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The National Institute of Standards and Technology: An Appropriations Overview (open access)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology: An Appropriations Overview

This report is a look at the funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a laboratory of the Department of Commerce. NIST is mandated to provide technical services to facilitate the competitiveness of U.S. industry. In 2007, the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) was terminated and replaced by the Technology Innovation Program (TIP). However, no funding was appropriated for TIP in the FY2012 appropriations legislation and NIST is "...currently taking the necessary actions for an orderly shutdown." In April 2009, the current President stated his decision to double the budget of key science agencies, including NIST, over the next 10 years. While additional funding has been forthcoming, it remains to be seen how support for internal R&D at NIST will evolve and how this might affect financing of extramural efforts such as MEP. The dispensation of funding for NIST programs may influence the way by which the federal government supports technology development for commercial application.
Date: March 5, 2012
Creator: Schacht, Wendy H.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Water Infrastructure Financing: History of EPA Appropriations (open access)

Water Infrastructure Financing: History of EPA Appropriations

The principal federal program to aid municipal wastewater treatment plant construction is authorized in the Clean Water Act (CWA). In appropriations legislation, funding for EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) wastewater assistance is contained in the measure providing funds for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. This report summarizes, in chronological order, congressional activity to fund items in the State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) account since 1987.
Date: January 30, 2012
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables (open access)

Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables

This report contains information on the pay procedure and recent adjustments. It also contains historical information on the rate of pay for Members of Congress since 1789; the adjustments projected by the Ethics Reform Act as compared to actual adjustments in Member pay; details on past legislation enacted with language prohibiting the annual pay adjustment; and Member pay in constant and current dollars since 1992.
Date: January 4, 2012
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Army Corps of Engineers' Nationwide Permits Program: Issues and Regulatory Developments (open access)

The Army Corps of Engineers' Nationwide Permits Program: Issues and Regulatory Developments

Permits issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorize various types of development projects in wetlands and other waters of the United States. The Corps' regulatory process involves two types of permits: general permits for actions by private landowners that are similar in nature and will likely have a minor effect on wetlands, and individual permits for more significant actions. The Corps uses general permits to minimize the burden of its regulatory program: they authorize landowners to proceed with a project without the time-consuming need to obtain standard individual permits in advance. About 90% of the Corps' regulatory workload is processed in the form of general permits.
Date: January 30, 2012
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction (open access)

The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction

Congress annually considers several appropriations measures, which provide funding for numerous activities, for example, national defense, education, and homeland security, as well as general government operations. Congress has developed certain rules and practices for the consideration of appropriations measures, referred to as the congressional appropriations process. This report looks at this process as well as the three types of appropriates measures: regular appropriations bills, continuing resolutions, and supplemental appropriations bills.
Date: February 23, 2012
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Internet Domain Names: Background and Policy Issues (open access)

Internet Domain Names: Background and Policy Issues

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the distributed set of databases residing in computers around the world that contain address numbers mapped to corresponding domain names, making it possible to send and receive messages and to access information from computers anywhere on the Internet. Many of the technical, operational, and management decisions regarding the DNS can have significant impacts on Internet-related policy issues such as intellectual property, privacy, ecommerce, and cybersecurity. The expiration of the JPA (Joint Project Agreement), the implementation of the Affirmation of Commitments, and the continuing U.S. authority over the DNS root zone remain issues of interest to the 112th Congress, the Administration, foreign governments, and other Internet stakeholders worldwide.
Date: February 3, 2012
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Internships, Fellowships, and Other Work Experience Opportunities in the Federal Government (open access)

Internships, Fellowships, and Other Work Experience Opportunities in the Federal Government

This report describes Internet resources on major internship, fellowship, and work experience programs within the federal government. It is intended as a selective guide for students of all levels: high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate.
Date: January 5, 2012
Creator: Manning, Jennifer E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Employees' Retirement System: Benefits and Financing (open access)

Federal Employees' Retirement System: Benefits and Financing

Most civilian federal employees who were hired before 1984 are covered by the Civil Service Retirement System, and contribute 7.0% of their pay to a retirement fund. Federal employees hired in 1984 or later are covered by the Federal Employees' Retirement System and contribute 0.8% of their pay to a retirement fund. Both require participants to contribute toward the cost of their pensions through a payroll tax. The taxable wage base is $110,100 in 2012. This report discusses both retirement funds.
Date: February 14, 2012
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Biofuels Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs (open access)

