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Navy CG(X) Cruiser Program: Background for Congress (open access)

Navy CG(X) Cruiser Program: Background for Congress

Report that provides background information on the U.S. Navy's CG(X) program as it existed prior to its proposed cancellation.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues (open access)

Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues

Report that discusses Pakistan's efforts to produce fissile material and other issues related to nuclear proliferation and improving its nuclear arsenal. It also discusses the steps Pakistan has taken to increase international confidence in its nuclear security.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: Kerr, Paul K. & Nikitin, Mary Beth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Satellite Surveillance: Domestic Issues (open access)

Satellite Surveillance: Domestic Issues

Report that provides background on the development of intelligence satellites and identifies the roles various agencies play in their management and use. Issues surrounding the current policy and proposed changes are discussed, followed by a discussion of legal considerations.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: Best, Richard A., Jr. & Elsea, Jennifer K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Managing Disaster Debris: Overview of Regulatory Requirements, Agency Roles, and Selected Challenges (open access)

Managing Disaster Debris: Overview of Regulatory Requirements, Agency Roles, and Selected Challenges

Report that addresses the challenges in removing debris resulting from a "major disaster" or "emergency" declared by the President, as well as the role of federal agencies in debris removal.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: Luther, Linda
System: The UNT Digital Library
Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for Disaster Response, Recovery, and Mitigation Projects (open access)

Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for Disaster Response, Recovery, and Mitigation Projects

Report that discusses the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as it applies to projects for which federal funding to recover from or prepare for a disaster has been requested by local, tribal, or state grant applicants.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: Luther, Linda
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cellulosic Biofuels: Analysis of Policy Issues for Congress (open access)

Cellulosic Biofuels: Analysis of Policy Issues for Congress

Report that provides background on the current effort to develop industrial-scale, competitive technology to produce biofuels from cellulosic feedstocks.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi; Schnepf, Randy; Stubbs, Megan & Yacobucci, Brent D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Surplus Equipment Disposal: Background Information (open access)

Defense Surplus Equipment Disposal: Background Information

Report that discusses the Department of Defense (DOD) policy via the Defense Utilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for disposing of government equipment and supplies considered surplus or deemed unnecessary to the agency's currently designated mission. The report focuses on DRMS background, as well as the most recent DRMS policy modifications.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: Grasso, Valerie Bailey
System: The UNT Digital Library
Adopting a Long-Term Budget Focus: Challenges and Proposals (open access)

Adopting a Long-Term Budget Focus: Challenges and Proposals

Report concerning the current federal budget process, including criticisms of that process. Information is provided regarding the current horizons used in the budget process, including already existing long-term components; the rationale for increased focus on long term budgeting; general challenges to long-term budgeting; and an analysis of general proposals that have been made to increase the focus of long-term budgeting in the budget process.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: Lynch, Megan Suzanne; Labonte, Marc & Levit, Mindy R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Guantanamo Detention Center: Legislative Activity in the 111th Congress (open access)

Guantanamo Detention Center: Legislative Activity in the 111th Congress

This report analyzes relevant provisions in enacted legislation and selected pending bills relating to the U.S. Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a facility in which alleged enemy belligerents are detained.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: Garcia, Michael John
System: The UNT Digital Library
Committee on the Budget in the House of Representatives: Structure and Responsibilities (open access)

Committee on the Budget in the House of Representatives: Structure and Responsibilities

Report describing the structure and responsibilities of the Committee on the Budget in the House of Representatives.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: Lynch, Megan Suzanne
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Changing Oil Prices (open access)

U.S. Trade Deficit and the Impact of Changing Oil Prices

Report that provides an estimate of the initial impact of the changing oil prices on the nation's merchandise trade deficit.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: Jackson, James K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress (open access)

Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress

Report that discusses the process of naming Navy ships, which have traditionally been chosen and announced by the Secretary of the Navy. Congress in recent years has proposed, and sometimes passed, legislation regarding the naming of specific ships.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard: Opportunities Exist to Further Improve Acquisition Management Capabilities (open access)

Coast Guard: Opportunities Exist to Further Improve Acquisition Management Capabilities

