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Reports News from the GAO Reports News from the GAO. https://www.gao.gov/rss/reports.xml Tue, 10 Nov 2026 07:59:30 -0500 GAO https://www.gao.gov/themes/custom/gao_uswds/img/gao-logo-rss.gif Reports News from the GAO https://www.gao.gov/rss/reports.xml Feed provided by GAO. Social Security Administration: Actions Needed to Improve Data Exchanges for Beneficiaries in Foster Care https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-27-108035 What GAO Found For children receiving Social Security benefits (beneficiaries), such as disability benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) typically assigns representative payees (payee) to manage those benefits. When children enter or exit foster care, SSA may need to change the payee. Since 2018, SSA has encouraged states to set up data exchanges to submit monthly data on children in foster care to help SSA identify when these beneficiaries need a new payee. Twenty-five states were submitting data through these exchanges, as of July 2026. However, no new states have begun submitting data since 2024; officials from four of eight selected states not submitting data had minimal awareness of the data exchanges. Yet, SSA has not changed its state outreach efforts, thereby limiting the number of beneficiaries covered under its exchanges (see figure). Number of Social Security Beneficiaries in Foster Care With a Representative Payee and States Submitting Data to SSA’s Foster Care Data Exchanges, Fiscal Year 2025   Note: The District of Columbia is counted as a state. The number of states submitting data is as of July 2026. SSA generates alerts from the data exchanges when a beneficiary enters or exits foster care or changes placement while in foster care. Alerts have helped SSA field office staff identify when to reassess payees. But staff GAO interviewed from four selected field offices reported challenges addressing alerts, such as:  Each alert had limited information, requiring field office staff to conduct additional, time-consuming research.  There is a large volume of alerts to address—over 50,000 in fiscal year 2025—but many of these generally do not require a change in payee. SSA field office staff GAO interviewed had existing practices and ideas for changes SSA could implement to mitigate these challenges. For example, they said that SSA could designate staff to address alerts, include more information in each alert (e.g., payee email addresses), and use artificial intelligence tools to more easily address change of foster care placement alerts that require action. Although field office staff are the end users of the data, SSA has not sought staff input or provided a way for them to share potentially useful practices with each other. Without seeking input, SSA is missing opportunities to improve the efficiency of its processes and ensure beneficiaries in foster care have suitable payees. Why GAO Did This Study In fiscal year 2025, payees managed over $270 million in Social Security benefits for about 44,000 children in foster care. Federal law in 2018 called for SSA to enter into agreements for states to provide it with monthly data on children in foster care. These data help SSA identify suitable payees. GAO was asked to review SSA’s implementation and use of the foster care data exchanges. This report examines (1) selected states’ experiences submitting data and SSA’s efforts to increase state participation and (2) how SSA has used the data exchanges to ensure beneficiaries in foster care have suitable payees. GAO reviewed SSA documents and policies and analyzed SSA alert data from fiscal years 2019 (when the first state began submitting data) through 2025, the most recent available. GAO interviewed officials from 21 states—13 that submitted data and eight that did not—selected for variation in experience, geography, and size. GAO interviewed SSA officials and staff at four selected field offices identified through interviews with state agencies. Information from state and SSA field office interviews are not generalizable but provide insights on challenges and ways to address them. Mon, 09 Nov 2026 07:14:24 -0500 /products/gao-27-108035 F-35 Program: DOD Needs to Strengthen Oversight of Tens of Billions of Dollars in Parts https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-27-108713 What GAO Found The Department of Defense (DOD) continues to face challenges in accounting for F-35 parts, such as engines and tires. The F-35 program includes approximately 26 million F-35 parts, valued at approximately $31 billion and held at over 700 contractor- and government-managed facilities around the world. Although these are DOD-owned parts, DOD does not maintain complete records of the parts. Specifically, GAO found that DOD has not established procedures that ensure its own records will be sufficient to account for and financially report on the parts (see figure). For instance, records of F-35 parts in the F-35 program’s accountable property system of record (APSR) remain unreliable, since they do not reflect real-time changes and are inaccurate and incomplete. Also, the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) has not fully developed procedures to validate the accuracy of data it enters into the APSR. GAO has an open recommendation addressing this issue (GAO-22-105002). GAO also found that F-35 JPO’s physical inventory procedures did not adequately verify the existence and validate the completeness of F-35 parts. Without accurate data in its APSR and properly executed inventory procedures for F-35 parts, DOD management will not have the information it needs to support warfighter readiness and reliable financial reporting. Further, as of March 2026, F-35 JPO did not know the status of lost F-35 parts valued at over $85 million that GAO reported on in 2023. Also, F-35 JPO has not established procedures for effectively reviewing losses reported at government-managed facilities. Unless it implements procedures for monitoring losses, F-35 JPO will