Biofuels Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs

This report outlines federal programs that provide direct or indirect incentives for biofuels. For each program described, the report provides details including administering agency, authorizing statute(s), annual funding, and expiration date.
Date: January 11, 2012
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Energy: Overview and Key Statistics (open access)

U.S. Energy: Overview and Key Statistics

Energy supplies and prices are major economic factors in the United States, and energy markets are volatile and unpredictable. Thus, energy policy has been a recurring issue for Congress since the first major crisis in the 1970s. As an aid in policy making, this report presents a current and historical view of the supply and consumption of various forms of energy.
Date: April 11, 2012
Creator: Behrens, Carl E. & Glover, Carol
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Laws Relating to Cybersecurity: Discussion of Proposed Revisions (open access)

Federal Laws Relating to Cybersecurity: Discussion of Proposed Revisions

For more than a decade, various experts have expressed concerns about information-system security-often referred to as cybersecurity-in the United States and abroad. This report discusses that framework and proposals to amend more than 30 acts of Congress that are part of or relevant to it.
Date: April 23, 2012
Creator: Fischer, Eric A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Burma's Political Prisoners and U.S. Sanctions (open access)

Burma's Political Prisoners and U.S. Sanctions

The installation of the Union Government in 2011 and the undertaking of initial reforms have raised the prospects for the resumption of a democratically elected civilian government in Burma after five decades of military rule. The release of Burma's political prisoners has a central role in U.S. policy and Burma's political future. Many of the U.S. sanctions on Burma were implemented after Burma's ruling military junta suppressed protests and detained many political prisoners. In addition, the removal of many of the existing U.S. sanctions requires the release of all political prisoners in Burma.
Date: April 24, 2012
Creator: Martin, Michael F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fact Sheet: The FY2013 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request (open access)

Fact Sheet: The FY2013 State and Foreign Operations Budget Request

On February 13, 2012, the Obama Administration submitted its FY2013 budget request, including $54.7 billion in new budget authority for State Department, Foreign Operations, and Related Appropriations. Of the total request, $18.6 billion is for programs funded through the State operations and related agencies, and $36.1 billion is for foreign operations. This fact sheet provides a brief overview of the request. A full CRS report on FY2013 State and Foreign Operations budget and appropriations issues is planned to follow initial congressional consideration of appropriations legislation.
Date: April 26, 2012
Creator: Epstein, Susan B.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo & Tiersky, Alex L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Depository Library Program: Issues for Congress (open access)

Federal Depository Library Program: Issues for Congress

A history and overview of current issues regarding the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).
Date: March 29, 2012
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric; Manning, Jennifer E. & Bailey, Christina M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Dominican Republic-Central America- United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA DR): Developments in Trade and Investment (open access)

The Dominican Republic-Central America- United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA DR): Developments in Trade and Investment

On August 5, 2004, the United States entered into the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). This permanent, comprehensive, and reciprocal trade agreement eliminates tariff and non-tariff barriers to two-way trade, building on unilateral trade preferences begun under the 1983 Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). CAFTA-DR reinforces the idea that growth in trade correlates closely with policies that promote economic stability, private investment in production, public investment in education, infrastructure, logistics, and good governance in general.
Date: April 23, 2012
Creator: Hornbeck, J. F.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Export-Import Bank: Background and Legislative Issues (open access)

Export-Import Bank: Background and Legislative Issues

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank, EXIM Bank, or the Bank), an independent federal government agency, is the official export credit agency (ECA) of the United States. It helps finance U.S. exports of manufactured goods and services, with the objective of contributing to the employment of U.S. workers, primarily in circumstances when alternative financing is not available. Members of the 112th Congress may examine issues related to the Ex-Im Bank that center on the economic rationale for the Bank; the impact of the Bank on the federal budget and U.S. taxpayers; the Bank's support for specific types of business or industries; the current balance between the Bank's advancement of U.S. commercial interests and other U.S. policy goals; the competitive position of the Bank compared to foreign ECAs; and the Bank's organizational structure.
Date: April 3, 2012
Creator: Ilias, Shayerah
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Lean Finely Textured Beef: The "Pink Slime" Controversy (open access)

