Abortion: Judicial History and Legislative Response (open access)

Abortion: Judicial History and Legislative Response

The focus of this report is on legislative actions with respect to abortion, but also discusses leading Supreme Court decisions concerning a woman's right to choose.
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: Shimabukuro, Jon O.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bank Failures and the FDIC (open access)

Bank Failures and the FDIC

This In Focus introduces the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporations (FDIC's) process for resolving failing FDIC insured banks.
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: Gnanarajah, Raj
System: The UNT Digital Library
Child Welfare: An Overview of Federal Programs and Their Current Funding (open access)

Child Welfare: An Overview of Federal Programs and Their Current Funding

This report provides information about An Overview of Federal Programs and Their Current Funding on Child Welfare.
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: Stoltzfus, Emilie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Employees' Retirement System: Summary of Recent Trends (open access)

Federal Employees' Retirement System: Summary of Recent Trends

This report describes recent trends in the characteristics of annuitants and current employees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) as well as the financial status of the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF).
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Options to Manage the Growth in the Disability Insurance Rolls (open access)

Options to Manage the Growth in the Disability Insurance Rolls

None
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
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: January 23, 2015
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security’s Effect on Child Poverty (open access)

Social Security’s Effect on Child Poverty

None
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and the Role of Congress in Trade Policy (open access)

Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and the Role of Congress in Trade Policy

This report presents background and analysis on the development of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which expired on July 1, 2007. The report also includes a summary of the major provisions under the recently expired authority and a discussion of the issues that have arisen in the debate over TPA renewal, as well as policy options available to Congress.
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: Fergusson, Ian F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-EU Cooperation on Ukraine and Russia (open access)

U.S.-EU Cooperation on Ukraine and Russia

This report discusses the United States, and European Union policies with Russia in response to the crisis in Ukraine.
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: Archick, Kristin & Mix, Derek E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S.-Mexico Water Sharing: Background and Recent Developments (open access)

U.S.-Mexico Water Sharing: Background and Recent Developments

This report is a primer on U.S. and Mexican water-sharing topics. It focuses on surface water quantity sharing and recent developments, including drought conditions. Due to Mexico's recent below-target deliveries of Rio Grande water to the United States, particular attention is given to the status, underlying causes, and responses to the Rio Grande water delivery shortfalls. This report describes: legal obligations and processes under the 1944 Water Treaty; drought conditions from 2010 to 2013; water sharing and developments in the Colorado River Basin; water sharing in the Rio Grande Basin and Mexico's water delivery shortfalls and stakeholder, diplomatic, and legislative responses to the rate of Mexico's Rio Grande water deliveries.
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: Carter, Nicole T.; Ribando Seelke, Clare & Shedd, Daniel T.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Wartime Detention Provisions in Recent Defense Authorization Legislation (open access)

Wartime Detention Provisions in Recent Defense Authorization Legislation

This report offers a brief background of the salient issues and provides a section-by-section analysis of the detainee provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2012. It also discusses executive interpretation and implementation of the Act's mandatory military detention provision. Finally, it addresses detainee provisions in the 2013 NDAA, the 2014 NDAA, and the 2015 NDAA.
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: Elsea, Jennifer K. & Garcia, Michael J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Water Resource Issues in the 114th Congress (open access)

Water Resource Issues in the 114th Congress

None
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Water Resource Issues in the 114th Congress (open access)

Water Resource Issues in the 114th Congress

This report discusses recent congressional activity and possible topics for the 114th Congress. It provides an overview of the federal role in water resources development, management, and protection, with a focus on projects of the two major federal water resources agencies--Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps--and related legislation.
Date: January 23, 2015
Creator: Cody, Betsy A.; Stern, Charles V. & Carter, Nicole T.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Climate Change Adaptation by Federal Agencies: An Analysis of Plans and Issues for Congress (open access)

Climate Change Adaptation by Federal Agencies: An Analysis of Plans and Issues for Congress

This report reviews current actions (as of January 2015) of selected federal departments and agencies to adapt their own missions, infrastructure, operations, and personnel to projected climate change.
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Leggett, Jane A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Climate Change Adaptation by Federal Agencies: An Analysis of Plans and Issues for Congress (open access)

Climate Change Adaptation by Federal Agencies: An Analysis of Plans and Issues for Congress

This report reviews current actions (as of January 2015) of selected federal departments and agencies to adapt their own missions, infrastructure, operations, and personnel to projected climate change plans.
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Leggett, Jane A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Disclosure of International Travel by Congress (open access)

Disclosure of International Travel by Congress

None
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric
System: The UNT Digital Library
Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress (open access)

Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress

This report discusses domestic human trafficking-related issues that have received legislative action or are of significant interest in the 114th Congress.
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Finklea, Kristin; Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L. & Siskin, Alison
System: The UNT Digital Library
Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress (open access)

Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress

This report discusses domestic human trafficking-related issues that have received legislative action or are of significant interest in the 114th Congress.
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Finklea, Kristin; Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L. & Siskin, Alison
System: The UNT Digital Library
Enforcement of Congressional Rules of Conduct: A Historical Overview (open access)

Enforcement of Congressional Rules of Conduct: A Historical Overview

This report describes the evolution of congressional enforcement of congressional rules of conduct and summarizes the disciplinary action taken by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct and the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. It also discusses the recommendations of the House Special Task Force on Ethics and related proposals as well as selected other recent changes.
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
ESEA Reauthorization Proposals in the 114th Congress: Selected Key Issues (open access)

ESEA Reauthorization Proposals in the 114th Congress: Selected Key Issues

This report examines major features of H.R. 5 with respect to current law. It begins by discussing the approach that H.R. 5 takes toward reshaping the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in key areas. Next, the report considers the ESEA by title and part to examine how the ESEA would be reconfigured under H.R. 5, followed by an examination of proposed program authorizations included in H.R. 5.
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Skinner, Rebecca R. & Kuenzi, Jeffrey J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Excise Tax on Motor Fuels and the Highway Trust Fund: Current Law and Legislative History (open access)

The Federal Excise Tax on Motor Fuels and the Highway Trust Fund: Current Law and Legislative History

None
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Lowry, Sean
System: The UNT Digital Library
Government Contracts: Basic Legal Principles (open access)

Government Contracts: Basic Legal Principles

Report covering legal aspects of government contracts, including procurement contracts, non-procurement contracts, concession contracts, public/private partnerships, intergovernmental agreements, and other arrangements.
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Manuel, Kate M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Key Legal Requirements for Executive Agencies in Entering Procurement Contracts (open access)

Key Legal Requirements for Executive Agencies in Entering Procurement Contracts

None
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Legal Authorities Governing Federal Contracting and Subcontracting with Small Businesses (open access)

Legal Authorities Governing Federal Contracting and Subcontracting with Small Businesses

This report provides an overview of the various legal authorities governing small business contracting and subcontracting, as well as the relationship between them. It also explains the roles of the Small Business Administration (SBA), procuring activities, Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA), Government Accountability Office (GAO), and other tribunals in implementing and construing the law governing federal contracting and subcontracting with small businesses.
Date: February 23, 2015
Creator: Manuel, Kate M. & Lunder, Erika K.
System: The UNT Digital Library