not know the full extent of losses of F-35 parts, and its ability to mitigate losses in the future will be decreased, reducing its ability to detect fraud, waste, or theft. Records of F-35 Parts Are Not Reliable for Asset Accountability or Financial Reporting F-35 JPO has not established a mature, fully functioning property accountability program that would provide its accountable property officers with program-specific procedures and training to help them carry out their responsibilities. This limits the effectiveness of F-35 JPO’s oversight of asset accountability for F-35 parts, which, combined with the issues identified above, will affect warfighter readiness. Also, DOD is taking steps toward including F-35 parts on its financial statements, such as developing procedures to value parts with missing cost information. These procedures and others are under review. Why GAO Did This Study The F-35 aircraft is DOD’s most costly weapon system in history, with overall costs for the F-35 program estimated to be more than $1.9 trillion over its life cycle. However, as GAO and DOD auditors have previously reported, DOD has long-standing and ongoing deficiencies related to the accountability and financial reporting of F-35 parts. Title 31 of the U.S. Code includes a provision in statute for GAO to audit the U.S. government’s consolidated financial statements. This report, developed in connection with fulfilling that mandate, examines the extent to which DOD has (1) established and implemented procedures to account for F-35 parts and (2) made progress in including these parts on its agencywide financial statements. GAO reviewed, among other things, relevant reports, accounting standards, supporting documentation, and DOD policies and procedures. GAO also interviewed DOD officials and conducted site visits. Mon, 09 Nov 2026 07:06:00 -0500 /products/gao-27-108713 Department of Agriculture: Little Transparency on Whether Key Issues Were Analyzed Before Reorganization Decision https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-27-108734 What GAO Found In July 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a plan to reorganize the department, including relocating thousands of staff positions from the National Capital Region to five hub locations across the country. In the spring of 2026, all eight USDA mission areas and several agencies announced reorganization plans, including relocating certain agency functions. The department’s actions are the subject of federal litigation seeking to stop USDA from implementing its reorganization plan. Five Hub Locations and Other Selected Relocations from the National Capital Region Planned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) USDA’s workforce decreased by 20 percent from December 2024 through March 2026, from about 91,000 employees to about 73,000. Individual USDA agencies decreased from 12 percent (Forest Service) to 41 percent (National Institute of Food and Agriculture). The extent to which USDA conducted and considered analysis before announcing the department’s reorganization is unknown. Several leading practices can help agencies conduct appropriate analyses and make sound decisions when they reorganize and relocate staff, including practices related to planning for agency reforms, conducting economic analysis, assessing management of federal real property assets, and strategic workforce planning. USDA did not respond to our requests for information on the analyses the department conducted to inform its 2025 reorganization plan. Thus, Congress and the public do not have information on the extent to which USDA examined issues such as how the reorganization could impact service delivery, the economic effects of the reorganization, or how to protect taxpayers’ dollars in disposing of property through the reorganization. Why GAO Did This Study USDA plays a critical role supporting U.S. agriculture, overseeing food safety, promoting rural development, and providing food and nutrition benefits. In 2025, USDA began a broad reorganization and relocation effort at the same time as it was taking steps to reduce the size of its workforce, such as offering incentives for employees to voluntarily resign or retire, in response to presidential directives. GAO was asked to review USDA’s reorganization plan and recent workforce decreases. This report discusses (1) USDA’s reorganization plan, (2) recent changes to USDA’s workforce, and (3) leading practices that apply to planning and implementing federal agency reorganizations, including relocations. GAO analyzed laws, reports, and other agency documents related to the reorganization of USDA; analyzed federal workforce data from the Office of Personnel Management to assess changes in USDA’s workforce; and reviewed past GAO reports to identify leading practices for agency reforms and to describe changes following prior agency relocation efforts. GAO previously reported on USDA’s 2019 relocation of the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Following these moves, more than half of these agencies’ staff left, affecting workforce experience levels and composition and agency productivity. Two years after these relocations, overall staffing levels and productivity had generally returned to previous levels. For more information, contact Steve Morris at morriss@gao.gov. Mon, 09 Nov 2026 07:59:55 -0500 /products/gao-27-108734 Financial Audit: Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s FY 2026 and FY 2025 Schedules of Federal Debt https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-27-108795 What GAO Found GAO found (1) the Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s Schedules of Federal Debt for fiscal years 2026 and 2025 are fairly presented in all material respects and (2) Fiscal Service maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting relevant to the Schedule of Federal Debt as of September 30, 2026. GAO’s tests of selected provisions of applicable laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements related to the Sch

