Established: As a Congressional agency by Section 8 of the GAO Human Capital Reform Act of 2004 (118 Stat. 811), July 7, 2004, redesignating the General Accounting Office as the Government Accountability Office without change in mission or functions.
Predecessor Agencies:
General Accounting Office (1921-2004)
In the War Department:
In the Department of the Navy:
In the Department of the Treasury:
Functions: Performs audits and evaluations of federal programs and activities.
Security-Classified Records: This record group may include material that is security-classified.
Related Records:411.2 Records of the Comptroller General
1920-89
Textual Records: GAO Document Data Base, consisting of audit reports, program plans, annual reports, reviews, Comptroller General's decisions, testimony, opinions, letters, speeches, and publications, 1970-89.
411.2.2 Records of the Office of the General Counsel
Textual Records: Administrative and decision files, 1920-24. Decision memorandum file, 1921-24. Records relating to customs reports and claims, 1920-26.
411.2.3 Records of the Legislative Information and Reference
Service Section, Office of Information Systems and Services
Textual Records: Microfiche copy of legislative history files, 1921-78 (17,000 fiche).
411.2.4 Records of the Visual Communications Branch
Video Recordings: GAO Fiftieth Anniversary Lectures, "Improving Management for More Effective Government," 1971 (6 items). Speech by Ralph Nader on the role of GAO, ca. 1972 (1 item). Presentation by Washington, DC, Mayor Walter Washington regarding GAO report on the DC Manpower Administration, ca. 1972 (1 item). Lecture series, "Evaluating Governmental Performance: Changes and Challenges for GAO," 1973-75 (4 items).
411.2.5 Records of the Office of Administrative Planning and
Services
Textual Records: Record set of GAO issuances ("Early Directives File"), 1940-69.
411.3 Records of the Indian Tribal Claims Branch
1921-60
History: Established in GAO, 1925, to prepare accounting statements, schedules, and text for use by the Department of Justice in defense of suits by certain Indian tribes against the United States in the Court of Claims. The claims files described below were assembled by the Indian Claims Branch from records in the custody of the Treasury Department, principally the Office of the Second Auditor.
Textual Records: Accounts of Indian agents and departmental disbursing officers, and claims files, 1921-60, with related registers. Registers of Indian pay warrants, 1921-51. Ledgers, 1921-37. Appropriation and repay warrants, 1921-28.
Maps: Central and western states, annotated to show military forts and trading posts prior to Indian title, and unidentified numbered areas relating to Sioux Petition No. C-531, 1922-27 (25 items). See also 411.6.
411.4 Records of the Human Resources Division
1975-76
Machine-Readable Records: Well-Being Study of Elderly Persons in the Cleveland Area, 1975-76, with supporting documentation (1 data set). See also 411.8.
411.5 Records of the Program Evaluation and Methodology Division
1980-82
Machine-Readable Records: Study of the impact of the 1981 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act on the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, 1980-82, with supporting documentation (16 data sets). See also 411.8.
411.6 Cartographic Records (General)
1952
Maps: Administrative regions of the GAO and locations of GAO records depositories, 1952.
See Maps under 411.3.
411.7 Video Recordings (General)
See under 411.2.4.
411.8 Machine-Readable Records (General)
See under 411.4 and 411.5.