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Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview (open access)

Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview

This report provides background information on funding gaps since FY 1977, and it discusses the general practice of the federal government when a funding gap occurs.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
America COMPETES Acts: FY2008-FY2013 Funding Tables (open access)

America COMPETES Acts: FY2008-FY2013 Funding Tables

This report has been updated to reflect FY2013 funding levels contained in P.L. 113-6 (Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013) and the explanatory statement published in the March 11, 2013. This report also provides selected FY2013 current or operational plan funding levels, which have been adjusted to account for the effects of sequestration and other currently known legal determinations made by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that may affect the final appropriations levels.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Gonzalez, Heather B.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Funding and Financing Highways and Public Transportation (open access)

Funding and Financing Highways and Public Transportation

This report begins with a discussion of the problems associated with the trust fund financing system (which supports both federal highway and public transportation programs) and then explores possible options for financing surface transportation infrastructure.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Kirk, Robert S. & Mallett, William J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-Kenya Relations: Current Political and Security Issues (open access)

U.S.-Kenya Relations: Current Political and Security Issues

This report provides background information regarding on political and security situation in Kenya. The report discusses U.S.-Kenya relations, as U.S. government views Kenya as a strategic partner and anchor state in East Africa, and as critical to counterterrorism efforts in the region.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Blanchard, Lauren Ploch
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Issues in Homeland Security Policy for the 113th Congress (open access)

Issues in Homeland Security Policy for the 113th Congress

This report outlines an array of homeland security issues that may come before the 113th Congress. After a brief discussion of the overall homeland security budget, the report divides the specific issues into five broad categories: counterterrorism and security management, border security and trade, immigration, disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, and departmental management.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Painter, William L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
House Rules Manual: Summary of Contents (open access)

House Rules Manual: Summary of Contents

This report provides a description of house rules and manuals. The first section of the House Manual identifies the more substantive rules changes made by the House resolution adopting the rules of the current Congress. Also identified are citations to volumes of precedents referenced in the parliamentarian's annotations.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Schneider, Judy
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Amendments on the House Floor: Summary of Major Restrictions (open access)

Amendments on the House Floor: Summary of Major Restrictions

This report discusses the opportunities for Representatives to offer floor amendments to a bill or resolution procedures by which the House considers the measure.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Schneider, Judy
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview (open access)

Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview

This report provides background information regarding the Antideficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 1341 1342, 1511-1519) that generally bars the obligation of funds in the absence of appropriations. The report discusses the interval during the fiscal year when appropriations for a particular project or activity are not enacted into law, either in the form of a regular appropriations act or a continuing resolution (CR), which are referred to as a funding gap.
Date: September 23, 2013
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library

Jazz Faculty Recital: 2012-09-23 - Fred Hamilton, guitar; Lynn Seaton, bass; Ed Soph, drumset

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
A jazz faculty and guest artist recital performed at the UNT College of Music Kenton Hall.
Date: September 23, 2012
Creator: Hamilton, Fred (Guitarist); Seaton, Lynn & Soph, Ed
Object Type: Sound
System: The UNT Digital Library
China's Sovereign Wealth Fund: Developments and Policy Implications (open access)

China's Sovereign Wealth Fund: Developments and Policy Implications

China's ruling executive body, the State Council, established the China Investment Corporation (CIC), a sovereign wealth fund, in September 2007 to invest $200 billion of China's then $1.4 trillion in foreign exchange reserves. Congress and financial analysts raised concerns about the CIC after its creation, partly because it was a comparatively large sovereign wealth fund, partly because it was government-owned, and partly because it reported directly to the State Council. These concerns raise question about U.S. policies on inward foreign direct investment (FDI) and the global competitiveness of U.S. financial institutions. Certain commentators suggest that more should be done to protect the United States from China's rising role in international capital markets.
Date: September 23, 2010
Creator: Martin, Michael F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-South Korea Beef Dispute: Issues and Status (open access)

U.S.-South Korea Beef Dispute: Issues and Status

This report describes the beef provisions in the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) and the separate bilateral protocols that the United States has negotiated in order to secure the lifting of South Korea's ban on U.S. beef imports, imposed after the discovery of mad cow disease in late 2003. It also summarizes U.S. beef export developments to this key market before and after the ban and since these protocols took effect; and lays out the outstanding issues on U.S. beef access that will likely need to be resolved to facilitate congressional consideration of the KORUS FTA.
Date: September 23, 2010
Creator: Jurenas, Remy & Manyin, Mark E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. National Science Foundation: Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) (open access)

U.S. National Science Foundation: Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)

