What GAO Found The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) provided $125 million in supplemental appropriations to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to rebuild and restore units of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and state wildlife management areas. Among other things, the appropriations are intended to increase the resiliency of habitats and infrastructure to withstand weather events. As of April 1, 2026, FWS had obligated 99.6 percent of the appropriations, primarily for financial awards to state agencies and other partners for the design, implementation, and monitoring of nine projects across 23 states and more than 75 NWRS units. For example, a northern forest project aims to restore forests, improve wildlife habitat, and reduce flood risks in the Northeast and Midwest. FWS has expended about $48.9 million, or 39 percent, of its appropriations. FWS officials told GAO that, so far, the IRA projects have resulted in the restoration of more than 5,000 acres of wetlands and 16,000 acres of other habitats. Work on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Project in North Carolina To select projects for IRA funding, FWS officials stated that the agency identified NWRS areas with planned, but unfunded, activities that aligned with the purpose of the IRA appropriations, such as to increase the resiliency of NWRS areas to weather events. FWS also prioritized projects in parts of the country that had not previously received supplemental appropriations, such as for disaster assistance, and where FWS could collaborate with long-standing partners, including state and local agencies, to expand the geographic scope of work. Once projects were selected, FWS’s regional offices used existing processes and partnerships to determine activities to undertake, such as building water control structures to reduce flood risks and fences to improve bison management. FWS then used standard agency policies and procedures, such as recipient risk guidance, to issue financial awards and contracts to carry out activities. To oversee IRA projects, FWS developed an implementation plan with objectives for meeting the purpose of the IRA appropriations. For example, the plan calls for projects to improve the capacity to recover from extreme weather events. FWS tracked data, such as acres restored, but did not establish performance goals for measuring progress toward the objectives. By developing and using performance goals for assessing progress toward the objectives in its IRA implementation plan, FWS can better develop and use evidence to assess the extent to which the IRA projects are achieving intended results, and change course if they are not. Why GAO Did This Study FWS, within the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages NWRS, a national network of 856 million acres of land and water dedicated to protecting fish and wildlife habitats and providing outdoor recreation opportunities, such as hunting and fishing. IRA appropriations for NWRS and state wildlife management areas are available to FWS for obligation through September 2026 and amount to over 23 percent of NWRS’s typical annual appropriations. FWS uses grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to fund partners, including federal and state agencies and nonprofits. GAO was asked to review FWS’s use of its IRA appropriations. This report (1) describes how FWS has obligated and expended IRA appropriations for NWRS and state wildlife management areas; (2) describes how FWS selected, prioritized, and funded projects for these appropriations; and (3) examines how FWS provided oversight for these projects to ensure they achieve intended results. GAO reviewed FWS obligations and expenditures data through April 1, 2026; FWS documents about its use and oversight of IRA appropriations; and recipients’ single audit reports. GAO interviewed selected financial award and contract recipients based on factors such as geographic variation, as well as FWS and Interior officials. GAO also compared FWS efforts with federal guidance and key practices, such as for performance management.

What GAO Found The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working to modernize its IT systems to increase efficiency and accuracy of claims processing for disability compensation. However, past GAO reports have found that VA faces long-standing challenges in managing its disability compensation program and implementing innovative technologies. For example, GAO found gaps in VA’s oversight of the quality of exams provided by contracted medical providers and in the management of training for claims processors. Moreover, in 2009, VA began developing an electronic, paperless system called the Veterans Benefits Management System. GAO found that this effort was not driven by robust planning and did not include goals for system response times and user satisfaction, making it difficult to measure progress on efforts to improve user satisfaction with the system. AI holds substantial promise for improving government operations, and VA is exploring multiple uses of AI for disability benefits, such as claims processing. However, GAO has reported that generative AI can increase risk and hinder accountability, in part because even its designers may not fully understand how it works. It can also require significant computational and technical resources. VA is exploring using AI to further automate the processing of disability claims, a use case that could benefit veterans. But this use could present a challenge in detecting errors or misuse, owing to AI’s lack of transparency. GAO has a framework to help ensure accountability and responsible use of AI. VA and other agencies could use this framework as they consider, select, and implement AI systems (see figure). Figure: GAO’s AI Accountability Framework  Why GAO Did This Study VA administers one of the largest federal disability benefit programs, providing over $195 billion to over 6.9 million veterans and their families in fiscal year 2025. Veterans with injuries or illnesses incurred or aggravated during military service may receive monthly compensation payments. The Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 required VA to develop a plan to increase the speed and accuracy of claims processing decisions. This statement summarizes (1) VA’s long-standing challenges with managing its disability compensation program and implementing innovative technologies and (2) opportunities and challenges for using AI for VA’s disability compensation program. This statement is based on GAO’s body of work from September 2015 to June 2026 on VA disability compensation claims processing, IT modernization, and AI.

