1996 and
1997 could exceed the Defense Department's (DOD) initial estimate of
$3 billion by more than $450 million, and further increases are
possible.  DOD has so far sent about 22,000 troops to Bosnia and
surrounding countries in an effort to end years of hostilities in the
former Yugoslavia.  DOD's costs for fiscal year 1997 will likely
exceed the current estimates and will depend heavily on upcoming
decisions on force requirements and redeployment.  DOD's estimate has
already risen beyond the amount included in the President's budget
submission. 

State Department:
Options for Addressing Possible Budget Reductions

GAO/NSIAD-96-124, Aug.  29 (108 pages). 

The State Department received appropriations of $2.695 billion for
fiscal year 1995 and $2.671 billion for fiscal year 1996 to conduct
foreign affairs.  Although State has cut its staff and implemented
cost reduction measures, it has been reluctant or unable to
significantly reduce its overseas presence and the scope of its
activities or to significantly change its business practices. 
Budgetary constraints make it highly unlikely that State will receive
a level of funding that would allow it to maintain its current level
of activities.  The greatest opportunity to reduce costs is by
closing, or reducing the size of, overseas posts, which cost about
$1.9 billion annually--or nearly 70 percent of State's budget.  State
maintains a diplomatic presence in more than 250 locations overseas,
including countries where the United States has limited interests. 
This structure has not changed significantly since the end of the
Cold War.  State could also reduce support costs by several hundred
million dollars by accelerating changes to its business practices. 
State now spends nearly $1.8 billion on communications, real estate,
and other support services for domestic and overseas operations. 
Prompt disposal of unneeded overseas real estate is just one example
of how State could reduce its support costs. 


   JUSTICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:13

Juvenile Justice:
Status of Delinquency Prevention Program and Description of Local
Projects

GAO/GGD-96-147, Aug.  13 (45 pages). 

Title V of the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 established an incentive grants
program for local delinquency prevention.  The reauthorization also
required GAO to study the incentive grant program and report its
findings to Congress.  This report determines (1) which states and
how many local government units applied for and received title V
incentive grants; (2) how much fiscal years 1994 and 1995 grant money
had been awarded and how much had been spent as of the end of 1995;
(3) what the sources and the amounts of matching funds committed to
local delinquency prevention projects were; (4) what title V funds
were used for; (5) whether eligibility requirements have affected
title V participation; and (6) what funding, other than title V, was
provided to support local delinquency prevention activities. 

Private and Public Prisons:
Studies Comparing Operational Costs and/or Quality of Service

GAO/GGD-96-158, Aug.  16 (41 pages). 

Pointing to the experiences of several states, supporters of prison
privatization contend that contractors can run prisons at less cost
than the government can, without reducing the quality of service.  On
the other hand, critics of privatization say that little valid
evidence exists to support the argument that prison privatization is
a cost-effective alternative to publicly run facilities.  This report
(1) identifies studies, completed since 1991, comparing the
operational costs and the quality of service of private and public
correctional facilities; (2) determines what can be concluded about
the operational costs and the quality of service of comparable
private and public prisons; (3) assesses whether the reported results
are generalizable to correctional systems in other jurisdictions; and
(4) identifies lessons learned that could help guide future
comparative studies of private and public correctional facilities. 
GAO's work is basically a form of evaluation synthesis in which it
assesses existing studies, particularly with respect to the strength
of evidence supporting the reported findings. 


   NATIONAL DEFENSE
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:14

Military Readiness:
Data and Trends for April 1995 to March 1996

GAO/NSIAD-96-194, Aug.  2 (19 pages). 

This updates GAO's March 1996 report on military readiness
(GAO/NSIAD-96-111BR) and discusses significant changes.  From April
1995 through March 1996, readiness of the 87 military units covered
by the earlier report was at levels consistent with service goals in
80 percent of the units.  This represents a 12-percent improvement. 
Readiness reductions were caused mainly by shortages of available
personnel, particularly those trained to do highly skilled military
jobs.  Of the 31 Army and five Air Force units GAO reviewed that
participated in the Bosnia operation, five Army units and one Air
Force unit reported readiness reductions.  The Army units had sent
elements or key personnel to Bosnia, thus reducing resources
available to the parent units.  The Air Force unit has historically
suffered from personnel shortages.  The Bosnia operation did not
affect the readiness of either Navy or Marine Corps units because
they were either already in the theater or had planned a forward
presence deployment to the area. 

Environmental Protection:
Status of Defense Initiatives for Cleanup, Compliance,
and Technology

GAO/NSIAD-96-155, Aug.  2 (32 pages). 