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Coast Guard manages a broad $27 billion major acquisition portfolio intended to modernize its ships, aircraft, command and control systems, and other capabilities. GAO has reported extensively on the Coast Guard's significant acquisition challenges, including project challenges in its Deepwater program. GAO's prior work on the Coast Guard acquisition programs identified problems in costs, management, and oversight, but it also recognized several steps the Coast Guard has taken to improve acquisition management. In response to the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, GAO (1) assessed Coast Guard capabilities to manage its major acquisition programs, and (2) determined the extent to which the Coast Guard leverages Department of Defense (DOD) and other agency contracts or expertise to support its major acquisition programs. GAO reviewed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Coast Guard acquisition documents, GAO and DHS Inspector General reports, and selected DOD contracts; and interviewed Coast Guard, DHS, and DOD officials"
Date: April 13, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multiple Employment and Training Programs: Providing Information on Colocating Services and Consolidating Administrative Structures Could Promote Efficiencies (open access)

Multiple Employment and Training Programs: Providing Information on Colocating Services and Consolidating Administrative Structures Could Promote Efficiencies

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Federally funded employment and training programs play an important role in helping job seekers obtain employment. The Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services (HHS) largely administer these programs. GAO's objectives were to determine: (1) whether the number of federal employment and training programs and funding for them have changed since our 2003 report, (2) what kinds of outcome measures the programs use and what is known about program effectiveness, (3) the extent to which the programs provide similar services to similar populations, (4) the extent to which duplication may exist among selected large programs, and (5) what options exist for increasing efficiencies among these programs. To address these objectives, GAO searched federal program lists, surveyed federal agency officials, reviewed relevant reports and studies, and interviewed officials in selected states."
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Residential Appraisals: Opportunities to Enhance Oversight of an Evolving Industry (open access)

Residential Appraisals: Opportunities to Enhance Oversight of an Evolving Industry

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Real estate valuations, which encompass appraisals and other estimation methods, have come under increased scrutiny in the wake of the recent mortgage crisis. The Dodd- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Act) mandated that GAO study the various valuation methods and the options available for selecting appraisers, as well as the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC), which established appraiser independence requirements for mortgages sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the enterprises). GAO examined (1) the use of different valuation methods, (2) factors affecting consumer costs for appraisals and appraisal disclosure requirements, and (3) conflict-of-interest and appraiser selection policies and views on their impact. To address these objectives, GAO analyzed government and industry data; reviewed academic and industry literature; examined federal policies and regulations, professional standards, and internal policies and procedures of lenders and appraisal management companies (AMC); and interviewed a broad range of industry participants and observers.."
Date: July 13, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
DOD Financial Management: Improvement Needed in DOD Components' Implementation of Audit Readiness Effort (open access)

DOD Financial Management: Improvement Needed in DOD Components' Implementation of Audit Readiness Effort

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) has been required to prepare audited annual financial statements since 1997 but to date, has not been able to meet this requirement. The National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2010 mandated that DOD be prepared to validate [certify] that its consolidated financial statements are audit-ready by September 30, 2017. In May 2010, DOD issued its Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness (FIAR) Guidance to provide a methodology for DOD components to follow to develop and implement their Financial Improvement Plans (FIPs) for achieving audit readiness. The DOD FIP is a framework for planning and tracking the steps and supporting documentation. GAO was asked to assess the FIP methodology provided in the FIAR Guidance, the development and implementation of selected components' FIPs, and DOD's monitoring and oversight of the FIP process. To do this, GAO analyzed the FIAR Guidance, reviewed two selected FIPs--Navy Civilian Pay and Air Force Military Equipment--and reviewed relevant documentation and interviewed DOD and component officials.."
Date: September 13, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Electronic Records Archive: National Archives Needs to Strengthen Its Capacity to Use Earned Value Techniques to Manage and Oversee Development (open access)

Electronic Records Archive: National Archives Needs to Strengthen Its Capacity to Use Earned Value Techniques to Manage and Oversee Development

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2001, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has been working to develop an Electronic Records Archive (ERA) to preserve and provide access to massive volumes and all types of electronic records. However, in acquiring this system, NARA has repeatedly revised the program schedule and increased the estimated costs for completion from $317 million to $567 million. NARA is to manage this acquisition using, among other things, earned value management (EVM). EVM is a project management approach that, if implemented appropriately, provides objective reports of project status and unbiased estimates of anticipated costs at completion. GAO was asked to (1) assess whether NARA is adequately using EVM techniques to manage the acquisition and (2) evaluate the earned value data to determine ERA's cost and schedule performance. To do so, GAO compared agency and contractor documentation with best practices, evaluated earned value data to determine performance trends, and interviewed cognizant officials."
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program: Assessing Use of Proxy Data Would Enhance Ability to Know If States Are Meeting Their Goals (open access)

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program: Assessing Use of Proxy Data Would Enhance Ability to Know If States Are Meeting Their Goals

