Texas Register, Volume 37, Number 11, Pages 1863-1958, March 16, 2012 (open access)

Texas Register, Volume 37, Number 11, Pages 1863-1958, March 16, 2012

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.
Date: March 16, 2012
Creator: Texas. Secretary of State.
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Racial Profiling: Legal and Constitutional Issues (open access)

Racial Profiling: Legal and Constitutional Issues

Racial profiling is the practice of targeting individuals for police or security detention based on their race or ethnicity in the belief that certain minority groups are more likely to engage in unlawful behavior. Examples of racial profiling by law enforcement agencies suggest that minorities are disproportionately the subject of security-related practices. The issue has periodically attracted congressional interest and several courts have considered the constitutional ramifications of the practice as an "unreasonable search and seizure" under the Fourth Amendment and, more recently, as a denial of the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection guarantee. A variety of federal and state statutes provide potential relief to individuals who claim that their rights are violated by race-based law enforcement practices and policies.
Date: April 16, 2012
Creator: Feder, Jody
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Unrest in Syria and U.S. Sanctions Against the Asad Regime (open access)

Unrest in Syria and U.S. Sanctions Against the Asad Regime

This report analyzes the current unrest in Syria and the U.S. response to the Syrian government's crackdown against demonstrators. It also provides background information on U.S. sanctions against the Asad regime and its supporters.
Date: February 16, 2012
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M. & Blanchard, Christopher M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trade Primer: Qs and As on Trade Concepts, Performance, and Policy (open access)

Trade Primer: Qs and As on Trade Concepts, Performance, and Policy

The 112th Congress has a full legislative and oversight agenda on international trade. The agenda so far has included approval of legislation to implement free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea, and may take up enhanced enforcement of U.S. trade agreements, as well as Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status, oversight of the World Trade Organization's Doha Round, and trade relations with China. This report provides information and context for many of these topics. It is divided into four sections in a question-and-answer format: trade concepts; U.S. trade performance; formulation of U.S. trade policy; and trade and investment issues. Additional suggested readings are provided in an appendix.
Date: April 16, 2012
Creator: Hornbeck, J. F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The U.S. Secret Service: An Examination and Analysis of Its Evolving Missions (open access)

The U.S. Secret Service: An Examination and Analysis of Its Evolving Missions

The U.S. Secret Service has two missions: criminal investigations and protection. This report looks at the history of the organization and purpose as it relates to Congress.
Date: April 16, 2012
Creator: Reese, Shawn
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC): A Fact Sheet (open access)

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC): A Fact Sheet

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) is a federal government agency established in 1974 by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA; P.L. 93-406). It was created to protect the pensions of participants and beneficiaries covered by private sector, defined benefit (DB) plans. The PBGC is chaired by the Secretary of Labor, with the Secretaries of the Treasury and Commerce serving as board members. In the 112th Congress, an amendment offered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to S. 1813, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), contains provisions that would address the use of excess defined benefit pension plan assets and the interest rates that defined benefit plans use to value plan liabilities.
Date: April 16, 2012
Creator: Topoleski, John J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights (open access)

Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights

This report discusses Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights. Relations among major political factions have worsened substantially since late 2011, threatening Iraq's stability and the perception of the achievements of the long U.S. intervention in Iraq. Sunni Arabs, always fearful that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki would seek unchallenged power for Shiite factions allied with him, accuse him of an outright power grab as he seeks to purge the highest-ranking Sunni Arabs from government and to cripple attempts by Sunni-inhabited provinces to achieve greater autonomy.
Date: May 16, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program (open access)

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), also called the Lighting II, is a new strike fighter being procured in different versions by the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. The F-35 program is the Department of Defense's (DOD's) largest weapon procurement program in terms of total estimated acquisition cost. This report details the Obama Administration's proposed FY2010 defense budget requests for F-35 program funding and outlines the issues that Congress must consider when deciding whether to approve, reject, or modify the administration's funding requests.
Date: February 16, 2012
Creator: Gertler, Jeremiah
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress

This report presents background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Navy's Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyer programs. Decisions that Congress makes concerning these programs could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.
Date: March 16, 2012
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights (open access)

Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights

This report discusses the situation immediately following the completion of the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq on December 18, 2011, when relations among major political factions worsened substantially, threatening Iraq's stability and the legacy of the U.S. intervention in Iraq. It includes an overview of historical and current political, military, and governance issues as well as an analysis of Iraq in relation to the other nations in the region.
Date: May 16, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The U.S. Export Control System and the President's Reform Initiative (open access)

The U.S. Export Control System and the President's Reform Initiative

The 112th Congress may consider reforms of the U.S. export control system. The balance between national security and export competitiveness has made the subject of export controls controversial for decades. Through the Export Administration Act (EAA), the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and other authorities, the United States restricts the export of defense items or munitions; so-called “dual-use” goods and technology—items with both civilian and military applications; certain nuclear materials and technology; and items that would assist in the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons or the missile technology used to deliver them. U.S. export controls are also used to restrict exports to certain countries on which the United States imposes economic sanctions. At present, the EAA has expired and dual-use controls are maintained under IEEPA authorities.
Date: February 16, 2012
Creator: Fergusson, Ian F. & Kerr, Paul K.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Gun Control Legislation (open access)

