Resource Type

Calling Up Business on the Senate Floor (open access)

Calling Up Business on the Senate Floor

This report outlines processes or customs most often used by the Senate and then discusses some procedures less often used to call up business. The Senate takes up measures and matters under procedures set in Senate rules and by long-standing customs, thereby giving it flexibility in setting its floor agenda.
Date: April 1, 2016
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
EPA Policies Concerning Integrated Planning and Affordability of Water Infrastructure (open access)

EPA Policies Concerning Integrated Planning and Affordability of Water Infrastructure

This report examines recent initiatives by EPA, an integrated planning policy, and a framework policy for assessing a community's financial capability to meet objectives and requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA).
Date: April 1, 2016
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
System: The UNT Digital Library
High Frequency Trading: Overview of Recent Developments (open access)

High Frequency Trading: Overview of Recent Developments

This report provides background on various High-frequency trading (HFT) strategies and some associated policy issues, recent regulatory developments and selected enforcement actions by the SEC and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), on HFT, and congressional action such as proposed legislation and hearings related to HFT.
Date: April 1, 2016
Creator: Miller, Rena S. & Shorter, Gary
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 1, 2016
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Supreme Court Appointment Process: President's Selection of a Nominee (open access)

Supreme Court Appointment Process: President's Selection of a Nominee

This report discusses the process for appointing Supreme Court Justices. Each appointment to the nine-member Court is of consequence because of the enormous judicial power that the Court exercises, separate from, and independent of, the executive and legislative branches.
Date: April 1, 2016
Creator: McMillion, Barry J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Telemarketing Regulation: National and State Do Not Call Registries (open access)

Telemarketing Regulation: National and State Do Not Call Registries

This report will outline the laws underpinning the National Do Not Call List; describe the regulations implementing the list; answer some of the most frequently asked questions related to the list; and discuss the possible penalties for violating the rules. The report will also briefly discuss some of the ways the various states have implemented their own do not call lists.
Date: April 1, 2016
Creator: Ruane, Kathleen Ann
System: The UNT Digital Library
Temporarily Filling Presidentially Appointed, Senate-Confirmed Positions (open access)

Temporarily Filling Presidentially Appointed, Senate-Confirmed Positions

This report examines several authorities by which a vacant presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed position can be filled temporarily without going through the Senate confirmation process..
Date: April 1, 2016
Creator: Hogue, Henry B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Standards of Conduct of Brokers, Dealers, and Investment Advisers (open access)

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Standards of Conduct of Brokers, Dealers, and Investment Advisers

None
Date: April 1, 2015
Creator: Seitzinger, Michael V.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Executive Discretion as to Immigration: Legal Overview (open access)

Executive Discretion as to Immigration: Legal Overview

None
Date: April 1, 2015
Creator: Manuel, Kate M. & Garcia, Michael John
System: The UNT Digital Library
Keystone XL Pipeline: Overview and Recent Developments (open access)

Keystone XL Pipeline: Overview and Recent Developments

This report describes the Keystone XL Pipeline Project and the process that the State Department must complete to decide whether it will approve or deny TransCanada's permit application. The report also discusses key energy security, economic, and environmental issues relevant to this determination. Finally, the report discusses the constitutional basis for the State Department's authority to issue a Presidential Permit, and opponents' possible challenges to this authority.
Date: April 1, 2015
Creator: Parfomak, Paul W.; Luther, Linda; Lattanzio, Richard K.; Ramseur, Jonathan L.; Vann, Adam; Pirog, Robert et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA): An Overview of Programs and Funding (open access)

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA): An Overview of Programs and Funding

This report provides an overview of funding and programs of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) bureau.
Date: April 1, 2015
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. International Food Aid Programs: Background and Issues (open access)

U.S. International Food Aid Programs: Background and Issues

This report includes three principal sections: the first section is a description of U.S. international food aid programs under current law; the second section discusses several important policy issues related to U.S. international food aid; and the third section describes Administration and congressional proposals intended to change the nature of U.S. food international aid.
Date: April 1, 2015
Creator: Schnepf, Randy
System: The UNT Digital Library
The U.S. Wine Industry and Selected Trade Issues with the European Union (open access)

The U.S. Wine Industry and Selected Trade Issues with the European Union

This report provides an overview of issues pertaining to the U.S. wine industry within ongoing U.S. trade negotiations in the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP).
Date: April 1, 2015
Creator: Johnson, Renée
System: The UNT Digital Library
Community Services Block Grants (CSBG): Background and Funding (open access)

