Temporary Protected Status: Current Immigration Policy and Issues (open access)

Temporary Protected Status: Current Immigration Policy and Issues

This report is a brief overview of current policies regarding temporary protected status (TPS), which is relief from removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). It includes information about humanitarian migrants, temporary protected status, other blanket forms of relief, nationalities receiving protections, and issues with TPS, as well as recent legislation.
Date: January 17, 2017
Creator: Argueta, Carla N.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Debt Limit Since 2011 (open access)

The Debt Limit Since 2011

This report discusses the federal debt increase, which can increase when the government sells debt to the public to finance budget deficits and acquire the financial resources needed to meet its obligations (increasing debt held by the public), or when the federal government issues debt to certain government accounts in exchange for their reported surpluses (increasing debt held by government accounts).
Date: January 31, 2017
Creator: Austin, D. A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Newsletter of Texas State Representative Ernest Bailes: Volume 1, Issue 1, January 2017 (open access)

Newsletter of Texas State Representative Ernest Bailes: Volume 1, Issue 1, January 2017

Newsletter of Ernest Bailes for his constituents in district 18 discussing news, activities, and various updates related to work in the Texas legislature. It focuses on welcoming the 85th legislative session, a recap of Texas' biennial legislature, priorities for the 85th legislative session, committee assignments, and developing youth leaders.
Date: January 30, 2017
Creator: Bailes, Ernest James, IV
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Speakers of the House: Elections, 1913-2017 (open access)

Speakers of the House: Elections, 1913-2017

This report provides data on elections of the Speaker in each Congress since 1913, when the House first reached its present size of 435 Members. During that period (63rd through 115th Congresses), a Speaker was elected five times with the votes of less than a majority of the full membership.
Date: January 4, 2017
Creator: Beth, Richard S. & Heitshusen, Valerie
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Islamic State and U.S. Policy (open access)

The Islamic State and U.S. Policy

This report provides background on the Islamic State organization, discusses its goals, operations, and affiliates, reviews U.S. legislative and policy debates, and describes select FY2017 legislative proposals.
Date: January 18, 2017
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M. & Humud, Carla E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Abortion and Family Planning-Related Provisions in U.S. Foreign Assistance Law and Policy (open access)

Abortion and Family Planning-Related Provisions in U.S. Foreign Assistance Law and Policy

This report details legislation and policies that restrict or place requirements on U.S. funding of abortion or family planning activities abroad. The level and extent of federal funding for these activities is an ongoing and controversial issue in U.S. foreign assistance and will likely continue to be a point of contention during the 114th Congress.
Date: January 24, 2017
Creator: Blanchfield, Luisa
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): Waiver Authority and Modification of Volumes (open access)

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): Waiver Authority and Modification of Volumes

This report discusses the process and criteria for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to waive various portions of the renewable fuel standard (RFS), and the modification of applicable volumes.
Date: January 26, 2017
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Crude Oil Exports to International Destinations (open access)

U.S. Crude Oil Exports to International Destinations

This report discusses the export of crude oil produced in the United States and policy considerations in the wake of a provision contained in P.L. 114-113 which repealed a 40-year prohibition on the export.
Date: January 30, 2017
Creator: Brown, Phillip
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Members' Representational Allowance: History and Usage (open access)

Members' Representational Allowance: History and Usage

This report provides a history and overview of the Members' Representational Allowance (MRA) and examines spending patterns in recent years.
Date: January 30, 2017
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Legislative Priorities Report: 85th Legislative Session (open access)

Legislative Priorities Report: 85th Legislative Session

Report that includes recommendations to the 85th Texas legislature and narrative summaries of the TWDB'S exceptional item requests.
Date: January 2017
Creator: Bruun, Bech; Jackson, Kathleen; Lake, Peter & Walker, Jeff
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Economic Benefits and Return on Investment (open access)

Economic Benefits and Return on Investment

Report on the economic benefits and investment returns of the funding that goes into public libraries in Texas.
Date: January 2017
Creator: Bureau of Business Research IC^2 institute
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Military Benefits for Former Spouses: Legislation and Policy Issues (open access)

