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Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier (CVN) Homeporting at Mayport: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier (CVN) Homeporting at Mayport: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Navy's proposal to homeport a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) at Mayport, FL. Transferring a CVN from Norfolk, VA, to Mayport would shift from Norfolk to Mayport the local economic activity associated with homeporting a CVN, which some sources estimate as being worth hundreds of millions of dollars per year.
Date: August 8, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2013 Cybersecurity Executive Order: Overview and Considerations for Congress (open access)

The 2013 Cybersecurity Executive Order: Overview and Considerations for Congress

This report provides background information regarding the threats and consequences of cybersecurity. The federal legislative framework for cybersecurity is complex, with more than 50 statutes addressing various aspects of it either directly or indirectly.
Date: November 8, 2013
Creator: Fischer, Eric A.; Liu, Edward C.; Rollins, John W. & Theohary, Catherine A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense: FY2014 Authorization and Appropriations (open access)

Defense: FY2014 Authorization and Appropriations

This report discusses the Department of Defense (DOD) budget plan, both the version of the FY2014 National Defense Authorization Act passed by the House (H.R. 1960) and the version reported by the Senate Armed Services Committee (S. 1197.
Date: January 8, 2014
Creator: Towell, Pat & Belasco, Amy
System: The UNT Digital Library
Threats to U.S. National Security Interests in Space: Orbital Debris Mitigation and Removal (open access)

Threats to U.S. National Security Interests in Space: Orbital Debris Mitigation and Removal

This report discusses the National Security Space Strategy. After decades of activities in space, Earth's orbit is littered with man-made objects that no longer serve a useful purpose that potentially threaten U.S. national security interests in space, both governmental (military, intelligence, and civil) and commercial. Congress has broadly supported the full-range of these national security interests and has a vested concern in ensuring a strong and continued U.S. presence in space.
Date: January 8, 2014
Creator: Hildreth, Steven A. & Arnold, Allison
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tax Deductions for Individuals: A Summary (open access)

Tax Deductions for Individuals: A Summary

This report first describes what tax deductions are, how they vary in their effects on reducing taxable income, and how they differ from other provisions (e.g., exclusions or credits). Next, it discusses the rationale for deductions as part of the tax code. The final section of this report includes tables that summarize each individual tax deduction, under current law. Many of these deductions are part of the permanent income tax code.
Date: January 8, 2014
Creator: Lowry, Sean
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hurricane Sandy and the 2012 Election: Fact Sheet (open access)

Hurricane Sandy and the 2012 Election: Fact Sheet

Report examining what actions the federal government might take to respond to Hurricane Sandy's impact on the November 6, 2012, election.
Date: November 8, 2012
Creator: Fischer, Eric A. & Coleman, Kevin J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides an overview of Arctic-related issues for Congress, and refers readers to more in-depth CRS reports on specific Arctic-related issues.
Date: August 8, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Evolution of Cooperative Threat Reduction: Issues for Congress (open access)

The Evolution of Cooperative Threat Reduction: Issues for Congress

This report provides information on the wide range of programs that the United States is pursuing to secure and eliminate nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and materials and to prevent hostile nations and terrorist organizations from gaining access to these weapons or the knowledge and materials needed to manufacture and use them.
Date: July 8, 2013
Creator: Nikitin, Mary Beth D. & Woolf, Amy F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Mental Health Problems in the Military: Oversight Issues for Congress (open access)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Other Mental Health Problems in the Military: Oversight Issues for Congress

This report discusses the prevalence of different psychological health concerns within the Armed Forces, current mental health screening and treatments, and DOD responses.
Date: August 8, 2013
Creator: Blakeley, Katherine & Jansen, Don J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues (open access)

Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues

This report provides background information on the organization, practice, and funding of U.S. diplomatic security efforts. It also provides summary information on the September 11, 2012, attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, as well as on the subsequent Accountability Review Board.
Date: November 8, 2013
Creator: Tiersky, Alex & Epstein, Susan B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and presents potential issues for Congress concerning the Navy's ship force-structure goals and shipbuilding plans. The planned size of the Navy, the rate of Navy ship procurement, and the prospective affordability of the Navy's shipbuilding plans have been matters of concern for the congressional defense committees for the past several years. Decisions that Congress makes on Navy shipbuilding programs can substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.
Date: November 8, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tax-Advantaged Accounts for Health Care Expenses: Side-by-Side Comparison, 2013 (open access)

