Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the funding requirements for the technical assistance that the Natural Resources Conservation Service provides to the Conservation Reserve Program, focusing on: (1) the nature and costs of the Conservation Service's technical assistance; (2) the reasons the Conservation Service suspended its technical assistance for the program; (3) budgetary authorities and other statutory requirements that constrain the Conservation Service's performance of technical assistance for the program; and (4) the potential to use contractors to provide this assistance in lieu of the Conservation Service."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) new rule on the implementation of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act. GAO noted that: (1) the rule would: (a) establish a minimum set of system security and integrity requirements that all telecommunications carriers must follow to ensure compliance with section 105 of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act and section 229(b) and (c) of the Communications Act; and (b) require that telecommunications carriers ensure that any interception of communications or access to call-identifying information effected within its switching premises can be activated only in accordance with a court order or other lawful authorization and with the affirmative intervention of an individual officer or employee of the carrier, designated as a 24-hour a day point of contact available to law enforcement officials; and (2) FCC complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the tax compliance burdens of small business taxpayers, focusing on: (1) why the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) compliance burden estimates are not reliable; (2) why the relationship of the no-change rates to audit rates for small businesses and other individuals is difficult to determine; and (3) why IRS has limited information on its interactions with small businesses."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) new rule on filing requirements for self-regulatory organizations (SRO) regarding derivative securities products. GAO noted that: (1) the new rule would permit a SRO to list and trade new derivative securities products pursuant to existing self-regulatory organization trading rules; and (2) SEC complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined a number of issues concerning water quality problems in the New River and Imperial County in southern California, focusing on the: (1) types and the sources of pollutants entering the New River; (2) agencies and the organizations responsible for monitoring and regulating pollution in the New River; (3) risks to human health and the environment from water pollution in Imperial County; (4) health advisories and the precautions in place to protect the public from pollution in the New River; and (5) actions being taken to reduce the flow of pollutants into the Salton Sea."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO determined: (1) what the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) is doing to ensure that the year 2000 computing challenge does not adversely affect the delivery of Medicaid benefits; and (2) the readiness of states to successfully transition to year 2000 for Medicaid."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reported on private sector employer-sponsored disability insurance plans, focusing on the: (1) number of people in the private sector covered by short-term or long-term employer-sponsored disability insurance; (2) number of short- and long-term disability claims filed each year and the number of initial awards; and (3) average processing time for initial short- and long-term disability claims."

A statement of record issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the implementation of Executive Order 12612 on federalism, focusing on: (1) how often the preambles to covered agencies' final rules issued between April 1, 1996, and December 31, 1998, mentioned Executive Order 12612 and how often they indicated that the agencies had conducted federalism assessments under the order; (2) what selected agencies have done to implement the requirements of Executive Order 12612; and (3) what the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has done to oversee federal agencies' implementation of Executive Order 12612 in the rulemaking process."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its work concerning federally funded teacher training programs, focusing on the: (1) number of agencies and the programs they administer that support teacher training, along with some general characteristics of these programs; and (2) funding provided by these programs."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) new rule on late-season migratory bird hunting. GAO noted that: (1) the rule would establish the late-season frameworks from which states may select dates and other options available to them for the 1999-2000 migratory bird hunting season; (2) after receiving this information, FWS will publish the selections as the final regulations for the current hunting season; (3) the late seasons bag and possession limits rule prescribes hunting seasons, hours, areas, and daily bag limits and possession limits for specific game birds; and (4) FWS complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule."

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the proliferation of Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance fraud on the part of criminals and organized criminal groups, focusing on: (1) the makeup and prior activities of such groups; (2) how organized criminal groups created medical entities or used legitimate medical entities or individuals to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers; (3) schemes used by such groups to commit health care fraud; and (4) the impact that illegal activity by such groups has on consumers and legitimate health care providers."

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a "Rules and General Conditions of Parole Release" contract that requires the parolee to "comply with Sex Offender Registration Program" in and of itself obligates a local law enforcement authority to register the parolee.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Permissible investments of Teacher Retirement System and related questions (RQ-1174)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John Cornyn, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether, under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure under article 11.07, section 3(b), the prosecuting attorney and court clerk may agree to substitute another method of service for service by certified mail, return receipt requested (RQ-1227)

Print out of State Representative Harryette B. Ehrhardt, District 107, which includes a brief overview and a list of hyperlinked text. A picture of Harryette is placed at the top of the page.

Interview with Clyde Jones, former part-owner of Kerrville's first radio station, KERV, from Kerrville, Texas. Mr. Jones discusses how he came to the area and his involvement with radio station, as well as some of the challenges he and his crew encountered. He also talks about his work with the Mental Health and Retardation Center at the Kerrville State Hospital. Mr. Jones briefly discusses his band, The Poverty Playboys.

News release from the Human Rights Campaign applauding American Airlines for offering domestic partner benefits to employees.

Research notes from an interview with Aaron Kampfe discussing American Airline's recent support of the LGBT community and their decision to offer domestic partner benefits.

Faxed JETWIRE communication from Marion DeSisto to Dennis Vercher containing a memo announcing American Airline's plans to offer domestic partner benefits for domestic travel beginning Spring 2000.

Faxed JETWIRE communication from Marion DeSisto to Dennis Vercher of a memo announcing American Eagle's plans to offer domestic partner benefits for domestic travel beginning Spring 2000.

News release from the Human Rights Campaign applauding American Airlines for offering domestic partner benefits to employees.

Typed notes of a call placed by Dennis Vercher to David Smith discussing United Airline's announcement to offer domestic partner benefits to all employees.

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Federal Wildlife Service's (FWS) new rule on migratory bird hunting on certain federal Indian reservations and ceded lands for the 1999-2000 late season. GAO noted that: (1) the rule would prescribe special late-season hunting regulations for certain tribes on federal Indian reservations, off-reservation trust lands, and ceded lands in response to tribal requests to recognize their authority to regulate hunting on their reservations under established guidelines; and (2) FWS complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule."

Other written product issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA) new rule on Medicare's prospective payment system and consolidated billing for skilled nursing facilities. GAO held that: (1) the new rule updates the required section 1888(e) of the Social Security Act, as added by section 4432 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 related to Medicare payments and consolidated billing for skilled nursing facilities; and (2) HCFA complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule."