The President's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP): Issues for Congress (open access)

The President's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP): Issues for Congress

This report provides an overview of the history of science and technology (S&T) advice to the President. It also discusses selected issues and options for Congress regarding the Office of Science and Technology Policy OSTP's Director, (OSTP) management and operations, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).
Date: April 12, 2013
Creator: Sargent, John F., Jr. & Shea, Dana A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional or Federal Charters: Overview and Enduring Issues (open access)

Congressional or Federal Charters: Overview and Enduring Issues

This report is categorized into three categories: (I) What is a Congressional or Federal Charter?, (II) Congress's Use of Charters, (III) Enduring Issues. It further discusses Title 36 Corporations' Membership Practices, Title 36 Corporations and "Political Activities", Confusion Over which Corporations are Governmental and Private and The Federal Management of Corporations.
Date: April 19, 2013
Creator: Kosar, Kevin R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Prevalence of Mental Illness in the United States: Data Sources and Estimates (open access)

Prevalence of Mental Illness in the United States: Data Sources and Estimates

This report briefly describes the methodology and selected findings of three large federally funded surveys that provide national prevalence estimates of diagnosable mental illness: the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A), and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). This report presents prevalence estimates of any mental illness and serious mental illness based on each survey and ends with a brief discussion of how these prevalence estimates might inform policy discussions.
Date: April 24, 2013
Creator: Bagalman, Erin & Napili, Angela
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies (open access)

Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies

This report provides a list of roughly 200 congressional liaison offices with phone numbers, addresses, and other contact information.
Date: April 26, 2013
Creator: Crane-Hirsch, Audrey C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Why Certain Trade Agreements Are Approved as Congressional-Executive Agreements Rather Than Treaties (open access)

Why Certain Trade Agreements Are Approved as Congressional-Executive Agreements Rather Than Treaties

This report briefly discusses the process used to enact U.S. trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), World Trade Organization agreements, and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs). In each case these agreements have been approved by majority vote of each house rather than by two-thirds vote of the Senate - that is, they have been treated as congressional-executive agreements rather than as treaties.
Date: April 15, 2013
Creator: Smith, Jane M.; Shedd, Daniel T. & Murrill, Brandon J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education: A Primer (open access)

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education: A Primer

None
Date: April 5, 2013
Creator: Gonzalez, Heather B. & Kuenzi, Jeffrey J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape (open access)

The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape

The report discusses the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and related congressional actions in the 112th Congress.
Date: April 17, 2013
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney
System: The UNT Digital Library
Country-of-Origin Labeling for Foods and the WTO Trade Dispute on Meat Labeling (open access)

Country-of-Origin Labeling for Foods and the WTO Trade Dispute on Meat Labeling

This report covers the dispute between the U.S and its neighbors Canada and Mexico, who say that the recent country-of-origin labeling (COOL) system implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is unfair and does not meet its original objectives. The dispute was brought before the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute panel and found to be valid. The report ends with a discussion of options for the U.S. in regards to modifying COOL to follow WTO rulings.
Date: April 22, 2013
Creator: Jurenas, Remy & Greene, Joel L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Background, Funding, and Activities (open access)

The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Background, Funding, and Activities

None
Date: April 23, 2013
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney
System: The UNT Digital Library
Foreign Investment and National Security: Economic Considerations (open access)

Foreign Investment and National Security: Economic Considerations

This report assesses recent international developments as the leaders from a number of nations work to reach a consensus on an informal set of best practices regarding national restrictions on foreign investment for national security purposes. This report also provides one possible approach for assessing the costs and benefits involved in using national policies to direct or to restrict foreign direct investment for national security reasons.
Date: April 4, 2013
Creator: Jackson, James K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Changes to the Residential Mortgage Market: Legislation, Demographics, and Other Drivers (open access)

Changes to the Residential Mortgage Market: Legislation, Demographics, and Other Drivers

This report provides an overview of the changing residential mortgage market, focusing on trends in housing prices, homeownership, mortgage characteristics, and financing. It also examines legislation and regulations designed to promote the efficient functioning of the mortgage market.
Date: April 16, 2013
Creator: Weiss, N. Eric
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Terrorism Investigations (open access)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Terrorism Investigations

This report provides background information on key elements of the FBI terrorism investigative process, based on publicly available information. This report sets forth possible considerations for Congress as it executes its oversight role, including the extent to which intelligence has been integrated into FBI operations to support its counterterrorism mission and the progress the Bureau has made on its intelligence reform initiatives.
Date: April 24, 2013
Creator: Bjelopera, Jerome P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
State Legalization of Recreational Marijuana: Selected Legal Issues (open access)

State Legalization of Recreational Marijuana: Selected Legal Issues

This report summarizes the Washington and Colorado marijuana legalization laws and evaluates whether, or the extent to which, they may be preempted by the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) or by international agreements. It also highlights potential responses to these recent legalization initiatives by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and identifies other noncriminal consequences that marijuana users may face under federal law.
Date: April 5, 2013
Creator: Garvey, Todd & Yeh, Brian T.
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Trade Facilitation, Enforcement, and Security (open access)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Trade Facilitation, Enforcement, and Security

This report describes and analyzes U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) role in the U.S. import process. (The report does not cover CBP's role in the U.S. export control system.)
Date: April 3, 2013
Creator: Jones, Vivian C. & Rosenblum, Marc R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources (open access)

Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources

This report provides links to selected authoritative resources related to cybersecurity issues. This report includes information on Legislation, Executive Orders and Presidential Directives, Data and Statistics, Cybersecurity Glossaries", Reports by Topic, Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports, White House/Office of Management and Budget reports, Military/DOD, Cloud Computing, Critical Infrastructure, National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), Cybercrime/Cyberwar, International, Education/Training/Workforce, and Research and Development (R&D)
Date: April 17, 2013
Creator: Tehan, Rita
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources (open access)

Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources

This report provides links to selected authoritative resources related to cybersecurity issues and includes information related to cybersecurity topics.
Date: April 1, 2013
Creator: Tehan, Rita
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources (open access)

Cybersecurity: Authoritative Reports and Resources

This report provides links to selected authoritative resources related to cybersecurity issues and includes information on various cybersecurity topics
Date: April 10, 2013
Creator: Tehan, Rita
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran Sanctions (open access)

Iran Sanctions

This report analyzes U.S. and international sanctions against Iran, and provides examples, based on a wide range of open source reporting, of companies and countries that conduct business with Iran. It also discusses the effectiveness of sanctions on Iran.
Date: April 24, 2013
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities--Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities--Background and Issues for Congress

This report focuses on the potential implications of China's naval modernization for future required U.S. Navy capabilities. The report discusses the question of how the United States should respond to China's military modernization effort, including its naval modernization effort, has emerged as a key issue in U.S. defense planning.
Date: April 26, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library