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program aims to increase the participation of small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals--known as DBEs--in highway contracting. In 2009, U.S. DOT awarded, through state and local governments, about $4 billion to DBEs nationwide. State DOTs are required to establish DBE programs and implement them on federal-aid highway projects. This report responds to a congressional request to examine U.S. DOT's Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) oversight of state DOT DBE programs. It examines how FHWA (1) oversees state DOTs to ensure they implement their DBE programs according to applicable regulations, (2) assesses whether state DOTs have met their DBE goals, and (3) oversees organizations that certify businesses as DBEs. GAO analyzed FHWA data; reviewed relevant laws and regulations; and interviewed FHWA, and state DOT officials from five states, selected to obtain variation in, among other things, the methods state DOTs use to meet DBE goals.."
Date: October 13, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Information on the Rate of Sexual Violence in War-Torn Eastern DRC and Adjoining Countries (open access)

The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Information on the Rate of Sexual Violence in War-Torn Eastern DRC and Adjoining Countries

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Large numbers of civilians in war-torn areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been the victims of horrific violence, including rape, mutilation, and sexual slavery carried out by armed groups and others. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act mandated GAO to submit to appropriate congressional committees a report assessing the rate of sexual and gender-based violence in war-torn areas of the DRC and adjoining countries. This report aims to provide Congress with the best possible understanding of the most recent estimates of sexual violence in eastern DRC and adjoining countries as it considers the range of policy options available to address the alarming incidence of such violence in the region. This report identifies and assesses available information on sexual violence in war-torn eastern DRC and adjoining countries. GAO reviewed and analyzed reports, memorandums, and other documents and interviewed officials from the Department of State (State), other United States agencies, and the United Nations (UN), as well as researchers and representatives from nongovernmental organizations."
Date: July 13, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Additional Actions Needed to Strengthen Grants Management (open access)

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: Additional Actions Needed to Strengthen Grants Management

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "What GAO Found"
Date: December 13, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Foreign Assistance: Clearer Guidance Needed on Compliance Overseas with Legislation Prohibiting Abortion-Related Lobbying (open access)

Foreign Assistance: Clearer Guidance Needed on Compliance Overseas with Legislation Prohibiting Abortion-Related Lobbying

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Following a 2007 disputed election and widespread violence, Kenya reformed its constitution, which its voters approved in August 2010. The United States has provided over $18 million to support this process to date. GAO was asked to (1) describe any involvement that U.S. officials have had in Kenya's constitutional reform process relating to abortion; (2) describe any support that U.S.-funded award recipients and subrecipients have provided in Kenya's constitutional reform process relating to abortion; and (3) assess the extent to which agencies have developed and implemented guidance on compliance with the Siljander Amendment, which prohibits using certain assistance funds to lobby either for or against abortion. GAO analyzed documents and interviewed officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of State (State), award recipients and subrecipients, and the Kenyan government, and conducted an extensive media search."
Date: October 13, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Proprietary Trading: Regulators Will Need More Comprehensive Information to Fully Monitor Compliance with New Restrictions When Implemented (open access)

Proprietary Trading: Regulators Will Need More Comprehensive Information to Fully Monitor Compliance with New Restrictions When Implemented

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In addition to trading on behalf of customers, banks and their affiliates have conducted proprietary trading, using their own funds to profit from short-term price changes in asset markets. To restrain risk-taking and reduce the potential for federal support for banking entities, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the act) prohibits banking entities from engaging in certain proprietary trading. It also restricts investments in hedge funds, which actively trade in securities and other financial contracts, and private equity funds, which use debt financing to invest in companies or other lessliquid assets. Regulators must implement these restrictions by October 2011. As required by Section 989 of the act, GAO reviewed (1) what is known about the risks associated with such activities and the potential effects of the restrictions and (2) how regulators oversee such activities. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed the trading and fund investment activities of the largest U.S. bank holding companies and collected selected data on their profits, losses, and risk measures. GAO also reviewed regulators' examinations and other materials related to the oversight of the largest bank holding companies."
Date: July 13, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service (open access)

Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service

This report discusses Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemembers (UCX), which provides income support while former active duty military personnel or reservists released from active duty search for work. The report addresses funding for this service, who is entitled to UCX benefits, and Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) and the Extended Benefits (EB) payments, which a servicemember receives when regular unemployment benefits are exhausted.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: Whittaker, Julie M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Report that details the Obama Administration's proposed Fiscal Year 2010 defense budget requests for F-35 program funding and outlines the issues that Congress must consider when deciding whether to approve, reject, or modify the administration's funding requests.
Date: January 13, 2011
Creator: Gertler, Jeremiah
System: The UNT Digital Library