Military Suicide Prevention and Response (open access)

Military Suicide Prevention and Response

This report discusses suicide among military service members, including the scope of the issue, efforts previously taken to address it, and considerations for confronting the issue in the future.
Date: April 30, 2018
Creator: Kamarck, Kristy N. & McKinsey, Eva G.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress

This report discusses Special Operations Forces (SOF), which play a significant role in U.S. military operations and, in recent years, have been given greater responsibility for planning and conducting worldwide counterterrorism operations.
Date: April 20, 2018
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Texas Attorney General Opinion: KP-0194 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: KP-0194

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, Ken Paxton, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Applicability of amendments to the Transportation Code made by Senate Bill 312, 85th Regular Session, to the Loop 1604 toll project in Bexar County (RQ-0190-KP).
Date: April 23, 2018
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: KP-0192 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: KP-0192

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, Ken Paxton, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Procedures regarding reappraisal of property after a disaster (RQ-0188-KP).
Date: April 23, 2018
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: KP-0193 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: KP-0193

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, Ken Paxton, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the Department of Agriculture's rules regarding devices weighing food sold for immediate consumption conflict with section 13.1002 of the Agriculture Code (RQ-0189-KP).
Date: April 23, 2018
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: KP-0190 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: KP-0190

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, Ken Paxton, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: To what extent the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality may consider a recommendation from a local government to deny a permit for a facility because the facility is incompatible with the local government's zoning or land use ordinances (RQ-0185-KP).
Date: April 19, 2018
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: KP-0191 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: KP-0191

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, Ken Paxton, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the emergency powers under section 418.016 of the Government Code authorize the Governor to suspend relevant state election laws and order an emergency special election (RQ-0223-KP).
Date: April 23, 2018
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: KP-0195 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: KP-0195

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, Ken Paxton, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Consequences of failing to comply with the requirements for continuation of existing private transfer fee obligations under section 5.203 of the Property Code (RQ-0205-KP).
Date: April 23, 2018
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cross-Border Data Sharing Under the CLOUD Act (open access)

Cross-Border Data Sharing Under the CLOUD Act

This report reviews the development of cross-border data sharing laws in criminal matters in the United States. It begins with an overview of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and the Stored Communications Act (SCA). Next, the report discusses the questions raised in the Microsoft litigation and the impact of the CLOUD Act on those issues. Finally, the report examines the new form of international agreements authorized by the CLOUD Act and the commentary on the benefits and drawbacks of the potential new international data sharing agreements.
Date: April 23, 2018
Creator: Mulligan, Stephen P.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
When the City Goes Broke: Pensions, Retirees, and Municipal Bankruptcies (open access)

When the City Goes Broke: Pensions, Retirees, and Municipal Bankruptcies

This report first explains how, under current bankruptcy law, Chapter 9 (municipalities) debtors have significant freedom to modify their outstanding pension obligations through the bankruptcy process. The report then explores proposals to alter the legal principles governing the adjustment of municipal pensions in bankruptcy.
Date: April 10, 2018
Creator: Lewis, Kevin M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
China's Retaliatory Tariffs on Selected U.S. Agricultural Products (open access)

China's Retaliatory Tariffs on Selected U.S. Agricultural Products

This report discusses China's retaliatory tariffs on many U.S. agricultural products in response to the U.S. tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium imports.
Date: April 4, 2018
Creator: Hopkinson, Jenny
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Employee Ownership of Registration-Exempt Company Securities: Proposals to Reform Required Corporate Disclosures (Section 507 of S. 2155, S. 488, H.R. 1343, and Section 406 of H.R. 10) (open access)

Employee Ownership of Registration-Exempt Company Securities: Proposals to Reform Required Corporate Disclosures (Section 507 of S. 2155, S. 488, H.R. 1343, and Section 406 of H.R. 10)

This report discusses SEC registration requirements and the exemption from registration for small and mid-size companies. Recent legislation regarding the rules in the House and Senate is also included.
Date: April 3, 2018
Creator: Shorter, Gary
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
NASA Appropriations and Authorizations: A Fact Sheet (open access)

NASA Appropriations and Authorizations: A Fact Sheet

This report provides data on past, current, and proposed appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. No bills have yet been introduced in the 115th Congress proposing future-year authorizations of NASA appropriations.
Date: April 16, 2018
Creator: Morgan, Daniel
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Army Corps of Engineers: Water Resource Authorization and Project Delivery Processes (open access)