Reports News from the GAO Reports News from the GAO. https://www.gao.gov/rss/reports.xml Tue, 10 Nov 2026 09:43:19 -0500 GAO https://www.gao.gov/themes/custom/gao_uswds/img/gao-logo-rss.gif Reports News from the GAO https://www.gao.gov/rss/reports.xml Feed provided by GAO. Housing Construction Innovations: Technologies and Policy Options to Help Increase Supply and Affordability https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-27-108037 What GAO Found Numerous housing construction technologies could help improve production, reduce costs, and potentially increase supply and affordability. Some technologies are mature but not widely adopted, and others are new or emerging. These technologies can be grouped into three categories: planning and design, construction means and methods, and building materials and components. Examples are shown in the figure below. Examples of housing construction technologies Benefits of housing construction technologies such as these may include: Faster construction and enhanced efficiency. For example, building a house or some of its components off-site in an efficient, controlled environment can reduce the overall project time. Reduced costs. For example, automated technologies that cut lumber to precise dimensions can reduce costs by minimizing waste. Improved decision-making and regulatory oversight. Software tools that use land and regulatory data can help planners understand how local policy decisions can inform housing construction outcomes. Challenges limiting broader adoption and use of construction technologies include: Regulatory challenges. More than 20,000 jurisdictions administer residential building codes, requiring significant time, labor, and money to comply. Workforce and education gaps. Training on new technologies requires staff, time, and money that builders may not have. Financial challenges. New technologies can have high up-front costs that are more than traditional construction methods for both builders and consumers. GAO identified five policy subgoals and 14 associated policy options related to the broad goal of increasing housing supply and improving affordability (see below). These policy options are a set of alternative actions that policymakers, such as legislative bodies, government agencies, standards-setting organizations, industry, and other groups, could consider taking. Policy Subgoals and Policy Options to Help Increase Housing Supply and Improve Affordability Using Construction Technologies Subgoal: Streamline regulatory processes Policy options: Establish state or regional building code authority with interstate reciprocity for off-site-constructed housing (report page 24) Develop regulatory pathways for new technologies (report page 25) Standardize oversize load permitting for interstate transportation of housing modules or components (report page 25) Support zoning and development conditions that enable innovative housing construction (report page 26) Implement and scale preapproved housing design libraries (report page 27) Subgoal: Reduce financial barriers Policy options: Provide financial incentives for housing suppliers to use innovative methods (report page 28) Provide financial incentives and products to support consumers (report page 29) Subgoal: Increase housing production capacity through education and training Policy options: Expand vocational and technical education pathways for innovative construction (report page 31) Engage labor unions as partners in expanding the off-site construction workforce (report page 32) Train and certify building inspectors and code officials in innovative construction methods (report page 33) Subgoal: Increase public acceptance of innovative housing options Policy option: Support public education campaigns on housing construction technologies (report page 34) Subgoal: Optimize government resources and leadership Policy options: Increase government support for technology adoption (report page 35) Build a national housing construction data infrastructure (report page 36) Prioritize federal research and development activities to better support housing construction technologies (report page 37) Source: GAO. | GAO-27-108037 Why GAO Did This Study Housing affordability is a top concern for many Americans, as high housing costs can lead to adverse economic and social effects. Owners and renters have seen housing costs increase faster than other consumer prices and income, straining household budgets. While housing construction is a near-trillion-dollar industry, limited inventory contributes to housing unaffordability, as potential homebuyers and renters compete to purchase or rent housing. GAO reviewed technologies that could help improve production and reduce costs of housing. This report examines (1) current and emerging technologies that could help increase supply and affordability of housing, (2) benefits and challenges associated with these technologies in comparison to traditional construction methods, and (3) policy options that could support various policy goals related to these technologies. To conduct this technology assessment, GAO reviewed relevant literature, documents, and reports; interviewed officials and representatives from government, industry, academia, nonprofits, and trade associations; conducted site visits; attended conferences; and convened a 2-day meeting of 17 experts. For more information, contact Karen L. Howard at howardk@gao.gov. Tue, 10 Nov 2026 07:01:12 -0500 /products/gao-27-108037 Veteran Lending: Early Planning Is Critical to Assessing VA’s New Foreclosure Avoidance Program https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-27-108908 What GAO Found The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Partial Claim Program is intended to help borrowers with VA-guaranteed loans avoid foreclosure. Under this new program, VA reimburses the loan servicer for a borrower’s missed payments and certain fees, allowing the borrower to become current on the loan. The borrower repays that amount—the partial claim—without interest