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Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy (open access)

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

This report discusses the current state of Bahrain, which has undergone substantial political reforms since the late 1990s, but which still suffers from tension between the Shiite majority and the Sunni-led government. It focuses particularly on Bahrain's relationship with Iran and with the United States.
Date: April 1, 2013
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Federal Civil Service Annuities (open access)

Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Federal Civil Service Annuities

This report discusses the Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) are based on the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). All CSRS retirees and survivors receive COLAs. Under FERS, however, non-disabled retirees under age 62 do not receive COLAs. This report discusses cost-of-living adjustments for government retirees, as well as related legislation.
Date: November 1, 2013
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
State, Foreign Operations Appropriations: A Guide to Component Accounts (open access)

State, Foreign Operations Appropriations: A Guide to Component Accounts

Report that briefly discusses the legislation generally and then provides a short description of the various funding accounts as they appear in Division I, "Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2012," of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (P.L. 112-74).
Date: August 1, 2013
Creator: Tarnoff, Curt & Tiersky, Alex
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Value of Open Access to Undergraduate Research (open access)

The Value of Open Access to Undergraduate Research

Article describing the importance and value of open access to undergraduate research.
Date: October 1, 2013
Creator: Waugh, Laura & Keralis, Spencer D. C.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Israel: Background and U.S. Relations (open access)

Israel: Background and U.S. Relations

This report describes issues related to U.S. aid provided to Palestine to support prevention/combating against terrorism, creating coexistence with Israel and self-governance, and meeting humanitarian needs. In includes introductory and historical background as well as in-depth analysis of the types of U.S. bilateral aid to Palestine, U.S. contributions to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the near East (UNRWA), and the issues involved in determining future aid.
Date: November 1, 2013
Creator: Zanotti, Jim
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multilateral Development Banks: U.S. Contributions FY2000-FY2013 (open access)

Multilateral Development Banks: U.S. Contributions FY2000-FY2013

This report shows in tabular form how much the Administration requested and how much Congress appropriated for U.S. payments to the multilateral development banks (MDBs) since 2000. It also provides a brief description of the MDBs and the ways they fund their operations. It will be updated periodically as annual appropriation figures are known.
Date: February 1, 2013
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy and Water Development: FY2014 Appropriations (open access)

Energy and Water Development: FY2014 Appropriations

This report discusses the Energy and Water Development appropriations bill that provides funding for civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), for the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the Department of Energy (DOE), and several independent agencies.
Date: November 1, 2013
Creator: Behrens, Carl E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The FY2014 Government Shutdown: Economic Effects (open access)

The FY2014 Government Shutdown: Economic Effects

This report discusses the effects of the FY2014 government shutdown on the economy. It also reviews third-party estimates of the effects of the shutdown on the economy, which predicted a reduction in gross domestic product (GDP) growth of at least 0.1 percentage points for each week of the shutdown, with a cumulative effect of up to 0.6 percentage points in the fourth quarter of 2013.
Date: November 1, 2013
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances (open access)

Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances

Report that covers the contentious travel restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba from the 1960s to the present time. Congress under the Obama Administration is easing restrictions on family, marketing, agricultural, and medical sales travel. The report also covers legislative action that has taken place in the 112th Congress to harshen travel restrictions.
Date: November 1, 2013
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Iran Hostages: Efforts to Obtain Compensation (open access)

The Iran Hostages: Efforts to Obtain Compensation

This report provides background information regarding the 1979-1981 Iran Hostage Crisis, and discusses the Hostage Relief Act.
Date: November 1, 2013
Creator: Elsea, Jennifer K.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library

Senior Recital: 2013-04-01 - Michael Hild, alto and tenor trombones

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
A senior recital performed at the UNT College of Music Recital Hall.
Date: April 1, 2013
Creator: Hild, Michael
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bureau of Prisons: Improvements Needed in Bureau of Prisons' Monitoring and Evaluation of Impact of Segregated Housing (open access)

Bureau of Prisons: Improvements Needed in Bureau of Prisons' Monitoring and Evaluation of Impact of Segregated Housing

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The overall number of inmates in the Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) three main types of segregated housing units--Special Housing Units (SHU), Special Management Units (SMU), and Administrative Maximum (ADX)--increased at a faster rate than the general inmate population. Inmates may be placed in SHUs for administrative reasons, such as pending transfer to another prison, and for disciplinary reasons, such as violating prison rules; SMUs, a four-phased program in which inmates can progress from more to less restrictive conditions; or ADX, for inmates that require the highest level of security. From fiscal year 2008 through February 2013, the total inmate population in segregated housing units increased approximately 17 percent--from 10,659 to 12,460 inmates. By comparison, the total inmate population in BOP facilities increased by about 6 percent during this period."
Date: May 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
VA Benefits: Improvements Needed to Ensure Claimants Receive Appropriate Representation (open access)

VA Benefits: Improvements Needed to Ensure Claimants Receive Appropriate Representation

