Energy Policy: 113th Congress Issues (open access)

Energy Policy: 113th Congress Issues

This report discusses the energy policy in the United States that is focused on three major goals: assuring a secure supply of energy, keeping energy costs low, and protecting the environment.
Date: March 21, 2014
Creator: Behrens, Carl E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Community Development Block Grants: Funding Issues in the 113th Congress (open access)

Community Development Block Grants: Funding Issues in the 113th Congress

This report is a review of the Community Development Fund (CDF) account's funding history from FY2000 to FY2013, as well as current funding in FY2014. It includes a discussion of the three primary components of the CDF account: CDBG formula grants; CDBG-related set-asides and earmarks; and CDBG-linked supplemental and special appropriations.
Date: March 20, 2014
Creator: Boyd, Eugene
System: The UNT Digital Library
Community Development Block Grants: Funding Issues in the 113th Congress (open access)

Community Development Block Grants: Funding Issues in the 113th Congress

On March 4, 2014, the Obama Administration released its FY 2015 budget request, which included $2.870 billion for activities under the Community Development Fund administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, including $2.8 billion for formula grants. This report contains information on FY 2015 appropriations, FY 2014 appropriations, FY 2013 appropriations, and more as related to the topic of community development block grants.
Date: August 11, 2014
Creator: Boyd, Eugene
System: The UNT Digital Library
Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 113th Congress (open access)

Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 113th Congress

Immigration reform was an active legislative issue in the first session of the 113th Congress. The Senate passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744), a comprehensive immigration reform bill that includes provisions on border security, interior enforcement, employment eligibility verification and worksite enforcement, legalization of unauthorized aliens, immigrant visas, nonimmigrant visas, and humanitarian admissions. For its part, the House took a different approach to immigration reform. Rather than considering a single comprehensive bill, the House acted on a set of immigration bills that address border security, interior enforcement, employment eligibility verification and worksite enforcement, and nonimmigrant and immigrant visas. House committees reported or ordered to be reported the following immigration bills: Border Security Results Act of 2013 (H.R. 1417); Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement (SAFE) Act (H.R. 2278); Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 1772); Agricultural Guestworker (AG) Act (H.R. 1773); and Supplying Knowledge-based Immigrants and Lifting Levels of STEM Visas (SKILLS Visa) Act (H.R. 2131). This report discusses these and other immigration-related issues that received legislative action or have been of significant congressional interest in the 113th Congress.
Date: November 4, 2014
Creator: Bruno, Andorra; Bjelopera, Jerome P.; Garcia, Michael John; Kandel, William A.; Lee, Margaret Mikyung; Siskin, Alison et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Trade and Finance: Key Policy Issues for the 113th Congress, Second Session (open access)

International Trade and Finance: Key Policy Issues for the 113th Congress, Second Session

This report highlights major international trade and finance issues that the 113th Congress may address. This report presents broader congressional oversight of the economic and political context of the current U.S. participation in the global economy.
Date: January 23, 2014
Creator: Cooper, William H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Water Quality Issues in the 113th Congress: An Overview (open access)

Water Quality Issues in the 113th Congress: An Overview

This report discusses the legislative and oversight issues regarding water quality, as well as wastewater treatment funding issues.
Date: April 30, 2014
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
System: The UNT Digital Library
Water Quality Issues in the 113th Congress: An Overview (open access)

Water Quality Issues in the 113th Congress: An Overview

This report discusses the legislative and oversight issues regarding water quality, as well as wastewater treatment funding issues.
Date: March 21, 2014
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hunting and Fishing: Issues and Legislation in the 113th Congress (open access)

Hunting and Fishing: Issues and Legislation in the 113th Congress

This report focuses on the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014 and address various issues of interest to sportsmen and Congress.
Date: July 7, 2014
Creator: Corn, Lynne M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 113th Congress: New and Recurring Issues (open access)

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the 113th Congress: New and Recurring Issues

This report discusses oversight issues and legislation in the 113th Congress that address Endangered Species Act (ESA) implementation and management of endangered and threatened species.
Date: January 13, 2014
Creator: Corn, M. Lynne & Alexander, Kristina
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): Legislation in the 113th Congress (open access)

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): Legislation in the 113th Congress

The earned income tax credit is a refundable tax credit available to eligible workers earning relatively low wages. Under current law, the earned income tax credit is calculated based on a recipient's earnings, using one of eight different formulas, which vary depending on several factors, including the number of qualifying children a tax filer has and their marital status. This report discusses and analyzes legislative proposals introduced in the 113th Congress that propose modifying the earned income tax credit.
Date: October 31, 2014
Creator: Crandall-Hollick, Margot L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Project BioShield Act: Issues for the 113th Congress (open access)

