Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier (CVN) Homeporting at Mayport: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier (CVN) Homeporting at Mayport: Background and Issues for Congress

On January 14, 2009, the Navy announced that it wants to transfer one of its nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs) to the Navy home port at Mayport, FL, known formally as Naval Station (NAVSTA) Mayport. The Navy's proposed FY2010 budget requests $46.3 million in Military Construction (MilCon) funding for channel dredging at Mayport. The Navy states that a key reason it wants to transfer a CVN to Mayport is to hedge against the risk of a catastrophic event that could damage the Navy's CVN homeporting facilities at Norfolk, VA, and nearby Newport News, VA. This report discusses potential questions for Congress to consider related to budget appropriations for such a transfer, the potential negative economic effects that a CVN transfer would have on the local homeport, and the other general questions regarding the Navy.
Date: June 19, 2009
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA): A Summary (open access)

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA): A Summary

This report summarizes the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to- Know Act (EPCRA) and the major regulatory programs that mandate reporting by industrial facilities of releases of hazardous chemicals to the environment, as well as local planning to respond in the event of significant, accidental releases.
Date: March 19, 2008
Creator: Schierow, Linda-Jo
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: History, Perspectives, and Issues (open access)

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve: History, Perspectives, and Issues

This report offers a brief history of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. It discusses the establishment of a regional home heating oil reserve and addresses the question when the SPR should be used.
Date: September 19, 2008
Creator: Bamberger, Robert
System: The UNT Digital Library
Specialty Crops: 2008 Farm Bill Issues (open access)

Specialty Crops: 2008 Farm Bill Issues

This report discusses the provisions for specialty crops (fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery crops) in the 2008 farm bill (P.L. 110-246, Food, Conservation, and Energy Act). Specialty crops are not eligible for direct support under USDA's farm commodity price and income support programs. Federal policies on trade, conservation, credit, marketing programs, domestic food assistance, and research also all affect the specialty crop sector.
Date: June 19, 2008
Creator: Rawson, Jean M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Earthquakes: Risk, Monitoring, Notification, and Research (open access)

Earthquakes: Risk, Monitoring, Notification, and Research

This report describes estimates of earthquake hazards and risk in the United States, the current federal programs that support earthquake monitoring and that provide notification after a seismic event, and the programs that support mitigation and research aimed at reducing U.S. vulnerability to earthquakes.
Date: June 19, 2008
Creator: Folger, Peter
System: The UNT Digital Library
Comparison of the 2008 Farm Bill Conference Agreement with the House and Senate Farm Bills (open access)

Comparison of the 2008 Farm Bill Conference Agreement with the House and Senate Farm Bills

This report compares the major provisions in the House- and Senate-passed bills and the conference agreement with each other and with the 2002 law, and provides a brief description of all individual sections or subsections within each title.
Date: June 19, 2008
Creator: Johnson, Renée; Becker, Geoffrey S.; Richardson, Joe; Marples, Donald J. & Jickling, Mark
System: The UNT Digital Library
The 2008 Farm Bill: A Summary of Major Provisions and Legislative Action (open access)

The 2008 Farm Bill: A Summary of Major Provisions and Legislative Action

The report discusses the 2008 farm bill (H.R. 2419), covering a wide range of programs including The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, farm credit, agricultural conservation, research, rural development, and foreign and domestic food programs, among others.
Date: June 19, 2008
Creator: Johnson, Renée; Becker, Geoffrey S. & Capehart, Tom
System: The UNT Digital Library
Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles: Issues in Congress (open access)

Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technology Vehicles: Issues in Congress

This report provides an overview of an omnibus energy legislation (H.R. 6), including revisions made and a history of the legislation.
Date: April 19, 2005
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Spectrum Management: Auctions (open access)

Spectrum Management: Auctions

This report discusses the radio frequency spectrum that is used for all forms of wireless communications, including cellular telephony, paging, personal communications service, radio and television broadcast, telephone radio relay, aeronautical and maritime radio navigation, and satellite command and control. The issues discussed here refer principally to spectrum management for terrestrial technologies.
Date: July 19, 2007
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Services and General Government (FSGG): FY2009 Appropriations (open access)

Financial Services and General Government (FSGG): FY2009 Appropriations

None
Date: November 19, 2008
Creator: Hatch, Garrett L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal R&D Funding Under a Continuing Resolution (open access)

Federal R&D Funding Under a Continuing Resolution

This report expressed growing concerns about America's ability to compete in the technological global market place.
Date: January 19, 2007
Creator: Davey, Michael E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD): FY2008 Appropriations (open access)

