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GAO Reports
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Export Controls: Commerce Should Improve Workforce Planning and Information Sharing
WASHINGTON, June 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report:* * *
Export Controls: Commerce Should Improve Workforce Planning and Information Sharing
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Fast Facts
The Bureau of Industry and Security oversees export of "dual-use" items--including computer chips--that can have both civilian and military uses. To protect U.S. national security while still facilitating trade, the bureau issues export licenses which are reviewed by the Departments of Defense, Energy, and State.
The bureau:
Hasn't assessed its long-term workforce needs, including size ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, June 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report: * * * Export Controls: Commerce Should Improve Workforce Planning and Information Sharing * Fast Facts The Bureau of Industry and Security oversees export of "dual-use" items--including computer chips--that can have both civilian and military uses. To protect U.S. national security while still facilitating trade, the bureau issues export licenses which are reviewed by the Departments of Defense, Energy, and State. The bureau: Hasn't assessed its long-term workforce needs, including sizeand composition--in light of its growing workload
Could better communicate with other agencies, such as by allowing ready access to all relevant information and consulting with them over license changes
Our recommendations address these issues.
Highlights
What GAO Found
Funding for Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) grew by $97 million and roughly doubled from fiscal years 2013 through 2024. During this timeframe, the number of funded positions in BIS went from 403 to 585--an overall increase of 182 positions. About $58 million (60 percent) of BIS's 12-year funding increase was appropriated in fiscal years 2022 and 2023. BIS primarily used these recent increases in two areas. First, to bolster implementation and enforcement of export controls in response to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Second, to create a new office focused on securing the U.S. information and communications technology and services supply chain.
However, BIS does not have a long-term workforce plan to determine its resource needs. Instead, BIS assesses its staffing needs on an annual basis as part of the budget request process. BIS last conducted a bureau-wide workforce planning effort in 2016. Comprehensive, long-term workforce planning would help BIS leadership determine the size and composition of its workforce needed to meet its expanding workload and better position it to reduce the risk of exporting sensitive, dual-use items to an adversary.
BIS oversees an interagency export license review process which includes reviews by the Departments of Defense (DOD), Energy (DOE), and State. However, challenges to information-sharing and limited consultation compromise the integrity of these reviews. For example, BIS does not provide the agencies ready access to all relevant information about export license applications, which is housed in multiple classified and unclassified systems. Providing reviewing agencies with easy access to all information relevant to license applications would help ensure reviews are well informed. In addition, officials from reviewing agencies told us that BIS has sometimes removed agreed upon license conditions without consultation. According to BIS, it removed conditions that were redundant or inconsistent with standard licensing provisions. Consulting with reviewing agencies prior to changing or removing conditions would help ensure that licensing decisions fully reflect national security risks and other concerns.
Key Steps in Interagency Review Process for Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security Export License Applications, as of April 2025
Why GAO Did This Study
To address varied foreign policy and national security concerns, the U.S. government has increasingly used export controls. For example, the U.S. has imposed export controls to restrict access to advanced semiconductors that could aid the People's Republic of China in developing military systems powered by artificial intelligence.
BIS is primarily responsible for reviewing applications and issuing licenses to exporters of dual-use technologies that could be used for both civilian and military purposes. DOD, DOE, and State also play roles in reviewing export license applications.
GAO was asked to review BIS's resources and processes for export licensing. This report examines (1) BIS's resources from fiscal years 2013 through 2024, (2) the extent to which BIS has conducted workforce planning, and (3) the extent to which BIS shares information and consults with reviewing agencies. GAO reviewed legislation and agency documents; interviewed Commerce, DOD, DOE, and State officials; and analyzed agency funding, staffing, and workload data.
