1099 Information Reporting Requirements and Penalties as Modified by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (open access)

1099 Information Reporting Requirements and Penalties as Modified by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010

This report discuses the 2010 expansion of reporting requirements listed in IRC (Internal Revenue Code) 6041. The controversy in these expansions lies in the burden the expansion imposes on small businesses. The report also describes the pieces of legislation that have amended IRC 6041, and the implications of that legislation along with the consequences of IRC 6041.
Date: November 24, 2010
Creator: Pettit, Carol A. & Liu, Edward C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Accountable Care Organizations and the Medicare Shared Savings Program (open access)

Accountable Care Organizations and the Medicare Shared Savings Program

This report describes the problem of fragmented health care in the United States. The issues the report pinpoints are that it is more costly and of lower quality. The report addresses these issues by summarizing the integrated care delivery model in Medicare. Moreover, the report outlines the two pieces of this program as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Finally, the report discusses the mechanics of these programs to relieve the two issues identified.
Date: November 4, 2010
Creator: Newman, David
System: The UNT Digital Library
Administrative Issues Related to a Change in Majority in the House of Representatives (open access)

Administrative Issues Related to a Change in Majority in the House of Representatives

This report briefly describes how a change in majority leadership in the House of Representatives -- such as the incoming new majority that will assume control of House operations at the beginning of the 112th Congress in January 2011 -- could affect House rules, committees, and administrative and legislative operations.
Date: November 3, 2010
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric; Manning, Jennifer E. & Brudnick, Ida A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Advance Appropriations, Forward Funding, and Advance Funding (open access)

Advance Appropriations, Forward Funding, and Advance Funding

pppropriations acts generally make budget authority (or BA) available for use (or obligation) at the start of the fiscal year covered by the act. Sometimes appropriations bills provide a different date for specified budget authority within the act to become first available so that the funding cycle does not coincide with the fiscal year generally covered by the act. There are three types of this kind of budget authority: advance appropriations, forward funding, and advance funding.
Date: November 22, 2010
Creator: Streeter, Sandy
System: The UNT Digital Library
Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance (open access)

Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance

This report discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, as well as the Afghan government. This report also discusses Afghanistan's relationship with the United States, particularly U.S. efforts to urge President Hamid Karzai, to address corruption within the Afghan government. The report also includes discussion of election fraud and corruption in Afghanistan.
Date: November 12, 2010
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy (open access)

Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy

This report discusses the current political state of Iran, focusing particularly on the influence of the Taliban and other militant groups and on the leadership of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. This report also discusses the U.S.-Iran relationship and U.S. efforts under the Obama Administration to provide military, reconstructive, and stabilization aid.
Date: November 19, 2010
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Afghanistan: U.S. Rule of Law and Justice Sector Assistance (open access)

Afghanistan: U.S. Rule of Law and Justice Sector Assistance

The purpose of this report is to provide background and analysis for Congress on U.S. rule of law (ROL) and justice sector assistance programs to Afghanistan. The report also describes the scope of the ROL problem in Afghanistan, including the role of corruption, and surveys the range of Afghan justice sector institutions. In addition, the report describes U.S., Afghan, and multilateral policy approaches to the Afghan justice sector since the U.S. military invasion of Afghanistan in 2001; U.S. policy coordination and funding; and current U.S. justice sector assistance programs in Afghanistan.
Date: November 9, 2010
Creator: Wyler, Liana Sun
System: The UNT Digital Library
Afghanistan: U.S. Rule of Law and Justice Sector Assistance (open access)

Afghanistan: U.S. Rule of Law and Justice Sector Assistance

The purpose of this report is to provide background and analysis for Congress on U.S. rule of law (ROL) and justice sector assistance programs to Afghanistan. The report also describes the scope of the ROL problem in Afghanistan, including the role of corruption, and surveys the range of Afghan justice sector institutions. In addition, the report describes U.S., Afghan, and multilateral policy approaches to the Afghan justice sector since the U.S. military invasion of Afghanistan in 2001; U.S. policy coordination and funding; and current U.S. justice sector assistance programs in Afghanistan.
Date: November 9, 2010
Creator: Wyler, Liana Sun & Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa (open access)

Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa

In recent years, analysts and U.S. policymakers have noted Africa's growing strategic importance to U.S. interests. On February 6, 2007, the Bush Administration announced the creation of a new unified combatant command, U.S. Africa Command or AFRICOM, to promote U.S. national security objectives in Africa and its surrounding waters. This report provides information on AFRICOM's mission, structure, interagency coordination, and its basing and manpower requirements. The report also gives a broad overview of U.S. strategic interests in Africa and the role of U.S. military efforts on the continent as they pertain to the creation of Africa Command.
Date: November 16, 2010
Creator: Ploch, Lauren
System: The UNT Digital Library
Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2011 Appropriations (open access)

Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2011 Appropriations

This report considers the Agriculture and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The report compares and contrasts the Senate and House versions of the bill in terms of budgeting. Certain programs would receive 11 billion more than in FY2010.
Date: November 4, 2010
Creator: Monke, Jim; Ho, Melissa D.; Stubbs, Megan; Johnson, Renée; Cowan, Tadlock; Shields, Dennis A. et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Algeria: Current Issues (open access)

Algeria: Current Issues

The focus of this report is Algeria, a country in North Africa that is increasingly important for U.S. efforts to counter international terrorism as a key partner in the fight against Al Qaeda linked groups. As an energy producer, it also is a significant source of natural gas for the United States and not a major recipient of U.S. aid. This report discusses Algeria's current political conditions and Algeria-related U.S. policy.
Date: November 22, 2010
Creator: Migdalovitz, Carol
System: The UNT Digital Library
Allocations and Subdivisions in the Congressional Budget Process (open access)

Allocations and Subdivisions in the Congressional Budget Process

This report very briefly discusses the allocations and subdivisions portions of the congressional budget process.
Date: November 29, 2010
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Animal Identification and Traceability: Overview and Issues (open access)

Animal Identification and Traceability: Overview and Issues

This report provides a summary of current developments in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) effort to establish a national animal traceability capacity with the intended goal of being able to rapidly identify and respond to an animal disease outbreak. National animal identification and traceability appear to have substantial economic value, yet federal proposals have proven controversial among certain segments of the U.S. cattle industry. This report provides background on animal ID and traceability in general, and the development of the current U.S. system of animal ID and traceability in particular. In addition, it reviews the claims and counter-claims of proponents and opponents of a national animal ID system, and describes many of the unresolved issues related to program development. Finally, two appendixes offer a brief chronology of the development of the U.S. National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and its successor program, and a brief description of the major international organizations involved in setting standards and rules for animal health and trade in animal products, along with summary descriptions of animal ID and traceability programs found in other major livestock producer and consumer countries.
Date: November 29, 2010
Creator: Greene, Joel L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Asian Carp and the Great Lakes Region (open access)

Asian Carp and the Great Lakes Region

This report discusses four species of non-indigenous Asian carp that are expanding their range in U.S. waterways, resulting in a variety of concerns and problems. Three species--bighead, silver, and black carp--are of particular note, based on the perceived degree of environmental concern. Current controversy relates to what measures might be necessary and sufficient to prevent movement of Asian carp from the Mississippi River drainage into the Great Lakes through the Chicago Area Waterway System. Bills have been introduced in the 111th Congress to direct actions to avoid the possibility of carp becoming established in the Great Lakes.
Date: November 30, 2010
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Upton, Harold F.; Stern, Charles V. & Nichols, James E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Average Years of Service for Members of the Senate and House of Representatives, 1st - 111th Congresses (open access)

Average Years of Service for Members of the Senate and House of Representatives, 1st - 111th Congresses