Military Benefits for Former Spouses: Legislation and Policy Issues

The purpose of this report is to provide a general discussion of legislative provisions and proposals relating to the military benefits for former spouses.
Date: January 6, 2017
Creator: Burrelli, David F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Caesar Kleberg Tracks, Volume 2, Issue 1, Winter 2017 (open access)

Caesar Kleberg Tracks, Volume 2, Issue 1, Winter 2017

Biannual newsletter of the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute documenting progress on various research projects, news, and other information of interest to subscribers.
Date: 2017-01~
Creator: Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The Portal to Texas History
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.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
EPA and the Army Corps' Rule to Define "Waters of the United States" (open access)

EPA and the Army Corps' Rule to Define "Waters of the United States"

This report describes the final revised rule--which the agencies refer to as the Clean Water Rule--announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It includes a table comparing the existing regulatory language that defines "waters of the United States" with the revisions.
Date: January 5, 2017
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy-Water Nexus: The Water Sector's Energy Use (open access)

Energy-Water Nexus: The Water Sector's Energy Use

This report provides background on energy for facilities that treat and deliver water to end users, and also to dispose of and discharge wastewater.
Date: January 24, 2017
Creator: Copeland, Claudia & Carter, Nicole T.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Health Benefits for Members of Congress and Designated Congressional Staff: In Brief (open access)

Health Benefits for Members of Congress and Designated Congressional Staff: In Brief

This report discusses the health benefits for federal employees through the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.
Date: January 13, 2017
Creator: Cornell, Ada S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
How Legislation Is Brought to the House Floor: A Snapshot of Parliamentary Practice in the 114th Congress (2015-2016) (open access)

How Legislation Is Brought to the House Floor: A Snapshot of Parliamentary Practice in the 114th Congress (2015-2016)

This report provides a snapshot of the forms and origins of measures that, according to the Legislative Information System of the U.S. Congress, received action on the House floor in the 114th Congress (2015-2016) and the parliamentary procedures used to bring them up for initial House consideration.
Date: January 11, 2017
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Authorization and Appropriations Bills: FY1970-FY2017 (open access)

Defense Authorization and Appropriations Bills: FY1970-FY2017

This report is a research aid that lists the Department of Defense (DOD) authorization bills (Table 1) and appropriations bills (Table 2) for FY1970-FY2017. This report includes all the pertinent information on the passage of these bills through the legislative process: bill numbers, report numbers, dates reported and passed, recorded vote numbers and vote tallies, dates of passage of the conference reports with their numbers and votes, vetoes, substitutions, dates of final passage, and public law numbers.
Date: January 18, 2017
Creator: DeBruyne, Nese F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
SORNA: A Legal Analysis of 18 U.S.C. §2250 (Failure to Register as a Sex Offender (open access)

SORNA: A Legal Analysis of 18 U.S.C. §2250 (Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

This report describes the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) including various elements of the legislation and Constitutional considerations, with requirements and repercussions of an individual's failure to comply with SORNA.
Date: January 17, 2017
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) Negotiations: Overview and Issues for Congress (open access)

Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) Negotiations: Overview and Issues for Congress

This report provides a brief overview of U.S. trade in services, background on services in U.S. trade agreements, and an in-depth discussion of the ongoing Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) negotiations.
Date: January 3, 2017
Creator: Fefer, Rachel F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Digital Trade and U.S. Trade Policy (open access)

Digital Trade and U.S. Trade Policy

This report discusses the role of digital trade in the U.S. economy, barriers to digital trade, digital trade agreement provisions, and other selected policy issues.
Date: January 13, 2017
Creator: Fefer, Rachel F.; Akhtar, Shayerah Ilias & Morrison, Wayne M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV): Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

The Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV): Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information on the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), which is the Army's proposed replacement to the Vietnam-era M-113 personnel carriers.
Date: January 11, 2017
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV): Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV): Background and Issues for Congress

This report discusses the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), which is an Army-led, multi-service initiative to develop a family of light tactical vehicles as a successor to the High Mobility, Multi-Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs). It includes background information; a description of the JLTV program, program history, and program activities; information about the JLTV contract, Lockheed Martin's protest to the program, budgetary issues, and potential issues for Congress.
Date: January 10, 2017
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library