Resource Type

Yemen: Background and U.S. Relations (open access)

Yemen: Background and U.S. Relations

Report that provides an overview and analysis of U.S.-Yemeni relations amidst evolving political change in Yemeni leadership, ongoing U.S. counterterrorism operations against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) operatives at large in Yemen's hinterlands, and international efforts to bolster the country's stability despite an array of daunting socio-economic problems.
Date: November 1, 2012
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The First Responder Network and Next- Generation Communications for Public Safety: Issues for Congress (open access)

The First Responder Network and Next- Generation Communications for Public Safety: Issues for Congress

Report that covers a background of provisions in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 for planning, building, and managing a new, nationwide, broadband network for public safety communications.
Date: November 1, 2012
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Emergency Relief Program: Federal-Aid Highway Assistance for Disaster-Damaged Roads and Bridges (open access)

Emergency Relief Program: Federal-Aid Highway Assistance for Disaster-Damaged Roads and Bridges

Report that looks at the eligibility of major highways and bridges recently damaged by Hurricanes Sandy and Irene to receive Emergency Relief Program assistance from the Federal Highway Administration.
Date: November 1, 2012
Creator: Kirk, Robert S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicaid Expansion: States' Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (open access)

Medicaid Expansion: States' Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Under PPACA, states are responsible for making a number of changes to their Medicaid programs by January 1, 2014, including expanding eligibility levels and streamlining their enrollment processes. Specifically, states must expand Medicaid eligibility to non-elderly individuals with incomes at or below 133 percent of FPL. Under the newly eligible category, states will provide Medicaid coverage to eligible low-income parents and childless adults. States must also begin determining income eligibility for Medicaid beneficiaries, including newly eligible adults, using a uniform methodology—MAGI, which is a tax-based definition of income. To implement these requirements, eligibility categories have been consolidated into four groups—adults, children, parents, and pregnant women. States may choose to expand Medicaid coverage to the newly eligible prior to January 1, 2014 (referred to as the early expansion option), but must cover lower income individuals before higher income individuals. These more uniform eligibility requirements will replace the current system where Medicaid eligibility and income rules may vary from state to state. Further, states must adopt a methodology for identifying the newly eligible in order to obtain the increased federal match. States will receive the enhanced federal match …
Date: August 1, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Audit: American Battle Monuments Commission's Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2010 (open access)

Financial Audit: American Battle Monuments Commission's Financial Statements for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2010

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In GAOÂ’s opinion, the financial statements of the American Battle Monuments Commission (the Commission) as of September 30, 2011, and 2010, and for the fiscal years then ended, are presented fairly, in all material respects, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Also, in GAOÂ’s opinion, although certain internal controls over financial reporting should be improved, the Commission maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2011. In addition, GAO found no reportable instances of noncompliance with the laws and regulations it tested."
Date: March 1, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD Business Systems Modernization: Governance Mechanisms for Implementing Management Controls Need to Be Improved (open access)

DOD Business Systems Modernization: Governance Mechanisms for Implementing Management Controls Need to Be Improved

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) continues to take steps to comply with the provisions of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005, as amended, and to satisfy relevant system modernization management guidance. While the department has initiated numerous activities aimed at addressing the act, it has been limited in its ability to demonstrate results. Specifically, the department"
Date: June 1, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nursing Home Quality: CMS Should Improve Efforts to Monitor Implementation of the Quality Indicator Survey [Reissued on March 9, 2012] (open access)

Nursing Home Quality: CMS Should Improve Efforts to Monitor Implementation of the Quality Indicator Survey [Reissued on March 9, 2012]

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "CMS has commissioned three studies to evaluate the QIS-based survey process but does not routinely monitor the extent to which the objectives established for the QIS are being met. The first two studies, completed in 2006 and 2007, were commissioned to determine whether the new survey process could be used in real-world settings and whether the QIS was helping the agency meet several of the objectives established for the process. The studies’ findings suggested that surveyors could use the survey process and recommended changes intended to help improve the QIS. CMS officials reported taking steps to address the studies’ findings and recommendations. In 2009, CMS commissioned a third study that was completed in 2011 and identified aspects of the QIS process that could affect the consistency with which surveyors identify quality problems. For example, the study found that during resident interviews, surveyors did not consistently probe for further information when provided with incomplete responses to interview questions. However, CMS does not have the means to routinely monitor the extent to which the QIS is helping improve the survey process as intended. Such routine, ongoing monitoring would …
Date: February 1, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ambulance Providers: Costs and Medicare Margins Varied Widely; Transports of Beneficiaries Have Increased (open access)