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Office of General Counsel (OGC) procedures do not sufficiently ensure that accredited representatives have good character and knowledge. While GAO's analysis shows that VA follows its procedures for reviewing initial accreditation applications, VA relies on limited self-reported information to determine whether applicants have a criminal history or their character could be called into question, which in turn leaves VA vulnerable to accrediting individuals who may not provide responsible assistance. For example, when GAO conducted additional checks on a non-representative sample of accredited individuals, GAO found that some individuals had histories of bankruptcies or liens, information which could help develop a more complete picture of applicants' character and prompt further inquiry by VA into their background. VA's procedures also do not ensure that representatives have adequate program knowledge. For example, VA's initial training requirements are minimal and VA does not consistently monitor whether representatives meet additional continuing education requirements. As a result, some accredited representatives may not have adequate program knowledge to effectively assist clients with their claims. After being briefed on GAO's findings in May 2013, VA's OGC announced plans …
Date: August 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Characteristics of Presidential Appointments that do not Require Senate Confirmation (open access)

Characteristics of Presidential Appointments that do not Require Senate Confirmation

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In summary, GAO found the following:"
Date: March 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Regulatory Cooperation: Agency Efforts Could Benefit from Increased Collaboration and Interagency Guidance (open access)

International Regulatory Cooperation: Agency Efforts Could Benefit from Increased Collaboration and Interagency Guidance

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "All seven U.S. regulatory agencies that GAO contacted reported engaging in a range of international regulatory cooperation activities to fulfill their missions. These activities include the United States and its trading partners developing and using international standards, recognizing each other's regulations as equivalent, and sharing scientific data. U.S. agency officials GAO interviewed said they cooperate with foreign counterparts because many products they regulate originate overseas and because they may gain efficiencies--for example, by sharing resources or avoiding duplicative work. Cooperation can address both existing and avoid future regulatory differences. Officials also explained how cooperative efforts enhance public health and safety, facilitate trade, and support competitiveness of U.S. businesses. Several U.S. interagency processes require or enable interagency collaboration on international cooperation activities. The Regulatory Working Group (RWG), chaired by OMB and the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) are forums that have different responsibilities related to the regulatory and trade aspects of international regulatory cooperation. U.S. regulatory agency officials said the current processes could benefit from better information sharing among agencies on the implementation of international cooperation activities and lessons learned. Without enhancements to current forums, opportunities to …
Date: August 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD's POW/MIA Mission: Capability and Capacity to Account for Missing Persons Undermined by Leadership Weaknesses and Fragmented Organizational Structure (open access)

DOD's POW/MIA Mission: Capability and Capacity to Account for Missing Persons Undermined by Leadership Weaknesses and Fragmented Organizational Structure

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The department's response to the accounting-for goal established in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 brought into sharp relief longstanding disputes that have not been addressed by top-level leaders, and have been exacerbated by the accounting community's fragmented organizational structure. Leadership from the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Pacific Command have been unable to resolve disputes between community members in areas such as roles and responsibilities and developing a community-wide plan to meet the statutory accounting-for goal. Further, the accounting community is fragmented in that the community members belong to diverse parent organizations under several different chains of command. With accounting community organizations reporting under different lines of authority, no single entity has overarching responsibility for community-wide personnel and other resources."
Date: August 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
End-Stage Renal Disease: CMS Should Improve Design and Strengthen Monitoring of Low-Volume Adjustment (open access)

End-Stage Renal Disease: CMS Should Improve Design and Strengthen Monitoring of Low-Volume Adjustment

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The low-volume payment adjustment (LVPA) did not effectively target low-volume facilities that had high costs and appeared necessary for ensuring access to care. Nearly 30 percent of LVPA-eligible facilities were located within 1 mile of another facility in 2011, and about 54 percent were within 5 miles, indicating these facilities might not have been necessary for ensuring access to care. Furthermore, in many cases, LVPA-eligible facilities were located near high-volume facilities. Among the freestanding facilities in GAO's analysis, LVPA-eligible facilities had substantially higher costs per dialysis treatment than the average facility ($272 compared with $235); however, so did other facilities that provided a relatively low volume of treatments (and were isolated) but were ineligible for the LVPA. The design of the LVPA gives facilities an adverse incentive to restrict service provision because facilities could lose a substantial amount of Medicare revenue over 3 years if they reach the treatment threshold. In another payment system, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented a tiered adjustment that decreases as facility volume increases. Such an adjustment could diminish the incentive for dialysis facilities to limit service provision …
Date: March 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD Procurement of Mi-17 Helicopters (open access)

DOD Procurement of Mi-17 Helicopters

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In summary, DOD's Office of the Secretary of Defense directed the Navy to cancel its competitive solicitation for 21 civilian Mi-17s because Russian authorities told DOD in late 2010 that, in accordance with Russian law, they would sell the helicopters only through Rosoboronexport since they were intended for military end use. Specifically, in response to letters written by the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to DOD that it considered the Mi-17s to be military because they were for use by the Afghan Air Force, and therefore could be sold only through Rosoboronexport, the sole entity responsible for Russian military exports."
Date: April 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Critical Infrastructure Protection: DHS Needs to Improve Its Risk Assessments and Outreach for Chemical Facilities (open access)