Recommendations
GAO is making four recommendations, including that Commerce conduct long-term workforce planning, provide reviewing agencies access to all relevant information, and consult with reviewing agencies prior to changing license conditions. Commerce concurred with the recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Commerce The Secretary of Commerce should ensure that the Under Secretary for Industry and Security develops a long-term workforce plan to determine the resources and personnel it needs to meet its growing workload. (Recommendation 1)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Commerce The Secretary of Commerce should ensure that the Under Secretary for Industry and Security works with DOD, DOE, and State to facilitate access to all relevant information on each export license application. (Recommendation 2)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Commerce The Secretary of Commerce should ensure that the Under Secretary of Industry and Security consults with reviewing agencies prior to changing export license application conditions recommended by one or more of those agencies. (Recommendation 3)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Commerce The Secretary of Commerce should ensure that the Under Secretary for Industry and Security clarifies and reaches agreement with State, DOD, and DOE on written guidance for the use of export license conditions. (Recommendation 4)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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Original text here: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107431
Wildfire Management: Technologies for Forecasting, Detection, Mitigation, and Response
WASHINGTON, June 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report:* * *
Wildfire Management: Technologies for Forecasting, Detection, Mitigation, and Response
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Fast Facts
We testified on wildlife management technologies before the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
It is based primarily on the following reports:
Science & Tech Spotlight: Wildfire Detection Technologies
Artificial Intelligence in Natural Hazard Modeling: Severe Storms, Hurricanes, Floods, and Wildfires
Forest Service: Fully Following Leading Practices ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, June 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report: * * * Wildfire Management: Technologies for Forecasting, Detection, Mitigation, and Response * Fast Facts We testified on wildlife management technologies before the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Federal Lands. It is based primarily on the following reports: Science & Tech Spotlight: Wildfire Detection Technologies Artificial Intelligence in Natural Hazard Modeling: Severe Storms, Hurricanes, Floods, and Wildfires Forest Service: Fully Following Leading Practicesfor Agency Reforms Would Strengthen Prescribed Fire Program
We've made recommendations and offered policy options related to these issues. Agencies have addressed some of our recommendations but still need to address others.
Highlights
What GAO Found
Some key technologies currently used in wildfire management include:
* Satellites, which provide data that are integrated into models for wildfire forecasting, including data on terrain, vegetation, and weather. They are also used for detection and monitoring, although some satellites face resolution issues, data lags, and other limitations.
* Aircraft and drones, which can deploy to the scene to collect information on a fire's location and its potential to spread. Aircraft and drones with thermal cameras can see through smoke and dense trees, helping to locate fires and determine their intensity. Challenges include safety issues for aircraft pilots and limited drone lifespan (3 to 5 years, or less in harsh conditions).
* Cameras and air sensors, whichare used in several states for wildfire detection, sometimes in extensive networked systems. For example, in 2024, Hawaiian Electric stated that it began deploying high-resolution cameras with artificial intelligence (AI) for early fire detection. For both cameras and sensors, installation, data transmission, and fire verification may be challenging in remote areas. Sensors may require dense networks to operate accurately.
AI tools have the potential to improve modeling for wildfire forecasting and response. AI may help address key limitations of the traditional mathematical models used for wildfire. For example, AI can:
* Allow models to use more data by speeding up data assimilation, the process of updating forecasts with the most current observations.
* Rapidly flag potential inaccuracies for human review.
* Potentially reduce uncertainty in some situations when data do not exist or are insufficient, by using prior information to create plausible synthetic data.
However, use of AI in this field faces challenges. For example, AI requires extensive up-front work to ensure the data are readily usable by AI tools, which can be costly. AI also presents a risk of conveying inaccurate information, which can put lives and property at risk. In addition, historical data are limited for rare events, which may limit the utility of AI for forecasting extreme wildfires.
Why GAO Did This Study
Annually, wildfires in the U.S. cause an average of 12 deaths and cost at least $3.2 billion. Wildfire severity has increased across much of the country, a trend that is expected to continue. Current and emerging technologies have the potential to save lives and property by improving forecasting, detection, mitigation, and response.
This testimony provides information on selected technologies and on the benefits and limitations of AI tools to enhance use of these technologies. This statement is based on prior GAO work, including a 2023 report on the use of AI to model wildfires and other natural hazards; a 2025 report on wildfire detection technologies such as satellites, aircraft, drones, cameras, and sensors; and prior GAO reports on forest management, wildfire staffing, and interagency coordination on wildfire response.
Recommendations
In prior work, GAO has provided policy questions and options, which policymakers could consider to improve adoption of wildfire technologies and the use of data. Policy options include: expanding the use of existing observational data and infrastructure to close data gaps, establishing guidelines for making data readily usable by AI, updating education requirements to include coursework related to machine learning (ML), considering what combination of detection technologies would be most cost-effective, and considering how the costs of technologies could be balanced with other fire management actions.
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Original text here: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-108589
Medicaid Managed Care: Improper Payment Estimate
WASHINGTON, June 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report:* * *
Medicaid Managed Care: Improper Payment Estimate
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Fast Facts
Improper payments are payments that shouldn't have been made, were made in the wrong amount, or lacked sufficient supporting documentation.
This Q&A looks at the improper payment estimate for Medicaid managed care. About three-quarters of Medicaid beneficiaries are in managed care, under which states pay private health plans a set fee per person to cover care.