The Defense Department (DOD) manages thousands of military
installations throughout the United States and overseas.  Its
operations are subject to the same environmental, safety, and health
laws as is private industry, as well as additional regulations
governing federal facilities.  The day-to-day operations of a typical
military installation mirror those of a small city.  As a result,
these installations face many of the same environmental problems
confronting the industrial and commercial sectors.  DOD has organized
its $5 billion environmental program into five areas:  cleanup,
compliance, conservation, pollution prevention, and technology.  This
report discusses three of these areas:  (1) cleanup (remediation),
which involves investigating and cleaning up contamination from
hazardous substances and waste on land used by DOD; (2) compliance
with federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations;
and (3) technology research and development. 

Military Bases:
Update on the Status of Bases Closed in 1988, 1991, and 1993

GAO/NSIAD-96-149, Aug.  6 (44 pages). 

Land sales for the first three rounds of military base closure
totaled nearly $180 million as of March 1996.  There were only two
sales in the 1993 round, for a total of $1.5 million.  Although
private parties are not precluded from buying surplus properties at
the closed military bases, they rarely have a chance to bid on the
properties because communities are requesting the properties under
public benefit transfers, economic development conveyances, and
noncompetitive negotiated sale authorities.  Communities are planning
industrial and office complexes, parks and recreational facilities,
residential housing, and prisons on this land.  Developing and
implementing reuse and disposal plans, however, can be a lengthy
process.  Readily marketable properties may decline in value as they
sit idle and may require resources from the services' budgets for
protection and maintenance.  GAO recommends that the Defense
Department (DOD), to preserve the facilities' value while reducing
protection and maintenance costs, (1) set time limits on negotiations
before offering properties for public sale and (2) when practical,
rent unoccupied surplus housing and other facilities as a way to
preserve properties pending final disposal.  To help communities
successfully transform closed bases into new opportunities, federal
agencies have provided more than $780 million in direct assistance to
areas affected by the 1988, 1991, and 1993 realignment and closure
rounds.  DOD now reports that for the 60 bases GAO reviewed, about 21
percent of the 88,000 DOD civilian jobs lost have been replaced. 

Federally Funded R&D Centers:
Issues Relating to the Management of DOD-Sponsored Centers

GAO/NSIAD-96-112, Aug.  6 (41 pages). 

Federally funded research and development (R&D) centers were first
established during World War II to meet the military's specialized
research needs that could not be met by government workers because of
limits placed on salaries and hiring.  Today, eight agencies,
including the Defense Department (DOD), fund 39 centers that are run
by universities, nonprofit groups, and industrial firms under
long-term contracts.  GAO believes that the following four issues
merit attention as Congress and DOD work to resolve concerns
regarding the centers:  (1) whether DOD limits its centers to
performing appropriate work, (2) whether DOD adequately safeguards
the objectivity of its centers, (3) whether DOD effectively oversees
its centers, and (4) whether DOD adequately considers cost-effective
alternatives to using the centers.  GAO also discusses recent steps
DOD has taken to improve management of the centers. 

U.S.  Combat Air Power:
Aging Refueling Aircraft Are Costly to Maintain and Operate

GAO/NSIAD-96-160, Aug.  8 (45 pages). 

The military's KC-135 tanker fleet used for air refueling is now 30
to 40 years old, and these aircraft are taking longer and costing
more to maintain and operate.  Moreover, the Air Force could spend
more than $6 billion on modifications and structural repairs to keep
the KC-135 fleet operational.  Despite increasing demands on the
tanker fleet, the Air Force has deferred a replacement program and is
relying on reserve personnel to relieve pressure on active duty
tanker crews.  The reserve forces have been able to assume more of
the tanker workload because many crew members have volunteered extra
time, thus exceeding the reserves' legal training requirement of 38
days per year.  In fact, many have served more than 100 days a year
in training and flying sorties. 

Environmental Cleanup:
Cash Management Practices at Rocky Mountain Arsenal

GAO/NSIAD-96-145, Aug.  16 (eight pages). 

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal, located on 17,000 acres northeast of
Denver, is one of the Defense Department's most contaminated
installations.  The military manufactured chemical weapons there for
decades, and the Army leased part of the arsenal to the Shell Oil
Company, which produced herbicides and pesticides.  A cost-sharing
arrangement between the Army and Shell does not provide for timely or
efficient collection of what is expected to exceed $500 million in
cleanup costs from Shell.  When the government does not collect
receivables in a timely manner, it loses the opportunity to invest
these funds until needed.  Since the 1989 settlement agreement with
Shell, weak cash management practices have cost the government more
than a million dollars.  GAO noted three weaknesses in cash
management practices at the arsenal.  First, the Army bills Shell
quarterly, rather than monthly, as is the usual business practice. 
Second, the payment cycle allows 90 days--rather than the 60 days
called for in the settlement agreement--to document cost claims,
prepare a quarterly statement, and pay the amount due.  Third, the
Army and Shell exchange payments through the mail rather than
electronically, which further delays access to the funds.  Nine of
the 10 checks GAO reviewed, including one for $12 million, were
deposited after the due date. 

