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Topic: Legislation

FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits

Notice of Availability of an Environmental Assessment for Exterior Improvements to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and Request for Consulting Parties

Notice | Consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (NHPA), this Notice announces the availability and opportunity for public review and comment of a draft Environmental Assessment (EA), which examines the potential impacts of a proposal by the Office of Administration (OA), Executive Office of the President (EOP), to improve the granite fa[ccedil]ade of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB). Pursuant to this notice, OA is also seeking public comment on the potential of the proposed improvements to cause adverse effects on historic properties. Finally, this notice prov.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

National Nuclear Security Administration: Reductions to Federal Workforce

What GAO Found The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) oversees a $25 billion annual budget and approximately 70,000 management and operating contractor personnel to maintain the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile and nuclear nonproliferation efforts. NNSA took steps to build its federal workforce to meet mission needs in 2024, with its workforce peaking at 1,991 early in fiscal year 2025. However, since then through the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, NNSA has reduced its federal workforce by 236 employees—or 11.9 percent. These reductions have impacted NNSA’s mission critical workforce, including occupations like nuclear engineers and contract specialists. Number of National N.

FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits

Family and Medical Leave Act

Personnel Management Office | Rule | The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a direct final rule making technical revisions to OPM's Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations to incorporate various statutory amendments. The rule reflects statutory changes making virtually all Federal civilian service and certain honorable active military service qualify for determining FMLA eligibility, making clear that annual and sick leave provided under an authority outside of title 5, United States Code, may be substituted for unpaid FMLA leave, and excluding certain Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employees from title 5 FMLA coverage.

FEDE Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits

Imposition and Collection of Civil Penalties for Certain Immigration-Related Violations

Homeland Security Department, Justice Department, Executive Office for Immigration Review | Rule | On June 27, 2025, the Departments issued an interim final rule ("IFR") to streamline assessment of civil penalties under the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA") for aliens who fail to depart during a voluntary departure period, willfully fail or refuse to depart after a final removal order and certain other proscribed activities, or are apprehended while improperly entering or attempting to enter the United States. This final rule addresses comments and finalizes the IFR with one change: it permits acceptance of a late-filed appeal based on documented mail delivery delays that ICE finds we.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Army Corps of Engineers: Determinations That Projects Do Not Need Environmental Mitigation Should Be Clarified

What GAO Found Through its Civil Works program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans, constructs, and maintains water resources projects around the country. For any Civil Works projects submitted to Congress for authorization, federal statute requires the Corps to report its plans for environmental mitigation—that is, actions to avoid, minimize, or compensate for any expected losses to fish and wildlife and damage to ecological resources resulting from its projects. If the Corps determines no mitigation is necessary, it is required to report that determination. Of the 74 Civil Works projects submitted to Congress for authorization during calendar years 2020–2025, the Corps determined that.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Economic Development Administration: Better Coordination with Regional Commissions and Performance Management Needed

What GAO Found The Economic Development Administration (EDA) and five regional commissions—the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority, Denali Commission, Northern Border Regional Commission, and Southeast Crescent Regional Commission—awarded more than $12 billion in grants during fiscal years 2016 through 2024 (Southwest Border Regional Commission awarded its first grants in fiscal year 2025). GAO found that economic conditions, such as poverty and unemployment rates, generally improved in regional commission areas, although these changes were difficult to attribute to EDA or regional commission funding. Grantees and local development officials GAO selected for interviews.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Rural Health Transformation Program: Early Implementation Actions and Monitoring Plans

What GAO Found The Rural Health Transformation program provides funding for states to conduct rural health activities, such as recruiting clinicians to rural areas and providing training and technology to improve care delivery in rural hospitals. In the latter half of 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) completed a number of early key actions to implement the Rural Health Transformation program. These actions included the release of the notice of funding opportunity—which provided details on program goals and requirements—and initial funding awards to all 50 states totaling $10 billion. The initial allotment of state funding ranged from $147 million for New Jersey to $2.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Mortgage Lending: Newly Enacted Restrictions May Help Curb Unwanted Solicitations While Preserving Comparison Shopping

What GAO Found When homebuyers apply for a mortgage, lenders request their credit reports from credit reporting agencies. These agencies may then sell the homebuyers’ contact and credit information to other lenders and brokers, which use it to send competing loan offers. Before recent legislation, credit reporting agencies could, without the homebuyer’s consent, provide this information to those that did not have an existing relationship with the homebuyer (see figure). Thus, homebuyers could receive dozens of mortgage solicitations by phone or text in a short period. Example of the Mortgage Trigger Lead Marketing Process According to industry stakeholders, the primary benefit of trigger le.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Disability Employment: DOL Should Enhance Monitoring and Guidance for Federal Contractors

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 U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness: Staff Placed on Administrative Leave Have Returned and Await Direction

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 Office of the Federal Register / National Archives and Records Administration · Rulemaking audits

Certain DHS Immigration-Related Fees Required by HR-1: Fiscal Year 2027 Adjustments for Inflation

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

Certain DHS Immigration-Related Fees Required by HR-1: Fiscal Year 2027 Adjustments for Inflation

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.