Projects Funded in Northeast Texas by the Emergency Jobs Appropriations Act of 1983

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reported on the implementation of the 1983 Emergency Jobs Appropriations Act. The report focused on the allocation of act funds to federal departments and agencies.

GAO studied a recipient area in northeast Texas and found that nearly 25 percent of the $3.4 million awarded to projects in the area had been spent within 1 year after passage of the act. Aside from the short-term employment opportunities resulting from the projects, other benefits have been and are expected to be achieved in the area. These include: (1) improvements to community recreation facilities; (2) construction of permanent facilities; (3) humanitarian assistance to communities; and (4) potential long-term employment opportunities stemming from employment training. GAO noted that, because the act does not require comprehensive reporting on the use of its funds, detailed employment information was not readily available from federal, state, or local agencies for all the projects.