when they sell or refinance the home, when they pay off the loan, or when the loan reaches maturity. The servicer collects the payment and sends it to VA. How the VA Partial Claim Program Works VA previously offered a temporary partial claim program to help borrowers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and drew on that experience in implementing the new program. According to VA, under that program VA and servicers encountered documentation problems and difficulty tracking partial claim amounts. To address these issues, VA changed the program model and revised its application and payment processes. VA expects these changes to reduce administrative costs. VA has taken steps to implement the Partial Claim Program. These include developing policies and processes, soliciting stakeholder feedback, hosting training, developing oversight policies, and modifying its data system. The program became effective on June 15, 2026, although servicers have until November 28, 2026, to finish implementing the program. VA officials said they intend to begin analyzing program trends and outcomes in December 2027. VA has planned a high-level approach to assessing program effectiveness but has not developed a comprehensive plan to do so. For example, VA’s planned approach does not isolate the program’s effects on borrowers or consider program design questions. Without a comprehensive plan, VA and Congress will not have timely and credible evaluation results needed to make decisions about the program and identify changes that could improve outcomes for veteran borrowers, help prevent foreclosure, and reduce costs to taxpayers. Early planning is critical because the program is authorized for 5 years, ending July 30, 2030, and requires congressional reauthorization to continue. Early planning is also important to ensure VA collects the data needed for any evaluations. Why GAO Did This Study VA guarantees millions of home loans and bears financial risk when borrowers default and homes are foreclosed upon. In July 2025, the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act authorized VA to plan and administer the VA Partial Claim Program for 5 years. The Continuing Appropriations Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act, 2026, requires GAO to report on the VA Partial Claim Program annually. This first report examines (1) how VA used lessons learned from previous loss mitigation programs to develop the Partial Claim Program and the steps VA has taken to implement it and (2) the extent to which VA followed key program evaluation practices. GAO reviewed VA policies, processes, and plans related to the VA Partial Claim Program and assessed VA’s efforts against Office of Management and Budget program evaluation standards. GAO interviewed VA officials and representatives of 10 organizations, including lenders and servicers, trade associations, consumer advocacy organizations, and veteran advocacy organizations, selected because of their high loan volume or subject-matter expertise. GAO also analyzed VA data from January 2022 through June 2026 and Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data from 2022 through 2025 (the latest data available). Tue, 10 Nov 2026 07:06:50 -0500 /products/gao-27-108908 Multilateral Banks: Treasury Should Improve Consistency and Transparency of Decisions on Projects Affecting U.S. Producers https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-27-108667 What GAO Found The U.S. provides funds and participates in multilateral development banks (MDBs), which support overseas projects that may compete with U.S. producers. GAO found that Treasury’s project review process has gaps in defining and applying criteria for assessing three key provisions in the statute, all of which must be met to trigger the requirement that Treasury oppose an MDB project. For example, Treasury has criteria for assessing whether a commodity or mineral is in surplus on world markets, but it rarely applies it, according to Treasury officials. Also, Treasury does not have criteria for assessing “substantial injury” to U.S. producers. Developing and applying such criteria would better position Treasury to ensure the consistency of its voting decisions and, as a result, its implementation of the statute. Without criteria, Treasury could take different positions on project proposals with similar circumstances because assessments rely on subjective judgment rather than consistent standards. This could put Treasury at risk of unintentionally affecting U.S. producers. Treasury supported most of the projects that GAO determined were related to commodities or minerals for export relevant to the statute from January 2015 - August 2025. Treasury made more than 11,000 votes on MDB projects during this period and supported 83 percent of the 340 projects that were likely covered by the statute. However, Treasury does not include information in the public voting records about which projects it considered as relevant to the statute. Doing so would enhance transparency for industries that may be adversely affected by MDB projects. GAO found evidence that MDB-financed projects may be one of several factors that contributed to injury to U.S. producers in the shrimp industry, one of GAO’s two case studies. Specifically, MDB-supported aquaculture projects in Ecuador led to more shrimp imports and may have contributed to lower prices in the U.S., which adversely affected U.S. producers. GAO did not identify evidence linking MDB projects to challenges affecting U.S. rice producers. Shrimp and rice industry stakeholders and available data suggest that both industries have faced a range of other challenges unrelated to MDB-supported projects, such as market competition, regulatory requirements, and environmental conditions. Abandoned Shrimp Boat in Louisiana and Rice Grower Displaying Rice in Arkansas Why GAO Did This Study Congress enacted 22 U.S.C. § 262h directing Treasury to instruct U.S. Executive Directors at intern

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