The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) of the National Science Foundation (NSF) was authorized by Congress in 1978, partly in response to concerns in Congress and the concerns of some in academia and the scientific community about the geographic distribution of federal research and development (R&D) funds. Some have questioned the length of time states should receive EPSCoR support. It continues to be called an experimental program after 28 years, and observers have noted that no state has yet to graduate, or leave the program. This report discusses current policy involving EPSCoR, as well as budget requests.
Date: September 23, 2010
Creator: Matthews, Christine M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Critical Infrastructure Protection: DHS Efforts to Assess and Promote Resiliency Are Evolving but Program Management Could Be Strengthened (open access)

Critical Infrastructure Protection: DHS Efforts to Assess and Promote Resiliency Are Evolving but Program Management Could Be Strengthened

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), protecting and ensuring the resiliency (the ability to resist, absorb, recover from, or successfully adapt to adversity or changing conditions) of critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) is essential to the nation's security. By law, DHS is to lead and coordinate efforts to protect several thousand CIKR assets deemed vital to the nation's security, public health, and economy. In 2006, DHS created the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) to outline the approach for integrating CIKR and increased its emphasis on resiliency in its 2009 update. GAO was asked to assess the extent to which DHS (1) has incorporated resiliency into the programs it uses to work with asset owners and operators and (2) is positioned to disseminate information it gathers on resiliency practices to asset owners and operators. GAO reviewed DHS documents, such as the NIPP, and interviewed DHS officials and 15 owners and operators of assets selected on the basis of geographic diversity. The results of these interviews are not generalizable but provide insights."
Date: September 23, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security Disability: Participation in the Ticket to Work Program Has Increased, but More Oversight Needed (open access)

Social Security Disability: Participation in the Ticket to Work Program Has Increased, but More Oversight Needed

A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program (Ticket program). Created by law in 1999, the Ticket program was intended to assist disability beneficiaries in obtaining and retaining employment, and potentially bring about significant savings to the Disability Insurance Trust Fund by reducing or eliminating their benefits. Under the program, SSA provides each eligible beneficiary (ticket holder) with a ticket to obtain services from SSA-approved public or private providers, referred to as employment networks (EN), or from traditional state vocational rehabilitation agencies (VR). When the Ticket program was created, it was estimated that it had the potential to provide significant savings to the Social Security Trust Funds and Treasury. However, our prior work and the work of SSA's Office of the Inspector General and others has questioned the viability of the program due to low participation and costs that are not offset by beneficiaries returning to work and reducing dependency on benefits. In an effort to address these concerns, SSA revised its regulations in 2008 to attract more ticket holders and ENs. This testimony summarizes our report issued in May and …
Date: September 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
VA Health Care: Preliminary Observations on the Purchasing and Tracking of Supplies and Medical Equipment and the Potential Impact on Veterans' Safety (open access)

VA Health Care: Preliminary Observations on the Purchasing and Tracking of Supplies and Medical Equipment and the Potential Impact on Veterans' Safety

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "VA clinicians use expendable medical supplies--disposable items that are generally used one time--and reusable medical equipment (RME), which is designed to be reused for multiple patients. VA has policies that VA medical centers (VAMC) must follow when purchasing such supplies and equipment and tracking--that is, accounting for--these items at VAMCs. GAO was asked to evaluate VA's purchasing and tracking of expendable medical supplies and RME and their potential impact on veterans' safety. This testimony is based on GAO's ongoing work and provides preliminary observations on (1) the extent of compliance with VA's requirements for purchasing and tracking of expendable medical supplies and RME and (2) steps VA plans to take to improve its oversight of VAMCs' purchasing and tracking of expendable medical supplies and RME. GAO reviewed VA policies and selected three requirements that GAO determined to be relevant to patient safety. At each of the five VAMCs GAO visited, GAO reviewed documents used to identify issues related to the three requirements and interviewed officials to gather further information on these issues. The VAMCs GAO visited represent different surgical complexity groups, sizes of veteran populations served, and geographic …
Date: September 23, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Millennium Development Goals: The September 2010 U.N. High-level Meeting (open access)

