Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to the total amount of school district bonds guaranteed by the Permanent School Fund's (Fund) Bond Guarantee Program (Program), whether these were within the limits established by Section 45.053(a) of the Texas Education Code and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and recent changes made to Program rules and statutes.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to determining whether the Texas Ethics Commission accurately reports selected key performance measures to ABEST and has adequate control systems in place over the collecting, calculating, and reporting of selected key performance measures.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to determining whether the information technology general controls, such as organizational, security, general operations, and disaster recovery controls, at the state data centers under the scope of Team for Texas's contract with the Department of Information Resources are operating effectively to protect state information technology assets and support state agency operations.

This report discusses the history, current posture, and outlook for federal energy tax policy. It also discusses current energy tax proposals and major energy tax provisions enacted in the 109th Congress.

This report presents the factual situation presented by Andrew Speaker; briefly addresses the existing law relating to quarantine and isolation, with an emphasis on the interaction of state and federal laws and international agreements; and examines the relationship of quarantine and isolation to civil rights protections.

This report explores the reasons behind government funding of research and development and subsequent efforts to facilitate private sector commercialization of the results of such work.

This report provides brief summaries of the major federal laws affecting financial institutions and markets.

Final report of the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group providing information gathered in relation to their charge, which included analysis of existing and proposed actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, review of historic and forecast emissions as a baseline for progress, and an overview of costs and benefits of recommended options.

The following document evaluates the formula used for minimum stock size threshold (BMSST). The formula involved is meant to determine whether the stock in fisheries are overstocked or understocked.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to an investigation by the State Auditor's Special Investigations Unit, which led to criminal charges being filed against a former agent-dealer of a copier equipment manufacturer and distributing company who sold copier and printer equipment to the San Felipe-Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District.

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to determining whether the state's basic financial statements accurately reflect the balances and activities for the State of Texas for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2007.

A training course module for small public water system operators on pressure monitoring and maintenance and flushing programs for fire hydrants.

Report of the initial investigation of a shipwreck discovered in 2,000 feet of water during a 2003 deeptow survey for a pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico.

This report discusses the farm bill, which renewed about every five years, governs federal farm and food policy.

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A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) provides assistance for combating HIV/AIDS in 15 focus countries and elsewhere, with global targets for prevention, treatment, and care. The U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria Act of 2003, which authorizes the $15 billion program, contains directives to guide the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator's (OGAC) allocation of this funding. The act expires in September 2008. The President announced his intention to ask Congress to authorize $30 billion for these efforts for the next 5 years. In 2007, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended eliminating the directives. GAO was asked to describe (1) the views of HIV/AIDS experts on these directives, (2) an alternative approach to allocating funds, and (3) potential challenges related to this approach. GAO interviewed 22 experts, surveyed PEPFAR officials in the 15 focus countries, and reviewed pertinent documentation."

This report describes information security and data breach notification requirements included in the Privacy Act, the Federal Information Security Management Act.

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A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Estimated to reach $15 billion by 2015, the Department of Defense's (DOD) prescription drug spending has been a growing concern for the federal government. The John Warner National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2007 required GAO to examine DOD's pharmacy benefits program. Specifically, as discussed with the committees of jurisdiction, GAO examined DOD's prescription drug spending trends from fiscal years 2000 through 2006 and DOD's key efforts to limit its prescription drug spending. To conduct this work, GAO analyzed DOD's data on spending trends, including trends in beneficiary pharmacy use. GAO also assessed DOD's cost avoidance data and the agency's efforts to limit spending through its uniform formulary, which is a list of preferred drugs available to all beneficiaries. GAO interviewed DOD officials about these and other efforts to limit spending."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Dissatisfaction with the federal tax system has led to a debate about U.S. tax reform, including proposals for a national consumption tax. One type of proposed consumption tax is a value-added tax (VAT), widely used around the world. A VAT is levied on the difference between a business's sales and its purchases of goods and services. Typically, a business calculates the tax due on its sales, subtracts a credit for taxes paid on its purchases, and remits the difference to the government. While the economic and distributional effects of a U.S. VAT type tax have been studied, GAO was asked to identify the lessons learned from other countries' experiences in administering a VAT. This report describes (1) how VAT design choices, such as exemptions and enforcement mechanisms, have affected compliance, administrative costs, and compliance burden; (2) how countries with federal systems administer a VAT; and (3) how countries that recently transitioned to a VAT implemented the new tax. GAO selected five countries to study--Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom--that provided a range of VAT designs from relatively simple to more complex with multiple …

This report reviews the major legislative initiatives to deal with the gasoline price issue.

This report is intended to assist in understanding the issues inherent in creating a federal system of insurance regulation by providing some insight into the interests of organizations most involved in the issue.

This report discusses the current framework for federal judicial security, legislative efforts in the 110th Congress to improve judicial security, other proposals for reform, as well as the FY2008 appropriation and FY2009 budget request for judicial security.