Federal Property: Improved Monitoring, Oversight, and Data Would Help Understand Effects of Providing Property to Non-Federal Recipients

Abstract

Why GAO Did This Study. The federal government owns and manages over a trillion of dollars of property that is not real property, such as vehicles, computers, and office furniture. Federal agencies generally get rid of excess property through GSAs disposal process, which then allows entities such as other federal agencies, to obtain that property if they want. Some agencies have independent authorities that allow them to provide property to non-federal recipients, such as universities, before or during the GSA disposal process. GAO was asked to review how federal agencies provide property to non-federal recipients. This report examines (1) how selected agencies manage unneeded and excess property provided to non-federal recipients and (2) what is known about benefits, effects, and data on property provided to these recipients. GAO analyzed GSA non-federal recipients reports from fiscal years 2013 to 2017, the most current available at the start of our review, and selected three agenciesUSDA, DOE, and DOLto obtain variety on the methods used to provide property to non-federal recipients. GAO reviewed relevant processes and interviewed officials from GSA, selected agencies, and non-federal recipients.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2019
Accession Number
AD1116096

Entities

People

  • Aisha Cabrer
  • Amy Rosewarne
  • Atiya Siddiqi
  • Crystal Wesco
  • Joshua Ormond
  • Kelly Rubin
  • Lacey Coppage
  • Lori Rectanus
  • Nancy Lueke
  • Nitin Rao

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Agriculture
  • California
  • Congress
  • Construction
  • Contractors
  • Contracts
  • Department Of Defense
  • Economic Development
  • Employment
  • Forestry
  • Government Procurement
  • Governments
  • House Of Representatives
  • Laboratory Equipment
  • Law
  • National Governments
  • Public Administration
  • Training
  • United States
  • United States Government

Readers

  • Government Contracting/Procurement.
  • Government and Public Administration Law.