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U.S. Assistance Programs in China
This report examines U.S. foreign assistance activities in the People's Republic of China (PRC), undertaken by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The report also discusses related foreign operations appropriations, policy history, and legislative background.
Date:
January 15, 2015
Creator:
Lum, Thomas
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Same-Sex Marriage: A Legal Overview
This report provides background on, and analysis of, significant legal issues surrounding the same-sex marriage debate. It begins by providing background on the constitutional principles that are often invoked in attempting to invalidate same-sex marriage bans--namely, equal protection and due process guarantees. Then, it discusses key cases that led to the existing circuit split on the constitutionality of state same-sex marriage bans. Finally, this report explains the central issues in the circuit split and analyzes how the Supreme Court might resolve them on appeal.
Date:
January 30, 2015
Creator:
Perry, Rodney M.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing: Industry Trends, Global Competition, Federal Support
This report looks at the solar photovoltaic manufacturing industry and its supply chain; employment trends; international trade flows; and federal policy efforts aimed at supporting the industry. It does not cover other methods of solar-power generation, such as concentrating solar power plants.
Date:
January 27, 2015
Creator:
Platzer, Michaela D.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) and Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC): Background and Issues for Congress
This report discusses issues surrounding the funding for development of Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) and Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC). A potential issue for Congress is the Marines' new MPC/ACV acquisition strategy and its associated challenges and risks.
Date:
January 6, 2015
Creator:
Feickert, Andrew
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Defense: FY2015 Authorization and Appropriations
This report discusses the Department of Defense (DOD) budget plan for FY2015. It includes an overview of the budget, historic context, and highlights in the base budget, as well as budget items that fall under the FY2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the FY2015 DOD Appropriations Bill (H.R. 4870; H.R. 83, Division C).
Date:
January 28, 2015
Creator:
Towell, Pat
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Oil Sands and the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund: The Definition of "Oil" and Related Issues for Congress
This report provides background on oil sands resources, followed by a discussion of the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF), including authorized uses and revenue sources; the scope of oil subject to the per-barrel tax (that funds the OSLTF) versus the scope of oil that triggers activities under the Oil Pollution Act; and relevant legislative activities of the 113th and 114th Congresses. The final section offers concluding observations.
Date:
January 22, 2015
Creator:
Ramseur, Jonathan L.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Water Resource Issues in the 114th Congress
This report discusses recent congressional activity and possible topics for the 114th Congress. It provides an overview of the federal role in water resources development, management, and protection, with a focus on projects of the two major federal water resources agencies--Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps--and related legislation.
Date:
January 23, 2015
Creator:
Cody, Betsy A.; Stern, Charles V. & Carter, Nicole T.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Emergency Assistance for Agricultural Land Rehabilitation
This report describes emergency agricultural land assistance programs designed to repair agricultural and forest land following a natural disaster and potentially mitigate future risk. It presents background on the programs--purpose, activities, authority, eligibility requirements, and authorized program funding levels, as well as current congressional issues.
Date:
January 5, 2015
Creator:
Stubbs, Megan
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
National Security Letters: Proposals in the 113th Congress
This report reprints the text of the five National Security Letter (NSL) statutes as they now appear and as they appeared prior to amendment by the USA PATRIOT Act. A National Security Letter (NSL) is roughly comparable to an administrative subpoena, used by various intelligence agencies to demand certain customer information from communications providers, financial institutions, and consumer credit reporting agencies under the Right to Financial Privacy Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the National Security Act, and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
Date:
January 22, 2015
Creator:
Doyle, Charles
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Federal Employees' Retirement System: Summary of Recent Trends
This report describes recent trends in the characteristics of annuitants and current employees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) as well as the financial status of the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF).
Date:
January 23, 2015
Creator:
Isaacs, Katelin P.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Insurance Regulation: Issues, Background, and Legislation in the 113th Congress
This report discusses the legislation in the 113th Congress regarding insurance regulation. Among the insurance regulatory issues addressed by legislation in the 113th Congress are the application of federal orderly liquidation authority to insurers (addressed in H.R. 605); the supervision of some insurers by the Federal Reserve (addressed in H.R. 2140, H.R. 4510, H.R. 5461, S. 2102, and S. 2270); and the licensing of insurance agents and brokers (addressed in S. 534, S. 1926, S. 2244, H.R. 1155/H.R. 1064, and H.R. 4871).
Date:
January 2, 2015
Creator:
Webel, Baird
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Sex Trafficking of Children in the United States: Overview and Issues for Congress
This report provides an overview of sex trafficking of children in the United States. It first conceptualizes the issue, discussing the victims and perpetrators involved. It then outlines the federal response to investigating and prosecuting perpetrators as well as providing services to victims. The report concludes with a discussion of select issues concerning the federal response to sex trafficking of minors in the United States.