Ambulance Providers: Costs and Medicare Margins Varied Widely; Transports of Beneficiaries Have Increased

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Ground ambulance providers' costs per transport for 2010 varied widely. The median cost per transport for the providers in GAO's sample was $429, ranging from $224 to $2,204 per transport. Provider characteristics that affected cost per transport were volume of transports (including both Medicare and non-Medicare transports), intensity of transports (the proportion of Medicare transports that were nonemergency), and the extent to which providers received government subsidies. Higher volume of transports, higher proportions of nonemergency transports, and lower government subsidies were associated with lower costs per transport. Providers reported that personnel cost was the largest cost component in their 2010 total costs and the biggest contributor to increases in their total costs from 2009 to 2010."
Date: October 1, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Homeland Security: Civil Air Patrol Involved in Certain Missions, but DHS Should Assess the Benefits of Further Involvement (open access)

Homeland Security: Civil Air Patrol Involved in Certain Missions, but DHS Should Assess the Benefits of Further Involvement

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) has performed certain homeland security missions for federal, state, and local customers, but devotes the majority of its flying hours to training and youth programs. Several of CAP's mission areas fit within the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) definition of homeland security, as found in the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Report (QHSR)--a strategic framework for homeland security. For example, CAP disaster assistance and air defense activities relate to the QHSR mission areas of ensuring resilience to disasters and preventing terrorism and enhancing security, respectively. CAP has performed some of these activities in support of DHS components, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Coast Guard, as well as state and local governments. For example, CAP has provided disaster imagery to FEMA, performed certain border reconnaissance for CBP, and assisted the Coast Guard in providing air support during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. CAP has also performed homeland security-related activities for other customers, such as the U.S. Air Force. For example, 9 of the 10 CAP wings GAO spoke with had participated in military …
Date: November 1, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Infrastructure: DOD Can Improve Its Response to Environmental Exposures on Military Installations (open access)

Defense Infrastructure: DOD Can Improve Its Response to Environmental Exposures on Military Installations

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""
Date: May 1, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
NASA: Assessments of Selected Large-Scale Projects (open access)

NASA: Assessments of Selected Large-Scale Projects

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""
Date: March 1, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare: CMS Needs an Approach and a Reliable Cost Estimate for Removing Social Security Numbers from Medicare Cards (open access)

Medicare: CMS Needs an Approach and a Reliable Cost Estimate for Removing Social Security Numbers from Medicare Cards

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesÂ’ (CMS) 2011 report to Congress proposed three options for removing Social Security numbers (SSN) from Medicare cards. One option would truncate the SSN displayed on the card, but beneficiaries and providers would continue to rely on the SSN. The other two options would replace the SSN with a new identifier that would be displayed on the card and either be used only by beneficiaries, or by both beneficiaries and those who provide Medicare services. CMS, however, has not selected or committed to implementing any of these options. The Departments of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA), and private insurers have already removed or taken steps to remove SSNs from display on their identification or health insurance cards."
Date: August 1, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program: Vulnerability to Fraud and Abuse Remains (open access)

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program: Vulnerability to Fraud and Abuse Remains

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) program remains vulnerable to fraud and abuse. VA has made inconsistent statements about its progress verifying firms listed in VetBiz using the more-thorough process the agency implemented in response to the Veterans Small Business Verification Act (2010 Act). In one communication, VA stated that as of February 2011, all new verifications would use the 2010 Act process going forward. However, as of April 1, 2012, 3,717 of the 6,178 SDVOSB firms (60 percent) listed as eligible in VetBiz had not been verified under the 2010 Act process. Of these 3,717 firms, 134 received $90 million in new VA SDVOSB set-aside or sole-source contract obligations from November 30, 2011, to April 1, 2012. While the 2010 Act did not include a deadline for verification using the more-thorough process, the presence of firms that have only been subjected to the less-stringent process that VA previously used represents a continuing vulnerability. VA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported that the less-stringent process was in many cases insufficient to establish control and ownership and in effect allowed businesses to …
Date: August 1, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Opportunities and Challenges for Development of a Mature Concentrating Photovoltaic Power Industry (Revision) (open access)

Opportunities and Challenges for Development of a Mature Concentrating Photovoltaic Power Industry (Revision)

