Resource Type

Temporary Protected Status: Current Immigration Policy and Issues (open access)

Temporary Protected Status: Current Immigration Policy and Issues

This report is a brief overview of current policies regarding temporatry protected status (TPS), which is relief from removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). It includes information about humanitarian migrants, temporary protected status, other blanket forms of relief, nationalities receiving protections, and issues with TPS, as well as recent legislation.
Date: January 14, 2014
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen & Ester, Karma
System: The UNT Digital Library
Asian Carp and the Great Lakes Region (open access)

Asian Carp and the Great Lakes Region

This report provides an overview of four species of non-indigenous Asian carp that are expanding their range in U.S. waterways, resulting in a variety of concerns and problems. This report details the environmental and economic threats from this invasion, as well as ways to combat the spread of Asian carp in U.S. water.
Date: January 23, 2014
Creator: Stern, Charles V.; Upton, Harold F. & Brougher, Cynthia
System: The UNT Digital Library
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP): Implementation and Status (open access)

Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP): Implementation and Status

This report provides a brief outline of the programs created under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), changes made by Congress, and a summary of the current status and estimated costs of the program. It also provides an Appendix that contains detailed discussions of the individual TARP programs.
Date: January 15, 2014
Creator: Webel, Baird
System: The UNT Digital Library
The U.S. Trade Situation for Fruit and Vegetable Products (open access)

The U.S. Trade Situation for Fruit and Vegetable Products

This report presents recent trends in U.S. fruit and vegetable trade and highlights some of the factors contributing to these trends. This summary excludes trade data for tree nuts and processed tree nut products.
Date: January 15, 2014
Creator: Johnson, Renée
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Higher Education Act (HEA): A Primer (open access)

The Higher Education Act (HEA): A Primer

This report discusses the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329) that authorizes numerous federal aid programs that provide support to both individuals pursuing a postsecondary education and institutions of higher education (IHEs).
Date: January 2, 2014
Creator: Hegji, Alexandra
System: The UNT Digital Library
Food Fraud and "Economically Motivated Adulteration" of Food and Food Ingredients (open access)

Food Fraud and "Economically Motivated Adulteration" of Food and Food Ingredients

This report discusses food fraud, or the act of defrauding buyers of food and food ingredients for economic gain. It includes background information, an overview of available data and information repositories related to food fraud, federal activities involving food fraud, and Congressional actions involving food fraud.
Date: January 10, 2014
Creator: Johnson, Renée
System: The UNT Digital Library
Vulnerable Youth: Background and Policies (open access)

Vulnerable Youth: Background and Policies

This report first provides an overview of the youth population and the increasing complexity of the transition to adulthood for all adolescents with a discussion of the concept of "disconnectedness," as well as the protective factors youth can develop during childhood and adolescence that can mitigate poor outcomes. Further, the report describes the evolution of federal youth policy and provides a brief overview of current federal programs targeted at vulnerable youth, and discusses the challenges of coordinating federal programs for youth, as well as federal legislation and initiatives that promote coordination among federal agencies and support programs with a positive youth development focus.
Date: January 13, 2014
Creator: Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives (open access)

Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives

This report briefly summarizes and tracks congressional and State Department actions in response to the attack on U. S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, and will be updated as necessary to reflect further developments and actions on ongoing policy proposals.
Date: February 3, 2014
Creator: Tiersky, Alex
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress

This report presents background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Navy's Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyer programs. Decisions that Congress makes concerning these programs could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.
Date: February 4, 2014
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism (open access)

Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism

This report provides background information regarding the prison population in the United States that has been growing steadily for more than 30 years. The report presents correctional system statistics and discusses the federal government's involvement in offender reentry programs and the Second Chance Act (P.L. 110-199) that was enacted on April 9, 2008.
Date: January 7, 2014
Creator: James, Nathan
System: The UNT Digital Library
Overview and Issues for Implementation of the Federal Cloud Computing Initiative: Implications for Federal Information Technology Reform Management (open access)

Overview and Issues for Implementation of the Federal Cloud Computing Initiative: Implications for Federal Information Technology Reform Management

This report explains what cloud computing is -- including cloud deployment models and service models -- discusses issues that should be considered when adopting cloud services, and presents the federal government's planning for IT reform. It also provides information on assessments that have been conducted on agency cloud adoption and discusses both the challenges and drivers of cloud adoption. Finally, the report provides possible mechanisms for Congress to monitor agencies as they implement cloud computing.
Date: February 3, 2014
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney & Fischer, Eric A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Northern Ireland: The Peace Process (open access)

Northern Ireland: The Peace Process

This report provides background information regarding political violence and the peace process in Northern Ireland. It includes further information about the devolved government and recurrent crises (1999-2002, 2003-2007 and 2008-2010), implementation of police reforms, recent events and ongoing challenges, relevant U.S. policy, and recent legislation.
Date: January 8, 2014
Creator: Archick, Kristin
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations During President Obama's First Five Years: Comparative Analysis With Recent Presidents (open access)

