Comparison of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) and the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) (open access)

Comparison of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) and the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA)

This report discusses the comparison between the American Health Care Act (AHCA) and the "discussion draft" titled, "The Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017" (BCRA).
Date: July 3, 2017
Creator: Mach, Annie L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Vermont Utility Cybersecurity Alarm (open access)

Vermont Utility Cybersecurity Alarm

This report discusses the cyber-security alarm, which was raised after a joint report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) urged electric utilities to search their networks for signs of an infiltration linked to a Russian hacking operation (called the Grizzly Steppe) suspected in the hack of Democratic Party servers.
Date: January 3, 2017
Creator: Campbell, Richard J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Labor's 2016 Fiduciary Rule: Background and Issues (open access)

Department of Labor's 2016 Fiduciary Rule: Background and Issues

This report discusses fiduciary standard with respect to his or her advice, an individual had to, which include: (1) make recommendations on investing in, purchasing, or selling securities or other property, or give advice as to the value (2) on a regular basis (3) pursuant to a mutual understanding that the advice (4) will serve as a primary basis for investment decisions, and (5) will be individualized to the particular needs of the plan regarding such matters as, among other things, investment policies or strategy, overall portfolio composition, or diversification of plan investments.
Date: July 3, 2017
Creator: Topoleski, John J. & Shorter, Gary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Enlisted Personnel (open access)

Military Enlisted Personnel

This report provides background information and includes charts that show active military enlisted members by pay grade and branch, as well as associated insignia.
Date: June 3, 2017
Creator: Kapp, Lawrence & Cucchiara, Adam J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Inspectors General in and Beyond the Presidential Transition Period (open access)

Inspectors General in and Beyond the Presidential Transition Period

This report discusses the federal government transition period, as a new Congress convenes and a new Administration prepares to assume leadership of the executive branch.
Date: January 3, 2017
Creator: Ginsberg, Wendy
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Officers (open access)

Military Officers

This report provides background information and includes charts that show active military officers by pay grade and branch, as well as associated insignia.
Date: July 3, 2017
Creator: Kapp, Lawrence & Cucchiara, Adam J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
North Korean Cyber Capabilities: In Brief (open access)

North Korean Cyber Capabilities: In Brief

This report discusses how as North Korea has accelerated its missile and nuclear programs in spite of international sanctions, Congress and the Trump Administration have elevated North Korea to a top U.S. foreign policy priority. Legislation such as the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-122) and international sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council have focused on North Korea's WMD and ballistic missile programs and human rights abuses. North Korea's cyberattacks have the potential not only to disrupt international commerce, but to direct resources to its clandestine weapons and delivery system programs, potentially enhancing its ability to evade international sanctions. This report will provide a brief summary of what unclassified open-source reporting has revealed about the secretive program, introduce four case studies in which North Korean operators are suspected of having perpetrated malicious operations, and provide an overview of the international finance messaging service that these hackers may be exploiting.
Date: August 3, 2017
Creator: Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Rosen, Liana W.; Rollins, John W. & Theohary, Catherine A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Enlisted Personnel (open access)

Military Enlisted Personnel

This report describes each level of military enlisted personnel and the percentage of the force that they make up along with how many people are in each pay grade in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. A chart of insignia for the various ranks is also included.
Date: July 3, 2017
Creator: Kapp, Lawrence & Cucchiara, Adam J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Consumer and Credit Reporting, Scoring, and Related Policy Issues (open access)

Consumer and Credit Reporting, Scoring, and Related Policy Issues

This report discusses issues regarding consumer data and credit scoring and provides some background information on the consumer data industry as well as a general overview of the current regulatory framework.
Date: November 3, 2017
Creator: Getter, Darryl E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Comparison of the Bills to Extend State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Funding (open access)

Comparison of the Bills to Extend State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Funding

This report discusses bills and their provisions related to extending funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) whose funding expired at the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The House passed the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act on November 3, 2017, by a vote of 242 to 174. This report contains a table that provides an overview of the provisions in the KIDS Act and Division B of the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act as baselined against current law. The section following the table provides more detailed summaries of the provisions in the KIDS Act and Division B of the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act
Date: November 3, 2017
Creator: Mitchell, Allison; Baumrucker, Evelyne P.; Dabrowska, Agata; Davis, Patricia A.; Gopalan, Susannah V. & Sarata, Amanda K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
El Salvador: Background and U.S. Relations (open access)

El Salvador: Background and U.S. Relations

This report describes El Salvador's political and governmental structure, major security challenges, and economy. U.S. relations with El Salvador, immigration policy, human rights concerns, and U.S. assistance are also discussed.
Date: November 3, 2017
Creator: Seelke, Clare Ribando
System: The UNT Digital Library
Memorandum: Legislation Limiting the President's Power to Use Nuclear Weapons: Separation of Powers Implications (open access)

Memorandum: Legislation Limiting the President's Power to Use Nuclear Weapons: Separation of Powers Implications