The Millennium Development Goals: The September 2010 U.N. High-level Meeting

This report discusses overarching trends in Millennium Development Goals (MDG) progress and lessons learned from previous and ongoing efforts to achieve them. The MDGs are a group of measurable development targets agreed to by 189 U.N. member states - including the United States - as part of the 2000 Millennium Declaration. The MDGs cover a number of issues, such as eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, combating HIV/AIDS, and promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. This report examines U.S. policy toward the MDGs and how, if at all, the Goals fit into U.S. development and foreign assistance policy. It also examines different schools of thought regarding the effectiveness of the Goals, their role in international development, and their long-term sustainability. This report addresses the MDGs as a whole; it does not assess or analyze issues pertaining to the individual Goals.
Date: September 23, 2010
Creator: Blanchfield, Luisa & Lawson, Marian Leonardo
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Asbestos Injury Compensation: The Role and Administration of Asbestos Trusts (open access)

Asbestos Injury Compensation: The Role and Administration of Asbestos Trusts

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Asbestos litigation arose out of millions of Americans' lengthy occupational exposure to asbestos which is linked to malignant and nonmalignant diseases. To date, about 100 companies have declared bankruptcy at least partially due to asbestos-related liability. In accordance with Chapter 11 and 524(g) of the federal bankruptcy code, a company may transfer its liabilities and certain assets to an asbestos personal injury trust, which is then responsible for compensating present and future claimants. Since 1988, 60 trusts have been established to pay claims with about $37 billion in total assets. GAO was asked to examine asbestos trusts set up pursuant to 524(g). This report addresses: (1) How much asbestos trusts have paid in claims and how trusts are administered, (2) How trust claim and payment information is made available to outside parties, and (3) Stakeholder--plaintiff and defense attorneys, trust officials, and other interested parties--views on whether more trust and claimant information should be made available to outside parties and efforts to change the trust system and processes. GAO analyzed trust agreements for 44 of 60 trusts and trust distribution procedures for 52 of 60 trusts, as …
Date: September 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Drug Pricing: Manufacturer Discounts in the 340B Program Offer Benefits, but Federal Oversight Needs Improvement (open access)

Drug Pricing: Manufacturer Discounts in the 340B Program Offer Benefits, but Federal Oversight Needs Improvement

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), within in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), oversees the 340B Drug Pricing Program, through which participating drug manufacturers give certain entities within the health care safety net--known as covered entities--access to discounted prices on outpatient drugs. Covered entities include specified federal grantees and hospitals. The number of covered entity sites has nearly doubled in the past 10 years to over 16,500. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) mandated that GAO address questions related to the 340B program. GAO examined: (1) the extent to which covered entities generate 340B revenue, factors that affect revenue generation, and how they use the program; (2) how manufacturers' distribution of drugs at 340B prices affects covered entities' or non-340B providers' access to drugs; and (3) HRSA's oversight of the 340B program. GAO reviewed key laws and guidance, analyzed relevant data, and conducted interviews with 61 340B program stakeholders selected to represent a range of perspectives, including HRSA, 29 covered entities, 10 manufacturers and representatives, and 21 others. Selection of stakeholders was judgmental and thus, responses are not generalizable."
Date: September 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Climate Change: A Coordinated Strategy Could Focus Federal Geoengineering Research and Inform Governance Efforts (open access)

Climate Change: A Coordinated Strategy Could Focus Federal Geoengineering Research and Inform Governance Efforts

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Policymakers have raised questions about geoengineering--large-scale deliberate interventions in the earth's climate system to diminish climate change or its impacts--and its role in a broader strategy of mitigating and adapting to climate change. Most geoengineering proposals fall into two categories: carbon dioxide removal (CDR), which would remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, and solar radiation management (SRM), which would offset temperature increases by reflecting sunlight back into space. GAO was asked to examine (1) the state of geoengineering science, (2) federal involvement in geoengineering, and (3) the views of experts and federal officials about the extent to which federal laws and international agreements apply to geoengineering, and any governance challenges. GAO examined relevant scientific and policy studies, relevant domestic laws and international agreements, analyzed agency data describing relevant research for fiscal years 2009 and 2010, and interviewed federal officials and selected recognized experts in the field."
Date: September 23, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Electronic Government: Performance Measures for Projects Aimed at Promoting Innovation and Transparency Can Be Improved (open access)

Electronic Government: Performance Measures for Projects Aimed at Promoting Innovation and Transparency Can Be Improved

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Congress enacted the Electronic Government (E-Gov) Act in 2002 to promote better use of the Internet and other information technologies (IT), thereby improving government services for citizens, internal government operations, and opportunities for citizen participation in government. Among other things, the act established the E-Gov Fund to support projects that expand the government's ability to carry out its activities electronically. The act also created the Office of Electronic Government within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The Administrator of this office is to assist the OMB Director in approving projects to be supported by the E-Gov Fund. The General Services Administration (GSA) is responsible for administering the fund and notifying Congress of how the funds are to be allocated to projects approved by OMB. GAO was asked to (1) identify and describe the projects supported by the E-Gov Fund, including the distribution of fiscal year 2010 funds among the projects and their expected benefits; and (2) for selected projects, identify their progress against goals. To do this, GAO reviewed project and funding documentation, analyzed project goals, and interviewed agency officials.."
Date: September 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Polar Satellites: Agencies Need to Address Potential Gaps in Weather and Climate Data Coverage (open access)

