The Trump Administration's Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations (open access)

The Trump Administration's Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations

This report discusses the Trump Administration's "Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century: Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations" (the Reform Plan). The stated goal of the Reform Plan is to "improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of agencies."
Date: June 26, 2018
Creator: Hogue, Henry B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Opioid Treatment Programs and Related Federal Regulations (open access)

Opioid Treatment Programs and Related Federal Regulations

This report provides information on federal regulations regarding treatment for opioid addiction, including medication-assisted treatment (MAT), opioid treatment programs (OTPs), and DATA-waived providers (DWPs).
Date: June 26, 2018
Creator: Duff, Johnathan H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Primer: Understanding the Process for Auditing the Department of Defense (open access)

Defense Primer: Understanding the Process for Auditing the Department of Defense

This report explains why the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) receives annual audits, how the audits are conducted, limitations of audits, and considerations for Congress.
Date: June 26, 2018
Creator: Schwartz, Moshe & Gnanarajah, Raj
System: The UNT Digital Library
Capital Markets, Securities Offerings, and Related Policy Issues (open access)

Capital Markets, Securities Offerings, and Related Policy Issues

This report analyzes legislative proposals that would generally affect the terms and amounts of capital provided to companies by investors. It analyzes a number of current legislative proposals and agency actions to expand both public and private securities offerings through amendments to program design, investor access, and disclosure requirements, among other provisions.
Date: July 26, 2018
Creator: Su, Eva
System: The UNT Digital Library
History of Use of U.S. Military Bases to House Immigrants and Refugees (open access)

History of Use of U.S. Military Bases to House Immigrants and Refugees

This report discusses the use of Goodfellow Air Force Base and Fort Bliss, both in Texas, to house migrant families trying to cross the border, as well as the historical use of military bases to house immigrants and refugees.
Date: July 26, 2018
Creator: Kapp, Lawrence & Torreon, Barbara Salazar
System: The UNT Digital Library
Agricultural Disaster Assistance (open access)

Agricultural Disaster Assistance

This report describes federal agricultural disaster assistance available to farmers for crop losses, livestock deaths, and tree damage due to natural disasters or adverse weather conditions such as drought.
Date: July 26, 2018
Creator: Stubbs, Megan
System: The UNT Digital Library
Only Minimal Impact on Commerce Needed for Attempted Bombing (open access)

Only Minimal Impact on Commerce Needed for Attempted Bombing

This report discusses the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in the United States v. Suarez case, that a minimal impact on commerce is sufficient to satisfy the jurisdictional requirement of the federal weapons of mass destruction statute. This decision seems to reflect a growing willingness of federal appellate courts to read broadly Congress's Commerce Clause powers.
Date: July 26, 2018
Creator: Doyle, Charles
System: The UNT Digital Library
EPA Proposes the Affordable Clean Energy Rule to Replace the Clean Power Plan (open access)

EPA Proposes the Affordable Clean Energy Rule to Replace the Clean Power Plan

This report explores the legal basis for the proposed Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule and discusses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) authority to consider various emission reduction options for existing power plants under the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Date: September 26, 2018
Creator: Tsang, Linda
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Coast Guard's program for acquiring new polar icebreakers -- previously known as the polar icebreaker (PIB) program and now called the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program. The proposed FY2019 budget requests $750 million in acquisition funding for the program. The issue for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify the Administration's FY2019 acquisition funding request for the PSC program, and, more generally, whether to approve, reject, or modify the Coast Guard's overall plan for procuring new polar icebreakers.
Date: October 26, 2018
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Role in the World: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

U.S. Role in the World: Background and Issues for Congress

This report presents background information and issues for Congress on the overarching U.S. foreign policy issue of the U.S. role in the world. Certain statements and actions from the Trump Administration have led to uncertainty about the Administration's intentions regarding the future U.S. role, and have intensified an ongoing debate among foreign policy specialists, strategists, policymakers, and the public about what that role should be.
Date: October 26, 2018
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald & Moodie, Michael
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) FY2019 Appropriations: Independent Agencies and General Provisions (open access)

Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) FY2019 Appropriations: Independent Agencies and General Provisions

This report provides an overview of funding under the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill including a breakdown of more than two dozen individual independent agencies, general government-wide provisions, and sanctions on Cuba.
Date: October 26, 2018
Creator: Webel, Baird; Christensen, Michelle D.; Dilger, Robert Jay; Moloney Figliola, Patricia; Garrett, R. Sam; Gnanarajah, Raj et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV): Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV): Background and Issues for Congress

This report discusses the development and procurement of the Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) and the FY2019 budget request for the ACV program.
Date: September 26, 2018
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
System: The UNT Digital Library
Government Contract Bid Protests: Analysis of Legal Processes and Recent Developments (open access)

