Department of Energy: Key Challenges Remain for Developing and Deploying Advanced Energy Technologies to Meet Future Needs (open access)

Department of Energy: Key Challenges Remain for Developing and Deploying Advanced Energy Technologies to Meet Future Needs

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Despite periodic price shocks and related energy crises, the United States is even more dependent on crude oil and natural gas than it was almost 30 years ago. And, without dramatic change, the nation will become ever more reliant on imported oil and natural gas with attendant threats to national security. The nation has also become concerned about global warming, which has been linked to carbon dioxide emissions from burning coal and oil. To address these concerns, the Department of Energy (DOE) has funded research and development (R&D) on advanced renewable, fossil, and nuclear energy technologies. GAO examined the (1) R&D funding trends and strategies for developing advanced energy technologies, (2) key barriers to developing and deploying advanced energy technologies, and (3) efforts of the states and six selected countries to develop and deploy advanced energy technologies. GAO reviewed DOE R&D budget data and strategic plans and interviewed DOE officials and scientists, U.S. industry executives, independent experts, and state and foreign government officials."
Date: December 20, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Courthouses: Rent Increases Due to New Space and Growing Energy and Security Costs Require Better Tracking and Management (open access)

Federal Courthouses: Rent Increases Due to New Space and Growing Energy and Security Costs Require Better Tracking and Management

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The judiciary pays over $900 million in rent annually to GSA for court-related space, and this amount represents a growing proportion of the judiciary's budget. The judiciary's rent payments are deposited into GSA's Federal Buildings Fund (FBF), a revolving fund used to finance GSA's real property services, including the construction and repair of federal facilities under GSA control. In December 2004, the judiciary requested a $483 million dollar permanent, annual rent exemption, which GSA denied, saying that it undermined the intent of FBF and that GSA was unlikely to obtain appropriations to replace lost FBF income. GAO identified (1) recent trends in the judiciary's rent and space occupied and (2) challenges that the judiciary faces in managing its rent costs."
Date: June 20, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
VA and DOD Health Care: Opportunities to Maximize Resource Sharing Remain (open access)

VA and DOD Health Care: Opportunities to Maximize Resource Sharing Remain

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 required that the Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Defense (DOD) implement programs referred to as the Joint Incentive Fund (JIF) and the Demonstration Site Selection (DSS) to increase health care resource sharing between the departments. The act requires GAO to report on (1) VA's and DOD's progress in implementing the programs. GAO also agreed with the committees of jurisdiction to report on (2) the actions taken by VA and DOD to strengthen resource sharing and opportunities to improve upon those actions and (3) whether VA and DOD performance measures are useful for evaluating progress toward achieving health care resource-sharing goals."
Date: March 20, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
IRS Offers in Compromise: Performance Has Been Mixed; Better Management Information and Simplification Could Improve the Program (open access)

IRS Offers in Compromise: Performance Has Been Mixed; Better Management Information and Simplification Could Improve the Program

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Taxpayers unable to fully pay their tax liabilities may apply for an offer in compromise (OIC), an agreement with IRS to pay what they can afford. IRS writes off the rest of the liability. In 2005, IRS accepted over 14,000 offers. Because of concerns about program performance and a new category of offers based on exceptional circumstances, GAO was asked to (1) describe the trends in program's performance and their causes and (2) determine whether IRS's regulations for exceptional circumstance offers are consistent with statute. GAO examined five program objectives: timeliness, quality, accessibility, compliance, and cost."
Date: April 20, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Commercial Space Launches: FAA Needs Continued Planning and Monitoring to Oversee the Safety of the Emerging Space Tourism Industry (open access)

Commercial Space Launches: FAA Needs Continued Planning and Monitoring to Oversee the Safety of the Emerging Space Tourism Industry

