Congressional Efforts to Amend Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (open access)

Congressional Efforts to Amend Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

This report examines selected differences between the House and the Senate legislation that would amend Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA; 15 U.S.C. 2601-2629). Title I of TSCA is the principal federal statute that applies to the regulation of the lifecycle of commercial chemicals from their manufacture (defined to include importation) to disposal if elements of the lifecycle are found to present unreasonable risks.
Date: March 30, 2016
Creator: Yen, Jerry H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Shift in the International Security Environment: Potential Implications for Defense--Issues for Congress (open access)

A Shift in the International Security Environment: Potential Implications for Defense--Issues for Congress

This report briefly describes the shift in the international security environment that some observers believe has occurred, and identifies some defense related issues for Congress that could arise from it. Congress's decisions on these issues could have significant implications for U.S. defense capabilities and funding requirements.
Date: March 30, 2016
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cybersecurity: Legislation, Hearings, and Executive Branch Documents (open access)

Cybersecurity: Legislation, Hearings, and Executive Branch Documents

This report provides links to cybersecurity-related committee hearings in the 112th, 113th, and 114th Congresses. It also provides a list of executive orders and presidential directives pertaining to information and computer security.
Date: March 30, 2016
Creator: Tehan, Rita
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fact Sheet: FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) DOD Reform Proposals (open access)

Fact Sheet: FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) DOD Reform Proposals

This report discusses information on extant Department of Defense (DOD) reform proposals being considered during the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act debates. As such, it includes key provisions incorporated in H.R. 4909, the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) reported by the House Armed Services Committee on May 4, 2016 (H.Rept. 114-537), and S. 2943, the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act reported by the Senate Armed Services Committee on May 18, 2016 (S.Rept. 114-255). Wherever possible, it also includes the Administration's views.
Date: June 30, 2016
Creator: McInnis, Kathleen J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare Financial Status: In Brief (open access)

Medicare Financial Status: In Brief

This report provides an overview on Medicare, discussing its various components and sources of funding. It also examines projections for spending within the program.
Date: June 30, 2016
Creator: Davis, Patricia A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Economic Growth Slower Than Previous 10 Expansions (open access)

Economic Growth Slower Than Previous 10 Expansions

This report briefly discusses the recent pace of economic growth in the United States. A recent poll found that nearly 60% of U.S. adults believe that the economy is performing poorly. Although this expansion is already the fourth longest since the 1850's (34 quarters to date), the slow pace of economic growth means the overall gains have been relatively small.
Date: June 30, 2016
Creator: Stupak, Jeffrey M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Senate Action on U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations During the Eighth Year of a Presidency (open access)

Senate Action on U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations During the Eighth Year of a Presidency

This report discusses the process by which lower federal court judges are nominated by the President and approved by the Senate during the final year of a presidency. The eighth year of a presidency is significant, in part, because it is the final opportunity for a President to appoint individuals as U.S. circuit and district court judges.
Date: June 30, 2016
Creator: McMillion, Barry J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Mexico: Background and U.S. Relations (open access)

Mexico: Background and U.S. Relations

This report provides an overview of political and economic conditions in Mexico, followed by assessments of some key issues of congressional interest in Mexico: security and foreign aid, extraditions, human rights, trade, migration, energy, education, and water issues.
Date: March 30, 2016
Creator: Ribando Seelke, Clare
System: The UNT Digital Library
Human-Induced Earthquakes from Deep-Well Injection: A Brief Overview (open access)

Human-Induced Earthquakes from Deep-Well Injection: A Brief Overview

This report reviews the current scientific understanding of induced seismicity, primarily in the context of Class II oil and gas wastewater disposal wells. The report also outlines the regulatory framework for these injection wells, and identifies several federal and state initiatives responding to recent events of induced seismicity associated with Class II disposal.
Date: September 30, 2016
Creator: Folger, Peter & Tiemann, Mary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy Policy: 114th Congress Issues (open access)

Energy Policy: 114th Congress Issues

This report begins by providing background on the economic rationale for energy market interventions; it highlights various market failures production and consumption of energy, and discusses possible interventions. The report concludes with an analysis of the current status of energy tax policy.
Date: September 30, 2016
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Statutorily Required Federal Advisory Committees that Began Operations in FY2015 (open access)

