FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found Quantum computers leverage qubits (the quantum equivalent of classical computer bits) to solve specific problems significantly faster than classical computers. However, the emergence of quantum computers could undermine the cryptography (e.g., encryption) that federal agencies use to secure their systems. Today’s quantum computers cannot yet break this cryptography. But a future quantum computer of sufficient size and sophistication—referred to as a cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC)—could potentially do so for certain cryptography. Most industry experts believe that a CRQC will be developed, possibly as soon as the 2030s. However, development estimates vary w.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 503) requires certain federal contractors to take proactive steps to employ people with disabilities. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) within the Department of Labor (DOL) oversees contractors’ compliance with Section 503. Since January 2025, DOL has reduced its oversight activities. For example, DOL has suspended audits of selected contractors, which were a key tool for monitoring compliance. From fiscal years 2017 through 2025, 532 audits found Section 503 violations. Without resuming audits, DOL has less assurance that contractors are supporting employment of people with disabilities. Further,.
FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits
Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration | Proposed Rule | The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2025-13-08, which applies to all DG Aviation GmbH Model DG-1000T gliders. AD 2025-13-08 requires revising the glider flight manual and installing "Motor INOP" placards to prohibit operation with the powerplant. Since issuance of AD 2025-13-08, a design improvement to the propeller adapter ring has been developed that is considered terminating action for the operational prohibition of AD 2025-13-08. This proposed AD would retain the requirement to revise the flight manual, would provide an optional terminating action for the retained actions by incorporating.
FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits
Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration | Proposed Rule | The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2026-12-09, which applies to all Airbus Helicopters Model AS350B, AS350BA, AS350B1, and AS350D helicopters. AD 2026-12-09 requires revising the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the existing maintenance manual (MM) or instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA) and the existing approved maintenance or inspection program, as applicable. Since the FAA issued AD 2026-12-09, a determination was made that new and more restrictive airworthiness limitations and maintenance tasks are necessary. This proposed AD would require incorporating these airworth.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The Concrete Masonry Checkoff (CMC) program is a federally authorized, industry-funded program that supports research, education, and promotion projects intended to strengthen the concrete masonry industry and expand markets for its products. The term checkoff refers to the way similar programs are funded—that is, through assessments. The CMC Board administers the program, which is funded through mandatory assessments on specified concrete masonry units sold. From 2023 through 2025, the board collected over $27 million in assessments and spent nearly $15 million of the funds, primarily on 17 national projects and 69 regional projects. CMC Program Assessments and Projects, 202.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) is an independent establishment in the executive branch that coordinates the federal response to homelessness. It consists of representatives from designated federal agencies (the Council) and a staff that has ranged from 10 to 18 full-time employees over the past decade. USICH’s enabling legislation—the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act—requires it to maintain certain personnel and perform specified duties. These include providing technical assistance to state and local governments through five to 10 regional coordinators employed by the Council, reporting annually to the President and Congress on federal efforts to a.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
This Scroll-Driven Narrative tells the story of how the federal government is trying to strengthen U.S. manufacturing through Manufacturing USA—a national network of institutes that are partnerships between federal agencies, companies, universities, and others. It is a companion to a series of reports GAO has issued examining the Manufacturing USA program—for example, Advanced Manufacturing: Aligning Strategies and Improving Agency Reviews Could Help Institutes Achieve National Goals, GAO-25-107369. This product highlights key themes and recommendations from GAO’s prior work, such as recommendations to better measure performance across the Manufacturing USA network, as well as agency effort.
FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits
Homeland Security Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Notice | The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 inflation adjustments to certain immigration-related fees required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR-1). HR-1 requires that DHS annually adjust certain immigration-related fees for inflation. This notice sets the inflation-adjusted FY 2027 fee amounts for the following immigration fees required by HR-1: the fee for parole of an alien into the United States, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) fees, and the fee for enrollment in the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS). In accordance with the inflation adjustment round.
FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits
Homeland Security Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement | Notice | The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is announcing Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 inflationary adjustments for two of the immigration enforcement-related fees established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR-1). HR-1 requires that DHS annually adjust certain immigration enforcement-related fees for inflation. The adjusted fee amounts for FY 2027 for aliens ordered removed in absentia who are subsequently arrested and inadmissible aliens apprehended between ports of entry are $5,300. On October 16, 2026, DHS will begin assessing and collecting these new amounts.
EPA Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits
Environmental Protection Agency | Rule | The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing notice of the availability of data on the administration of the assurance provisions of the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) trading program for the 2025 control period. Virginia units participating in the CSAPR NO X Ozone Season Group 2E Trading Program during the 2025 control period reported total nitrogen oxides (NO X ) emissions that exceeded the State's assurance level under the program. The EPA has posted on the Agency's website a spreadsheet that presents data demonstrating the exceedance and the Agency's final calculations of the additional allowances that owners and operators..
CABI U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded its authority to oversee all tobacco products, including millions of e-cigarettes that were already on the market. In response, it received a surge of applications from manufacturers in 2020 for products seeking authorization to remain on the market legally. Specifically, it received over 25 million applications in 2020 and 2021, compared to just over 1 thousand applications in 2018 and 2019. This led to a backlog of applications. While FDA has since reviewed most of the applications submitted during this period, almost 132 thousand remained without a completed review as of December 31, 2025. (See figure.) Figure: FDA T.
FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits
What GAO Found The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sold 1,316 pieces of unneeded laboratory equipment in fiscal years 2022 through 2025. Of that 1,316, GAO identified nine pieces of equipment–freeze dryers and mass spectrometers–that were on the Commerce Control List and sold to individuals and companies in the U.S. and Canada, some of which appeared to be resellers. These items are subject to export controls because they could be used by certain countries of concern to develop biological weapons or to gain a military advantage. Examples of Laboratory Equipment on the Commerce Control List GAO found that HHS and USDA, in selling th.
