USDA Needs Objective Criteria for Awarding Special Disaster Payments

Gao ID: RCED-83-54 November 2, 1982

In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) decision to award special disaster payments estimated between $200 million and $250 million in 83 counties in the Southwest. The review focused on: (1) USDA criteria for designating counties to receive disaster payments, and (2) the equity of the USDA decision concerning counties other than those designated in the Southwest.

GAO found that severe crop losses were sustained by many counties designated to receive special disaster payments, but some counties that received disaster aid had less crop damage than other counties, both in the Southwest region and elsewhere in the country, which were not designated for special payments. The review revealed that USDA did not have objective criteria to apply in designating counties to receive special disaster payments, but USDA officials instead used discretionary authority in an inconsistent manner. GAO believes that these payments should be awarded on objective criteria applied uniformly throughout the country.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Brian P. Crowley Team: General Accounting Office: Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division Phone: (202) 512-9450


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