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD): FY2008 Appropriations

This report is a guide to one of the regular appropriations bills that Congress considers each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the Subcommittees on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. It summarizes the current legislative status of the bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related legislative activity.
Date: June 19, 2007
Creator: Peterman, David R. & Frittelli, John
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation Legislation in the 107th Congress (open access)

Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation Legislation in the 107th Congress

None
Date: September 19, 2001
Creator: Sissine, Fred
System: The UNT Digital Library
Avoiding Gridlock in the Skies: Issues and Options for Addressing Growth in Air Traffic (open access)

Avoiding Gridlock in the Skies: Issues and Options for Addressing Growth in Air Traffic

The report discusses the factors affecting airport and airspace capacity, Impact of Under-capacity on flight Operations and Impact on congestion on aviation safety.
Date: January 19, 2006
Creator: Elias, Bart
System: The UNT Digital Library
Functional Categories of the Federal Budget (open access)

Functional Categories of the Federal Budget

None
Date: August 19, 2008
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Flexible Spending Accounts and Medical Savings Accounts: A Comparison (open access)

Flexible Spending Accounts and Medical Savings Accounts: A Comparison

None
Date: September 19, 2002
Creator: Lyke, Bob & Peterson, Chris L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fuel Ethanol: Background and Public Policy Issues (open access)

Fuel Ethanol: Background and Public Policy Issues

This report provides background and discussion of policy issues relating to U.S. ethanol production, especially ethanol made from corn.
Date: October 19, 2006
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Fees: Legislation and Issues (open access)

Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Fees: Legislation and Issues

This report discusses the fees associated with automated teller machines (ATMs) that was increased as a result of a 1996 Visa U.S.A. and MasterCard International decision.
Date: April 19, 2001
Creator: Smale, Pauline
System: The UNT Digital Library
Campaign Finance Law: The Supreme Court Upholds Key Provisions of BCRA in McConnell v. FEC (open access)

Campaign Finance Law: The Supreme Court Upholds Key Provisions of BCRA in McConnell v. FEC

This report discusses the Supreme Court's decision in McConnell v. FEC. The court upheld against facial constitutional challenges key portions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), (P.L. 107-155, commonly known as the McCain-Feingold or Shays-Meehan campaign finance reform law).
Date: December 19, 2003
Creator: Whitaker, L. Paige
System: The UNT Digital Library
Amendments in the Senate: Types and Forms (open access)

Amendments in the Senate: Types and Forms

The amending process is central to the consideration of legislation by the Senate. This report briefly describes the various types of amendments that take place in the Senate.
Date: May 19, 2003
Creator: Saturno, James V.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Automobile and Light Truck Fuel Economy: The CAFE Standards (open access)

Automobile and Light Truck Fuel Economy: The CAFE Standards

On April 6, 2006, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a final rulemaking for sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and light duty trucks beginning with model year (MY) 2008. The rule restructures the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program for light trucks to establish standards based upon vehicle size, as opposed to the current program with one average standard for all light trucks. It marks a significant change to the CAFE program for trucks.
Date: January 19, 2007
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D. & Bamberger, Robert
System: The UNT Digital Library
Highway Finance: RABA’s Double-edged Sword (open access)

Highway Finance: RABA’s Double-edged Sword

This report discusses a possible reduction in federal highway program spending. Congress has chosen to overrule provisions of law that would have reduced the FY2003 spending level to $23.2 billion, and has instead settled on $31.8 billion, the same as the FY2002 level.
Date: May 19, 2003
Creator: Fischer, John W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Executive Orders: Issuance and Revocation (open access)

Executive Orders: Issuance and Revocation

Executive orders and proclamations are used extensively by Presidents to achieve policy goals, set uniform standards for managing the Executive Branch, or outline a policy view intended to influence the behavior of private citizens. The Constitution does not define these presidential instruments, and does not explicitly vest the President with the authority to issue them. Nonetheless, such orders are accepted as an inherent aspect of presidential power, and, if based on appropriate authority, they have the force and effect of law. This report discusses the nature of executive orders and proclamations, with a focus on the scope of presidential authority to execute such instruments and judicial and congressional responses thereto.
Date: March 19, 2001
Creator: Halstead, T. J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pesticide Registration and Tolerance Fees: An Overview (open access)

Pesticide Registration and Tolerance Fees: An Overview

This report provides a historical overview of federal authority regarding pesticide fees, including the amount of fee revenues collected over time, and summarizes the key elements of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) and the revisions reflected in PRIA 2.
Date: December 19, 2005
Creator: Esworthy, Robert
System: The UNT Digital Library