Community Services Block Grants (CSBG): Background and Funding

This report looks at the purpose and background of Community Services Block Grants (CSBG), which provide federal funds to states, territories, and tribes for distribution to local agencies to support a wide range of community-based activities to reduce poverty. It includes program data, funding activity for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, and proposals for FY2015.
Date: April 1, 2014
Creator: Spar, Karen
System: The UNT Digital Library
Contractor Fraud Against the Federal Government: Selected Federal Civil Remedies (open access)

Contractor Fraud Against the Federal Government: Selected Federal Civil Remedies

This report provides an overview of federal statutes that provide civil remedies for contractor fraud, as well as issues stemming from judicial interpretation of these statutes.
Date: April 1, 2014
Creator: Murrill, Brandon J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Health Centers (open access)

Federal Health Centers

This report provides an overview of the federal health center program including its statutory authority, program requirements, and appropriation levels. The report then describes health centers in general, where they are located, their patient population, and some outcomes associated with health center use. It also describes some federal programs available to assist health center operations as well as issues for Congress.
Date: April 1, 2014
Creator: Heisler, Elayne J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Missile Defense: Mixed Progress in Achieving Acquisition Goals and Improving Accountability (open access)

Missile Defense: Mixed Progress in Achieving Acquisition Goals and Improving Accountability

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2013, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) made mixed progress in achieving its acquisition goals to develop, test, and produce elements of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). For the first time, MDA conducted an operational flight test that involved warfighters from several combatant commands using multiple BMDS elements simultaneously. The agency also successfully conducted several developmental flight tests that demonstrated key capabilities and modifications made to resolve prior production issues. However, the Aegis BMD and Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) continued to experience testing and development challenges."
Date: April 1, 2014
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on multiyear procurement (MYP) and block buy contracting (BBC), which are special contracting mechanisms that Congress permits the Department of Defense (DOD) to use for a limited number of defense acquisition programs. Compared to the standard or default approach of annual contracting, MYP and BBC have the potential for reducing weapon procurement costs by several percent.
Date: April 1, 2014
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald & Schwartz, Moshe
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on multiyear procurement (MYP) and block buy contracting (BBC), which are special contracting mechanisms that Congress permits the Department of Defense (DOD) to use for a limited number of defense acquisition programs. Compared to the standard or default approach of annual contracting, MYP and BBC have the potential for reducing weapon procurement costs by several percent.
Date: April 1, 2014
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald & Schwartz, Moshe
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Shipboard Lasers for Surface, Air, and Missile Defense: Background and Issues for Congress

This report focuses on potential Navy shipboard lasers for countering surface, air, and ballistic missile threats. It does not discuss the use of lasers on Navy aircraft or submarines, or the use of lasers by other military services.
Date: April 1, 2014
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Overview of Constitutional Challenges to NSA Collection Activities and Recent Developments (open access)

Overview of Constitutional Challenges to NSA Collection Activities and Recent Developments

This report focuses on two main National Security Agency (NSA) collection activities approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) established under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978. The first is the bulk collection of telephony metadata for domestic and international telephone calls. The second involves the interception of Internet-based communications and is targeted at foreigners who are not within the United States, but may also inadvertently acquire the communications of U.S. persons.
Date: April 1, 2014
Creator: Liu, Edward C.; Nolan, Andrew & Thompson, Richard M., II
System: The UNT Digital Library
Sugar Program: The Basics (open access)

Sugar Program: The Basics

This report discusses the sugar program that provides a price guarantee to the processors of sugarcane and sugar beets, and in turn, to the producers of both crops.
Date: April 1, 2014
Creator: Jurenas, Remy
System: The UNT Digital Library
Veterans' Medical Care: FY2014 Appropriations (open access)

Veterans' Medical Care: FY2014 Appropriations

This report focuses on funding for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The VHA is primarily a direct service provider of primary care, specialized care, and related medical and social support services to veterans through the nation's largest integrated health care system.
Date: April 1, 2014
Creator: Panangala, S. V.
System: The UNT Digital Library
2012 Lobbying Disclosure: Observations on Lobbyists' Compliance with Disclosure Requirements (open access)

2012 Lobbying Disclosure: Observations on Lobbyists' Compliance with Disclosure Requirements

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Most lobbyists were able to provide documentation to demonstrate compliance with the disclosure requirements of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA), as amended by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA). For lobbying disclosure reports (LD-2), GAO estimates that"
Date: April 1, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library