U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations During President Obama's First Five Years: Comparative Analysis With Recent Presidents

This report concerns nominations made by President Obama and other recent Presidents to the U.S. circuit courts of appeals and the U.S. district courts. It discusses the selection and confirmation process for U.S. circuit and district court judges.
Date: January 24, 2014
Creator: McMillion, Barry J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran Sanctions (open access)

Iran Sanctions

This report discusses the recent development regarding the negotiations with Iran about its nuclear program. It provides background information on Iranian nuclear program and debates the November 24 Joint Plan of Action Elements.
Date: January 31, 2014
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Crisis in the Central African Republic (open access)

Crisis in the Central African Republic

This report provides background on the evolving political, security, and humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR), which began when a fractious rebel coalition seized control of the central government in March 2013. The report also describes U.S. policy responses and analyzes possible issues for Congress, including oversight of U.S. humanitarian assistance and support for international stabilization efforts in CAR.
Date: January 27, 2014
Creator: Arieff, Alexis
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Palestinians: Background and U.S. Relations (open access)

The Palestinians: Background and U.S. Relations

This report provides an overview of current issues in U.S.-Palestinian relations. It also contains an overview of Palestinian society and politics and descriptions of key Palestinian individuals and groups--chiefly the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian Authority (PA), Fatah, Hamas, and the Palestinian refugee population.
Date: January 31, 2014
Creator: Zanotti, Jim
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Minimum Wage: In Brief (open access)

The Federal Minimum Wage: In Brief

This report discusses the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)that have been amended numerous times since 1938, typically for the purpose of expanding coverage or raising the wage rate.
Date: January 17, 2014
Creator: Bradley, David H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Role of Trade Secrets in Innovation Policy (open access)

The Role of Trade Secrets in Innovation Policy

This report provides an overview of the law and policy of trade secrets. It discusses the role of trade secrets in six sections: Trade Secrets and Innovation Policy, An Overview of Trade Secret Law (Basic Principles, and Sources of Law), The Economic Espionage Act, Trade Secrets and Patents (Introduction to the Patent System, Trade Secrets and Patents Compared, and The Prior Commercial User Defense), Congressional Issues and Options, and Concluding Observations.
Date: January 15, 2014
Creator: Thomas, John R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Discretionary Budget Authority by Subfunction: An Overview (open access)

Discretionary Budget Authority by Subfunction: An Overview

This report provides a graphical overview of historical trends in discretionary budget authority (BA) from FY1976 through FY2012, preliminary estimates for FY2013 spending, and the levels consistent with the President's proposals for FY2014 through FY2018 using data from President Obama's FY2014 budget submission that was released on April 10, 2013.
Date: January 24, 2014
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): A Legal Analysis (open access)

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): A Legal Analysis

This report provides an overview of the regulatory structure of consumer finance under existing federal law before the Dodd-Frank Act went into effect, and examines arguments for modifying the regime in order to more effectively regulate consumer financial markets. It then analyzes how the CFP Act changes the legal structure, with a focus on the Bureau's organization; the entities and activities that fall (and do not fall) under the Bureau's supervisory, enforcement, and rulemaking authorities; the Bureau's general and specific rulemaking powers and procedures; and the Bureau's funding.
Date: January 14, 2014
Creator: Carpenter, David H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting: Federal Funding and Issues (open access)

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting: Federal Funding and Issues

This report discusses the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) that receives virtually all of its funding through federal appropriations; overall, about 15% of public television and 10% of radio broadcasting funding comes from the federal appropriations that CPB distributes.
Date: January 7, 2014
Creator: McLoughlin, Glenn J. & Gurevitz, Mark
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security Reform: Current Issues and Legislation (open access)

Social Security Reform: Current Issues and Legislation

This report discusses The Social Security reform, which is an issue of interest to policy makers that arises in various contexts, from improving retirement security to reducing federal budget deficits. The report looks at the Social Security debate, Social Security future projections, and public opinion on Social Security reform. It also looks at past reform measures, from the 109th-112th Congress, none of which received congressional action.
Date: January 15, 2014
Creator: Nuschler, Dawn
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights (open access)

Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights

This report discusses the state of Iraqi politics, governance, and human rights, including the worsening relations between local Sunni and Shiite populations.
Date: February 5, 2014
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
The European Union: Questions and Answers (open access)

The European Union: Questions and Answers

This report provides a brief overview of the European Union (EU), an economic and political partnership between 27 sovereign member states. The report describes the formation of the EU, the three main institutions of the EU, and the EU's relationship with the United States.
Date: January 15, 2014
Creator: Archick, Kristin
System: The UNT Digital Library