V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft: Background and Issues for Congress

This report discusses background information on the V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft, as well as procurement and related oversight issues for Congress.
Date: December 22, 2009
Creator: Gertler, Jeremiah
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
National Security Letters: Proposed Amendments in the 111th Congress (open access)

National Security Letters: Proposed Amendments in the 111th Congress

This report includes a chart comparing the provisions of the bills and current law. It also reprints the text of the five National Security Letters (NSL) statutes as they now appear and as they appeared prior to amendment by the USA PATRIOT Act (to which form they would have returned under some of the bills).
Date: December 21, 2009
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Natural Outlook, Winter 2009 (open access)

Natural Outlook, Winter 2009

Monthly newsletter discussing environmental issues and policies in Texas. This issue includes the articles, "A Long Road to Remediation," "A New Cover for Closed Landfills," "Home Invasion," "More Services Move Online," and "Light Switch Around the Corner."
Date: Winter 2009
Creator: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Panhandle Water News, Special Edition [2009] (open access)

Panhandle Water News, Special Edition [2009]

Quarterly newsletter of the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District discussing the news, activities, and events of the organization and other information related to water in Texas.
Date: Winter 2009
Creator: Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Diabetes, Winter 2009 (open access)

Texas Diabetes, Winter 2009

Quarterly newsletter providing information on diabetes health care and resources in Texas.
Date: Winter 2009
Creator: Texas Diabetes Program
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas International Law Journal, Volume 45, Number 2, Winter 2009 (open access)

Texas International Law Journal, Volume 45, Number 2, Winter 2009

Journal containing "academic articles, essays, and student notes in the areas of public and private international law, international legal theory, the law of international organizations, comparative and foreign law, and domestic laws with significant international implications" (p. ii). This journal issue covers protocol I against world terrorism, offshore financial intermediation, Foreign Trade Antitrust Improvement Act, and Sotomayor and the Future of International Law.
Date: Winter 2009
Creator: University of Texas at Austin. School of Law.
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vital Statistics Today, Volume 12, Number 1, Winter 2009 (open access)

Vital Statistics Today, Volume 12, Number 1, Winter 2009

Newsletter of the Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics discussing news and events related to the agency, as well as legislative updates and other information related to the Bureau's work.
Date: Winter 2009
Creator: Texas. Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water for Texas, Volume 14, Number 1, Winter 2009 (open access)

Water for Texas, Volume 14, Number 1, Winter 2009

Quarterly publication of the Texas Water Development Board discussing activities of the organization and other relevant information about water conservation and resources in Texas.
Date: Winter 2009
Creator: Texas Water Development Board
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water for Texas, Volume 19, Number 1, Winter 2009 (open access)

Water for Texas, Volume 19, Number 1, Winter 2009

Quarterly publication of the Texas Water Development Board discussing activities of the organization and other relevant information about water conservation and resources in Texas.
Date: Winter 2009
Creator: Texas Water Development Board
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Biosurveillance: Developing a Collaboration Strategy Is Essential to Fostering Interagency Data and Resource Sharing (open access)

Biosurveillance: Developing a Collaboration Strategy Is Essential to Fostering Interagency Data and Resource Sharing

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Recently, there has been an increased focus on developing the ability to provide early detection of and situational awareness during a disease outbreak. The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act sought to enhance this capability, in part, by creating the National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) within the Department of Homeland Security. NBIC is to help provide early detection and situational awareness by integrating information and supporting an interagency biosurveillance community. The act directed the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on the state of biosurveillance and resource use in federal, state, local, and tribal governments. This report is one in a series responding to that mandate. This report focuses on the actions taken by NBIC to (1) acquire resources to accomplish its mission and (2) effectively collaborate with its federal partners. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed documents, such as NBIC's Concept of Operations, and interviewed officials at NBIC and 11 federal partners."
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Corporate Crime: DOJ Has Taken Steps to Better Track Its Use of Deferred and Non-Prosecution Agreements, but Should Evaluate Effectiveness (open access)

