Global Climate Change (open access)

Global Climate Change

This report discusses the effect of human activities on global climate change. Human activities, particularly burning of fossil fuels, have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and other trace gases, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane, and nitrous oxide.
Date: July 16, 2003
Creator: Justus, John R. & Fletcher, Susan R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Role of Designation of Critical Habitat under the Endangered Species Act (open access)

The Role of Designation of Critical Habitat under the Endangered Species Act

On June 14th, 1999, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) called for public comment on its current procedures for designating critical habitat. In addition, a proposal is before the Senate (S.1100) to move the time at which critical habitat must be designated for a species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) from being (basically) concurrent with the listing of the species to the time a recovery plan is finalized for that species. This report is written as background for considering the current legislative proposal and the FWS notice and may be updated as circumstances warrant.
Date: July 16, 1999
Creator: Baldwin, Pamela
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Endangered Species Act and "Sound Science" (open access)

The Endangered Species Act and "Sound Science"

This report provides a context for evaluating legislative proposals through examples of how science has been used in selected cases, a discussion of the nature and role of science in general, and its role in the Endangered Species Act (ESA) process in particular, together with general and agency information quality requirements and policies, and a review of how the courts have viewed agency use of science.
Date: July 16, 2002
Creator: Baldwin, Pamela & Corn, M. Lynne
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Guide to Individuals Seated on the Senate Dais (open access)

Guide to Individuals Seated on the Senate Dais

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.
Date: July 16, 2003
Creator: Amer, Mildred L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
"Sense of" Resolutions and Provisions (open access)

"Sense of" Resolutions and Provisions

One or both houses of Congress may formally express opinions about subjects of current national interest through freestanding simple or concurrent resolutions (called generically “sense of the House,” “sense of the Senate,” or “sense of the Congress” resolutions). These opinions may also be added to pending legislative measures by amendments expressing the views of one or both chambers. This fact sheet identifies the various forms such expressions may take and the procedures governing such actions.
Date: July 16, 2003
Creator: Rundquist, Paul S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Flow of Business: Typical Day on the Senate Floor (open access)

Flow of Business: Typical Day on the Senate Floor

Several authorities govern the daily chamber work of the Senate: the standing rules, the “standing orders,” unanimous consent agreements, precedent, and tradition. Because these authorities have different influence at certain times, no Senate session day is truly typical. This report discusses procedures and business that usually occur every session day, and refers to certain business items that may occur less frequently.
Date: July 16, 2003
Creator: Rundquist, Paul S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare: Major Prescription Drug Provisions of Selected Bills (open access)

Medicare: Major Prescription Drug Provisions of Selected Bills

None
Date: July 16, 2002
Creator: O'Sullivan, Jennifer
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Importing Prescription Drugs (open access)

Importing Prescription Drugs

None
Date: July 16, 2002
Creator: Randall, Blanchard, IV & Vogt, Donna U.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Monetary Policy: Current Policy and Conditions (open access)

Monetary Policy: Current Policy and Conditions

None
Date: July 16, 2003
Creator: Makinen, Gail & Vorce, Anne
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Campaign Financing (open access)

Campaign Financing

This is one report in the series of reports that discuss the campaign finance practices and related issues. Concerns over financing federal elections have become a seemingly perennial aspect of our political system, centered on the enduring issues of high campaign costs and reliance on interest groups for needed campaign funds. The report talks about the today’s paramount issues such as perceived loopholes in current law and the longstanding issues: overall costs, funding sources, and competition.
Date: July 16, 2004
Creator: Cantor, Joseph E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Education Vouchers: Constitutional Issues and Cases (open access)

Education Vouchers: Constitutional Issues and Cases

This report details the constitutional standards that currently apply to indirect aid programs and summarizes all of the pertinent state and federal court decisions, including the Ohio case that will be heard by the Supreme Court. On September 25, 2001, the Supreme Court agreed to review a case raising the controversial issue of the constitutionality of education vouchers. In Zelman v. Simmons-Harris the Sixth Circuit held Ohio’s Pilot Scholarship Program, which provided up to $2500 to help low-income students in Cleveland’s public schools attend private schools in the city, to violate the establishment of religion clause of the First Amendment.
Date: July 16, 2002
Creator: Ackerman, David M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Electricity Restructuring: Comparison of S.1401, H.R. 655, H.R. 1230, S. 722, H.R. 1960, and S. 2287 (open access)