The Project BioShield Act: Issues for the 113th Congress

This report provides a brief overview of the Project BioShield authorities and appropriations, identifies the medical countermeasures obtained through Project BioShield, reviews the relationship between Project BioShield and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and discusses policy issues for congressional policy makers and related legislation in the 113th Congress.
Date: June 18, 2014
Creator: Gottron, Frank
System: The UNT Digital Library
Research Tax Credit: Current Law and Policy Issues for the 113th Congress (open access)

Research Tax Credit: Current Law and Policy Issues for the 113th Congress

This report describes the current status of the Research Tax Credit, summarizes its legislative history, discusses policy issues it raises, and describes legislation to modify and extend it. The report will be updated as warranted by legislative activity or other developments affecting the credit.
Date: May 2, 2014
Creator: Guenther, Gary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation Expensing Allowances: Current Law, Legislative Proposals in the 113th Congress, and Economic Effects (open access)

Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation Expensing Allowances: Current Law, Legislative Proposals in the 113th Congress, and Economic Effects

This report examines the current status, legislative history, and main economic effects (including their efficacy as an economic stimulus tool) of the Section 179 and bonus depreciation allowances. It also identifies legislative initiatives in the 113th Congress to modify either allowance.
Date: April 9, 2014
Creator: Guenther, Gary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Lands and Natural Resources: Overview and Selected Issues for the 113th Congress (open access)

Federal Lands and Natural Resources: Overview and Selected Issues for the 113th Congress

This report introduces some of the broad themes and issues Congress considers when addressing federal land policy and resource management. Federal land policy includes questions about the extent and location of the federal estate.
Date: December 8, 2014
Creator: Hoover, Katie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Food Safety Issues for the 113th Congress (open access)

Food Safety Issues for the 113th Congress

Congress passed comprehensive food safety legislation in December 2010 (FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), P.L. 111-353), representing the largest expansion and overhaul of U.S. food safety authorities since the 1930s. This report discusses Congress' oversight in regards to FSMA and its interest in several other issues including food safety initiatives covering meat, poultry, and seafood products; legislation intended to curtail the non-medical use of antibiotics in animal feeds and to ban the use of certain plastic components commonly used in food containers; food labeling; stricter food safety enforcement mechanisms; and the use of plant and animal biotechnology.
Date: February 3, 2014
Creator: Johnson, Renée
System: The UNT Digital Library
Housing Issues in the 113th Congress (open access)

Housing Issues in the 113th Congress

This report begins by providing an overview of the current state of housing markets (both homeownership and rental) and the mortgage market in order to provide context for the policy issues that have been active during the 113th Congress. It then provides a brief description of issues that the 113th Congress has been considering. These issues are broadly divided into two categories: issues related to homeownership and housing finance, and issues related to housing assistance for low-income households
Date: July 8, 2014
Creator: Jones, Katie; Carpenter, David H.; Hoskins, Sean M.; Keightley, Mark P.; McCarty, Maggie & Weiss, N. Eric
System: The UNT Digital Library
Housing Issues in the 113th Congress (open access)

Housing Issues in the 113th Congress

None
Date: February 11, 2014
Creator: Jones, Katie; Carpenter, David H.; Hoskins, Sean M.; Keightley, Mark P.; McCarty, Maggie & Weiss, N. Eric
System: The UNT Digital Library
House Standing Committees' Rules on Legislative Activities: Analysis for the 113th Congress (open access)

House Standing Committees' Rules on Legislative Activities: Analysis for the 113th Congress

This report examines in text and tables how committees implemented House rules in their individual committee rules for the 113th Congress.
Date: April 30, 2014
Creator: Koempel, Michael L.; Schneider, Judy & Jarrett, J. M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Gun Control Legislation in the 113th Congress (open access)

Gun Control Legislation in the 113th Congress

This report looks at past gun control legislation and also how recent events (such as the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, Aurora, Colorado, and Tucson, Arizona) have influenced current congressional discourse and legislation. The report also specifically examines certain contentious, gun related topics including universal background checks, gun trafficking, and military style firearms.
Date: August 1, 2014
Creator: Krouse, William J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile (open access)

Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile

This report presents a profile of the membership of the 113th Congress (2013-2014). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: July 14, 2014
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile (open access)

Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile

This report presents a profile of the membership of the 113th Congress (2013-2014). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: August 26, 2014
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile (open access)

Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile

This report presents a profile of the membership of the 113th Congress (2013-2014). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: March 14, 2014
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile (open access)

Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile

This report presents a profile of the membership of the 113th Congress (2013-2014). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: July 14, 2014
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile (open access)

Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile

This report presents a profile of the membership of the 113th Congress (2013-2014). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
Date: November 24, 2014
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
System: The UNT Digital Library