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2004, the successful launches of SpaceShipOne raised the possibility of an emerging U.S. commercial space tourism industry that would make human space travel available to the public. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has responsibility for safety and industry promotion, licenses operations of commercial space launches and launch sites. To allow the industry to grow, Congress prohibited FAA from regulating crew and passenger safety before 2012, except in response to high-risk events. GAO evaluated FAA's (1) safety oversight of commercial space launches, (2) response to emerging issues, and (3) challenges in regulating and promoting space tourism and responding to competitive issues affecting the industry. GAO reviewed FAA's applicable safety oversight processes and interviewed federal and industry officials."
Date: October 20, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Personnel: DOD and the Services Need to Take Additional Steps to Improve Mobilization Data for the Reserve Components (open access)

Military Personnel: DOD and the Services Need to Take Additional Steps to Improve Mobilization Data for the Reserve Components

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO has previously reported on the Department of Defense's (DOD) ability to track reservists deployed to the theater of operations and made recommendations. Reliable mobilization and deployment data are critical for making decisions about reserve force availability and medical surveillance. Because of broad congressional interest, GAO initiated a review under the Comptroller General's authority to conduct evaluations on his own initiative to determine (1) what DOD data indicate are the number of reservists mobilized and deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) and the selected demographic and deployment characteristics of those deployed and (2) whether DOD's reserve deployment and mobilization data and analyses are reliable. GAO analyzed data and data analyses from DOD's Contingency Tracking System (CTS) and interviewed agency officials."
Date: September 20, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
VA Health Care: Budget Formulation and Reporting on Budget Execution Need Improvement (open access)

VA Health Care: Budget Formulation and Reporting on Budget Execution Need Improvement

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates it will serve 5.4 million patients in fiscal year 2006. Medical services for these patients are funded with appropriations, after consideration by Congress of the President's budget request. VA formulates the medical programs portion of that request. VA is also responsible for budget execution--using appropriations and monitoring their use for providing care. For fiscal years 2005 and 2006, the President requested additional funding for VA medical programs, beyond what had been originally requested. GAO was asked to examine for fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (1) how the President's budget requests for VA medical programs were formulated, (2) how VA monitored and reported to Congress on its budget execution, and (3) which key factors in the budget formulation process contributed to requests for additional funding. To do this, GAO analyzed budget documents and interviewed VA and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) officials."
Date: September 20, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Export Controls: Challenges Exist in Enforcement of an Inherently Complex System (open access)

Export Controls: Challenges Exist in Enforcement of an Inherently Complex System

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Each year, billions of dollars in dual-use items--items that have both commercial and military applications--as well as defense items are exported from the United States. To protect U.S. interests, the U.S. government controls the export of these items. A key function in the U.S. export control system is enforcement, which aims to prevent or deter the illegal export of controlled items. This report describes the roles, responsibilities, and authorities of export control enforcement agencies, identifies the challenges these agencies face, and determines if information on enforcement outcomes is provided to the export control agencies. GAO's findings are based on an examination of statutes, interagency agreements, and procedures; interviews with enforcement officials at selected field locations and headquarters; and an assessment of enforcement information."
Date: December 20, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Security: Agencies Need to Develop and Implement Adequate Policies for Periodic Testing (open access)

Information Security: Agencies Need to Develop and Implement Adequate Policies for Periodic Testing

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Agencies rely extensively on computerized information systems and electronic data to carry out their missions. To ensure the security of the information and information systems that support critical operations and infrastructure, federal law and policy require agencies to periodically test and evaluate the effectiveness of their information security controls at least annually. GAO was asked to evaluate the extent to which agencies have adequately designed and effectively implemented policies for testing and evaluating their information security controls. GAO surveyed 24 major federal agencies and analyzed their policies to determine whether the policies address important elements for periodic testing. GAO also examined testing documentation at 6 agencies to assess the quality and effectiveness of testing on 30 systems."
Date: October 20, 2006
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Texas Lottery Commission Annual Financial Report: 2006 (open access)

Texas Lottery Commission Annual Financial Report: 2006

Annual financial report of the Texas Lottery Commission for fiscal year 2006, providing statements of assets, expenditures, revenues, and other relevant data.
Date: December 20, 2006
Creator: Texas Lottery Commission
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas State Office of Risk Management Annual Report of Nonfinancial Data: 2006 (open access)

