A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Partnership programs allow individuals who purchase Partnership long-term care insurance policies to exempt at least some of their personal assets from Medicaid eligibility requirements. In response to a congressional request, GAO examined (1) the benefits and premium requirements of Partnership policies as compared with those of traditional long-term care insurance policies; (2) the demographics of Partnership policyholders, traditional long-term care insurance policyholders, and people without long-term care insurance; and (3) whether the Partnership programs are likely to result in savings for Medicaid. To examine benefits, premiums, and demographics, GAO used 2002 through 2005 data from the four states with Partnership programs--California, Connecticut, Indiana, and New York--and other data sources. To assess the likely impact on Medicaid savings, GAO (1) used data from surveys of Partnership policyholders to estimate how they would have financed their long-term care without the Partnership program, (2) constructed three scenarios illustrative of the options for financing long-term care to compare how long it would take for an individual to spend his or her assets on long-term care and become eligible for Medicaid, and (3) estimated the likelihood that Partnership policyholders would become …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In the early 1980s, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were discovered in some of the water systems serving housing areas on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Exposure to certain VOCs may cause adverse health effects, including cancer. In 1999, the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) began a study to examine whether individuals who were exposed in utero to the contaminated drinking water are more likely to have developed certain childhood cancers or birth defects. ATSDR has projected a December 2007 completion date for the study. The National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2005 required GAO to report on past drinking water contamination and related health effects at Camp Lejeune. In this report GAO describes (1) efforts to identify and address the past contamination, (2) activities resulting from concerns about possible adverse health effects and government actions related to the past contamination, and (3) the design of the current ATSDR study, including the study's population, time frame, selected health effects, and the reasonableness of the projected completion date. GAO reviewed documents, interviewed officials and former residents, and …

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In November 2006, we issued our report on the results of our audit of the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) financial statements as of, and for the fiscal years ending, September 30, 2006, and 2005, and on the effectiveness of its internal controls as of September 30, 2006. We also reported our conclusions on IRS's compliance with significant provisions of selected laws and regulations and on whether IRS's financial management systems substantially comply with requirements of the Federal Financial Management Improvement Act of 1996. A separate report on the implementation status of recommendations from our prior IRS financial audits and related financial management reports, including this one, will be issued shortly. The purpose of this report is to discuss issues identified during our audit of IRS's financial statements as of, and for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, regarding internal controls that could be improved for which we do not currently have any recommendations outstanding. Although not all of these issues were discussed in our fiscal year 2006 audit report, they all warrant management's consideration. This report contains 21 recommendations that we are proposing IRS implement to improve …

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) efforts to evaluate the security of foreign airports and air carriers that service the United States are of great importance, particularly considering that flights bound for the United States from foreign countries continue to be targets of coordinated terrorist activity, as demonstrated by the alleged August 2006 liquid explosives terrorist plot. For this review, GAO evaluated the results of foreign airport and air carrier evaluations; actions taken and assistance provided by TSA when security deficiencies were identified; TSA's oversight of its foreign airport and air carrier evaluation programs; and TSA's efforts to address challenges in conducting foreign airport and air carrier evaluations. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed foreign airport and air carrier evaluation results and interviewed TSA officials, foreign aviation security officials, and air carrier representatives."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 1995, GAO first designated the Department of Defense's (DOD) business systems modernization program as "high-risk," and continues to do so today. In 2004, Congress passed legislation reflecting prior GAO recommendations for DOD to adopt a corporate approach to information technology (IT) business system investment management. To support GAO's legislative mandate to review DOD's efforts, GAO assessed whether the department's corporate investment management approach comports with relevant federal guidance. In doing so, GAO applied its IT Investment Management framework and associated methodology, focusing on the framework's stages related to the investment management provisions of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996."

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 1990, Department of Energy (DOE) contract management (which includes project management) has been designated as a high-risk area for fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement. For years, GAO has reported on DOE's inadequate management and oversight of its contracts and projects. GAO has made dozens of recommendations on steps that DOE could take to improve project management. Furthermore, in 1999 The National Academies' National Research Council developed a series of recommendations to address weaknesses in DOE's project management. This GAO report discusses (1) DOE's main efforts since 1999 to address project management weaknesses, (2) the extent to which DOE's project performance has improved, and (3) the extent to which DOE's project management guidelines have been consistently followed."

