Correspondence

We provided a report to the Senate and House Appropriations Committees regarding DOT's compliance with the Rural Development Act of 1972. Our review disclosed that, although DOT has instituted a policy and procedures, the Operating Administrations (OAs) are not complying with them. We recommended that DOT: (1) enforce the existing policy and (2) include criteria to be used when an OA evaluates the feasibility of locating new offices in rural areas and giving such areas first-priority consideration as referenced in the law.