Immigration Detainers: Legal Issues (open access)

Immigration Detainers: Legal Issues

Report that surveys the various authorities governing immigration detainers, including the standard detainer form (Form I-247) sent by ICE to other law enforcement agencies. The report also discusses key legal issues raised by immigration detainers.
Date: August 31, 2012
Creator: Manuel, Kate M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Primer on Disability Benefits: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (open access)
Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff (open access)

Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff

This report is designed to introduce congressional staff to selected governmental and nongovernmental sources that are useful in tracking and obtaining information federal legislation and regulations. It includes governmental sources such as the Legislative Information System (LIS), THOMAS, the Government Printing Office's Federal Digital System (FDsys), and U.S. Senate and House websites. Nongovernmental or commercial sources include resources such as HeinOnline and the Congressional Quarterly (CQ) websites. It also highlights classes offered by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and the Library of Congress Law Library.
Date: August 31, 2012
Creator: Mansfield, Jerry W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): The Five-Month Waiting Period for Benefits (open access)

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): The Five-Month Waiting Period for Benefits

This report explains the five-month waiting period for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and its legislative history. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is authorized by Title II of the Social Security Act and provides income replacement for eligible individuals who are unable to work due to a longterm injury or illness that is expected to last at least one year or result in death.
Date: August 31, 2012
Creator: Moulta-Ali, Umar
System: The UNT Digital Library
Stafford Act Declarations 1953-2011: Trends and Analyses, and Implications for Congress (open access)

Stafford Act Declarations 1953-2011: Trends and Analyses, and Implications for Congress

Report that describes the declaration process of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act and the types of declarations that can be made under the Stafford Act.
Date: August 31, 2012
Creator: Lindsay, Bruce R. & McCarthy, Francis X.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tajikistan: Recent Developments and U.S. Interests (open access)

Tajikistan: Recent Developments and U.S. Interests

None
Date: August 31, 2012
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
Failure to Register as a Sex Offender: An Abridged Legal Analysis of 18 U.S.C. 2250 (open access)

Failure to Register as a Sex Offender: An Abridged Legal Analysis of 18 U.S.C. 2250

Report that describes 18 U.S.C. 2250, which outlaws any individual convicted of a sex offense from not registering themselves in a jurisdiction which they live, work, or go to school. It describes elements of the law, and consequences for not following it.
Date: August 30, 2012
Creator: Doyle, Charles
System: The UNT Digital Library
Failure to Register as a Sex Offender: An Abridged Legal Analysis of 18 U.S.C. 2250 (open access)

Failure to Register as a Sex Offender: An Abridged Legal Analysis of 18 U.S.C. 2250

Report that describes 18 U.S.C. 2250, which outlaws any individual convicted of a sex offense from not registering themselves in a jurisdiction which they live, work, or go to school. It describes elements of the law, and consequences for not following it.
Date: August 30, 2012
Creator: Doyle, Charles
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Background, Funding, and Activities (open access)

The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Background, Funding, and Activities

Report discussing the federal government's role in the country's information technology (IT) research and development (R&D) activities.
Date: August 30, 2012
Creator: Moloney Figliola, Patricia
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oman: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy (open access)

Oman: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy

Report that describes the relationship between the United States and the Sultanate of Oman, especially with respect to Oman's support of U.S. efforts toward peace in the Middle East, the U.S. free trade agreement with Oman, and Oman's relatively close relations with Iran, the last of which seems incongruous with the other positive aspects of Oman's relationship with the U.S.
Date: August 30, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
System: The UNT Digital Library
Promoting Global Internet Freedom: Policy and Technology (open access)

Promoting Global Internet Freedom: Policy and Technology

Report that provides information about federal and private sector efforts to promote and support global Internet freedom, a description of Internet freedom legislation from the 112th Congress, and suggestions for further reading on this topic. Two appendixes describe censorship and circumvention technologies.
Date: August 30, 2012
Creator: Moloney Figliola, Patricia
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: August 30, 2012
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
War Powers Resolution: Presidential Compliance (open access)

War Powers Resolution: Presidential Compliance

Report that gives a summary of the usage of the War Powers Resolution (WPR) and various issues related to proposals to modify or repeal the resolution. The report summarizes most recent developments and background, and gives an overview of United Nations actions, and WPR activities in former Yugoslavia/Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq (post-1991), Haiti, and Somalia.
Date: August 30, 2012
Creator: Grimmett, Richard F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Brief Overview of Actions Taken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in Its First Year (open access)

A Brief Overview of Actions Taken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in Its First Year

Report that looks at actions taken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) during its first year. The CFPB exists to implement and enforce federal consumer financial laws, ensure consumer access to financial products and services, and ensure that the markets for consumer financial services and products are fair, transparent, and competitive.
Date: August 29, 2012
Creator: Hoskins, Sean M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Eurozone Crisis: Overview and Issues for Congress (open access)