Army Corps of Engineers: Water Resource Authorization and Project Delivery Processes

This report summarizes congressional authorization legislation for U.S. Army Corps of Engineer (USACE) water resource development projects, the standard project delivery process, authorities for alternative water resource project delivery, and other USACE authorities.
Date: April 30, 2018
Creator: Carter, Nicole T.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Offshore Oil and Gas Development: Legal Framework (open access)

Offshore Oil and Gas Development: Legal Framework

This report discusses the various legal authorities and regulations that govern offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling in U.S. waters. The report also discusses recent executive action and legislative proposals concerning offshore oil and natural gas exploration and production.
Date: April 13, 2018
Creator: Vann, Adam
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Conference Committee and Related Procedures: An Introduction (open access)

Conference Committee and Related Procedures: An Introduction

This report is a brief summary of House and Senate procedures for reaching agreement on legislation. It discusses the provisions of House Rule XXII and Senate Rule XXVIII as well as other applicable rules, precedents, and practices. The report focuses on the most common and customary procedures. There are many exceptions, complications, and possibilities that are not addressed, and the House and Senate may modify or waive their procedures by unanimous consent or by other means.
Date: April 2, 2018
Creator: Rybicki, Elizabeth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program (open access)

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program

This report provides an overview of the DOD's F-35 development and procurement program and funding levels for FY2018 and requested funding levels for FY2019.
Date: April 13, 2018
Creator: Gertler, Jeremiah
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA): A Summary of the Statute (open access)

Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA): A Summary of the Statute

This report summarizes selected statutory provisions of Title 1 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) but does not discuss agency regulations and guidance that may provide more detailed direction for conducting risk evaluation and selecting regulatory options to prevent unreasonable risks of specific chemicals.
Date: April 4, 2018
Creator: Yen, Jerry H. & Wyatt, Alexandra M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy (open access)

Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy

This report discusses Kuwait's governmental structure and politics, defense policies and cooperation with the U.S., foreign policy towards its neighbors, economy, and human rights concerns.
Date: April 26, 2018
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Orderly Liquidation Authority: Reform Proposals (open access)

The Orderly Liquidation Authority: Reform Proposals

This report discusses the Orderly Liquidation Authority (OLA) which was created by Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (P.L. 111-203) to allow the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to resolve certain failing financial institutions whose collapse could threaten the stability of the financial system. Although OLA has never been used, it has become the subject of a number of reform proposals. This report briefly describes the OLA and two prominent examples of such proposals.
Date: April 17, 2018
Creator: Perkins, David W. & Gnanarajah, Raj
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
OPIC, USAID, and Proposed Development Finance Reorganization (open access)

OPIC, USAID, and Proposed Development Finance Reorganization

This report discusses a proposed reorganization of U.S. developmental aid programs that would consolidate several agencies into one central agency. Various pros and cons of the proposal are also included.
Date: April 27, 2018
Creator: Akhtar, Shayerah Ilias & Tarnoff, Curt
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Class Action Lawsuits: A Legal Overview for the 115th Congress (open access)

Class Action Lawsuits: A Legal Overview for the 115th Congress

This report serves as a primer on class action litigation in the federal courts. It begins by discussing the purpose of class actions, as well as the risks class actions may pose to defendants, class members, and society at large. The report also discusses the prerequisites that a class action must satisfy before a court may "certify" it--that is, before a federal court may allow a case to proceed as a class action. An Appendix to the report also contains a reference chart that graphically illustrates those prerequisites for class certification. The report then discusses Rule 23's restrictions on the parties' ability to settle a certified class action. The report concludes by identifying ways in which Congress could modify the legal framework governing class actions if it were so inclined, with a particular focus on a bill currently pending in the 115th Congress that would effectuate a variety of changes to the class action system.
Date: April 11, 2018
Creator: Lewis, Kevin M. & Freeman, Wilson C.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy LPD-17 Flight II (LX[R]) Amphibious Ship Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy LPD-17 Flight II (LX[R]) Amphibious Ship Program: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the LPD-17 Flight II amphibious ship program, previously known as the LX(R) program.
Date: April 13, 2018
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federally Supported Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Programs (open access)

Federally Supported Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Programs

This report provides background information on the types of water supply and wastewater treatment projects traditionally funded by the federal government and the several existing programs to assist communities with water supply and wastewater treatment.
Date: April 26, 2018
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.; Boyd, Eugene; Carter, Nicole T.; Cowan, Tadlock; Stern, Charles V.; Stubbs, Megan et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library