Recently, Medicaid managed care's improper payment estimate has ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, June 26 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report: * * * Medicaid Managed Care: Improper Payment Estimate * Fast Facts Improper payments are payments that shouldn't have been made, were made in the wrong amount, or lacked sufficient supporting documentation. This Q&A looks at the improper payment estimate for Medicaid managed care. About three-quarters of Medicaid beneficiaries are in managed care, under which states pay private health plans a set fee per person to cover care. Recently, Medicaid managed care's improper payment estimate hasbeen at or near 0%. But we and others have identified risks that are not accounted for in the estimate. This includes payments from managed care plans to providers for services that weren't delivered.
Highlights
What GAO Found
State Medicaid programs predominantly rely on managed care to provide coverage. In 2022, just over 75 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries (about 74 million beneficiaries) received coverage through managed care. Under Medicaid managed care, states contract with managed care plans and generally pay them a fixed monthly amount per beneficiary (i.e., a capitation payment) to provide a set of covered services.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that oversees Medicaid, develops an improper payment estimate for Medicaid. This estimate consists of three components: managed care, fee-for-service, and eligibility. For the managed care component, CMS reviews a sample of the payments that states made to their Medicaid managed care plans. CMS checks to see if those payments were made correctly based on the information in the state's Medicaid information system and managed care plan contract. In recent years, including 2024, the improper payment estimate for Medicaid managed care has been at or near 0 percent. This means CMS found few to no errors in states' payments to their Medicaid managed care plans.
Components of the Improper Payment Estimate for Medicaid and Estimates Reported in 2024
Note: These components are part of the Payment Error Rate Measurement program, which identifies improper payments in Medicaid. For more information, see figure 2 in GAO-25-107770.
CMS's estimate of improper payments in Medicaid managed care does not include a review of payments from managed care plans to providers. GAO and others, including the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and some state auditors, have identified program integrity risks related to Medicaid managed care payments that are not accounted for in the improper payment estimate. These include, for example, payments from managed care plans to providers for services that were not delivered or lacked necessary documentation, and capitation payments made by the state for the same beneficiary with multiple identification numbers.
CMS conducts audits related to managed care, which can identify program integrity risks not captured in the improper payment estimate. For example, CMS audits can determine if managed care plans paid providers for services that were not delivered. CMS increased the number of audits it conducts, in part, in response to a GAO recommendation. As a result, between October 2021 and February 2025, CMS completed 899 audits of managed care providers and opened 155 managed care plan audits. Through these audits, CMS has identified over $33 million in overpayments; nearly $23 million of these overpayments are the federal share, which the agency is working to recover.
Why GAO Did This Study
Improper payments are payments that should not have been made, that were made in an incorrect amount, or whose appropriateness cannot be determined due to lacking or insufficient documentation. They have been a long-standing and significant problem in the federal government. Consistent with the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019, CMS develops an improper payment estimate for Medicaid, a federal-state health financing program for certain low-income and medically needy individuals.
House Report 117-389, which accompanied the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2023, includes a provision for GAO to provide quarterly reports on improper payments.
In this 10th quarterly report, GAO describes how CMS develops the improper payment estimate for Medicaid managed care and its other oversight efforts to identify program integrity risks related to managed care. GAO reviewed relevant federal statutes and regulations, as well as documentation of CMS's methodology for the improper payment estimate. In addition, GAO reviewed reports by the HHS-OIG and state auditors in five states selected for variation in geographic location and size of the Medicaid managed care population. GAO also interviewed officials from CMS, the HHS-OIG, and an organization that represents state auditors.
Recommendations
In prior reports, GAO has made several recommendations to CMS to strengthen Medicaid program integrity and fiscal stewardship that remain unimplemented. These include the following:
* Conducting a cost-effectiveness study to determine whether states should include payments to managed care plans as part of the recovery audit program--a program intended to identify overpayments and underpayments, and recover overpayments.
* Using trends in state auditor findings to inform its oversight and sharing information on those trends and the status of actions to address findings with state auditors.
* Collecting better data from states on the source of funds used to finance the states' share of Medicaid payments.
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Original text here: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107770
Coast Guard: Actions Needed to Address Cutter Maintenance and Workforce Challenges
WASHINGTON, June 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report:* * *
Coast Guard: Actions Needed to Address Cutter Maintenance and Workforce Challenges
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Fast Facts
To ensure the safety and security of the U.S. coastline and inland waterways, the Coast Guard relies heavily on a fleet of 241 cutters--vessels 65 feet or greater in length with accommodations for crew to live on board.
Due to deferred maintenance and challenges obtaining essential parts, the aging cutter fleet is becoming increasingly unavailable for missions as equipment fails.