Corporate Crime: DOJ Has Taken Steps to Better Track Its Use of Deferred and Non-Prosecution Agreements, but Should Evaluate Effectiveness

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Recent cases of corporate fraud and mismanagement heighten the Department of Justice's (DOJ) need to appropriately punish and deter corporate crime. Recently, DOJ has made more use of deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements (DPAs and NPAs), in which prosecutors may require company reform, among other things, in exchange for deferring prosecution. In June and November 2009, GAO testified on DOJ's use and oversight of DPAs and NPAs, and this report discusses additional findings, including (1) the extent to which DOJ has used DPAs and NPAs to address corporate misconduct and tracks use of these agreements, (2) the extent to which DOJ measures the effectiveness of DPAs and NPAs, and (3) the role of the court in the DPA and NPA process. GAO examined 152 DPAs and NPAs negotiated from 1993 through September 2009 and analyzed DOJ data on corporate prosecutions in fiscal years 2004 through 2009. GAO also interviewed DOJ officials, prosecutors from 13 DOJ offices, 20 company representatives, 11 monitors who oversee company compliance, and 12 federal judges. While not generalizable, these results provide insight into decisions about DPAs and NPAs."
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Infrastructure: DOD Needs to Take Actions to Address Challenges in Meeting Federal Renewable Energy Goals (open access)

Defense Infrastructure: DOD Needs to Take Actions to Address Challenges in Meeting Federal Renewable Energy Goals

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) consumes about 60 percent of all energy used at federal government facilities. To encourage an increased use of energy from renewable sources, such as solar and wind power, (1) the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (the 2005 Act) directs DOD to consume at least 3 percent of its total electricity from renewable resources starting in fiscal year 2007; (2) Executive Order 13423 (the 2007 Executive Order) directs that an amount equal to half of the statutorily required renewable energy be generated by sources placed into service in 1999 or later; and (3) the 2007 Defense Authorization Act directed that at least 25 percent of electricity consumed by DOD come from renewable sources in fiscal year 2025. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to examine (1) DOD's progress toward these three key goals for consuming renewable energy in fiscal years 2007 and 2008, (2) challenges to DOD meeting those goals, and (3) DOD's plans to meet the goals. GAO reviewed relevant laws and DOD and Department of Energy (DOE) policy, plans, and data; interviewed agency officials; and visited DOD facilities."
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Veterans Affairs' Implementation of Information Security Education Assistance Program (open access)

Department of Veterans Affairs' Implementation of Information Security Education Assistance Program

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006 authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an educational assistance program for information security. The Information Security Education Assistance Program is envisioned as a means for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to attract and retain individuals with advanced skills in information security. The legislation authorizes the agency to establish scholarships for qualified students who pursue doctoral degrees in computer science and electrical and computer engineering at accredited institutions and to offer educational debt reduction for VA employees who hold doctoral degrees in these fields. This letter responds to the act's requirement that we report on the scholarship and education debt reduction programs within 3 years of the act's December 22, 2006, enactment."
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Filling Advice and Consent Positions at the Outset of a New Administration (open access)

Filling Advice and Consent Positions at the Outset of a New Administration

None
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: Hogue, Henry B.; Bearden, Maureen & Palmer, Betsy
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Sharing: Federal Agencies Are Sharing Border and Terrorism Information with Local and Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies, but Additional Efforts Are Needed (open access)

Information Sharing: Federal Agencies Are Sharing Border and Terrorism Information with Local and Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies, but Additional Efforts Are Needed

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Information is a crucial tool in securing the nation's borders against crimes and potential terrorist threats, with the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the FBI, having key information sharing roles. GAO was asked to assess the extent to which (1) local and tribal officials in border communities received useful information from their federal partners, (2) federal agencies supported state fusion centers'--where states collaborate with federal agencies to improve information sharing--efforts to develop border intelligence products, and (3) local and tribal agencies were aware of the suspicious activities they are to report. To conduct this work, GAO analyzed relevant laws, directives, policies, and procedures; contacted a nongeneralizable sample of 20 agencies in border communities and five fusion centers (based on geographic location and size); and interviewed DHS and FBI officials."
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Overseas Contingency Operations: Funding and Cost Reporting for the Department of Defense (open access)

