2014 Farm Bill Provisions and WTO Compliance (open access)

2014 Farm Bill Provisions and WTO Compliance

This report briefly describes the relevant World Trade Organization (WTO) rules governing domestic support programs under the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) and the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM). The report then reviews the current U.S. farm safety net programs in light of their potential for compliance with the AoA and SCM and their potential to affect the success of the current Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations.
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: Schnepf, Randy
System: The UNT Digital Library
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) (open access)

African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)

This report provides a summary of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The report covers the key aspects, U.S. imports under the AGOA, and the debate on whether or not it should be renewed.
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: Williams, Brock R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA): Background and Reauthorization (open access)

African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA): Background and Reauthorization

This report discusses the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is a nonreciprocal trade preference program that provides duty-free treatment to U.S. imports of certain products from eligible sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: Williams, Brock R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Analysis of the Regulatory Burden on Small Banks (open access)

An Analysis of the Regulatory Burden on Small Banks

This report explains the concept of regulatory burden and the different ways it can be manifested. It analyzes whether small banks are relatively more burdened by regulation than big banks. To help answer that question, the report looks at the relative treatment of small and large banks in recent major regulatory proposals.
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: Hoskins, Sean M. & Labonte, Marc
System: The UNT Digital Library
Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the sustainment and modernization of the Coast Guard's polar icebreaker fleet, which performs a variety of missions supporting U.S. interests in polar regions.
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
Commemorations in Congress: Options for Honoring Individuals, Groups, and Events (open access)

Commemorations in Congress: Options for Honoring Individuals, Groups, and Events

This report summarizes the evolution of commemorative legislation as well as the laws, rules, and procedures that have been adopted to control the types of commemoratives considered and enacted.
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.; Christensen, Michelle D.; Elwell, Craig K.; Glassman, Matthew E.; Hatch, Garrett & Heitshusen, Valerie
System: The UNT Digital Library
Debates over “Currency Manipulation” (open access)

Debates over “Currency Manipulation”

This report addresses the debates over currency manipulation. The contents include what is currency manipulation, impact on the United States, which countries are accused of currency manipulation, existing policy frameworks, and congressional policies.
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Franking Privilege: Historical Development and Options for Change (open access)

Franking Privilege: Historical Development and Options for Change

This report provides a history of the Congressional franking privilege and discusses the franking privilege that has carried an element of controversy throughout American history.
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: Glassman, Matthew E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The HUD Homeless Assistance Grants: Programs Authorized by the HEARTH Act (open access)

The HUD Homeless Assistance Grants: Programs Authorized by the HEARTH Act

This report discusses the Homeless Assistance Grants, administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The composition of the Homeless Assistance Grants changed when Congress enacted the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act as part of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act in the 111th Congress (P.L. 111-22).
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: Perl, Libby
System: The UNT Digital Library
Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress (open access)

Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress

This report considers potential implications for U.S.-China relations. China's actions for asserting and defending its maritime territorial and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) claims in the East China (ECS) and South China Sea (SCS), particularly since late 2013, have heightened concerns among observers that ongoing disputes over these waters and some of the islands within them could lead to a crisis or conflict between China and a neighboring country such as Japan, the Philippines, or Vietnam.
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library
National Health Service Corps: Changes in Funding and Impact on Recruitment (open access)

National Health Service Corps: Changes in Funding and Impact on Recruitment

None
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Overview of Unconventional Oil and Natural Gas: Resources and Federal Actions (open access)

An Overview of Unconventional Oil and Natural Gas: Resources and Federal Actions

This report focuses on the growth in U.S. oil and natural gas production driven primarily by tight oil formations and shale gas formations. It also reviews selected federal environmental regulatory and research initiatives related to unconventional oil and gas extraction, including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) hydraulic fracturing rule (finalized in March 2015) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actions.
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: Ratner, Michael & Tiemann, Mary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Media in the House of Representatives: Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

Social Media in the House of Representatives: Frequently Asked Questions

This report answers several questions about the regulation of social media accounts in the House of Representatives.
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: Straus, Jacob R. & Glassman, Matthew E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Sugar Program Fundamentals (open access)

U.S. Sugar Program Fundamentals

From Summary: This report outlines four different tools the United States Department of Agriculture uses to keep domestic market prices above guaranteed levels.
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: McKinney, Mark A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Use of Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) in Federal Health Programs (open access)

The Use of Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) in Federal Health Programs

None
Date: April 22, 2015
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library