GAO-10-826, Telecommunications: The Proposed Performance Rights Act Would Result in Additional Costs for Broadcast Radio Stations and Additional…
The recording and broadcast radio industries touch the lives of most Americans through the development and distribution of music. Congress is considering legislation, the proposed Performance Rights Act (H.R. 848), that would expand copyright protection for the public performance of sound recordings. The proposed act would require AM/FM radio stations that broadcast music to pay a royalty, and this royalty would be distributed to the copyright …
GAO-10-807, Recovery Act: States Could Provide More Information on Education Programs to Enhance the Public’s Understanding of Fund Use, July 30, 2010
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) provides $70.3 billion for three education programs–the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF), Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Title I), and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The Act requires recipients to be accountable for how these funds are being used and what is being achieved. To help attain the level of transparency needed …
GAO-10-867, Pipeline Security: TSA Has Taken Actions to Help Strengthen Security, but Could Improve Priority-Setting and Assessment Processes, August…
The United States depends on avast network of pipelines to transport energy. GAO was asked to review the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) efforts to help ensure pipeline security. This report addresses the extent to which TSA’s Pipeline Security Division (PSD) has (1) assessed risk and prioritized efforts to help strengthen pipeline security, (2) implemented agency guidance and requirements of the Implementing Recommendations …
GAO-10-798, New Drug Approval: FDA’s Consideration of Evidence from Certain Clinical Trials, July 30, 2010
Before approving a new drug, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)–assesses a drug’s effectiveness. To do so, it examines information contained in a new drug application (NDA), including data from clinical trials in humans. Several types of trials may be used to gather this evidence. For example, superiority trials may show that a new drug is more effective than an active …
GAO-10-800, Hurricane Recovery: Federal Government Provided a Range of Assistance to Nonprofits following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, July 30, 2010
Residents of the Gulf Coast continue to struggle to recover almost 5 years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the area in August and September of 2005. In many cases the federal government coordinates with, and provides support to, nonprofit organizations in order to deliver recovery assistance to impacted residents. A better understanding of how the federal government works with nonprofit organizations to provide such assistance …
GAO-10-670, Onshore Oil and Gas: BLM’s Management of Public Protests to Its Lease Sales Needs Improvement, July 30, 2010
The development of oil and natural gas resources on federal lands contributes to domestic energy production but also results in concerns over potential impacts on those lands. Numerous public protests about oil and gas lease sales have been filed with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages these federal resources. GAO was asked to examine (1) the extent to which BLM maintains and makes publicly available information related …
GAO-10-779, Telecommunications: Enhanced Data Collection Could Help FCC Better Monitor Competition in the Wireless Industry, July 27, 2010
Americans increasingly rely on wireless phones, with nearly 40 percent of households now using them primarily or solely. Under federal law, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for fostering a competitive wireless marketplace while ensuring that consumers are protected from harmful practices. As requested, this report discusses changes in the wireless industry since 2000, stakeholders’ perceptions of regulatory policies …
GAO-10-853G, Government Auditing Standards: 2010 Exposure Draft, August 1, 2010
This letter describes the process used by GAO for revising GAGAS, summarizes the proposed major changes, discusses proposed effective dates, and provides instructions for submitting comments on the proposed standards. The proposed revision to GAGAS will be the sixth since GAO first issued the standards in 1972. The proposed changes contained in the 2010 Exposure Draft update GAGAS to reflect major developments in the accountability and …