Texas State Office of Risk Management Annual Report of Nonfinancial Data: 2006

Report on nonfinancial data of the Texas State Office of Risk Management for fiscal year 2006, including information about fees, spaces, progress on the HUB (historically underutilized business) plan, environmentally sensitive purchases, and indirect costs.
Date: December 20, 2006
Creator: Texas. State Office of Risk Management.
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Defense: FY2006 Authorization and Appropriations (open access)

Defense: FY2006 Authorization and Appropriations

This report discusses key issues resolved by the conference agreements regarding FY2006 Defense appropriations.
Date: January 20, 2006
Creator: Daggett, Stephen
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Military Recruiting and the Solomon Amendment: The Supreme Court Ruling in Rumsfeld v. FAIR (open access)

Military Recruiting and the Solomon Amendment: The Supreme Court Ruling in Rumsfeld v. FAIR

This report discusses military recruiting and the Solomon amendment, the supreme court ruling on Rumsfeld vs. Fair.
Date: March 20, 2006
Creator: Dale, Charles V.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library

Monitoring and evaluation of diversion funds

Presentation covering Prison Diversion and Substance Abuse Treatment Programs to the 79th House Committee of Appropriation on April 20, 2006. The presentation covers issues of funding, housing, and progressive sanction models.
Date: April 20, 2006
Creator: Texas. Department of Criminal Justice.
Object Type: Presentation
System: The Portal to Texas History
Running Deficits: Positives and Pitfalls (open access)

Running Deficits: Positives and Pitfalls

This report discusses how deficit finance can help governments manage their economies and how large and persistent deficits can lead to severe economic problems.
Date: September 20, 2006
Creator: Austin, D. A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iraq: Elections, Government, and Constitution (open access)

Iraq: Elections, Government, and Constitution

This report is regarding the Elections, Government, and Constitutions of Iraq.
Date: January 20, 2006
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Stem Cell Research: Federal Research Funding and Oversight (open access)

Stem Cell Research: Federal Research Funding and Oversight

None
Date: July 20, 2006
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Nuclear Energy Policy (open access)

Nuclear Energy Policy

This report discusses the nuclear energy policy issues facing Congress, which include the implementation of federal incentives for new commercial reactors, radioactive waste management policy, research and development priorities, power plant safety and regulation, and security against terrorist attacks.
Date: July 20, 2006
Creator: Holt, Mark
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Environmental Protection Agency: FY2006 Appropriations Highlights (open access)

Environmental Protection Agency: FY2006 Appropriations Highlights

This report discusses issues regarding the funding of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As enacted in August 2005, Title II of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY2006 (P.L. 109-54, H.R. 2361) provided $7.73 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), subject to an across-the-board rescission of 0.476%.
Date: January 20, 2006
Creator: Bearden, David & Esworthy, Robert
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Immigration Consequences of Criminal Activity (open access)

Immigration Consequences of Criminal Activity

This report discusses the potential immigration consequences of Criminal Activity.
Date: September 20, 2006
Creator: Garcia, Michael J. & Eig, Larry M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Rising Energy Competition and Energy Security in Northeast Asia: Issues for U.S. Policy (open access)

Rising Energy Competition and Energy Security in Northeast Asia: Issues for U.S. Policy

None
Date: January 20, 2006
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Patent Reform: Issues in the Biomedical and Software Industries (open access)

Patent Reform: Issues in the Biomedical and Software Industries

None
Date: November 20, 2006
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Elder Abuse (open access)

Elder Abuse

None
Date: December 20, 2006
Creator: Smith, Alison M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Animal Waste and Water Quality: EPA’s Response to the Waterkeeper Alliance Court Decision on Regulation of CAFOs (open access)

Animal Waste and Water Quality: EPA’s Response to the Waterkeeper Alliance Court Decision on Regulation of CAFOs

This report is on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed regulations that would revise a 2003 Clean Water Act rule governing waste discharges.
Date: September 20, 2006
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library