What GAO Found In April 2025, GAO identified 30 priority recommendations for the Department of Energy (DOE). Since then, DOE has implemented 5 of those recommendations by, among other things, directing NNSA Production Modernization programs to follow best practices for schedule development. In July 2026, GAO identified an additional priority recommendation, and removed the priority status from two recommendations, bringing the total number to 24. GAO is highlighting the following three areas that warrant timely and focused attention: Addressing nuclear modernization challenges, Addressing DOE environmental liabilities, and Managing energy security and programs. Addressing GAO's recommendations in these areas would enhance the DOE's efforts to modernize the nation's nuclear security enterprise and weapons in the U.S. stockpile, save billions of taxpayer dollars on the cleanup of sites contaminated with nuclear waste, and ensure the adequacy of the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help meet national energy security demands. Taking action to implement all of GAO's open priority recommendations would help enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of operations across DOE. Why GAO Did This Study Priority open recommendations are the GAO recommendations that warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or agencies because their implementation could save large amounts of money; improve congressional and/or executive branch decision-making on major issues; eliminate mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or make progress toward addressing a high risk or duplication issue, among other benefits. Since 2015, GAO has sent letters to selected agencies to highlight the importance of implementing such recommendations. For more information, contact Allison Bawden at BawdenA@gao.gov.

What GAO Found In May 2025, GAO identified eight priority recommendations for the Department of Education. Since then, Education has implemented one of those recommendations. In June 2026, GAO identified an additional three priority recommendations, bringing the total to 10. GAO is highlighting the following three areas that warrant timely and focused attention: Improving the federal student aid system, Protecting sensitive information, and Managing financial risks associated with charter school management organizations. Addressing GAO's recommendations in these areas would make it easier for students and families to apply for financial aid and ensure a more successful modernization of the student aid system. It would also more effectively implement privacy protections for students and better manage financial risks associated with charter school management organizations. Taking action to implement all of GAO's open priority recommendations would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of operations at Education. Why GAO Did This Study Priority open recommendations are the GAO recommendations that warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or agencies because their implementation could save large amounts of money; improve congressional and/or executive branch decision-making on major issues; eliminate mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or make progress toward addressing a high risk or duplication issue, among other benefits. Since 2015, GAO has sent letters to selected agencies to highlight the importance of implementing such recommendations. For more information, contact: Cindy Brown Barnes at brownbarnesc@gao.gov.

What GAO Found To support Holocaust education in K–12 public schools, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum—the main federal provider of Holocaust education resources—provides professional development for teachers through its annual conference, fellowships, online videos, and webinars. The Museum offers educational materials, such as lesson plans and online lessons, based on its collection of artifacts. It also partners with state and local organizations and researches effective education strategies. Most states (43 of 51) have established academic standards that explicitly include Holocaust education or passed laws that explicitly require Holocaust education (see figure). The remaining eight states did not have such academic standards or laws, but they may have supported Holocaust education in other ways. Most state officials (30 of 48) who responded to GAO’s survey reported having methods to ensure students receive Holocaust education, such as getting feedback from teachers and schools. States Identified as Having Academic Standards or Laws Requiring K–12 Holocaust Education Note: For details regarding GAO’s analysis to identify states with academic standards or laws requiring K–12 Holocaust education, see figure 1 in GAO-26-108023. Why GAO Did This Study The Never Again Education Act authorized federal support for the U.S. Holocaust Museum to support Holocaust education through educational materials and professional development opportunities for teachers. Senate Report 118-84 includes a provision for GAO to examine Holocaust education in K–12 public schools. This report provides information on federal resources developed by the U.S. Holocaust Museum to support Holocaust education, state K–12 Holocaust education practices, and other topics. To answer these objectives, GAO conducted a survey of state educational agency officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia on providing K–12 Holocaust education. Officials from 48 states responded. GAO also reviewed publicly available state documents as of February 2026, including academic standards and budgets, and conducted an independent legal review of state laws explicitly requiring Holocaust education. Further, GAO sent a structured online questionnaire to a nongeneralizable sample of 2,063 public school teachers of sixth to 12th grade to learn about their experiences providing Holocaust education. GAO received responses from 111 teachers. GAO also interviewed officials from four selected state educational agencies, seven Holocaust organizations, and the U.S. Holocaust Museum. For more information, contact Jackie Nowicki at NowickiJ@gao.gov.