Gun Control Legislation

This report looks at past gun control legislation and also how recent events (such as the shooting in Tucson, AZ on January 8, 2011 which notably wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords) have influenced current legislation. This report concludes with discussion of other salient and recurring gun control issues that have generated past congressional interest.
Date: May 16, 2012
Creator: Krouse, William J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Family Planning Programs: Issues for Congress (open access)

International Family Planning Programs: Issues for Congress

This report looks at how the debate over family planning within the U.S. is spilling over to U.S.-funded family planning programs abroad.
Date: March 16, 2012
Creator: Blanchfield, Luisa
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran Sanctions (open access)

Iran Sanctions

This report looks at the purposes and results of U.S. sanctions on Iran, which were initiated as a result of Iran's nuclear program and human rights issues. It ends by discussing future issues that Congress can consider regarding the sanctions.
Date: July 16, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Labor Relations Statutes: An Overview (open access)

Federal Labor Relations Statutes: An Overview

This report provides a brief history and overview of the aims of these statutes: the Railway Labor Act (RLA) enacted in 1926, the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), and the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute (FSLMRS). It also discusses key statutory provisions for each statute.
Date: July 16, 2012
Creator: Hegji, Alexandra
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
LIBOR: Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

LIBOR: Frequently Asked Questions

This report answers frequently asked questions about the London Interbank Offer Rate (LIBOR), which is an estimate of prevailing interest rates in London money market. In particular, it addresses the effects of individual institutions, in response to an admission by Barclays (a British bank) that the bank had submitted false reports to manipulate the index.
Date: July 16, 2012
Creator: Murphy, Edward V.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Overview of the Appeal Process for Veterans' Claims (open access)

Overview of the Appeal Process for Veterans' Claims

This report covers the current appeal process for veterans benefit claims. It ends with a description of current proposed legislation to alter the process.
Date: July 16, 2012
Creator: Shedd, Daniel T.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oil Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline: Background and Selected Environmental Issues (open access)

Oil Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline: Background and Selected Environmental Issues

This report looks at concerns about the Keystone XL pipeline. These include the need for a Presidential Permit, as the pipeline crosses and international border. Additionally, the report discusses specific environmental issues that the Keystone XL proposal raises.
Date: July 16, 2012
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.; Lattanzio, Richard K.; Luther, Linda; Parfomak, Paul W. & Carter, Nicole T.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meetings in Vladivostok, Russia: A Preview (open access)

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meetings in Vladivostok, Russia: A Preview

Russia will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) week-long series of senior-level meetings in Vladivostok on September 2-9, 2012. The main event for the week will be the 20th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held September 8-9, 2012. This report looks at the main points of this meeting as they relate to the U.S.
Date: August 16, 2012
Creator: Martin, Michael F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
House Committee Funding: Process and Analysis of Disbursements (open access)

House Committee Funding: Process and Analysis of Disbursements

This report provides an overview of the committee funding process in the House; it analyzes funding levels since 1995, reviews House floor and committee action on committee funding in the 112th Congress, summarizes the rules and regulations that structure the use of committee funds, and analyzes actual committee funding spending patterns during five previous years.
Date: October 16, 2012
Creator: Glassman, Matthew Eric
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
America COMPETES Acts: FY2008-FY2013 Funding Tables (open access)

America COMPETES Acts: FY2008-FY2013 Funding Tables

This report tracks historical federal funding associated with the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMEPETES) Reauthorization Act of 2010, which are set to expire in 2013.
Date: October 16, 2012
Creator: Gonzalez, Heather B.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Venezuela: Issues for Congress (open access)

Venezuela: Issues for Congress

This report discusses the current Congressional issues in relation to Venezuela, including background on the political situation and recent developments, the economic conditions, relevant U.S. policies, and the legislative initiatives in the 111th and 112th Congresses. The United States traditionally has had close relations with Venezuela, a major supplier of foreign oil, but there has been friction in relations under the government of populist President Hugo Chávez. U.S. officials have expressed concerns about human rights, Venezuela's military arms purchases, its relations with Cuba and Iran, and its efforts to export its brand of populism to other Latin American countries.
Date: October 16, 2012
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Job Growth During the Recovery (open access)

Job Growth During the Recovery

This report analyzes employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from December 2007 to September 2012, including characteristics of job loss and gain within several industries.
Date: October 16, 2012
Creator: Levine, Linda
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Drug Control Policy: Background and U.S. Responses (open access)

International Drug Control Policy: Background and U.S. Responses

This report discusses challenges created by the global illegal drug trade, including: undermining political and regional stability, bolstering the role and capabilities of transnational criminal organizations in the drug trade, and the burden caused by drug use an addition on local communities and economic development. In addition, this report discusses U.S. policy efforts to thwart illegal drug trade.
Date: October 16, 2012
Creator: Wyler, Liana Sun
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library