The European Union: Questions and Answers (open access)

The European Union: Questions and Answers

This report serves as a primer on the European Union (EU) and provides a brief description of U.S.-EU relations that may be of interest in the 114th Congress. The EU is a political and economic partnership that represents a unique form of cooperation among sovereign countries, comprising 28 member states, including most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe; the group has helped to promote peace, stability, and economic prosperity throughout the European continent.
Date: July 24, 2015
Creator: Archick, Kristin
System: The UNT Digital Library
The European Union: Questions and Answers (open access)

The European Union: Questions and Answers

This report serves as a primer on the European Union and provides a brief description of U.S.-EU relations that may be of interest in the 114th Congress.
Date: September 4, 2015
Creator: Archick, Kristin
System: The UNT Digital Library
District of Columbia: Issues in the 114th Congress (open access)

District of Columbia: Issues in the 114th Congress

None
Date: July 7, 2015
Creator: Boyd, Eugene; Davis, Christopher M.; Yeh, Brian T.; Krouse, William J. & Chu, Vivian S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Water Resource Issues in the 114th Congress (open access)

Water Resource Issues in the 114th Congress

This report discusses recent congressional activity and possible topics for the 114th Congress. It provides an overview of the federal role in water resources development, management, and protection, with a focus on projects of the two major federal water resources agencies--Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps--and related legislation.
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: Cody, Betsy A.; Stern, Charles V. & Carter, Nicole T.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Voting Rights Act of 1965: Background and Overview (open access)

The Voting Rights Act of 1965: Background and Overview

This report provides background information on the historical circumstances that led to the adoption of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), a summary of its major provisions, and a brief discussion of the U.S. Supreme Court decision and related legislation in the 113th and 114th Congresses. Two identical bills--H.R. 3899 and S. 1945--were introduced in the 113th Congress that would have amended the VRA to add a new coverage formula, among other provisions.
Date: July 20, 2015
Creator: Coleman, Kevin J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers: Reauthorization Proposals in the 114th Congress, In Brief (open access)

Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers: Reauthorization Proposals in the 114th Congress, In Brief

This report is designed to provide assistance in considering Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Workers reauthorization efforts in the 114th Congress. It begins with background information on TAA and a summary of recent legislation. It then presents a table that compares a recent reauthorization proposal with provisions in current and prior law.
Date: April 28, 2015
Creator: Collins, Benjamin
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cleanup at Inactive and Abandoned Mines: Issues in "Good Samaritan" Legislation in the 114th Congress (open access)

Cleanup at Inactive and Abandoned Mines: Issues in "Good Samaritan" Legislation in the 114th Congress

This report discusses several issues that have drawn attention: eligibility for a Good Samaritan permit, minerals covered by a permit, standards applicable to a Good Samaritan cleanup, scope of liability protection, funding, treatment of revenues from cleanup, enforcement, the appropriate implementation role for states and Indian tribes, terminating a permit, and sunsetting the permit program.
Date: November 25, 2015
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
System: The UNT Digital Library
EPA and the Army Corps’ “Waters of the United States” Rule: Congressional Response and Options (open access)

EPA and the Army Corps’ “Waters of the United States” Rule: Congressional Response and Options

This report discusses several options that congress could consider and that are reflected in bills in the 114th Congress.
Date: June 3, 2015
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Vessel Incidental Discharge Act: Background and Issues (open access)

The Vessel Incidental Discharge Act: Background and Issues

This report discusses the combination of regulations and standards for controlling vessel discharges, which is at issue today and is addressed in legislation in the 114th Congress, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act.
Date: September 4, 2015
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
System: The UNT Digital Library
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): A Primer for the 114th Congress (open access)

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): A Primer for the 114th Congress

This report discusses the history of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the basic issues in the debate over wilderness versus development, the Native interests, and the energy and biological resources at stake.
Date: March 17, 2015
Creator: Corn, M. Lynne; Ratner, Michael & Alexander, Kristina
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline (open access)

Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline

This report provides roll call vote data related to the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline that would transport oil sands crude from Canada and shale oil produced in North Dakota and Montana to a market hub in Nebraska for further delivery to Gulf Coast refineries. Voting information is listed chronologically and broken down by chamber, Congress, and type of legislation.
Date: January 22, 2015
Creator: Cunningham, Lynn J. & Cook, Beth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline (open access)

Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline

This report provides roll call vote data related to the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline that would transport oil sands crude from Canada and shale oil produced in North Dakota and Montana to a market hub in Nebraska for further delivery to Gulf Coast refineries. Voting information is listed chronologically and broken down by chamber, Congress, and type of legislation.
Date: February 5, 2015
Creator: Cunningham, Lynn J. & Cook, Beth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Data Security and Breach Notification Legislation: Selected Legal Issues (open access)

