CRS Report for Congress entailing information about changes being made to the law because of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). Topics include, eligibility by jurisdiction, safeguarding, evaluation and Individualized Education Programs (IEPS), etc..

The issue of women’s rights in Iraq has taken on new relevance, following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, efforts to reconstruct Iraq, and recent elections for a Transitional National Assembly (TNA). Over the past three years, the Bush Administration has reiterated its interest in ensuring that Iraqi women participate in politics and ongoing reconstruction efforts in Iraq. There has also been a widening debate regarding the extent to which the U.S.-led reconstruction efforts have been able to enhance women’s rights in Iraq and encourage their participation in Iraq’s governing institutions.

This report is one of a series that profiles the emergency management and homeland security statutory authorities of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and three territories (American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Each profile identifies the more significant elements of state statutes, generally as codified. This report focuses on the state of Tennessee.

This report is one of a series that profiles the emergency management and homeland security statutory authorities of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and three territories (American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Each profile identifies the more significant elements of state statutes, generally as codified. This report focuses on the state of Texas.

This report is one of a series that profiles the emergency management and homeland security statutory authorities of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and three territories (American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Each profile identifies the more significant elements of state statutes, generally as codified. This report focuses on the state of Utah.

This report is one of a series that profiles the emergency management and homeland security statutory authorities of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and three territories (American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Each profile identifies the more significant elements of state statutes, generally as codified. This report focuses on the state of Virginia.

The article summarizes the deficiency in the Army's budget as tensions rose in Iraq in 2004. Moreover, the report includes monthly data on the cost of military action in Iraq and recommends the gathering of further data to better assess the cost. Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated a budget shortfall of 4 billion dollars, and explained that the Department of Defense (DOD) was assessing if further funds would be needed.

The term "unfunded mandates" generally refers to requirements that a unit of government imposes without providing funds to pay for costs of compliance. The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) establishes mechanisms to limit federal imposition of unfunded mandates on other levels of government and on the private sector. This report provides a summary of UMRA and any related issues.

Aerial refueling aircraft are key to military air operations. The U.S. tanker fleet is numerous and effective, but old. Modernizing or replacing the current fleet of tankers presents the Department of Defense (DOD) with difficult choices in terms of desired capabilities, force structure, and budget. The Air Force’s proposal to lease 100 Boeing 767 aircraft to replace it’s KC-135E fleet is controversial.

The Air Force has expressed interest in developing a bomber variant of the F/A-22 Raptor to “bridge the gap” between today’s bombers and a follow-on bomber in 2037. Questions exist regarding the FB-22’s feasibility, cost, and combat potential.

This report is a companion to CRS Report RL32388, General Management Laws: Major Themes and Management Policy Options. In combination, these reports have three main objectives: (1) to identify and describe the major management laws under which the executive branch of the federal government is required to operate, including their rationale, design, and scope; (2) to assist Members of Congress and their staff in oversight of executive branch management; and (3) to help Congress when considering potential changes to the management laws themselves, as well as other legislation, including authorization statutes and appropriations.

This report focuses on major themes -- and possible policy options for Congress -- that emerge when the general management laws are viewed together, as a whole. The report also describes historical context of the roles that Congress and the President play in managing the executive branch, and compares management in the public and private sectors.

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This report discusses concerns over financing federal elections, such as political action committees (PACs) and proposed reforms to campaign finance.

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This report provides information on how one widely cited study was developed to illustrate the complexities associated with this type of analysis. The report also provides information on how OMB's estimates of aggregate federal regulatory costs were developed and have varied over time, and on estimates that have been made of aggregate regulatory costs need to be interpreted and used carefully.

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Sub-Saharan Africa has been far more severely affected by AIDS than any other part of the world. The United Nations reports that 26.6 million adults and children are infected with the HIV virus in the region, which has about 10% of the world's population but more than two-thirds of the worldwide total of infected people. This report discusses this issue in detail, including the cause of the African AIDS epidemic, the social and economic consequences, response and treatment, and U.S. policy.

Appropriations are one part of a complex federal budget process that includes budget resolutions appropriations bills, recessions, and budget reconciliation bills. The process begins with the President's budget request and it bounded by the rules of the House and Senate, the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990, and current program authorizations. This report is a guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress passes each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Energy and Water. It summarizes the current legislative status of the bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related legislative activity. The report lists the key CRS staff relevant to the issues covered and related CRS products.

This report discusses Final Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rules on Retiree Health Plans and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

This report provides information about The 2003 Treaty on Extradition Between the United States and Great Britain where the treaty proved controversially before the senate would give its contest it insisted upon modifications, some quite unusual.

This report summarizes the current developments in U.S-PRC relations, including current and pending congressional actions involving the PRC. It also points out U.S. Policy Trends and Key Issues in U.S- PRC Relations.

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