This report examines the constitutional separation of powers principles implicated by legislative proposals that restrict the President's authority to launch nuclear weapons. recent legislation regarding restricting the President's power to use nuclear weapons and historical and legal analysis of the separation of powers principle and its relation to the matter is discussed.
Date: November 3, 2017
Creator: Mulligan, Stephen P.
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. The Navy's proposed FY2018 budget requests funding for the procurement of two DDG-51s, and authority for a new multiyear procurement (MYP) contract covering DDG-51s to be procured in FY2018-FY2022. Decisions that Congress makes concerning destroyer procurement could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.
Date: October 3, 2017
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Pay: Key Questions and Answers (open access)

Military Pay: Key Questions and Answers

This report uses a question and answer format to highlight key aspects of the military compensation system and to address topics of recurring congressional interest, including the following: compensation elements and rates, statutory formulas for increasing compensation elements, historical increases in basic pay, comparability with civilian pay, and additional compensation for those serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Date: April 3, 2017
Creator: Kapp, Lawrence & Torreon, Barbara Salazar
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 discuses the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and its federal funding which it then distributes parts of to PBS and NPR. Past, current, and proposed funding levels are outlined and arguments for and against federal support for public broadcasting are also discussed.
Date: May 3, 2017
Creator: McLoughlin, Glenn J. & Gomez, Lena A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF): Program Overview and Issues (open access)

Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF): Program Overview and Issues

This report discusses the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) which is administered by the EPA and assists communities in building or restoring public water supply infrastructure to comply with federal standards for clean drinking water and public health safety. The report outlines the funding levels and sources for the program and recent appropriations to it. Proposals for funding for the DWSRF in the 115th Congress are also discussed.
Date: May 3, 2017
Creator: Tiemann, Mary
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Climate Change Regulation and Litigation: Selected Legal Issues (open access)

U.S. Climate Change Regulation and Litigation: Selected Legal Issues

This report provides a brief history of U.S. climate change regulation, reviews the different types of regulation and legal actions that have been pursued in the national debate over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, examines selected legal issues and next steps in related litigation, and addresses what these legal and regulatory developments mean for Congress. President Trump's Executive Order of March 28, 2017 requiring agencies to reconsider their policies related to climate change is also discussed.
Date: April 3, 2017
Creator: Tsang, Linda
System: The UNT Digital Library
Presidential Appointee Positions Requiring Senate Confirmation and Committees Handling Nominations (open access)

Presidential Appointee Positions Requiring Senate Confirmation and Committees Handling Nominations

This report identifies, by Senate committee, presidentially appointed positions requiring Senate confirmation as of June 30, 2016. For each committee list, positions are categorized as full- or part-time and then grouped by department or agency. Where nominations have been referred to more than one committee, they are noted under each of the committees to which the nominations were referred. The lists also include the lengths of fixed terms, where applicable.
Date: May 3, 2017
Creator: Davis, Christopher M. & Greene, Michael
System: The UNT Digital Library
Foreign Money and U.S. Campaign Finance Policy (open access)

Foreign Money and U.S. Campaign Finance Policy

This report discusses regulations forbidding the use of foreign money in U.S. election campaigns and various debates and recent actions surrounding enforcement of the rules.
Date: September 3, 2017
Creator: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. A total of 29 LCSs have been procured through FY2017. For FY2018, the Navy is requesting the procurement of 30th and 31st LCSs. The LCS program presents several oversight issues for Congress. Congress's decisions on the program will affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the shipbuilding industrial base.
Date: October 3, 2017
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Trump Administration's March 2017 Defense Budget Proposals: Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

The Trump Administration's March 2017 Defense Budget Proposals: Frequently Asked Questions

This report answers seven frequently asked questions about President Trump's defense budget proposal for fiscal years 2017 and 2018 which was made on March 16, 2017. Additional funding for overseas contingency operations and a higher defense budget are major sections of the proposal discussed.
Date: April 3, 2017
Creator: Towell, Pat & Williams, Lynn M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The U.S. Tsunami Program Reauthorization in P.L. 115-25: Section-by-Section Comparison to P.L. 109-479, Title VIIII (open access)

The U.S. Tsunami Program Reauthorization in P.L. 115-25: Section-by-Section Comparison to P.L. 109-479, Title VIIII

This report compares the enacted legislation text of the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2017 with P.L. 109-479, Title VIII, section by section, with brief comments on selected comparisons about how changes in P.L. 115-25, Title V, affect P.L. 109-479, Title VIII, and the authorized tsunami activities.
Date: May 3, 2017
Creator: Folger, Peter
System: The UNT Digital Library
Executive Branch Reorganization (open access)

Executive Branch Reorganization

This report discusses some tools available to Congress, the President, and agency leaders, respectively, for initiation and implementation of executive branch reorganization. It also discusses the interagency coordinative mechanisms that are sometimes used by each of these actors to bridge inter-organizational gaps. The report concludes with general observations regarding federal reorganization efforts.
Date: August 3, 2017
Creator: Hogue, Henry B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran: Politics, Human Rights, and U.S. Policy (open access)

Iran: Politics, Human Rights, and U.S. Policy

This report outlines Iran's political structure and current leaders, human rights issues, and past and current U.S. relations with Iran.
Date: October 3, 2017
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library