To make ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, June 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report: * * * Coast Guard: Actions Needed to Address Cutter Maintenance and Workforce Challenges * Fast Facts To ensure the safety and security of the U.S. coastline and inland waterways, the Coast Guard relies heavily on a fleet of 241 cutters--vessels 65 feet or greater in length with accommodations for crew to live on board. Due to deferred maintenance and challenges obtaining essential parts, the aging cutter fleet is becoming increasingly unavailable for missions as equipment fails. To makeup for these issues, the Coast Guard cannibalizes parts from working cutters and often deploys overworked and understaffed crews.
We recommended fully assessing and addressing how these challenges affect the cutter fleet and workforce.
Highlights
What GAO Found
The U.S. Coast Guard faces increasing challenges operating and maintaining its fleet of 241 cutters--vessels 65 feet or greater in length with accommodations for crew to live on board. Since fiscal year 2019, the cutter fleet's availability to conduct missions generally declined due, in part, to increasing equipment failures. Across the cutter fleet, the number of instances of serious cutter maintenance issues increased by 21 percent from 3,134 in fiscal year 2018 to 3,782 in fiscal year 2023. As a result, more cutters are operating in a degraded state and at an increased risk of further maintenance issues.
Coast Guard Cutter Penobscot Bay at a Major Repair Facility in Baltimore, Maryland
Two maintenance challenges that are particularly impactful are increasing deferred maintenance and delays in obtaining obsolete parts. In fiscal year 2024, the Coast Guard deferred $179 million in cutter maintenance, almost nine times the amount deferred in 2019 (based on inflation-adjusted values). Due to delays in receiving critical parts needed for repairs, the Coast Guard cannibalizes cutters by moving working parts between cutters. The Coast Guard lacks complete information to address the impacts of these challenges. Systematically collecting data on, and assessing, deferred maintenance and parts obsolescence could enable the Coast Guard to better prioritize projects and funding.
The Coast Guard has not fully addressed the impacts of personnel shortages that are a major challenge to operating and maintaining the cutter fleet. Cutter crew and support positions are short staffed, with vacancy rates increasing from about 5 percent in fiscal year 2017 to about 13 percent in fiscal year 2024. Cutter personnel workload has increased to meet mission demands and cutters often deploy without a full crew, which the Coast Guard does not account for in its staffing data. Regularly collecting and assessing data on staff availability could help ensure the Coast Guard is fully considering the workload faced by cutter crews and support personnel when making decisions on personnel assignments.
Why GAO Did This Study
The Coast Guard, a multi-mission military service within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is responsible for ensuring the safety, security, and stewardship of more than 100,000 miles of U.S. coastline and inland waterways. It relies heavily on its cutter fleet to meet these mission demands. In 2012, GAO reported that the Coast Guard's legacy cutters were approaching, or had exceeded, their expected service lives and that their physical condition was generally poor.
GAO was asked to review how the cutter fleet has changed since 2012. This report examines, among other things, the Coast Guard's (1) challenges in operating and maintaining its cutter fleet, and (2) the extent it has determined its cutter-related workforce needs.
GAO analyzed available Coast Guard documentation and data for the period 2012-2024 on types of cutters, cutter availability, and cutter usage time. GAO also conducted site visits to observe facility operations and interviewed Coast Guard officials, including maintenance officials and cutter crews representing a mix of cutter types and geographic locations.
Recommendations
GAO is making five recommendations, including that the Coast Guard collect and assess data on (1) the impact of deferred maintenance on cutter equipment failures and which parts and systems are or will become obsolete; and (2) staff availability for the cutter workforce. DHS agreed with four of the recommendations but did not agree to analyze staff availability data. GAO continues to believe this would help inform personnel assignments.
Recommendations for Executive Action
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should systematically collect and assess data on instances where previously deferred maintenance may have caused cutter equipment failures and develop mitigation strategies as appropriate. (Recommendation 1)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should complete Ship Structure and Machinery Evaluation Boards for all cutter types at the intervals prescribed by policy. (Recommendation 2)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should systematically collect and assess data on which parts and systems across the cutter fleet are or will become obsolete and develop mitigation strategies as appropriate. (Recommendation 3)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should systematically collect and assess data on cutter days lost due to unplanned maintenance issues. (Recommendation 4)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Coast Guard The Commandant of the Coast Guard should regularly collect and analyze data on staff availability for cutter crew and support personnel positions, including which cutter workforce positions are temporarily empty across the cutter fleet, and use this information to inform personnel assignments. (Recommendation 5)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
See All 5 Recommendations
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Original text here: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107222