Lean Finely Textured Beef: The "Pink Slime" Controversy

This report looks at how the recent March 2012 controversies surrounding the USDA-approved Lean Finely Textured Beef, or "pink slime," have very quickly affected recent ground beef consumption and prices. The LFTB controversy demonstrates that consumers' perceptions and understanding of modern food production can quickly affect markets and/or a company's business. It raises policy issues about how consumers should be informed either by the industry or the government.
Date: April 6, 2012
Creator: Greene, Joel L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Immigration Provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) (open access)

Immigration Provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

This report discusses the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA, P.L. 103-322) that congress passed in 1994. This legislation created new programs within the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services that aimed to both reduce domestic violence and improve response to and recovery from domestic violence incidents.
Date: May 15, 2012
Creator: Kandel, William A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Overview of Tax Provisions Expiring in 2012 (open access)

An Overview of Tax Provisions Expiring in 2012

A number of tax provisions either expired in 2011 or are scheduled to expire at the end of this 2012. As Congress decides whether to extend these provisions, it may consider the estimated revenue losses associated with their extension as well as other factors when evaluating tax policy. In the 112th Congress, Members have yet to consider legislation that would extend all of the provisions discussed in this report, although legislation to extend certain provisions has been considered.
Date: April 17, 2012
Creator: Crandall-Hollick, Margot L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
FY2013 Defense Budget Request: Overview and Context (open access)

FY2013 Defense Budget Request: Overview and Context

This report analyzes President Obama's FY2013 defense budget request and the long-term deficit reduction issues relevant to congressional discussion of that request. Congressional action on the FY2013 defense budget will be analyzed in a separate report.
Date: April 20, 2012
Creator: Daggett, Stephen & Towell, Pat
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Reexamination of Agency Reporting Requirements: Annual Process Under the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) (open access)

Reexamination of Agency Reporting Requirements: Annual Process Under the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA)

On January 4, 2011, the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) became law. The acronym "GPRA" in the act's short title refers to the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA 1993), a law that GPRAMA substantially modified. Some of GPRAMA's provisions require agencies to produce plans and reports for a variety of audiences that focus on goal-setting and performance measurement. Other provisions, by contrast, establish an annual process to reexamine the usefulness of certain reporting requirements. The report concludes by looking potential issues for Congress in two categories.
Date: April 18, 2012
Creator: Brass, Clinton T.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Army Drawdown and Restructuring: Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Army Drawdown and Restructuring: Background and Issues for Congress

On January 26, 2012, senior DOD leadership unveiled a new defense strategy based on a review of potential future security challenges, current defense strategy, and budgetary constraints. This new strategy envisions a smaller, leaner Army that is agile, flexible, rapidly deployable, and technologically advanced. This strategy will rebalance the Army's global posture and presence, emphasizing where potential problems are likely to arise, such as the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East. Potential issues for Congress include the strategic risk posed by a smaller and restructured Army; the "health" of the Army given the impending downsizing; where the force will be based; the role of the National Guard and Reserves; and should the enrollment at the service academies (West Point) be reduced to pre-9/11 levels. This report will be updated as circumstances warrant.
Date: April 20, 2012
Creator: Feickert, Andrew & Henning, Charles A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The STOCK Act, Insider Trading, and Public Financial Reporting by Federal Officials (open access)

The STOCK Act, Insider Trading, and Public Financial Reporting by Federal Officials

An overview of the STOCK Act (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012), which was signed into law on April 4, 2012, affirms and makes explicit the fact that there is no exemption from the "insider trading" laws and regulations for Members of Congress, congressional employees, or any federal officials.
Date: April 19, 2012
Creator: Maskell, Jack
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Trafficking in Persons: International Dimensions and Foreign Policy Issues for Congress (open access)

Trafficking in Persons: International Dimensions and Foreign Policy Issues for Congress

This report explores current foreign policy issues confronting U.S. efforts to combat human trafficking, the interrelationship among existing polices, and the historical and current role of Congress in such efforts. The 112th Congress has introduced and taken action on several bills related to human trafficking. Given recent challenges in balancing budget priorities, the 112th Congress may choose to consider certain aspects of this issue further, including the effectiveness of international anti-trafficking projects, interagency coordination mechanisms, and the monitoring and enforcement of anti-trafficking regulations, particularly as they relate to the activities of U.S. government contractors and subcontractors operating overseas.
Date: April 20, 2012
Creator: Wyler, Liana Sun
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library