The average tenure of Members of the Senate and House of Representatives at the beginning of each Congress has varied substantially since 1789. The purpose of this report is to provide a Congress-by-Congress summary of the average years of service for Senators and Representatives for the First through the 111th Congresses. The report contains a brief summary of some of the explanations by political scientists and others for the various changes in the average years of service.
Date: November 2, 2010
Creator: Glassman, Matthew Eric & Hemlin, Erin
System: The UNT Digital Library
Basic Federal Budgeting Terminology (open access)

Basic Federal Budgeting Terminology

In its most elemental form, the federal budget is a comprehensive accounting of the government's spending, revenues, and borrowing. This report provides a brief overview of the basic terminology and concepts used in the federal budget process.
Date: November 29, 2010
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Bayh-Dole Act: Selected Issues in Patent Policy and the Commercialization of Technology (open access)

The Bayh-Dole Act: Selected Issues in Patent Policy and the Commercialization of Technology

Congressional interest in facilitating U.S. technological innovation led to the passage of P.L. 96-517, Amendments to the Patent and Trademark Act, commonly referred to as the "Bayh-Dole Act" after its two main sponsors former Senators Robert Dole and Birch Bayh. Under this 1980 law, as amended, title to inventions made with government support is provided to the contractor if that contractor is a small business, a university, or other non-profit institution. This report discusses the rationale behind the passage of P.L. 96-517, its provisions, and implementation of the law.
Date: November 16, 2010
Creator: Schacht, Wendy H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP): Status and Issues (open access)

Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP): Status and Issues

This report provides a description of BCAP program overview and its Selected issues.
Date: November 8, 2010
Creator: Stubbs, Megan
System: The UNT Digital Library
Budget Reconciliation Legislation: Development and Consideration (open access)

Budget Reconciliation Legislation: Development and Consideration

This report briefly discusses the budget reconciliation process, which is an optional two-step process Congress may use to assure compliance with the direct spending, revenue, and debt-limit levels set forth in budget resolutions.
Date: November 29, 2010
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Bush Tax Cuts and the Economy (open access)

The Bush Tax Cuts and the Economy

The George W. Bush Administration enacted a series of tax cuts through the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. This report examines these tax cuts within the context of the current and long-term economic environment.
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Hungerford, Thomas L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Campaign Finance: Potential Legislative and Policy Issues for the 111th Congress (open access)

Campaign Finance: Potential Legislative and Policy Issues for the 111th Congress

This report provides an overview of selected campaign finance policy issues that have received recent legislative attention, or have otherwise been prominent, and which could receive attention during the 111th Congress.
Date: November 3, 2010
Creator: Garrett, R. S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cars, Trucks, and Climate: EPA Regulation of Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources (open access)

Cars, Trucks, and Climate: EPA Regulation of Greenhouse Gases from Mobile Sources

As Congress and the Administration considered new legislation to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that contribute to climate change over the last year and a half (a process that has now stalled), the Environmental Protection Agency simultaneously began to exercise its existing authority under the Clean Air Act to set standards for GHG emissions. The Administration has made clear that its preference would be for Congress to address the climate issue through new legislation. Nevertheless, it is moving forward on several fronts to define how the Clean Air Act will be used and to promulgate regulations. This report covers the steps that the Administration is taking on this topic.
Date: November 2, 2010
Creator: McCarthy, James E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Casework in a Congressional Office: Background, Rules, Laws, and Resources (open access)

Casework in a Congressional Office: Background, Rules, Laws, and Resources

This report, which will be updated as warranted, discusses House and Senate rules and guidelines, laws, and regulations affecting congressional casework, as well as the role of caseworkers. It also provides sample outlines and document templates for implementing and managing congressional casework.
Date: November 4, 2010
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric
System: The UNT Digital Library
Casework in a Congressional Office: Background, Rules, Laws, and Resources (open access)

Casework in a Congressional Office: Background, Rules, Laws, and Resources

This report, which will be updated as warranted, discusses House and Senate rules and guidelines, laws, and regulations affecting congressional casework, as well as the role of caseworkers. It also provides sample outlines and document templates for implementing and managing congressional casework.
Date: November 29, 2010
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric
System: The UNT Digital Library