Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations (open access)

Saudi Arabia: Background and U.S. Relations

This report discusses the current state of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its relationship with the United States, and future initiatives to further develop U.S.-Saudi relations.
Date: February 12, 2014
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Programs (open access)

Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Programs

This report analyzes the special immigrant visa (SIV) classifications for Iraqis and Afghans within the context of both the larger Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) special immigrant category and selected other permanent admissions categories. It discusses the legislative changes to the individual Iraqi and Afghan special immigrant programs since their initial authorization, provides statistics on visa issuance, and considers challenges facing the programs today.
Date: September 12, 2014
Creator: Bruno, Andorra
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2014 Farm Bill (P.L. 113-79): Summary and Side-by-Side (open access)

The 2014 Farm Bill (P.L. 113-79): Summary and Side-by-Side

This report provides various summaries of the 2014 Farm Bill such as but not limited to: conservation, trade, and nutrition. The report also describes the insurance and disaster relief provisions implemented within the bill. The report also summarizes the budgetary philosophy when constructing the bill and the estimated cost of it.
Date: February 12, 2014
Creator: Chite, Ralph M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Help America Vote Act and Election Administration: Overview and Issues (open access)

The Help America Vote Act and Election Administration: Overview and Issues

This report discusses the Help America Vote Act (HAVA; P.L. 107-252) enacted in 2002. It provides background information about HAVA and its provisions, the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), funding for the agency and for state programs to improve elections, and a number of enduring election administration issues.
Date: March 12, 2014
Creator: Coleman, Kevin J. & Fischer, Eric A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
S. 1961 and H.R. 4024: Legislative Responses to a Chemical Storage Facility Spill (open access)

S. 1961 and H.R. 4024: Legislative Responses to a Chemical Storage Facility Spill

From Summary: "This report describes and analyzes H.R. 4024 and S. 1961, as reported. The bill share a number of broadly similar provisions-both would direct states or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish programs to prevent and respond to releases from chemical storage facilities (H.R. 4024) or tanks (S. 1961) located near drinking water sources-but they take different approaches to doing so; S. 1961 would make programmatic changes by amending the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), while H.R. 4024 would amend the Clean Water Act (CWA)."
Date: August 12, 2014
Creator: Copeland, Claudia & Tiemann, Mary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues (open access)

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues

This report examines debates regarding what constitutes an "unfunded federal mandate" and the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995's (UMRA) implementation, requirements, and costs. It also assesses UMRA's impact on federal mandates and arguments concerning UMRA's future.
Date: June 12, 2014
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay & Beth, Richard S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

None
Date: March 12, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene
System: The UNT Digital Library
Work Requirements, Time Limits, and Work Incentives in TANF, SNAP, and Housing Assistance (open access)

Work Requirements, Time Limits, and Work Incentives in TANF, SNAP, and Housing Assistance

None
Date: February 12, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene; McCarty, Maggie & Aussenberg, Randy Alison
System: The UNT Digital Library
Health Insurance Premium Credits in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) (open access)

Health Insurance Premium Credits in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)

This report describes the eligibility criteria applicable to the premium tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies, and the calculation method for the credit and subsidy amounts. It also highlights selected issues addressed in the final regulation on premium credits.
Date: March 12, 2014
Creator: Fernandez, Bernadette
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Laws Relating to Cybersecurity: Overview of Major Issues, Current Laws, and Proposed Legislation (open access)

Federal Laws Relating to Cybersecurity: Overview of Major Issues, Current Laws, and Proposed Legislation

This report discusses that framework and proposals, starting with the 111th Congress, to amend more than 30 acts of Congress that are part of or relevant to it.
Date: December 12, 2014
Creator: Fischer, Eric A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Access to Broadband Networks: The Net Neutrality Debate (open access)

Access to Broadband Networks: The Net Neutrality Debate

This report discusses the continued debate amongst congressional policymakers regarding telecommunications reform. A major point of the ongoing discussion is whether action is needed to ensure unfettered access to the Internet.
Date: June 12, 2014
Creator: Gilroy, Angele A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Access to Broadband Networks: The Net Neutrality Debate (open access)