Date:
January 28, 2015
Creator:
Finklea, Kristin M.; Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L. & Siskin, Alison
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Natural Gas Exports: New Opportunities, Uncertain Outcomes
This report examines what has changed in the U.S. natural gas market and the prospects and implications of the United States becoming a larger net exporter of natural gas. Bills to expedite and expand liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports have been introduced in the 114th Congress, including the LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act (H.R. 351 and S. 33), the American Job Creation and Strategic Alliances LNG Act (H.R. 287), the Crude Oil Export Act (H.R. 156), the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act (H.R. 89), and the Export American Natural Gas Act of 2015 (H.R. 428).
Date:
January 28, 2015
Creator:
Ratner, Michael; Parfomak, Paul W.; Luther, Linda & Fergusson, Ian F.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Congressional Commissions: Overview, Structure, and Legislative Considerations
This report provides an overview and analysis of congressional advisory commissions, information on the general statutory structure of a congressional commission, and a catalog of congressional commissions created since the 101st Congress.
Date:
January 27, 2015
Creator:
Glassman, Matthew E. & Straus, Jacob R.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Information Warfare: Cyberattacks on Sony
This report discusses information warfare, which includes information-related capabilities to influence, disrupt, corrupt, or usurp the decision making of adversaries while protecting our own.
Date:
January 30, 2015
Creator:
Theohary, Catherine A.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions in Executive Departments During the 112th Congress
The President is responsible for appointing individuals to positions throughout the federal government. In some instances, the President makes these appointments using authorities granted to the President alone. Other appointments, generally referred to with the abbreviation PAS, are made by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate via the nomination and confirmation process. This report identifies, for the 112th Congress, all nominations submitted to the Senate for executive-level full-time positions in the 15 executive departments for which the Senate provides advice and consent. It excludes appointments to regulatory boards and commissions as well as to independent and other agencies.
Date:
January 8, 2015
Creator:
Greene, Michael
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Unemployment Insurance: Programs and Benefits
This report describes three kinds of unemployment benefit programs: regular Unemployment Compensation (UC), Extended Benefits (EB), and Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08). The report explains their basic eligibility requirements, benefits, and financing structure.
Date:
January 26, 2015
Creator:
Whittaker, Julie M. & Isaacs, Katelin P.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Issues in the U.S. Ratification Debate
This report discusses the United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities; its purpose is to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities.
Date:
January 21, 2015
Creator:
Blanchfield, Luisa & Brown, Cynthia
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Proposed Retirement of A-10 Aircraft: Background in Brief
The Administration's fiscal 2015 budget proposed to retire the entire fleet of A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft beginning in FY2016. This report covers the background to that decision and legislative action as of the end of 2014.
Date:
January 5, 2015
Creator:
Gertler, Jeremiah
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
China's Mineral Industry and U.S. Access to Strategic and Critical Minerals: Issues for Congress
This report will examine China's position in the global mineral and metal markets; its growth in mineral reserves; the growth of supply, demand, and imports; and the role of China's state-owned enterprises (SOEs). The report takes a look at U.S. mineral import dependence, U.S. import dependence on China, and selected policy options. There are Appendices on mineral end-use applications, and selected critical minerals legislation in the 113th Congress.
Date:
January 9, 2015
Creator:
Humphries, Marc
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
State, Foreign Operations Appropriations: A Guide to Component Accounts
The State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations legislation provides annual funding for almost all of the international affairs programs generally considered as part of the 150 International Affairs Budget Function (the major exception being food assistance). The legislation has also served as a vehicle for Congress to place conditions on the expenditure of those funds, and express its views regarding certain foreign policy issues. This report briefly discusses the legislation generally and then provides a short description of the various funding accounts as they appear in Division J, "Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2015," of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015.
Date:
January 13, 2015
Creator:
Tarnoff, Curt & Tiersky, Alex
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Tax Havens: International Tax Avoidance and Evasion
The first section of this report reviews what countries might be considered tax havens, including a discussion of the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) initiatives and lists. The next two sections discuss, in turn, the corporate profit-shifting mechanisms and evidence on the existence and magnitude of profit-shifting activity. The following two sections provide the same analysis for individual tax evasion. The report concludes with overviews of alternative policy options, a summary of legislation enacted in the 111th Congress, and a summary of specific legislative proposals.
Date:
January 15, 2015
Creator:
Gravelle, Jane G.
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
China's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ)
This report analyzes the legal, diplomatic, and security implications of the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ECS ADIZ) for U.S. interests. The concluding section briefly discusses some policy options for Congress and for U.S. policy in general.
Date:
January 30, 2015
Creator:
Rinehart, Ian E. & Elias, Bart
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library
Military Pay and Benefits: Key Questions and Answers
The military compensation system is complex and includes an array of cash compensation elements, non-cash compensation (benefits), deferred compensation (retirement pay and benefits), and tax advantages. This report focuses primarily on the cash compensation provided to members of the active component armed forces.
Date:
January 20, 2015
Creator:
Kapp, Lawrence & Salazar Torreon, Barbara
Object Type:
Report
System:
The UNT Digital Library