The United States Flag: Federal Law Relating to Display and Associated Questions (open access)

The United States Flag: Federal Law Relating to Display and Associated Questions

This report presents, verbatim, the United States "Flag Code" as found in Title 4 of the United States Code and the section of Title 36 which designates the Star-Spangled Banner as the national anthem and provides instructions on how to display the flag during its rendition. The report also addresses several of the frequently asked questions concerning the flag.
Date: January 24, 2011
Creator: Luckey, John R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Mandatory Vaccinations: Precedent and Current Laws (open access)

Mandatory Vaccinations: Precedent and Current Laws

This report provides an overview of the legal precedent for mandatory vaccination laws, and of state laws that require certain individuals or populations, including school-aged children and health care workers, to be vaccinated against various communicable diseases. Also discussed are state laws providing for mandatory vaccinations during a public health emergency or outbreak of a communicable disease.
Date: February 24, 2011
Creator: Swendiman, Kathleen S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
House Committee Funding Requests and Authorizations, 104th-112th Congresses (open access)

House Committee Funding Requests and Authorizations, 104th-112th Congresses

This report provides committee funding requests and authorizations as adopted pursuant to primary expense authorizations for House committees in the 104th-112th Congresses.
Date: March 24, 2011
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric; Garrett, R. Sam & Hemlin, Erin
System: The UNT Digital Library
Veterans Affairs: Basic Eligibility for Disability Benefit Programs (open access)

Veterans Affairs: Basic Eligibility for Disability Benefit Programs

This report examines the eligibility criteria and the fundamentals of the Department of Veterans Affairs-administered disability benefit programs and related issues. It supplements and condenses the relevant materials that are available from the VA and its website. It also provides specific citations for further information and more in-depth analysis of information contained herein.
Date: February 24, 2011
Creator: Weimer, Douglas Reid
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview (open access)

Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview

The interval during the fiscal year when agency appropriations are not enacted into law, either in the form of a regular appropriations act or a continuing resolution, is referred to as a funding gap. When a funding gap occurs, the federal government begins a shutdown of the affected agencies, entailing the prompt furlough of non-emergency personnel and curtailment of agency activities. This report discusses the funding gaps that occurred between FY1977-FY2010, as well as the events surrounding them and related legislation.
Date: February 24, 2011
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
System: The UNT Digital Library
Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress (open access)

Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress

This report looks at Japan-U.S. relations since WWII. The report focuses on some problems which can be addressed by Congress, including the earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan in March 2011, the Futenma Marine Air Station in Okinawa, bilateral trade, and economic issues resulting from the recent credit crisis and related economic recession.
Date: March 24, 2011
Creator: Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Cooper, William H. & Manyin, Mark E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Is Biopower Carbon Neutral? (open access)

Is Biopower Carbon Neutral?

This report discusses some of the most relevant factors to take into account when considering whether or not biopower is carbon neutral. It does not discuss carbon accounting for other bioenergy pathways.
Date: March 24, 2011
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi
System: The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Responses to Selected Work Stoppages in Professional Sports (open access)

Congressional Responses to Selected Work Stoppages in Professional Sports

This report examines congressional responses to the two most recent work stoppages in the National Football League (NFL), which occurred in 1982 and 1987. Congress is interested in the NFL's collective bargaining agreement (CBA), set to expire in 2012, because of the status of labor-management relations in professional football. The report also examines the 1994 Major League Baseball strike to examine how Congress has responded in the past to work stoppages in professional sports.
Date: March 24, 2011
Creator: Halchin, L. Elaine; Murray, Justin; Shimabukuro, Jon O. & Ruane, Kathleen Ann
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multilateral Development Banks: General Capital Increases (open access)

Multilateral Development Banks: General Capital Increases

This report shows in tabular form how much the Administration has requested and how much Congress has appropriated for U.S. payments to the multilateral development banks (MDBs) since 2000. It also provides a brief description of the MDBs and the ways they fund their operations.
Date: March 24, 2011
Creator: Weiss, Martin A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
”Dirty Bombs”: Background in Brief (open access)

”Dirty Bombs”: Background in Brief

This report examines the legislation and oversight by Congress to protect the United States against terrorist threats, especially from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. Radiological dispersal devices (RDDs) are one type of CBRN weapon. Explosive-driven "dirty bombs" are an often-discussed type of RDD, though radioactive material can also be dispersed in other ways. This report also provides background for understanding the RDD threat and responses.
Date: June 24, 2011
Creator: Medalia, Jonathan
System: The UNT Digital Library
A History of Federal Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Taxes (open access)

A History of Federal Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Taxes

This report details the history of the three federal transfer taxes, tracing their development from their 18th-century roots to the present.
Date: January 24, 2011
Creator: Luckey, John R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Higher Education Tax Benefits: Brief Overview and Budgetary Effects (open access)