Access to Broadband Networks: The Net Neutrality Debate

This report discusses the current debate over "net neutrality." While there is no single accepted definition of "net neutrality," most agree that any such definition should include the general principles that owners of the networks that compose and provide access to the Internet should not control how consumers lawfully use that network, and they should not be able to discriminate against content provider access to that network.
Date: March 12, 2014
Creator: Gilroy, Angele A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cash Versus Accrual Basis of Accounting: An Introduction (open access)

Cash Versus Accrual Basis of Accounting: An Introduction

This report introduces the difference between cash and accrual methods by providing an overview of concepts and theories that underlie these accounting methods. It then explores these concepts through the business cycle of a fictitious small business and how the basis of accounting would affect the financial condition of the business.
Date: December 12, 2014
Creator: Gnanarajah, Raj
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Overview of Accreditation of Higher Education in the United States (open access)

An Overview of Accreditation of Higher Education in the United States

None
Date: December 12, 2014
Creator: Hegji, Alexandra
System: The UNT Digital Library
Constitutional Points of Order in the Senate (open access)

Constitutional Points of Order in the Senate

This report explains Senate rules, precedents, and practices in regard to constitutional points of order that are not ruled on by the presiding officer but is instead submitted to the Senate for its decision, including an analysis of recent cases in which such a point of order has been raised, and will be updated as events warrant. The report identifies 16 constitutional points of order that have been raised and received a Senate vote since 1989. Ten of these cases were disposed of negatively.
Date: November 12, 2014
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism (open access)

Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism

This report provides background information regarding the prison population in the United States that has been growing steadily for more than 30 years. The report presents correctional system statistics and discusses the federal government's involvement in offender reentry programs and the Second Chance Act (P.L. 110-199) that was enacted on April 9, 2008.
Date: June 12, 2014
Creator: James, Nathan
System: The UNT Digital Library
What Is the Farm Bill? (open access)

What Is the Farm Bill?

This report describes the Farm Bill (P.L. 110-246, Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008), which was enacted into law on June 18, 2008.
Date: March 12, 2014
Creator: Johnson, Renée
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2014 Farm Bill (Agricultural Act of 2014, P.L. 113-79) (open access)

The 2014 Farm Bill (Agricultural Act of 2014, P.L. 113-79)

This report briefly informs the reader about what the Farm Bill of 2014 is, what is at stake, and the cost of it. The report also includes information about the involvement of interest groups and the effect the Farm Bill has on food issues.
Date: March 12, 2014
Creator: Johnson, Renée & Monke, Jim
System: The UNT Digital Library
Guam: U.S. Defense Deployments (open access)

Guam: U.S. Defense Deployments

This report mainly discusses about the U.S. Defense Deployments on Guam. The U.S military is building up forces on he U.S territory of Guam to maintain deterrence and war fighting capabilities for possible reason to disaster.
Date: December 12, 2014
Creator: Kan, Shirley A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-China Military Contacts: Issues for Congress (open access)

U.S.-China Military Contacts: Issues for Congress

This report discusses policy issues regarding military-to-military contacts with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and provides a record of major contacts and crises since 1993. The first part of this report discusses policy issues regarding such contacts. The second part provides a record of such contacts since 1993, when the United States resumed exchanges after suspending them in response to the Tiananmen Crackdown in 1989.
Date: June 12, 2014
Creator: Kan, Shirley A.
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, and the Afghan government. It 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.
Date: May 12, 2014
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
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 and the Afghan government. It 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.
Date: May 12, 2014
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
The "Islamic State" Crisis and U.S. Policy (open access)

The "Islamic State" Crisis and U.S. Policy

This report examines the current crisis in Iraq regarding the Islamic State, a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group that has expanded its control over areas of parts of Iraq and Syria since 2013. There is debate over the degree to which the Islamic State organization might represent a direct terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland or to U.S. facilities and personnel in the region.
Date: November 12, 2014
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth; Blanchard, Christopher M.; Humud, Carla E.; Margesson, Rhoda; Tiersky, Alex & Weed, Matthew C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Delayed Federal Grant Closeout: Issues and Impact (open access)

Delayed Federal Grant Closeout: Issues and Impact

This report is designed to assist Congress in its oversight of federal grants-in-aid programs by providing a summary of relevant laws, processes, and authorities. The report analyzes the causes of undisbursed grant funds in expired grant accounts and presents congressional options to reform federal grant administration to increase the timeliness, reliability, and comprehensiveness of grant management-related information.
Date: September 12, 2014
Creator: Keegan, Natalie
System: The UNT Digital Library