This report summarizes the current status of the CPV industry and is updated from previous versions to include information from the last year. New information presented at the CPV-8 conference is included along with the addition of new companies that have announced their interest in CPV, and estimates of production volumes for 2011 and 2012.
Date: November 1, 2012
Creator: Kurtz, S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Brazos River Basin and Bay Expert Science Team Environmental Flow Regime Recommendations Report (open access)

Brazos River Basin and Bay Expert Science Team Environmental Flow Regime Recommendations Report

This report from the Brazos River Basin and Associated Bay and Estuary System Science Team (Brazos BBEST) is part of Texas Legislature Senate Bill 3 that created a process to set environmental flow standards for river basin and bay systems in Texas. This report gives recommendations for an environmental flow regime for the Brazos Basin and associated areas." (p. 1-1).
Date: March 1, 2012
Creator: Texas Water Development Board
System: The Portal to Texas History
Detention of U.S. Persons as Enemy Belligerents (open access)

Detention of U.S. Persons as Enemy Belligerents

This report provides a background to the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2012, the Authorization to use Military Force act, and the President's power to detain "enemy combatants." It then gives a brief introduction to the law of war pertinent to the detention of different categories of individuals and an overview of U.S. practice during wartime to detain persons deemed dangerous to national security. It concludes by discussion Congress's role in prescribing rules for wartime detention as well as legislative proposals in the 112th Congress to address the detention of U.S. persons.
Date: February 1, 2012
Creator: Elsea, Jennifer K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and oversight issues for Congress on the Virginia class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) program. The two Virginia-class boats requested for procurement in FY2013 are the final two in a group of eight covered by a multiyear procurement (MYP) arrangement for the period FY2009-FY2013. Issues for Congress include whether or not to approve the MYP arrangement request, whether to restore procurement of a second Virginia-class boat in FY2014, and the Virginia-class procurement rate in general.
Date: March 1, 2012
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cyprus: Reunification Proving Elusive (open access)

Cyprus: Reunification Proving Elusive

This report discusses attempts to resolve the political division of Cyprus that have occurred over the last 45 years. Current issues include the Republic of Cyprus receiving EU presidency in July 2012 and a recent discovery of natural gas deposits off the southern coast of Cyprus.
Date: June 1, 2012
Creator: Morelli, Vincent
System: The UNT Digital Library
Community Development Block Grants: Funding Issues in the 112th Congress and Recent Funding History (open access)

Community Development Block Grants: Funding Issues in the 112th Congress and Recent Funding History

This report discusses funding Issues in the 112th Congress and Recent Funding History The Administration's FY2012 budget proposes to: (1) increase funding for CDBG formula grants by 10.5% from $3.303 billion appropriated in FY2010 to $3.691 billion; (2) eliminate funding for the Neighborhood Initiative and Economic Development Initiative programs; (3) eliminate funding for Section 107 activities; (4) transfer its Sustainable Communities Initiative to a new stand-alone account; and (5) convert Section 108 loan guarantees to a fee-based program.
Date: May 1, 2012
Creator: Boyd, Eugene
System: The UNT Digital Library
Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner Annual Financial Report: 2012 (open access)

Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner Annual Financial Report: 2012

Report containing the annual financial report of the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner of Texas, including revenues, expenditures, assets, and debts.
Date: October 1, 2012
Creator: Texas. Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending Annual Financial Report: 2012 (open access)

Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending Annual Financial Report: 2012

Report containing the annual financial report of the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending, including revenues, expenditures, assets, and debts.
Date: October 1, 2012
Creator: Texas. Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Discretionary Spending in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) (open access)

Discretionary Spending in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)

None
Date: October 1, 2012
Creator: Redhead, C. Stephen; Colello, Kirsten J.; Heisler, Elayne J.; Lister, Sarah A. & Sarata, Amanda K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress (open access)

Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress

None
Date: March 1, 2012
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Youth Transitioning from Foster Care: Background and Federal Programs (open access)

Youth Transitioning from Foster Care: Background and Federal Programs

This report provides background on young people in and exiting from foster care, and the federal support that is available to these youth as they transition to adulthood. It begins with a discussion of the characteristics of youth who have had contact with the child welfare system, including those who entered care, as well as those who exited care via emancipation. The report then provides an overview of the federal foster care system, including the Chafee Foster Care Independence program (CFCIP), and provisions in federal foster care law that are intended to help prepare youth for adulthood. The report goes on to discuss other federal support—through other programs—for youth aging out of care in the areas of education, health care, employment, and housing.
Date: October 1, 2012
Creator: Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L.
System: The UNT Digital Library