Data Security and Breach Notification Legislation: Selected Legal Issues

This report describes the common elements of several data security and breach notification bills that have been introduced in the 114th Congress, which broadly would impose security and notification requirements on businesses regardless of industry sector. It also discusses state laws that may apply in the event of a data breach and addresses two legal issues that may arise in consideration of new legislation about data security and breach notification.
Date: December 28, 2015
Creator: Dolan, Alissa M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Legislation in the 114th Congress (open access)

Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Legislation in the 114th Congress

This report discusses legislation proposals in the 114th Congress that reflect various positions and stances on mandatory minimum sentences for Federal crimes. Federal crimes are usually punishable by a statutory maximum term of imprisonment--for example, "imprisoned for not more than 5 years."1 A surprising number also have statutory minimum terms of imprisonment--for example, "imprisonment which may not be less than 10 years or for life."
Date: April 29, 2015
Creator: Doyle, Charles
System: The UNT Digital Library
Sex Trafficking: Proposals in the 114th Congress to Amend Federal Criminal Law (open access)

Sex Trafficking: Proposals in the 114th Congress to Amend Federal Criminal Law

This report discusses proposed legislation that would amend federal substantive law in three areas: commercial sex trafficking (18 U.S.C. 1591); the Mann Act, which outlaws transportation and travel for unlawful sexual purposes; and federal tax crimes.
Date: April 29, 2015
Creator: Doyle, Charles
System: The UNT Digital Library
Transportation Security: Issues for the 114th Congress (open access)

Transportation Security: Issues for the 114th Congress

This report examines aviation, transit and passenger rail security, as well as port and maritime security. The difficulty and cost of protecting the transportation sector from attack raises a core question for policymakers: how much effort and resources to put toward protecting potential targets versus pursuing and fighting terrorists.
Date: December 25, 2015
Creator: Elias, Bart; Peterman, David R. & Frittelli, John
System: The UNT Digital Library
Transportation Security: Issues for the 114th Congress (open access)

Transportation Security: Issues for the 114th Congress

This report discusses aviation security, transit and passenger security, port and maritime security.
Date: May 20, 2015
Creator: Elias, Bart; Peterman, David R. & Frittelli, John
System: The UNT Digital Library
Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress (open access)

Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress

This report discusses domestic human trafficking-related issues that have received legislative action or are of significant interest in the 114th Congress.
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Finklea, Kristin; Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L. & Siskin, Alison
System: The UNT Digital Library
Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress (open access)

Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress

This report discusses domestic human trafficking-related issues that have received legislative action or are of significant interest in the 114th Congress.
Date: April 16, 2015
Creator: Finklea, Kristin; Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L. & Siskin, Alison
System: The UNT Digital Library
Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress (open access)

Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress

This report discusses domestic human trafficking-related issues that have received legislative action or are of significant interest in the 114th Congress.
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Finklea, Kristin; Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L. & Siskin, Alison
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cybersecurity and Information Sharing: Comparison of Legislative Proposals in the 114th Congress (open access)

Cybersecurity and Information Sharing: Comparison of Legislative Proposals in the 114th Congress

This report compares two House bills and one Senate bill that address information sharing and related activities in cybersecurity. It also discusses some of the issues that those and other bills address.
Date: June 12, 2015
Creator: Fischer, Eric A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cybersecurity and Information Sharing: Comparison of Legislative Proposals in the 114th Congress (open access)

Cybersecurity and Information Sharing: Comparison of Legislative Proposals in the 114th Congress

This report compares two House bills and one Senate bill that address information sharing and related activities in cybersecurity. The report consists of an overview of those and other legislative proposals on information sharing, along with selected associated issues, followed by a side-by-side analysis of the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015 (NCPAA), the Protecting Cyber Networks Act (PCNA), and the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA).
Date: June 18, 2015
Creator: Fischer, Eric A. & Logan, Stephanie M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
House Committee Funding Requests and Authorizations, 104th-114th Congresses (open access)

House Committee Funding Requests and Authorizations, 104th-114th Congresses

This report provides committee funding requests and authorizations as adopted pursuant to primary expense authorizations for House committees in the 104th through 114th Congresses.
Date: April 21, 2015
Creator: Glassman, Matthew E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Research Tax Credit: Current Law and Policy Issues for the 114th Congress (open access)

Research Tax Credit: Current Law and Policy Issues for the 114th Congress

Technological innovation is a primary engine of long-term economic growth, and research and development (R&D) serves as the lifeblood of innovation. The federal government encourages businesses to invest more in R&D than they otherwise would in several ways, including a tax credit for increases in spending on qualified research above a base amount. This report describes the current status of the credit, summarizes its legislative history, discusses policy issues it raises, and describes legislation to modify and extend it.
Date: May 22, 2015
Creator: Guenther, Gary
System: The UNT Digital Library