Best Practices:
Commercial Quality Assurance Practices Offer Improvements
for DOD

GAO/NSIAD-96-162, Aug.  26 (36 pages). 

The Defense Department (DOD) spends about $1.5 billion extra per year
on military-unique quality assurance requirements for major
acquisitions.  It spends billions more on cost and schedule overruns
to correct problems caused by poor quality practices.  To help
improve DOD's quality assurance program, GAO reviewed world-class
commercial organizations to determine what practices they had adopted
to more efficiently produce quality products.  This report describes
(1) the problems DOD has had historically in improving quality
assurance practices, (2) some private sector practices that could
benefit DOD, and (3) a current plan for improving quality assurance
activities. 

Mine Detection:
Army Detector's Ability to Find Low-Metal Mines Not
Clearly Demonstrated

GAO/NSIAD-96-198, Aug.  28 (21 pages). 

Land mines, especially those with little metal content, have been
used extensively by the warring factions in the former Yugoslavia,
and up to seven million mines are believed to be in the region. 
Before the deployment of U.S.  troops in the area, U.N.  forces were
involved in 174 land mine incidents in Bosnia, which included 204
casualties and 20 deaths.  The ability of the Army's AN/PSS-12
portable mine detector to locate low-metal mines has not been clearly
demonstrated.  The AN/PSS-12 performed poorly against low-metal
targets in operational tests.  The AN-PSS-12's testing history
suggests that the detector may have only limited application in
Bosnia, where most of the buried mines are of the low-metal variety. 
Although the Army claims that the AN-PSS-12 has performed well in
Bosnia, other sources raise questions about the detector's abilities
there.  The Air Force recently cautioned its explosive ordnance
technicians in Bosnia that the AN/PSS-12 is not sensitive enough to
detect the low-metal mines that they may encounter.  In addition, an
Army report on U.S.  operations in Somalia says that the detector
could not find low-metal mines.  In Bosnia, U.S.  troops have been
able to pick routes that avoid minefields or they use heavy
equipment, such as vehicles equipped with rollers, to clear paths. 
The resulting infrequent reliance on the AN/PSS-12 helps explain why
its shortcomings in testing may not have been borne out in Bosnia. 


   NATURAL RESOURCES
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:15

National Park Service:
Activities Within Park Borders Have Caused Damage to Resources

GAO/RCED-96-202, Aug.  23 (32 pages). 

The natural and cultural resources of the national parks are being
threatened not only by sources outside the parks by also by
activities originating inside the park borders.  These include the
impact of private inholdings and commercial development within the
parks; the impact of nonnative wildlife or plants on native species
or other park resources; the damage caused by illegal activities,
such as poaching; the routine wear and tear on park resources
stemming from visitors; and the unintended adverse effects of park
managers' actions (for example, the accumulation of undergrowth
because of past decisions to suppress naturally caused fires, which
could result in a more serious fire).  Without systemwide data on
these threats, the Park Service is not fully prepared to preserve and
protect its resources.  In times of austere budgets and
multibillion-dollar needs, the agency must have this information to
identify and inventory the threats and set priorities for addressing
them.  GAO makes several recommendations for identifying, mitigating,
and monitoring
internal threats. 


   SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:16

Earth Observing System:
Concerns Over NASA's Basic Research Funding Strategy

GAO/NSIAD-96-97, July 11 (49 pages). 

NASA plans to launch the first spacecraft of the Earth Observing
System (EOS) in 1998.  The overall goal of EOS is to understand the
total earth system--air, water, land, and life and their
interactions--and the effects of natural and human-induced changes on
the environment.  EOS has three main components:  a constellation of
satellites that will collect climate data, a data system designed to
operate the satellites and process and distribute data, and teams of
scientists who will develop algorithms for converting sensor data
into useful information and conduct research using the data.  This
report (1) discusses NASA's strategy for developing an EOS-related
basic research community, focusing on the number of currently funded
EOS science investigations, and (2) summarizes researchers' views on
whether changes to EOS during the last few years have impeded their
ability to carry out their interdisciplinary earth science
investigations.  GAO also discusses the Earth System Science
Pathfinder program and its potential impact on funding availability
for future
EOS investigations. 

NASA Personnel:
Challenges to Achieving Workforce Reductions

GAO/NSIAD-96-176, Aug.  2 (15 pages). 

