State Trauma Grants

Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed whether states: (1) spent their trauma grants in compliance with the law's requirements; and (2) made their required matching contributions through fiscal year (FY) 1994. GAO noted that: (1) the 4 states reviewed complied with the law's requirements; (2) the states spent 72 percent of their grant funds on consultants, salaries or wages, and contractual services; (3) the states implemented various trauma care planning efforts; (4) the states used cash, in-kind contributions, or combinations of both to meet their matching requirements; (5) 3 of the 4 states met the matching contributions requirement for FY 1993; (6) the fourth state was not required to make a matching contribution because it was in its first grant year; and (7) state and federal officials believed that the matching contribution requirement discouraged states from participating in the program after the first year.