Tax-Advantaged Accounts for Health Care Expenses: Side-by-Side Comparison, 2013

This report provides brief summaries of the tax-exempt accounts and compares them with respect to eligibility, contribution limits, use of funds, and other characteristics for tax year 2013. The report concludes with a brief discussion of the usage in these four accounts.
Date: November 8, 2013
Creator: Rapaport, Carol
System: The UNT Digital Library
Kuwait: Security, Reform, and U.S. Policy (open access)

Kuwait: Security, Reform, and U.S. Policy

This report looks at Kuwait's relationships with its neighbors in the Persian Gulf, and its own political system which has been in turmoil since 2006.
Date: November 8, 2013
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multilateral Development Banks: Overview and Issues for Congress (open access)

Multilateral Development Banks: Overview and Issues for Congress

This report provides an overview of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and highlights major issues for Congress. The first section discusses how the MDBs operate, including the history of the MDBs, their operations and organizational structure, and the effectiveness of MDB financial assistance. The second section discusses the role of Congress in the MDBs, including congressional legislation authorizing and appropriating U.S. contributions to the MDBs; congressional oversight; and U.S. commercial interests in the MDBs.
Date: November 8, 2013
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Examination of Federal Disaster Relief Under the Budget Control Act (open access)

An Examination of Federal Disaster Relief Under the Budget Control Act

This report addresses traditional funding for major disaster declarations, workings of the President's Disaster Relief Fund, a basic overview of how disaster assistance is appropriated, what factors affect how much the federal government spends on disasters, how disaster relief is impacted by the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011, and what the policy implications are for disaster assistance under the constraints of the BCA, and the increasing number of disaster declarations and both the possible causes and likely cost implications of a greater number of declarations.
Date: November 8, 2013
Creator: Lindsay, Bruce R.; Painter, William L. & McCarthy, Francis X.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2013 (open access)

Medal of Honor Recipients: 1979-2013

This report covers additions and changes to the list of recipients of the medal since the release of the committee print. The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the nation's highest award for military valor. It is presented by the President in the name of Congress and thus is often called the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Date: November 8, 2013
Creator: Leland, Anne
System: The UNT Digital Library
President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief: Millions Being Treated, but Better Information Management Needed to Further Improve and Expand Treatment (open access)

President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief: Millions Being Treated, but Better Information Management Needed to Further Improve and Expand Treatment

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""
Date: July 8, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Indian Issues: The Office of the Special Trustee Has Implemented Several Key Trust Reforms Required by the 1994 Act, but Important Decisions about Its Future Remain (open access)

Indian Issues: The Office of the Special Trustee Has Implemented Several Key Trust Reforms Required by the 1994 Act, but Important Decisions about Its Future Remain

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 established the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST), within the Department of the Interior, to oversee the implementation of management reforms for funds--derived primarily from Interior's leasing of Indian lands--that Interior holds in trust for many Indian tribes and individuals. Specifically, the act directs that an integrated information system be developed that interfaces the trust fund accounting system with the land title records and asset management systems maintained by Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). GAO examined (1) OST's progress in implementing the trust fund management reforms and (2) the extent to which OST has used contractors in implementing these reforms. GAO reviewed OST's strategic plans and contracting documents and interviewed OST and BIA managers."
Date: December 8, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Transformation: Additional Actions Needed by U.S. Strategic Command to Strengthen Implementation of Its Many Missions and New Organization (open access)

Military Transformation: Additional Actions Needed by U.S. Strategic Command to Strengthen Implementation of Its Many Missions and New Organization

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2002, the President and Secretary of Defense called for the creation of the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) to anticipate and counter global threats. Currently, USSTRATCOM has responsibility for seven mission areas including nuclear deterrence and integrated missile defense. GAO was asked to determine the extent to which USSTRATCOM has made progress in (1) implementing its new missions and assessing mission results and (2) defining organizational responsibilities and establishing relationships with other Department of Defense (DOD) commands and organizations. To assess progress, GAO compared USSTRATCOM's efforts with lessons learned in implementing successful organizational transformations."
Date: September 8, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Risk Retention Groups: Clarifications Could Facilitate States' Implementation of the Liability Risk Retention Act (open access)

Risk Retention Groups: Clarifications Could Facilitate States' Implementation of the Liability Risk Retention Act

