General Debate in Committee of the Whole (open access)

General Debate in Committee of the Whole

This report discusses general debate, which is a period of time set aside for debating the merits of the bill as a whole, the state of current law on the subject of the bill, the need for new legislation, the various provisions of the bill, and possible amendments to it.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Schneider, Judy
System: The UNT Digital Library
Amendment Process in the Committee of the Whole (open access)

Amendment Process in the Committee of the Whole

This report discusses the amendments, which are usually considered not in the House, but in the Committee of the Whole, a parliamentary device designed to expedite the amendment process.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Schneider, Judy
System: The UNT Digital Library
Amendments on the House Floor: Summary of Major Restrictions (open access)

Amendments on the House Floor: Summary of Major Restrictions

This report consists of amendments on the house floor: Summary of Major Restrictions.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Schneider, Judy
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentences: The Safety Valve and Substantial Assistance Exceptions (open access)

Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentences: The Safety Valve and Substantial Assistance Exceptions

This report contains the safety valve and substantial assistance exceptions on the federal mandatory minimum sentences.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Doyle, Charles
System: The UNT Digital Library
Apprenticeship in the United States: Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

Apprenticeship in the United States: Frequently Asked Questions

This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) report focuses on the Registered Apprenticeship system, through which the U.S. Department of Labor (or a recognized state apprenticeship agency) certifies a program as meeting certain federal requirements related to duration, intensity, and benefit to the apprentice. The report also discusses federal programs for which supporting apprenticeship activities is an allowable, but not required, use of funds.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Collins, Benjamin
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pairing in Congressional Voting: The House (open access)

Pairing in Congressional Voting: The House

This report discusses the practice of "pairing" for votes in the House of Representatives. Under certain procedural circumstances, a Member who is absent during a vote on the House floor may arrange with a Member on the opposite side of a specific question (who will be present) to announce that the Member who is present is forming a "pair" with the absent Member, thus allowing the absent Member to have his intended vote recorded.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Quorum Requirements in the House: Committee and Chamber (open access)

Quorum Requirements in the House: Committee and Chamber

This report discusses minimum quorum requirements established by House Rule XI, clause 2 for eight areas of committee activity.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
House Committee Hearings: Arranging Witnesses (open access)

House Committee Hearings: Arranging Witnesses

This report briefly discusses the selection of witnesses for House committee hearings. House committees and subcommittees pay careful attention to which viewpoints will be represented, who should testify, and the order and format for presenting witnesses. Witnesses do not have an inherent right to appear at a hearing but must be invited by a committee or subcommittee in order to testify; committees and subcommittees may also subpoena reluctant witnesses to appear at a hearing.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Amendments in the Senate: Types and Forms (open access)

Amendments in the Senate: Types and Forms

This report briefly describes the various types of amendments that take place in the Senate. It has sections describing distinctions among amendments, degrees of amendments, forms of amendments, and the scope of amendments.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
House Committee Hearings: Scheduling and Notification (open access)

House Committee Hearings: Scheduling and Notification

This report briefly discusses scheduling and notification requirements, and practices for House committee hearings.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Delegates to the U.S. Congress: History and Current Status (open access)

Delegates to the U.S. Congress: History and Current Status

This report provides historical background on the development of the position of delegate to Congress and on the rights of a delegate once seated. Delegates, representing territories that had not yet achieved statehood, have served in the House since the late 1700s. In the 20th century, the concept of delegate grew to include representation of territories where the United States exercises some degree of control but were not expected to become states.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Calendars of the House of Representatives (open access)

Calendars of the House of Representatives

This report describes the use of "calendars" in the House of Representatives, referring to (1) lists of measures and motions eligible for consideration and (2) documents that contain the eligible motions and information about the status of legislation.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Policy Implications of the Internet of Things (open access)

Policy Implications of the Internet of Things

This report briefly discusses the Internet of Things (IoT), which is an umbrella term that many policymakers use to refer to the technologies and network structures that interconnect objects, humans, and animals to collect and analyze data and manage processes.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
House Committee Hearings: Preparation (open access)

House Committee Hearings: Preparation

This report contains a checklist that identifies many of the tasks that need to be performed for committee hearings. Committee hearings provide Representatives an opportunity to gather information on, and draw attention to, legislation and issues within a committee's purview; conduct oversight of programs or agencies; and investigate allegations of mismanagement or wrongdoing.
Date: August 25, 2015
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
System: The UNT Digital Library