Cuba: U.S. Policy and Issues for the 113th Congress (open access)

Cuba: U.S. Policy and Issues for the 113th Congress

This report discusses the current political conditions of Cuba as well as its relationship with the United States. In particular, the report focuses on U.S. policy regarding Cuba including various economic sanctions, human rights issues, and foreign aid appropriations.
Date: May 20, 2014
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives (open access)

Securing U.S. Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Legislative and Executive Branch Initiatives

This report briefly summarizes and tracks congressional and State Department actions in response to the attack on U. S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, and will be updated as necessary to reflect further developments and actions on ongoing policy proposals.
Date: May 12, 2014
Creator: Tiersky, Alex
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Corporate Expatriation, Inversions, and Mergers: Tax Issues (open access)

Corporate Expatriation, Inversions, and Mergers: Tax Issues

This report discusses relevant portions of the U.S. corporate income tax system and how inversions have commonly been structured. It also looks at how Congress and Department of the Treasury have reduced the benefits of inversions, including The American Jobs Creation Act, as well as post-2004 inversions and treasury regulations, and policy options.
Date: May 27, 2014
Creator: Marples, Donald J. & Gravelle, Jane G.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Climate Change Financing: The Green Climate Fund (GCF) (open access)

International Climate Change Financing: The Green Climate Fund (GCF)

This report discusses United States commitments for climate change through financial and technical assistance and multilateral programs.
Date: May 5, 2014
Creator: Lattanzio, Richard K.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance (open access)

Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance

This report discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, and the Afghan government. It also discusses Afghanistan's relationship with the United States, particularly U.S. efforts to urge President Hamid Karzai to address corruption within the Afghan government.
Date: May 12, 2014
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: How DOD Acquires Weapon Systems and Recent Efforts to Reform the Process (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: How DOD Acquires Weapon Systems and Recent Efforts to Reform the Process

This report outlines the Department of Defense's (DOD) defense acquisition structure, discusses recent major reports addressing defense acquisition, and considers recent DOD efforts to improve the acquisition of weapon systems. It also includes a description of recent congressional efforts to reform the DOD's acquisition process.
Date: May 23, 2014
Creator: Schwartz, Moshe
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The LIHEAP Formula (open access)

The LIHEAP Formula

This report discusses two types of formulas used to allocate funding to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through regular and contingency funding.
Date: May 21, 2014
Creator: Perl, Libby
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Summary Cost Data for Health Plans Available in Maine's Exchange, 2014: Fact Sheet (open access)

Summary Cost Data for Health Plans Available in Maine's Exchange, 2014: Fact Sheet

This report discusses the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111-148, as amended) that contains a number of provisions that may affect the individual health insurance market.
Date: May 1, 2014
Creator: Elan, Nicholas; Fernandez, Bernadette & Mach, Annie L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Reform of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC): Selection of Judges (open access)

Reform of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC): Selection of Judges

This report surveys the process of "designation," an alternative method used by Congress that allows current federal judges to serve temporarily on another federal court without undergoing a separate constitutional appointment. It explores how a reviewing court might evaluate the constitutionality of these proposals that would shift the authority to select Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) judges away from the Chief Justice alone, and vest it in other officials within the judicial, executive, and legislative branches.
Date: May 7, 2014
Creator: Chu, Vivian S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Private Health Insurance Market Reforms in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (open access)

Private Health Insurance Market Reforms in the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

This report provides background information about the private health insurance market, including market segments and regulation. It then describes each Affordable Care Act (ACA) market reform.
Date: May 6, 2014
Creator: Mach, Annie L. & Fernandez, Bernadette
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Libya: Transition and U.S. Policy (open access)

Libya: Transition and U.S. Policy

This report discusses the revolution and post-conflict transition in Libya, triggered in mid-February 2011 by a chain of events resulting in the death of the Prime Minister (Qadhafi); a new government was elected in July. The report also looks at the military and economic state of the country, including human rights, Islam and politics, and Libya's oil assets.
Date: May 29, 2014
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Legislative Actions to Repeal, Defund, or Delay the Affordable Care Act (open access)