Overseas Contingency Operations: Funding and Cost Reporting for the Department of Defense

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This report formally transmits the briefing on work performed under the authority of the Comptroller General to conduct evaluations on his own initiative."
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pay-for-Performance: Lessons from the National Security Personnel System (open access)

Pay-for-Performance: Lessons from the National Security Personnel System

This report reviews the creation of the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), examines how NSPS operates, discusses litigation against it, and analyzes lessons that can be learned from NSPS as Congress decides whether to maintain the GS, create a new federal pay system, or modify existing ones.
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: Ginsberg, Wendy R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pay-for-Performance: Lessons from the National Security Personnel System (open access)

Pay-for-Performance: Lessons from the National Security Personnel System

This report reviews the creation of the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), examines how NSPS operates, discusses litigation against it, and analyzes future options for lawmakers regarding it.
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: Ginsberg, Wendy R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Rural Water Infrastructure: Improved Coordination and Funding Processes Could Enhance Federal Efforts to Meet Needs in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region (open access)

Rural Water Infrastructure: Improved Coordination and Funding Processes Could Enhance Federal Efforts to Meet Needs in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "A serious problem for U.S. communities along the U.S.-Mexico border is the lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation systems. Inadequate systems can pose risks to human health and the environment, including the risk of waterborne diseases. Numerous federal programs provide grants, loans, or other assistance to rural U.S. communities, including those in the border region, for drinking water and wastewater projects. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to determine (1) the amount of federal funding provided to rural U.S. communities in the border region for drinking water and wastewater systems and (2) the effectiveness of federal efforts to meet the water and wastewater needs in the region. GAO analyzed agency financial data; reviewed statutes, regulations, policies, and procedures; and interviewed federal, state, local, and private sector officials."
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Softwood Lumber Act of 2008: Customs and Border Protection Established Required Procedures, but Agencies Report Little Benefit from New Requirements (open access)

Softwood Lumber Act of 2008: Customs and Border Protection Established Required Procedures, but Agencies Report Little Benefit from New Requirements

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2006, the United States and Canada signed the Softwood Lumber Agreement. The agreement, among other things, imposed export charges and quotas on Canadian lumber exports to the United States. To assist in monitoring compliance with the agreement, in 2008 Congress passed the Softwood Lumber Act, which imposed several data collection and analysis requirements on the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and required two reports from GAO. This report discusses (1) CBP's processes for meeting the act's requirements and (2) how these requirements contribute to U.S. efforts to monitor compliance with the 2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement. GAO issued a report in June 2009 on U.S. agency efforts to monitor compliance with the 2006 agreement. This report includes an update on these efforts. GAO analyzed information from relevant U.S. agencies, interviewed knowledgeable officials, and discussed these issues with U.S. and Canadian industry representatives."
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0750 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0750

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Authority of a city to reacquire extraterritorial jurisdiction that it previously relinquished pursuant to chapter 42 of the Local Government Code (RQ-0798-GA)
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0751 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0751

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a county employee may legally use a county vehicle to transport a passenger who is not a county officer or employee (RQ-0807-GA)
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Lottery Commission Annual Financial Report: 2009, with Auditor's Report (open access)

Texas Lottery Commission Annual Financial Report: 2009, with Auditor's Report

Annual financial report of the Texas Lottery Commission for fiscal year 2009, providing statements of assets, expenditures, revenues, and other relevant data as well as the report of an independent auditor.
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: Texas Lottery Commission
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Register, Volume 34, Number 51, Pages 9061-9264, December 18, 2009 (open access)

Texas Register, Volume 34, Number 51, Pages 9061-9264, December 18, 2009

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: Texas. Secretary of State.
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The Portal to Texas History