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Certain indicators suggest that the financial condition of the RRG industry in aggregate generally has remained profitable. In 2003, RRGs wrote about $1.8 billion, or 1.17 percent of commercial liability insurance. In 2010, RRGs continued to comprise a small percentage of the total market, writing about $2.5 billion--or about 3 percent of commercial liability coverage. Other financial indicators, such as ratios of RRG premiums earned compared to claims paid--also suggest profitability. In addition, the number of RRGs has increased since 2004, with the most growth occurring in health care-related lines. In 2010, more than 80 percent of RRGs were domiciled in Vermont, South Carolina, the District of Columbia, Nevada, Hawaii, and Arizona, but RRGs wrote about 95 percent of their premiums outside their state of domicile. Evidence suggests that RRGs may choose to domicile in a particular state, partly due to some financial and regulatory advantages such as lower minimum capitalization requirements. RRG representatives opined that RRGs have expanded the availability of commercial liability insurance--particularly in niche markets--but differed in their opinions of whether RRGs have improved its affordability. Different interpretations of LRRA have led to …
Date: December 8, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Real Property: NIH Has Improved Its Leasing Process, but Needs to Provide Congress with Information on Some Leases (open access)

Federal Real Property: NIH Has Improved Its Leasing Process, but Needs to Provide Congress with Information on Some Leases

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation's primary medical and behavioral research agency. NIH's need for leased space has more than doubled since 1996 to about 3.9 million square feet in 2005. In 1996, General Services Administration (GSA) delegated leasing authority to NIH that includes performing budget scoring and prospectus analysis. In light of NIH's increased use of leased space, GAO was asked to address two issues: (1) Is NIH complying with budget scorekeeping guidelines and Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) requirements for implementing the guidelines to determine if a lease should be classified as operating or capital and ensure that no violations of the Antideficiency Act occur because of improper budget scorekeeping? and (2) Is NIH complying with the congressional prospectus process for both leases and alterations to leased buildings? To address these issues we interviewed leasing and financial officials, reviewed laws and reviewed budget scoring and prospectus analysis of 59 leases."
Date: September 8, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pesticides: EPA Should Take Steps to Improve Its Oversight of Conditional Registrations (open access)

Pesticides: EPA Should Take Steps to Improve Its Oversight of Conditional Registrations

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The total number of conditional registrations granted is unclear, as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that its data are inaccurate for several reasons. First, the database used to track conditional registrations does not allow officials to change a pesticide's registration status from conditional to unconditional once the registrant has satisfied all requirements, thereby overstating the number of conditional registrations. Second, EPA staff have misused the term "conditional registration," incorrectly classifying pesticide registrations as conditional when, for example, they require a label change, which is not a basis in statute for a conditional registration. According to EPA documents and officials, weaknesses in guidance and training, management oversight, and data management contributed to these misclassification problems. For example, according to EPA documents, there was limited, organized management oversight to ensure that regulatory actions were not misclassified as conditional registrations. As of July 2013, EPA officials told GAO that the agency has taken or is planning to take several actions to more accurately account for conditional registrations, including beginning to design a new automated data system to more accurately track conditional registrations."
Date: August 8, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisition: Use of Lead System Integrators (LSIs) -- Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress (open access)

Defense Acquisition: Use of Lead System Integrators (LSIs) -- Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress

Some in Congress have expressed concern about the government's use of private-sector lead system integrators (LSIs) for executing large, complex, defense-related acquisition programs. LSIs are large, prime contractors hired to manage such programs. Supporters of the LSI concept argue that it is needed to execute such complex acquisition efforts, and can promote better technical oversight and innovation. This report discusses both the praise for and criticisms of the LSI concept, as well as related legislation.
Date: October 8, 2010
Creator: Grasso, Valerie Bailey
System: The UNT Digital Library
Army Working Capital Fund: Actions Needed to Reduce Carryover at Army Depots (open access)

Army Working Capital Fund: Actions Needed to Reduce Carryover at Army Depots

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The five Army depot maintenance activities support combat readiness by providing services to keep Army units operating worldwide. From fiscal years 2004 through 2007, the amount of new orders received to perform work increased 100 percent from $2.6 billion to $5.2 billion. The number of new orders is a factor in the amount of work the depots carry over from one fiscal year to the next. While past congressional defense committees recognize the need for carryover, the committees have raised concerns that carryover may be more than needed. GAO was asked to determine (1) the growth in reported total carryover from fiscal years 2004 through 2007 and the actions the Army is taking to reduce the carryover, (2) whether reported carryover amounts exceeded carryover ceilings for fiscal years 2006 and 2007 and adjustments made to reduce those amounts, and (3) the primary reasons for the increased carryover at the five Army depots. GAO analyzed reported carryover and related data at the five depots."
Date: July 8, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library