Legislative Actions to Repeal, Defund, or Delay the Affordable Care Act

This report summarizes legislative actions taken to repeal, defund, delay, or otherwise amend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) since the law's enactment.
Date: May 7, 2014
Creator: Redhead, C. S. & Kinzer, Janet
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran Sanctions (open access)

Iran Sanctions

This report discusses the recent development regarding the negotiations with Iran about its nuclear program. It provides background information on Iranian nuclear program and debates the November 24 Joint Plan of Action Elements.
Date: May 7, 2014
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 113th Congress (open access)

Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 113th Congress

This report discusses domestic human-trafficking-related issues that have received legislative action or are of significant congressional interest in the 113th Congress.
Date: May 30, 2014
Creator: Siskin, Alison; Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L. & Finklea, Kristin
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program (open access)

Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

This report discusses the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Act, which was enacted by the 108th Congress as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136). It includes background of the SAFER Act, appropriations from FY2011-FY2013, reauthorization of the program in the House and Senate, and information about program implementation.
Date: May 29, 2014
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 113th Congress (open access)

Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 113th Congress

This report discusses domestic human-trafficking-related issues that have received legislative action or are of significant congressional interest in the 113th Congress.
Date: May 19, 2014
Creator: Siskin, Alison
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on multiyear procurement (MYP) and block buy contracting (BBC), which are special contracting mechanisms that Congress permits the Department of Defense (DOD) to use for a limited number of defense acquisition programs. Compared to the standard or default approach of annual contracting, MYP and BBC have the potential for reducing weapon procurement costs by several percent.
Date: May 20, 2014
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald & Schwartz, Moshe
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
United States Fire Administration: An Overview (open access)

United States Fire Administration: An Overview

This report describes and analyzes the United States Fire Administration's (USFA's) FY2013 budget proposal, as well as related information and legislation.
Date: May 29, 2014
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer (open access)

Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer

This report provides an overview of nanomanufacturing as well as public understanding of and attitudes toward nanotechnology.
Date: May 30, 2014
Creator: Sargent, John F., Jr.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy TAO(X) Oiler Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy TAO(X) Oiler Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress

This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the TAO(X) oiler shipbuilding program, a program to build a new class of fleet oilers for the Navy.
Date: May 21, 2014
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Syria: Overview of the Humanitarian Response (open access)

Syria: Overview of the Humanitarian Response

This report examines the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria and the U.S. and international response. It discusses the use of chemical weapons in Syria on August 21, 2013 that triggered an intense debate over possible U.S. military intervention.
Date: May 30, 2014
Creator: Margesson, Rhoda
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tolling U.S. Highways (open access)

Tolling U.S. Highways

This report provides a brief history of tolling on federal roads and current law. The report discusses financial realities on toll roads and tolling policy issues.
Date: May 30, 2014
Creator: Kirk, Robert S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Audit Report on Incentive Compensation at the Teacher Retirement System, the Permanent School Fund, the General Land Office, and the Employees Retirement System (open access)

An Audit Report on Incentive Compensation at the Teacher Retirement System, the Permanent School Fund, the General Land Office, and the Employees Retirement System

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to whether incentive compensation at the Teacher Retirement System, the Permanent School Fund, the General Land Office, and the Employees Retirement System was calculated and paid in accordance with their policies and procedures.
Date: May 2014
Creator: Texas. Office of the State Auditor.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
An Audit Report on Performance Measures at the Department of Aging and Disability Services (open access)

An Audit Report on Performance Measures at the Department of Aging and Disability Services

Report of the Texas State Auditor's Office related to determining whether the Department of Aging and Disability Services is accurately reporting its performance measures to ABEST and has adequate controls in place over the collection, calculation, and reporting of its performance measures.
Date: May 2014
Creator: Texas. Office of the State Auditor.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History