Critical Infrastructure Protection: DHS Needs to Improve Its Risk Assessments and Outreach for Chemical Facilities

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In April 2013, GAO reported that, since 2007, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Infrastructure Security Compliance Division (ISCD) assigned about 3,500 high-risk chemical facilities to risk-based tiers under its Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, but it has not fully assessed its approach for doing so. The approach ISCD used to assess risk and make decisions to place facilities in final tiers does not consider all of the elements of consequence, threat, and vulnerability associated with a terrorist attack involving certain chemicals. For example, the risk assessment approach is based primarily on consequences arising from human casualties, but does not consider economic consequences, as called for by the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) and the CFATS regulation, nor does it consider vulnerability, consistent with the NIPP. ISCD had taken some actions to examine how its risk assessment approach could be enhanced, including commissioning a panel of experts to assess the current approach and recommend improvements. In April 2013, GAO reported that ISCD needed to incorporate the results of these efforts to help ensure that the revised assessment approach includes all elements of risk. After ISCD has incorporated …
Date: August 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Agricultural Quarantine Inspection Fees: Major Changes Needed to Align Fee Revenues with Program Costs (open access)

Agricultural Quarantine Inspection Fees: Major Changes Needed to Align Fee Revenues with Program Costs

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO's analysis of the Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) fee and cost data revealed a more than $325 million gap between fee revenues and total program costs in fiscal year 2011, or 38 percent of AQI program costs. The program, which is co-administered by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), has a gap for several reasons: 1) APHIS's authority does not permit it to charge all persons seeking entry to the United States (e.g., pedestrians) and does not permit it to charge the costs of those inspections to others; 2) APHIS has chosen not to charge some classes of passengers, citing administrative fee collection difficulties; 3) CBP does not charge a portion of all primary inspections to agriculture functions, as required by CBP guidance; 4) APHIS does not consider all imputed costs (that is, costs incurred by other agencies on behalf of the AQI program) when setting fees; and 5) the allowable rates for overtime services are misaligned with the personnel costs of performing those services. APHIS is considering fees …
Date: March 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Intelligent Transportation Systems: Vehicle-to-Vehicle Technologies Expected to Offer Safety Benefits, but a Variety of Deployment Challenges Exist (open access)

Intelligent Transportation Systems: Vehicle-to-Vehicle Technologies Expected to Offer Safety Benefits, but a Variety of Deployment Challenges Exist

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The development of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technologies has progressed to the point of real world testing, and if broadly deployed, they are anticipated to offer significant safety benefits. Efforts by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the automobile industry have focused on developing: 1) in-vehicle components such as hardware to facilitate communications among vehicles, 2) safety software applications to analyze data and identify potential collisions, 3) vehicle features that warn drivers, and 4) a national communication security system to ensure trust in the data transmitted among vehicles. According to DOT, if widely deployed, V2V technologies could provide warnings to drivers in as much as 76 percent of potential multi-vehicle collisions involving at least one light vehicle, such as a passenger car. Ultimately, however, the level of benefits realized will depend on the extent of the deployment of these technologies and the effectiveness of V2V warnings in eliciting appropriate driver responses. The continued progress of V2V technology development hinges on a decision that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plans to make in late 2013 on how to proceed regarding these technologies. One option would be …
Date: November 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Capitol Preservation Fund: Audit of Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012 Transactions (open access)

Capitol Preservation Fund: Audit of Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012 Transactions

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""
Date: May 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Suppliers: Factors Affecting U.S. Titanium Aircraft Component Manufacturers' Market Share of DOD Business (open access)

Defense Suppliers: Factors Affecting U.S. Titanium Aircraft Component Manufacturers' Market Share of DOD Business

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Census data show that U.S. and foreign produced titanium prices varied from 2003 through 2012 depending on the product. For example, in 2012, the export price (the proxy for the U.S. price) for titanium bar--used to make engine blades--was higher than the import price (the proxy for the foreign price), while the export price for titanium sheet--used to make wing components--was less than the import price. Industry officials noted that these differences may be due to varying operating costs and titanium production capabilities in different countries and to titanium producers' negotiated agreements with prime contractors or aircraft component manufacturers."
Date: July 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Senate Preservation Fund: Audit of Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012 Transactions (open access)

Senate Preservation Fund: Audit of Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012 Transactions

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For fiscal years 2011 and 2012, the Senate Preservation Fund’s (Fund) recorded transactions consisted of 22 investment and operating transactions. The Fund’s recorded transactions were authorized in advance, supported by documentation, accurately accounted for, and in compliance with the applicable laws that GAO deemed significant to its audit objectives."
Date: May 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library