Statutorily Required Federal Advisory Committees that Began Operations in FY2015

This report discusses the establishment of the federal advisory committees--sometimes called task forces, panels, commissions, working groups, boards, councils, or conferences.
Date: September 30, 2016
Creator: Ginsberg, Wendy & Burgat, Casey
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cuba: Issues for the 114th Congress (open access)

Cuba: Issues for the 114th Congress

This report is divided into three major sections analyzing Cuba's political and economic environment, U.S. policy, and selected issues in U.S.-Cuban relations. Legislative initiatives in the 114th Congress are noted throughout the report, and four appendixes provide a listing of enacted measures, bills receiving some action in 2015, bills seeing action in 2016, and additional bills and resolution this Congress.
Date: June 30, 2016
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Zika Response Funding: Request and Congressional Action (open access)

Zika Response Funding: Request and Congressional Action

This report presents the Administration's request for supplemental appropriations for the Zika response. It includes sections outlining Congressional actions, the emergency supplemental appropriations request for Zika response efforts -- by both U.S. health and human services agencies and international assistance programs -- and information about unobligated Ebola response funds.
Date: September 30, 2016
Creator: Epstein, Susan B. & Lister, Sarah A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Internships, Fellowships, and Other Work Experience Opportunities in the Federal Government (open access)

Internships, Fellowships, and Other Work Experience Opportunities in the Federal Government

This report describes Internet resources on major internship, fellowship, and work experience programs within the federal government. It is intended as a selective guide for students of all levels: high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate.
Date: September 30, 2016
Creator: Bailey, Christina M. & Manning, Jennifer E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
TPP: American Agriculture and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement (open access)

TPP: American Agriculture and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement

This report identifies four considerations about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement that are particularly relevant for U.S. food and agriculture. It includes a partial snapshot of some of the higher-profile improvements in market access for agricultural products in the agreement, a summary of selected provisions beyond market access that are of interest to food and agriculture, a brief overview of industry reactions to the agreement, and a review of what would need to occur for the agreement to enter into force for the United States.
Date: August 30, 2016
Creator: McMinimy, Mark A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Saudi Military Campaign in Yemen Draws Congressional Attention to U.S. Arms Sales (open access)

Saudi Military Campaign in Yemen Draws Congressional Attention to U.S. Arms Sales

This report discusses the U.S.-Saudi military cooperation and the legislation seeking to condition or prohibit the sale or transfer of certain munitions after reports of Yemeni civilian casualties resulting from Saudi-led coalition military operations in Yemen
Date: August 30, 2016
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.; Sharp, Jeremy M. & Kerr, Paul K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Legislative Options in the 114th Congress for Financing Water Infrastructure (open access)

Legislative Options in the 114th Congress for Financing Water Infrastructure

This report addresses several options considered by Congress to address the financing needs of local communities for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects and to decrease or close the gap between available funds and projected needs.
Date: December 30, 2016
Creator: Copeland, Claudia; Maguire, Steven & Mallett, William J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
EPA Regulations: Too Much, Too Little, or On Track? (open access)

EPA Regulations: Too Much, Too Little, or On Track?

This report provides background information on EPA regulatory activity during the Obama Administration. It examines major or controversial regulatory actions taken by or under development at EPA from January 2009 to late 2016, providing details on the regulatory action itself, presenting an estimated timeline for completion of rules not yet promulgated (including identification of related court or statutory deadlines), and, in general, providing EPA's estimates of costs and benefits, where available.
Date: December 30, 2016
Creator: McCarthy, James E. & Copeland, Claudia
System: The UNT Digital Library
Army and Marine Corps Active Protection System (APS) Efforts (open access)

Army and Marine Corps Active Protection System (APS) Efforts

This report discusses the Active Protection Systems (APSs), which is a subsystems integrated into or installed on a combat vehicle to automatically acquire, track, and respond with hard or soft kill capabilities to a variety of threats, including rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).
Date: August 30, 2016
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
System: The UNT Digital Library