The Eurozone Crisis: Overview and Issues for Congress

This report provides an overview of the causes, challenges, political dynamics, and other aspects of the Eurozone's economic crisis and discusses the related issues that Congress may address, such as: how this situation will impact the U.S. economy, IMF (International Monetary Fund) involvement, and how the US and Europe will cooperate to solve these issues. The report also contains supplemental figures and charts.
Date: August 29, 2012
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.; Belkin, Paul; Mix, Derek E. & Weiss, Martin A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The First Responder Network and NextGeneration Communications for Public Safety: Issues for Congress (open access)

The First Responder Network and NextGeneration Communications for Public Safety: Issues for Congress

This report provides information about The Issues for Congress on First Responder Network and Next-Generation Communications for Public Safety. new policy initiatives may be needed to identify critical gaps in communication infrastructure and the means to fund the investments needed to close the gaps.
Date: August 29, 2012
Creator: Lida, Moore K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
National Mortgage Servicing Standards: Legislation in the 112th Congress (open access)

National Mortgage Servicing Standards: Legislation in the 112th Congress

This report analyzes the potential misaligned incentives in the servicer-mortgage holder relationship and the servicing standards that attempt to address each concern, the servicer-borrower relationship and the relevant servicing provisions, as well as the possible implications of reforming the servicing industry.
Date: August 29, 2012
Creator: Hoskins, Sean M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Political Ads: Issue Advocacy or Campaign Activity Under the Tax Code? (open access)

Political Ads: Issue Advocacy or Campaign Activity Under the Tax Code?

Some tax-exempt organizations are legally allowed to engage in political campaign activity, and some are not. This report discusses which organization are/are not allowed to do so, and how they determine whether something is campaign activity.
Date: August 29, 2012
Creator: Lunder, Erika K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Spectrum Policy in the Age of Broadband: Issues for Congress (open access)

Spectrum Policy in the Age of Broadband: Issues for Congress

Report that discusses some of the commercial and federal radio frequency spectrum policy changes required by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. It also summarizes new policy directions for spectrum management under consideration in the 112th Congress, such as the encouragement of new technologies that use spectrum more efficiently.
Date: August 29, 2012
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Vietnamese Victims of Agent Orange and U.S.-Vietnam Relations (open access)

Vietnamese Victims of Agent Orange and U.S.-Vietnam Relations

This report examines various estimates of the effects of Agent Orange on Vietnam's people and environment, the history of U.S. policy on the issue, the current cleanup efforts in Vietnam, the various forms of assistance—including U.S. assistance—provided to people with medical conditions associated with dioxin exposure, and the implications for bilateral relations. It concludes with a brief discussion of possible congressional responses to the issue.
Date: August 29, 2012
Creator: Martin, Michael F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Vulnerable Youth: Background and Policies (open access)

Vulnerable Youth: Background and Policies

This report first provides an overview of the youth population and the increasing complexity of transitioning to adulthood for all adolescents. It also provides a separate discussion of the concept of "disconnectedness," as well as the protective factors youth can develop during childhood and adolescence that can mitigate poor outcomes. Further, the report describes the evolution of federal youth policy and provides a brief overview of current federal programs targeted at vulnerable youth. The report then discusses the challenges of coordinating federal programs for youth, as well as federal legislation and initiatives that promote coordination among federal agencies and support programs with a positive youth development focus.
Date: August 29, 2012
Creator: Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Dispute Settlement in the World Trade Organization (WTO): An Overview (open access)

Dispute Settlement in the World Trade Organization (WTO): An Overview

This report describes the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU), which is the World Trade Organization's (WTO) means of resolving disputes arising under WTO agreements. The report includes criticisms of certain flaws in the DSU, as well as WTO Members' suggestions for improvement. The report also describes the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), which represents the United States in WTO disputes, and discusses pieces of legislation that dictate procedures for specifically the United States in instances of WTO disputes.
Date: August 28, 2012
Creator: Grimmett, Jeanne J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Internet Firearm and Ammunition Sales (open access)

Internet Firearm and Ammunition Sales

This report discusses the sale of firearms and ammunition over the Internet, with a focus on the extent to which federal law regulates such activity.
Date: August 28, 2012
Creator: Chu, Vivian S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and Key Issues for Congress in 2012 (open access)

Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and Key Issues for Congress in 2012

This report provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Obama Administration's priorities for U.S. policy and a brief comparison of policies under the Obama and Bush Administrations. It then examines congressional interest in Latin America, first providing an overview, and then looking at selected countries and regional issues and identifying key policy issues facing Congress in 2012. The final section of the report analyzes several key events in the region in 2012: the Pope's trip to Cuba in March, the sixth Summit of the Americas in April, Mexico's elections in July, and Venezuela's upcoming elections in October.
Date: August 28, 2012
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.; Leland, Anne; Meyer, Peter J.; Seelke, Clare Ribando & Taft-Morales, Maureen
System: The UNT Digital Library