Polar Satellites: Agencies Need to Address Potential Gaps in Weather and Climate Data Coverage

A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Environmental satellites provide critical data used in weather forecasting and measuring variations in climate over time. In February 2010, the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy disbanded the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS)--a tri-agency satellite acquisition that had encountered continuing cost, schedule, and management problems--and instructed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) to undertake separate acquisitions. Both agencies have begun planning their respective programs--the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) and the Defense Weather Satellite System (DWSS)--including creating program offices and transitioning contracts. GAO was asked to summarize the status of ongoing work assessing (1) NOAA's and DOD's plans for their separate acquisitions and (2) the key risks in transitioning from NPOESS to these new programs. In preparing this statement, GAO relied on the work supporting previous reports, attended monthly program management meetings, reviewed documentation on both programs, and interviewed agency officials."
Date: September 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
American Samoa And Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Employment, Earnings, and Status of Key Industries Since Minimum Wage Increases Began (open access)

American Samoa And Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: Employment, Earnings, and Status of Key Industries Since Minimum Wage Increases Began

A publication issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2007, the United States enacted a law incrementally raising the minimum wages in American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) until they equal the U.S. minimum wage. American Samoa's minimum wage increased by $.50 three times, and the CNMI's four times before legislation delayed the increases, providing for no increase in American Samoa in 2010 or 2011 and none in the CNMI in 2011. If further increases are implemented as scheduled, American Samoa's minimum wage will equal the current U.S. minimum wage of $7.25 in 2018, and the CNMI's will reach it in 2016. Recent economic declines in both areas reflect the closure of one of two tuna canneries in American Samoa and the departure of the garment industry in the CNMI. GAO is required to report in 2010, 2011, 2013, and biennially thereafter on the impact of the minimum wage increases. This testimony, requested by Congress, summarizes GAO's June 2011 report, which describes, since the increases began, (1) employment and earnings, and (2) the status of key industries. GAO reviewed federal and local information; collected data from employers through a questionnaire …
Date: September 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Indian Health Service: Increased Oversight Needed to Ensure Accuracy of Data Used for Estimating Contract Health Service Need (open access)

Indian Health Service: Increased Oversight Needed to Ensure Accuracy of Data Used for Estimating Contract Health Service Need

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), provides health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives. When care at an IHS-funded facility is unavailable, IHS's contract health services (CHS) program pays for care from external providers if the patient meets certain requirements and funding is available. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires GAO to study the adequacy of federal funding for IHS's CHS program. To examine program funding needs, IHS collects data on unfunded services--services for which funding was not available--from the federal and tribal CHS programs. GAO examined (1) the extent to which IHS ensures the data it collects on unfunded services are accurate to determine a reliable estimate of CHS program need, (2) the extent to which federal and tribal CHS programs report having funds available to pay for contract health services, and (3) the experiences of external providers in obtaining payment from the CHS program. GAO surveyed 66 federal and 177 tribal CHS programs and spoke to IHS officials and 23 providers."
Date: September 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Health Care Price Transparency: Meaningful Price Information Is Difficult for Consumers to Obtain Prior to Receiving Care (open access)

Health Care Price Transparency: Meaningful Price Information Is Difficult for Consumers to Obtain Prior to Receiving Care

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In recent years, consumers have become responsible for a growing proportion of the costs of their health care. Health care price information that is transparent--available before consumers receive care--may help consumers anticipate these costs. Research identifies meaningful types of health care price information, such as estimates of what the complete cost will be to the consumer for a service. GAO defines an estimate of a consumer's complete health care cost as price information on a service that identifies a consumer's out-of-pocket cost, including any negotiated discounts, and all costs associated with a service or services. GAO examined (1) how various factors affect the availability of health care price information for consumers and (2) the information selected public and private health care price transparency initiatives make available to consumers. To do this work, GAO reviewed price transparency literature; interviewed experts; and examined a total of eight selected federal, state, and private insurance company health care price transparency initiatives. In addition, GAO anonymously contacted providers and requested the price of selected services to gain a consumer's perspective."
Date: September 23, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library