EPA and the Army Corps' Proposed Rule to Define "Waters of the United States" (open access)

EPA and the Army Corps' Proposed Rule to Define "Waters of the United States"

This report describes the March 25 proposed rule to define "waters of the United States," particularly focused on clarifying the regulatory status of waters located in isolated places in a landscape, the types of waters with ambiguous jurisdictional status following the Supreme Court's ruling. It includes a table comparing the proposal to existing regulatory language.
Date: April 21, 2014
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Internal Revenue Service: Absorbing Budget Cuts Has Resulted in Significant Staffing Declines and Uneven Performance (open access)

Internal Revenue Service: Absorbing Budget Cuts Has Resulted in Significant Staffing Declines and Uneven Performance

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "IRS’s appropriations have declined to below fiscal year 2009 levels and FTEs have been reduced by about 8,000 since fiscal year 2009. Planned performance in enforcement and taxpayer service has decreased or fluctuated; for example, in the fiscal year 2014 congressional justification the audit coverage target for individual examinations was 1.0 percent for fiscal year 2014, however, the target was lowered to 0.8 percent in the fiscal year 2015 congressional justification. Amidst lower demand, IRS’s telephone level of service performance (the percentage of callers seeking live assistance and receiving it) was 73 percent from January 1 through March 15, 2014 compared to 69 percent during the same period last year. However, between fiscal years 2009 and 2013, IRS’s telephone level of service fluctuated between 61 percent and 74 percent. Average wait times have almost doubled since fiscal year 2009—from 8.8 minutes to 16.8 minutes as of mid-March 2014."
Date: April 21, 2014
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Judicial Activity Concerning Enemy Combatant Detainees: Major Court Rulings (open access)

Judicial Activity Concerning Enemy Combatant Detainees: Major Court Rulings

This report discusses major judicial opinions concerning suspected enemy belligerents detained in the conflict with Al Qaeda and the Taliban. The report addresses all Supreme Court decisions concerning enemy combatants and also discusses notable circuit court opinions addressing issues of ongoing relevance.
Date: April 21, 2014
Creator: Elsea, Jennifer K. & Garcia, Michael John
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Malaysia: Background and U.S. Relations (open access)

Malaysia: Background and U.S. Relations

This report analyzes U.S.-Malaysia relations and the economy, domestic politics, and diplomacy of Malaysia. It also provides background on current events and policy debates, as Congress has expressed interest in a variety of issues in U.S.-Malaysia relations, especially regarding trade, security cooperation, and human rights.
Date: April 21, 2014
Creator: Rinehart, Ian E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-1052 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-1052

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: Implementation of Senate Bill 1678, relating to the Major Events Trust Fund (RQ-1159-GA).
Date: April 21, 2014
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Trade Promotion Authority (TPA): Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

Trade Promotion Authority (TPA): Frequently Asked Questions

This report provides background information Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), and discusses U.S. trade negotiating objectives, procedures for congressional-executive notification and consultation, and expedited legislative procedures.
Date: April 21, 2014
Creator: Cooper, William H.; Fergusson, Ian F. & Beth, Richard S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act: Overview and Issues (open access)

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act: Overview and Issues

This report discusses the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), under which members of the uniformed services and U.S. citizens who live abroad are eligible to register and vote absentee in federal elections. The report discusses recent improvements to UOCAVA, necessary as the result of controversy surrounding ballots received in Florida from absentee voters in the 2000 presidential election. The report also discusses related legislation, such as the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2010, which provided for a major overhaul of UOCAVA.
Date: April 21, 2014
Creator: Coleman, Kevin J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library