By the end of fiscal year 1996, NASA will be about halfway to its
goal of reducing its workforce from 25,000 full-time-equivalent
employees to about 17,500.  NASA's success is due mainly to the use
of buyouts to encourage employees to voluntarily resign or retire
from the government.  About two-thirds of the 4,000 people who left
NASA in 1994 and 1995 took buyouts.  Voluntary attrition should meet
NASA's downsizing goals through fiscal year 1998, but the agency
doubts whether attrition would provide sufficient personnel losses by
fiscal year 1999.  Thus, NASA intends to start planning for a
reduction-in-force during fiscal year 1998 if not enough NASA
employees are retiring or resigning voluntarily.  NASA's ability to
reach its goal of 17,500 employees is subject to major uncertainties,
including the shifting of program management from headquarters to
field centers and the award of a single prime contract for managing
the space shuttle at Kennedy Space Center.  Because of questions
about NASA's ability to achieve major personnel reductions to meet
likely future budgets, Congress may want to consider requiring NASA
to submit a workforce-restructuring plan for achieving its fiscal
year 2000 goal. 


   TRANSPORTATION
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:17

Transportation Enhancements:
Status of the $2.4 Billion Authorized for
Nonmotorized Transportation

GAO/RCED-96-156, July 26 (56 pages). 

The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 included
a $24 billion, six-year authorization that created a new federal-aid
highway program--the surface transportation program.  This program
requires states to set aside at least 10 percent of the $24 billion
for various "transportation enhancements," such as sidewalks, bike
paths, scenic easements, and historic preservation.  This report
answers the following questions:  How do the obligation rates for
transportation enhancement funds for fiscal years 1992-95 compare
with the obligation rates for other major highway programs?  How do
the obligation rates for transportation enhancement funds vary by
state, and what factors have affected the states' use of these funds? 
What types of projects are being funded with transportation
enhancement funds?  What are stakeholders' views on reauthorizing the
transportation enhancement set-aside? 

Aviation Acquisition:
A Comprehensive Strategy Is Needed for Cultural Change at FAA

GAO/RCED-96-159, Aug.  22 (68 pages). 

Because of the steady growth in air traffic operations and the
failure of aging equipment in the air traffic control system, the
Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) timely acquisition of new
equipment has become increasingly critical for aviation safety and
efficiency.  FAA estimates that it will need $13 billion during the
next seven years to continue its modernization program.  Persistent
acquisition problems, however, raise questions about the agency's
ability to field new equipment within cost, schedule, and performance
parameters.  This report (1) reviews FAA's management of the
acquisition process, (2) discusses whether the organizational culture
contributed to the agency's acquisition problems, and (3) identifies
ways that FAA could improve its management of acquisitions through
cultural change. 


      TESTIMONY
------------------------------------------------------ Appendix 0:17.1

Aviation Security:  Immediate Action Needed to Improve Security, by
Keith O.  Fultz, Assistant Comptroller General for Resources,
Community, and Economic Development Programs, before the Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. 
GAO/T-RCED/NSIAD-96-237, Aug.  1
(18 pages). 

The 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan Am flight 103, which killed 270
people, and the more recent, but as yet unexplained, explosion aboard
TWA flight 800 have shaken the public's confidence in the safety and
the security of air travel.  GAO testified that the threat of
terrorism against the United States has increased and that aviation
is and will remain an attractive target for terrorists.  Although the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated additional
security procedures as the threat of terrorism has changed, domestic
and international aviation systems remain vulnerable.  For example,
conventional X-ray screening of checked baggage has limitations and
offers little protection against moderately sophisticated bombs. 
Explosive detection devices are commercially available for checked
and carry-on luggage and could improve security, but all the devices
have shortcomings.  Some of the devices are already in use in foreign
countries.  Other devices are in various stages of development.  A
mix of technology and procedures will likely be needed to improve
security.  FAA estimates that the cost of introducing new technology
and other methods to counteract terrorism, such as targeting for
additional security checks those passengers who meet profiles
associated with terrorist groups, could cost as much as $6 billion
over 10 years.  To improve security, Congress, FAA, the intelligence
agencies, and the aviation industry must agree on the steps to take
to counter terrorism and how to pay for the new security measures. 


   SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS
-------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 0:18

GAO Reports:
Health, Education, Employment, Social Security, Welfare, and Veterans
Issues

GAO/HEHS-96-195W, Aug.  1996 (19 pages). 

This monthly bibliography lists GAO documents on health, education,
employment, social security, disability, welfare, and veterans
issues.  One section summarizes reports and testimony issued during
the past month.  Another section lists the titles of all documents
issued during the past four months, organized chronologically by
subject.  Order forms are included, as is a list of subject area
experts who can answer questions about
specific reports. 


*** End of document. ***