A year of data from sonic anemometer and mechanical wind sensors was analyzed and compared at a low-wind site. Results indicate that 15-minute average and peak 1-second wind speeds (u) from the sonic agree well with data derived from a co-located cup anemometer over a wide range of speeds. Wind direction data derived from the sonic also agree closely with those from a wind vane except for very low wind speeds. Values of standard deviation of longitudinal wind speed ({sigma}{sub u}) and wind direction fluctuations ({delta}{sub {theta}}) from the sonic and mechanical sensors agree well for times with u > 2 ms{sup -1} but show significant differences with lower u values. The most significant differences are associated with the standard deviation of vertical wind fluctuations ({sigma}{sub w}): the co-located vertical propeller anemometer yields values increasingly less than those measured by the sonic anemometer as u decreases from 2.5 approaching 0 ms{sup -1}. The combination of u over-estimation and under-estimation of {sigma}{sub w} from the mechanical sensors at low wind speeds causes considerable under-estimation of the standard deviation of vertical wind angle fluctuations ({sigma}{sub {phi}}), an indicator of vertical dispersion. Calculations of {sigma}{sub {phi}} from sonic anemometer measurements are typically 5{sup …

Implementation of a low field time-domain NMR scanner as a diagnostic tool in the production of new polymer components is described in the context of qualification of a new QA/QC device. A study to determine the optimal experimental parameters was performed and a robotic autosampler was built to enable scanning of multiple pads. Relationships between T{sub 2} values and physical properties of DC745 slabs were investigated, and the appropriate sampling parameters for the production setting were determined. Two versions of a robotic autosampler were built, and for the component described here a fourth radial axis was required in addition to traditional X, Y, and Z movement to eliminate the large variability in T{sub 2} due to inconsistent sample coverage caused by complex rib geometry of the component. Data show that with appropriate choice of experimental conditions of the NMR detector and the detection geometry of the robotic autosampler, sufficient resolution of variations in crosslink density on the millimeter scale could be determined. All data to date demonstrates that low-field NMR devices are a feasible tool for use in production settings for non-destructive quality control of polymer components.

A relatively simple, quantitative approach is proposed to address a specific, important gap in the appr approach recommended by the USEPA Guidelines for Cancer Risk Assessment to oach address uncertainty in carcinogenic mode of action of certain chemicals when risk is extrapolated from bioassay data. These Guidelines recognize that some chemical carcinogens may have a site-specific mode of action (MOA) that is dual, involving mutation in addition to cell-killing induced hyperplasia. Although genotoxicity may contribute to increased risk at all doses, the Guidelines imply that for dual MOA (DMOA) carcinogens, judgment be used to compare and assess results obtained using separate 'linear' (genotoxic) vs. 'nonlinear' (nongenotoxic) approaches to low low-level risk extrapolation. However, the Guidelines allow the latter approach to be used only when evidence is sufficient t to parameterize a biologically based model that reliably o extrapolates risk to low levels of concern. The Guidelines thus effectively prevent MOA uncertainty from being characterized and addressed when data are insufficient to parameterize such a model, but otherwise clearly support a DMOA. A bounding factor approach - similar to that used in reference dose procedures for classic toxicity endpoints - can address MOA uncertainty in a way that avoids explicit modeling …

Bill introduced by the Texas Senate relating to the continuation and functions of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission; providing penalties.

Bill introduced by the Texas Senate relating to point-of-sale health warnings for tobacco products.

Bill introduced by the Texas House of Representatives relating to use of state buildings and grounds by a television or film production company.

Bill introduced by the Texas Senate relating to the supreme court's adoption of rules on the electronic filing of documents in civil cases in justice of the peace courts.

Bill introduced by the Texas Senate relating to a silver alert for missing senior citizens.

Bill introduced by the Texas House of Representatives relating to the designation of a portion of United States Highway 287 as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Freeway.

Bill introduced by the Texas Senate relating to creating a recognition day in honor of election volunteers.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas Senate and House of Representatives recognizing The Institute for Environmental and Human Health in Lubbock on the occasion of its 10th anniversary.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas Senate and House of Representatives recalling H.B. No. 1892 from the house for further consideration.

Concurrent resolution introduced by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate relating to expressing support for bids by the Texas Bio- and Agro-Defense Consortium and the Texas A&M NBAF Consortium to locate the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Texas.

Bill introduced by the Texas Senate relating to certain information reporting requirements regarding workers' compensation claims.

Bill introduced by the Texas Senate relating to the priority given to the hearing by trial courts of certain ad valorem tax matters.

Bill introduced by the Texas Senate relating to the issuance or violation of an order for emergency protection on the basis of the offense of sexual assault or aggravated sexual assault.

Bill introduced by the Texas Senate relating to the collection of certain data for the Texas Natural Resources Information System and the duties of the Texas Geographic Information Council.

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