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Open Recommendations (89 total)

Tribal Food Security: Opportunities Exist to Address Challenges in Federal Nutrition Programs

GAO-24-106218
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6 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that FNS systematically identifies gaps in outreach to tribal communities about FNS programs, determines how to best address those gaps, and takes appropriate steps. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that FNS improves the verification process for confirming that applicants are not dually participating in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, per program requirements, so applicants can be enrolled in a timely fashion. For example, FNS could identify ways to facilitate appropriate communication and information sharing among relevant entities. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that ERS includes available national-level American Indian/Alaska Native food security data in its flagship annual report on household food security. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that FNS assesses the need for any additional flexibilities in its programs' administrative requirements that could further support tribal food security and any necessary adjustments to support existing flexibilities, and then implements those changes. (Recommendation 6)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that FNS studies the impact of the prohibition against dual participation in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, including any obstacles to food security posed by the process for switching from one program to another, and shares the results of the study with Congress. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that FNS eliminates the use of visual observation as an allowable means to determine participant race and ethnicity for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Justice40: Additional Efforts Needed to Improve Tribal Applicants' Access to Federal Programs Under Environmental Justice Initiative

GAO-24-106511
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of the USDA should ensure that program offices consult with federally recognized Tribes and conduct outreach to eligible Indigenous communities to ensure meaningful involvement when determining benefits for Justice40 covered programs in accordance with EOP guidance and determine how to incorporate the input into future Justice40 implementation efforts. (Recommendation 9)
Open
In written comments reproduced in our report, USDA stated that it anticipates taking steps in the coming months to implement our recommendations on improving tribal applicants' access to Justice40 covered programs. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from the agency.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that program offices of USDA Justice40 covered programs document previously identified statutory and regulatory barriers to access for tribal applicants informing their implementation of the Justice40 Initiative. As a part of this process, the agency should—with input from Tribes—identify any additional changes necessary to address remaining statutory and regulatory barriers, recommending legislative changes where the agency determines appropriate. The agency should make a summary of the results of this process publicly available. (Recommendation 3)
Open
In written comments reproduced in our report, USDA stated that it anticipates taking steps in the coming months to implement our recommendations on improving tribal applicants' access to Justice40 covered programs. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from the agency.
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of the USDA should ensure that program offices implementing Justice40 covered programs maintain records of related consultations with Tribes and consider—with tribal input—publicly sharing a high-level summary of consultation results, as appropriate, to improve tribal applicants' access to information about tribal input on federal programs and decrease the burden on Tribes and eligible Indigenous communities. (Recommendation 6)
Open
In written comments reproduced in our report, USDA stated that it anticipates taking steps in the coming months to implement our recommendations on improving tribal applicants' access to Justice40 covered programs. We will update the status of this recommendation when we receive additional information from the agency.

Federal Software Licenses: Agencies Need to Take Action to Achieve Additional Savings

GAO-24-105717
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the agency tracks software licenses that are currently in use for its widely used licenses by, at a minimum, consistently implementing its procedures for tracking license usage. (Recommendation 1)
Open
The Department of Agriculture generally concurred with this recommendation. When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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