Electricity Restructuring: Comparison of S.1401, H.R. 655, H.R. 1230, S. 722, H.R. 1960, and S. 2287

Once considered the nation's most regulated industry, the electric utility industry is evolving into a more competitive environment. At the current time, the focus of this development is the generating sector, where the advent of new generating technologies, such as gas-fired combined cycle, has lowered both entry barriers to competitors of traditional utilities and lowered the marginal costs of those competitors below those of some traditional utilities. This technological advance has been combined with legislative initiatives, such as the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT), to encourage the introduction of competitive forces into the electric generating sector. The questions now are whether further legislative action is desirable to encourage competition in the electric utility sector and how the transition between a comprehensive regulatory regime to a more competitive electric utility sector can be made with the least amount of economic and service disruption.
Date: July 16, 1998
Creator: Parker, Larry
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Auditing and Its Regulators: Proposals for Reform After Enron (open access)

Auditing and Its Regulators: Proposals for Reform After Enron

Auditors are regulated by both governmental agencies and professional organizations, though many now question whether this oversight is adequate. Enron’s auditor, Arthur Andersen, has been investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), several congressional committees, and other agencies, and it is facing numerous law suits. A federal jury convicted the firm on obstruction of justice charges on June 15, 2002. Other corporations and their auditors are also under scrutiny. Numerous accounting and audit reforms have been proposed, including some by the accounting industry. The House passed an audit reform bill (H.R. 3763) on April 24, 2002. The Senate passed an amended version of its bill (S. 2673) on July 15th. The SEC published proposed reform rules June 26th; on the 28th it required top executives in companies with revenues exceeding $1.2 billion to personally certify that filed reports are complete and accurate
Date: July 16, 2002
Creator: Lyke, Bob
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iraq Reconstruction Resources: Fact Sheet (open access)

Iraq Reconstruction Resources: Fact Sheet

None
Date: July 16, 2003
Creator: Waterhouse, Michael & Smith, Carolyn C.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Israeli-United States Relations (open access)

Israeli-United States Relations

None
Date: July 16, 2002
Creator: Mark, Clyde R.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pakistan-U.S. Relations (open access)

Pakistan-U.S. Relations

None
Date: July 16, 2002
Creator: Kronstadt, K. Alan
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Taiwan: Recent Developments and U.S. Policy Choices (open access)

Taiwan: Recent Developments and U.S. Policy Choices

None
Date: July 16, 2003
Creator: Dumbaugh, Kerry
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Forest Roads: Construction and Financing (open access)

Forest Roads: Construction and Financing

This report gives an overview of Forest Roads construction and Financing. It discusses the current road system, statistics over the years.
Date: July 16, 1997
Creator: Gorte, Ross W.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Science, Technology, and Medicine: Issues Facing the 106th Congress, First Session (open access)

Science, Technology, and Medicine: Issues Facing the 106th Congress, First Session

Science, technology, and medicine is playing an integral part in many of the policy issues that are coming before this Congress. Legislative action in certain areas directly affects the progress of science, technology, and medicine (STM). And advances in those areas can significantly affect broader public policy issues. This issue brief provides an overview of several of those issues and identifies CRS reports that treat them in more depth.
Date: July 16, 1999
Creator: Rowberg, Richard E
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Research and Development: Budgeting and Priority-Setting Issues, 108th Congress (open access)

Federal Research and Development: Budgeting and Priority-Setting Issues, 108th Congress

This report provides information about the Budgeting and Priority-Setting Issues, 108th Congress on Federal Research and Development. Federal R & D funding priorities change over time, reflecting presidential and national preferences.
Date: July 16, 2003
Creator: Knezo, Genevieve J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Flat Tax Proposals and Fundamental Tax Reform: An Overview (open access)

Flat Tax Proposals and Fundamental Tax Reform: An Overview

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Date: July 16, 2003
Creator: Bickley, James M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Restrictions on Minors' Access to Material on the Internet (open access)

Restrictions on Minors' Access to Material on the Internet

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Date: July 16, 1998
Creator: Cohen, Henry
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Transportation Issues in the 107th Congress (open access)

Transportation Issues in the 107th Congress

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Date: July 16, 2002
Creator: Harrison, Glennon J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Same-Sex Marriages: Legal Issues (open access)

Same-Sex Marriages: Legal Issues

None
Date: July 16, 2004
Creator: Smith, Alison M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library