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Topic: Legislation

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

International Agreements: DOD Has Opportunities to Improve Internal Communication and Oversight

What GAO Found The Department of Defense (DOD) uses international agreements and arrangements to achieve political, economic, and military objectives. For example, these could include cooperatively developing and producing a military system with a foreign partner. From fiscal years 2021 through 2025, DOD established 303 acquisition-related international arrangements with an associated dollar value of $64 billion. However, both the number and dollar value of these arrangements declined over this period. DOD officials said that factors like personnel shortages and lengthy review and approval timelines contributed to this decline. Decline in DOD International Arrangements, Fiscal Years (FY) 20.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Carbon Capture Tax Credit: Actions Needed to Improve Federal Administration and Evaluation of Tax Expenditure

What GAO Found The Carbon Oxide Sequestration Credit (45Q) is a tax credit provided for certain carbon oxides that are captured at emission sources or directly from the air and either stored underground or used to produce products. The credit has been amended multiple times, including by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which added new credit features. More recently, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act created parity in credit values across uses of captured carbon. As of March 2026, there were 33 carbon capture facilities in the U.S., with additional facilities planned. The number of 45Q credit claims more than tripled from 2019 to 2023, according to IRS data. The Internal Revenue Service.

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

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Application for Exempted Fishing Permits

Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Notice | The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on app.

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

Micro-Tracers, Inc.; Response to Objections and Requests for a Public Hearing

Health and Human Services Department, Food and Drug Administration | Rule | The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) received objections and requests for a public hearing submitted by Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, on behalf of Micro-Tracers, Inc. (Micro-Tracers or objector), on the order granting a color additive petition (3C0323) requesting that we repeal specified regulations to no longer provide for the safe use of FD&C Red No. 3 in food (including dietary supplements) and ingested drugs. After reviewing the objections, we have concluded that the objections do not raise issues of material fact that justify a hearing. We are also providing notice that the administrative stay of the..

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

College Athletics: Most Programs Spend More Than They Generate in Revenue

What GAO Found Intercollegiate athletics at four-year colleges in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are organized into divisions, subdivisions, and conferences. Division I (DI) colleges compete at the highest level and can offer students full athletics scholarships. Division II (DII) colleges typically offer partial athletics scholarships. In both divisions, expenses for most athletic programs were greater than the revenue they generated, according to GAO’s analysis of NCAA data for the 2014–15 and 2023–24 academic years. In the 2023–24 academic year, the 352 DI colleges reported spending a total of $20.8 billion on athletics, which largely went to team and game expenses (.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

FEMA Workforce: Staff Reductions and Lack of Planning May Impact Mission Readiness

What GAO Found The increasing number and complexity of disasters demonstrates the need to ensure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) workforce can meet its core mission to help people before, during, and after disasters. In response to 2025 presidential directives, many federal agencies have taken steps to reduce the size of their workforces. In fiscal year 2025, FEMA employed about 25,134 employees, on average. However, over 4,300 employees separated from FEMA in fiscal year 2025—a 55 percent increase in separations from fiscal year 2024 (see figure). These separations have resulted in a loss of institutional knowledge and experienced personnel, according to FEMA official.

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

Sunshine Act; Open Commission Meeting Thursday, August 6, 2026

Federal Communications Commission | Notice | The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would explore new avenues to allow innovative unlicensed wireless devices to communicate directly with satellites. The item would propose and seek comment on use of certain frequencies available under part 15 of the Commission's rules for communications between Earth and space, including direct-to-device (D2D) services. The NPRM would also propose to clarify that use of part 15 unlicensed devices is permitted within FCC- authorized spacecraft, and seek comment on other scenarios where part 15 unlicensed devices may safely operate in space. 2....................................... W.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

B-52 Bomber: Air Force Actions Needed to Improve Major Modernization and Sustainment Efforts

What GAO Found Ten of the 13 B-52 modernizations are experiencing cost, schedule, or performance challenges. The Air Force’s most expensive B-52 modernization effort, the Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP) will likely continue to face significant challenges as the Air Force plans to begin production with little to no developmental flight testing. While the Air Force analyzed and accepted increased risks from this approach in 2023, since then CERP costs increased by about $3 billion and initial operational capability was delayed more than 15 months. Department of Defense (DOD) policy states cost estimates should consider risk and include an analysis that identifies and evaluates al.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Inflation Reduction Act: EPA’s Use and Oversight of $11.5 Billion in Appropriations

What GAO Found The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) provided about $41.5 billion in supplemental appropriations to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for grants and other investments to reduce air pollution and enhance national climate resilience. EPA primarily used the appropriations to create new grant programs and has awarded hundreds of grants. In 2025, EPA terminated grants funded by $30 billion of IRA appropriations and several grant recipients were challenging the terminations in court as of June 2026. Of the roughly $11.5 billion in appropriations unaffected by the terminations and related litigation, Public Law 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill A.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Army Corps of Engineers: Disaster Funding and Information Used to Support Flood Risk Management

What GAO Found The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for planning, designing, and constructing much of the nation’s federally funded flood risk management infrastructure. The Corps usually does not request funds for disaster response during the annual budget cycle but instead receives supplemental appropriations for such activities after a disaster has occurred. In fiscal year (FY) 2004 through FY 2025, Congress appropriated more than $60 billion to the Corps for disaster response through 19 post-disaster supplemental appropriations acts and $450 million through annual appropriations acts. Post-Disaster Supplemental Appropriations to the Corps for Disaster Response, FYs 2004–2025..

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

Civil Money Penalty for Actions in Contempt of an Immigration Judge’s Proper Exercise of Authority

Justice Department, Executive Office for Immigration Review | Proposed Rule | This notice of proposed rulemaking ("NPRM") would implement a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA" or "the Act") that authorizes Immigration Judges, under regulations prescribed by the Attorney General, to sanction by civil money penalty any action (or inaction) in contempt of the proper exercise of their authority by certain individuals. The rule would: define the scope of the contempt authority; provide procedures for contempt findings, penalty determinations, and penalty payment; establish an appellate process; and implement oversight of the use of contempt authority. The rule would also make.

FEDE U.S. Government Accountability Office · Audits audits

Priority Open Recommendations: Office of Personnel Management

What GAO Found In August 2025, GAO identified 14 priority recommendations for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Since then, OPM has implemented three of those recommendations. In July 2026, GAO removed the priority status from three recommendations, bringing the total to eight. GAO is highlighting the following three areas that warrant timely and focused attention: Preventing improper payments, Strengthening IT management, and Managing the federal workforce. Addressing GAO’s recommendations in these areas could help prevent up to an estimated $1 billion per year in improper payments for those ineligible to receive federal health insurance benefits, reduce costs on duplicative or unn.