Higher Education Tax Benefits: Brief Overview and Budgetary Effects

This report provides a brief overview of the higher education tax benefits that are currently available to students and their families. The report contrasts higher education tax benefits with traditional aid, presents a brief history of higher education tax policy over the past 60 years, summarizes key features of the available tax benefits, and provides JCT estimates of revenue losses resulting from individual tax provisions.
Date: August 24, 2011
Creator: Crandall-Hollick, Margot L. & Keightley, Mark P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Transportation Budget FY2012 (open access)

Department of Transportation Budget FY2012

This report discusses the selected budget issue for the department of transportation. It also points out about Highway Trust Fund.
Date: February 24, 2011
Creator: Peterman, David Randall
System: The UNT Digital Library
Definition of Income in PPACA for Certain Medicaid Provisions and Premium Credits (open access)

Definition of Income in PPACA for Certain Medicaid Provisions and Premium Credits

None
Date: October 24, 2011
Creator: Mulvey, Janemarie; Baumrucker, Evelyne P.; Fernandez, Bernadette & Scott, Christine
System: The UNT Digital Library
“Dirty Bombs”: Technical Background, Attack Prevention and Response, Issues for Congress (open access)

“Dirty Bombs”: Technical Background, Attack Prevention and Response, Issues for Congress

This report raises several issues for Congress, Including: (I) the priority for countering RDDs vs other CBRN, (II) how to improve radio logical forensics capability, (III) whether to modify certain personnel reliability standards etc.
Date: June 24, 2011
Creator: Medalia, Jonathan
System: The UNT Digital Library
Dispute Settlement in the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) (open access)

Dispute Settlement in the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA)

None
Date: October 24, 2011
Creator: Grimmett, Jeanne J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Background, Funding, and Activities (open access)

The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Background, Funding, and Activities

This report is categorized into four categories: (I) The Federal NITRD Program, (II) Federal Technology Funding Background and Context, (III) Activity in the 112th and 111th Congresses and (IV) Potential Issues for Congress.
Date: August 24, 2011
Creator: Figliola, Patricia Moloney
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multilateral Development Banks: U.S. Contributions FY2000-FY2011 (open access)

Multilateral Development Banks: U.S. Contributions FY2000-FY2011

This report shows in tabular form how much the Administration has requested and how much Congress has appropriated for U.S. payments to the multilateral development banks (MDBs) since 2000. It also provides a brief description of the MDBs and the ways they fund their operations.
Date: January 24, 2011
Creator: Sanford, Jonathan E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trade Preferences: Economic Issues and Policy Options (open access)

Trade Preferences: Economic Issues and Policy Options

This report discusses programs designed to foster growth in less developed countries, the major U.S. trade preference programs, their possible economic effects, stakeholder interests, and legislative options.
Date: February 24, 2011
Creator: Jones, Vivian C.; Hornbeck, J. F. & Villarreal, M. Angeles
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA): A Private Cause of Action (open access)

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA): A Private Cause of Action

This report discusses the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and related legislation, such as the Veterans' Benefits Act of 2010, which clarifies certain SCRA protections.
Date: January 24, 2011
Creator: Mason, R. Chuck
System: The UNT Digital Library
Financial Services and General Government Appropriations: FY2012 Budget Request Fact Sheet (open access)

Financial Services and General Government Appropriations: FY2012 Budget Request Fact Sheet

This report includes information about the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill and funding requests for the Department of the Treasury, the Executive Office of the President (EOP), the judiciary, the District of Columbia, and 26 independent agencies. Among the independent agencies funded by the bill are the General Services Administration (GSA), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the United States Postal Service (USPS).
Date: February 24, 2011
Creator: Hatch, Garrett
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Global Climate Change Policy: Evolving Views on Cost, Competitiveness, and Comprehensiveness (open access)

U.S. Global Climate Change Policy: Evolving Views on Cost, Competitiveness, and Comprehensiveness

This report discusses the evolving views on cost, competitiveness, and comprehensiveness regarding the U.S. global climate change policy. The report starts out with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It discusses the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT), and negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol, which established mandatory limits on emissions for developed countries.
Date: February 24, 2011
Creator: Parker, Larry; Blodgett, John & Yacobucci, Brent D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Women in the United States Congress: 1917-2011 (open access)

Women in the United States Congress: 1917-2011

This report identifies the names, committee assignments, dates of service, and (for Representatives) congressional districts of the 274 women who have served in Congress.
Date: February 24, 2011
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.; Shogan, Colleen J. & Smelcer, Susan Navarro
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and oversight issues for Congress on the Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) program. The Navy's proposed FY2012 budget requests procurement funding for the 15th and 16th Virginia-class boats, and advance procurement (AP) funding for Virginia-class boats to be procured in future years. Decisions that Congress makes on procurement of Virginia-class boats could substantially affect U.S. Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.
Date: February 24, 2011
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
System: The UNT Digital Library