GAO report groups BEAD with Medicaid, SNAP among programs structurally exposed to fraud risk

A GAO report released July 23, 2026 (GAO-26-109100), 'Combating Fraud: Managing Risks in Federally Funded, State-Administered Programs,' identified BEAD's $16.9 billion federal obligations as part of a broader review of 20 large state-administered programs vulnerable to fraud due to their multi-layered funding structures, alongside Medicaid, SNAP, and disaster assistance programs. GAO noted it has not directly assessed BEAD's fraud-risk management since the program only began sending funds to states in fiscal year 2023, and it identified no adjudicated fraud cases tied specifically to BEAD.