Government Contract Bid Protests: Analysis of Legal Processes and Recent Developments

This report briefly analyzes the varying legal procedures applicable to bid protests under each forum. First, it provides an overview of bid protests generally and then analyzes the legal distinctions among these forums. Finally, the report discusses recent legislative developments affecting bid protest procedures and potential considerations for Congress.
Date: September 26, 2018
Creator: Carpenter, David H. & Schwartz, Moshe
System: The UNT Digital Library
Selected Legal Tools for Maintaining Government Contractor Accountability (open access)

Selected Legal Tools for Maintaining Government Contractor Accountability

This report analyzes a selection of the legal tools a procuring agency may use to hold contractors accountable. It assesses contractual remedies that procuring agencies could utilize, discusses performance-related contract source selection criteria, and describes other legal tools--outside of contract law and the contract selection processes--that the government may employ to hold a contractor accountable.
Date: September 26, 2018
Creator: Carpenter, David H. & Ruane, Kathleen Ann
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran Sanctions (open access)

Iran Sanctions

This report discusses U.S. sanctions against Iran and the 2016 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement which led to the lifting of sanctions based on nuclear proliferation in Iran. The bulk of the report outlines the various sanctions against Iran and their current implementation status, international efforts to bring about compliance, and their effects; it also addresses recent discussions regarding President's Trump announcement that the U.S. was decertifying the nuclear agreement and the possibility of reinstating certain sanctions.
Date: September 26, 2018
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Water Infrastructure Financing: The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program (open access)

Water Infrastructure Financing: The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program

This report discusses the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act which is planning to provide subsidized loans and credit assistance to water infrastructure projects through the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).
Date: September 26, 2018
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L. & Tiemann, Mary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Shining a Light on the Solar Trade: Investigation Leads to Tariffs on Solar-Related Imports (Part 1) (open access)

Shining a Light on the Solar Trade: Investigation Leads to Tariffs on Solar-Related Imports (Part 1)

This report is part one of a report discussing the implementation of a tariff-rate quota on solar-energy related imports for four years beginning February 7, 2018. The announcement was triggered by the results of a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) investigation into potential harm to U.S. industries from the importation of solar-panel related parts. The process of an ITC investigation is described in this part of the the report.
Date: January 26, 2018
Creator: Lewis, Caitlain Devereaux
System: The UNT Digital Library
Public Sector Union Dues: Grappling with Fixed Stars and Stare Decisis (Part 2) (open access)

Public Sector Union Dues: Grappling with Fixed Stars and Stare Decisis (Part 2)

This report is part 1 of two of a report discussing the upcoming Supreme Court case of "Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31."
Date: February 26, 2018
Creator: Killion, Victoria L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy (open access)

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

This report discusses Kuwait's governmental structure and politics, defense policies and cooperation with the U.S., foreign policy towards its neighbors, economy, and human rights concerns.
Date: April 26, 2018
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federally Supported Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Programs (open access)

Federally Supported Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Programs

This report provides background information on the types of water supply and wastewater treatment projects traditionally funded by the federal government and the several existing programs to assist communities with water supply and wastewater treatment.
Date: April 26, 2018
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.; Boyd, Eugene; Carter, Nicole T.; Cowan, Tadlock; Stern, Charles V.; Stubbs, Megan et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Public Sector Union Dues: Grappling with Fixed Stars and Stare Decisis (Part 1) (open access)

Public Sector Union Dues: Grappling with Fixed Stars and Stare Decisis (Part 1)

This report is part 1 of two of a report discussing the upcoming Supreme Court case of "Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31.
Date: February 26, 2018
Creator: Killion, Victoria L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress (open access)

Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on maritime territorial and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) disputes in the East China (ECS) and South China Sea (SCS) involving China, with a focus on how these disputes may affect U.S. strategic and policy interests.
Date: April 26, 2018
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel (open access)

U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel

This report provides an overview of U.S. foreign assistance to Israel. It includes a review of past aid programs, data on annual assistance, and analysis of current issues.
Date: February 26, 2018
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Use of the Capitol Rotunda, Capitol Grounds, and Emancipation Hall: Concurrent Resolutions, 101st to 115th Congress. (open access)

Use of the Capitol Rotunda, Capitol Grounds, and Emancipation Hall: Concurrent Resolutions, 101st to 115th Congress.

This report provides information on the use of the Capitol Rotunda, the Capital Grounds, and Emancipation Hall which require a concurrent resolution from the House and Senate for use at events. Statistics regarding the number and types of uses of these spaces are provided for the 101st Congress through the 115th Congress.
Date: January 26, 2018
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
System: The UNT Digital Library