Report on the legislative process as defined in the Texas Constitution.

This is a report to rewrite the 1993 and 1995 stalking laws. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals found the laws unconstitutionally vague requiring new legislation.

Members of Congress often get requests from constituents for information and help in obtaining funds for projects. Many state and local governments, nonprofit social service and community action organizations, private research groups, small businesses, and individuals approach congressional offices to find out about funding, both from the federal government and from the private sector. The success rate in obtaining federal assistance is not high, given the competition for federal funds. A grants staff’s effectiveness often depends on both an understanding of the grants process and on the relations it establishes with agency and other contacts. The following report does not constitute a blueprint for every office involved in grants and projects activity, nor does it present in-depth information about all aspects of staff activity in this area. The discussion is aimed at describing some basics about the grants process and some of the approaches and techniques used by congressional offices in dealing with this type of constituent service.

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This is a directory of sources that congressional offices may use to obtain publications from the Executive Office of the President, the executive departments, and the independent agencies and commissions of the federal government. Also included is information on the Superintendent of Documents, the U.S. Government Printing Office, and the federal government’s printing policies; suggestions on what to do when a publication is out of print; and information on where copies of government publications may be obtained on the Internet.

Proposals to increase competition in the electric utility industry involve segmenting electric functions (generation, transmission, distribution) that are currently integrated (or bundled) in most cases (both in terms of corporate and rate structures). This report identifies five basic issues this effort raises for the Congress to consider as the debate on restructuring proceeds.

Newsletter of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs discussing news and announcements related to the agency and other information regarding community resources and affordable housing in the state.

Monthly report of the Texas A & M University Real Estate Center on statistics, recent news, and developments related to real estate.

A broad-based set of measurements has begun on high density turbulent plasma processes. This includes determinations of new plasma physics and the initiation of work on new diagnostics for collisional plasmas as follows: (1) A transient increase is observed in both the spectral energy decay rate and the degree of chaotic complexity at the interface of a shock wave and a turbulent ionized gas. Even though the gas is apparently brought to rest by the shock wave, no evidence is found either of prompt relaminarization or of any systematic influence of end-wall material thermal conductivities on the turbulence parameters. (2) Point fluorescence emissions and averaged spectral line evolutions in turbulent plasmas produced in both the primary and the reflected shock wave flows exhibit ergodicity in the standard turbulence parameters. The data show first evidence of a reverse energy cascade in the collisional turbulent plasma. This suggests that the fully turbulent environment can be described using a stationary state formulation. In these same data, the author finds compelling evidence for a turbulent Stark effect on neutral emission lines in these data which is associated with evidence of large coherent structures and dominant modes in the Fourier analyses of the fluctuations in …

Monthly publication documenting statistics related to economic information in the Mexico-Texas border areas including types of border crossings, employment, customs revenues, and other related data.

Guidelines are provided for developing programs to promote the structural integrity of high-level waste storage tanks and transfer lines at the facilities of the Department of Energy. Elements of the program plan include a leak-detection system, definition of appropriate loads, collection of data for possible material and geometric changes, assessment of the tank structure, and non-destructive examination. Possible aging degradation mechanisms are explored for both steel and concrete components of the tanks, and evaluated to screen out nonsignificant aging mechanisms and to indicate methods of controlling the significant aging mechanisms. Specific guidelines for assessing structural adequacy will be provided in companion documents. Site-specific structural integrity programs can be developed drawing on the relevant portions of the material in this document.

In Fiscal Year 1996, staff at the Vapor Analytical Laboratory at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory performed work in support of characterizing the vapor composition of the headspaces of radioactive waste tanks at the Hanford Site. Work performed included support for technical issues and sampling methodologies, upgrades for analytical equipment, analytical method development, preparation of unexposed samples, analyses of tank headspaces samples, preparation of data reports, and operation of the tank vapor database. Progress made in FY 1996 included completion and issuance of 50 analytical data reports. A sampling system comparison study was initiated and completed during the fiscal year. The comparison study involved the vapor sampling system (VSS), a truck-based system, and the in situ vapor sampling system (ISVS), a cart-based system. Samples collected during the study were characterized for inorganic, permanent gases, total non-methane organic compounds and organic speciation by SUMMA{trademark} and TST methods. The study showed comparable sampling results between the systems resulting in the program switching from the VSS to the less expensive ISVS methodology in late May 1996. A temporal study was initiated in January 1996 in order to understand the influences seasonal temperatures changes have on the vapors in the headspace of Hanford waste tanks. …

Compiled information about demographics of licensed physicians in Texas including ...

The newsletter of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission discussing education resources regarding environmental sciences and updates for events.

Monthly newsletter documenting statistics related to employment in Texas including nonagricultural job trends, labor force numbers, and other relevant indicators as well as information on related topics.

In the treatment of high level nuclear wastes, aromatic pyridinium salts which are radiation-resistant are desired for the extraction of actinides and lanthanides. The solvent extraction of Th{sup +4}, UO{sub 2}{sup +2}, and Eu{sup +3} by three aromatic extractants, 3,5-didodecylpyridinium nitrate (35PY), 2,6-didodecylpyridinium nitrate (26PY), and 1-methyl-3,5-didodecyl-pyridinium iodide (1M35PY) has been studied in nitric acid media. The general order of extractability of the three extractants in toluene was 1M35PY>> 26PY > 35PY. The overall extraction efficiency of the metal ions was Th{sup +4} >UO{sub 2}{sup +2} > Eu{sup +3}. The extraction of HNO{sub 3}, which was competitive with the extraction of metal ions, was quantitatively investigated by NaOH titration and UV spectrometry. The loading capacity suggested that the extracted species in the organic phase for thorium was (R{sub 4}N{sup +}){sub 2}Th(NO{sub 3}{sup -}){sub 6}, where R{sub 4}N{sup +} denotes 1M35PY. A comparison of 1M35PY to the well-characterized extractant, Aliquat-336, an aliphatic ammonium salt was made. At the same extractant concentration, 1M35PY extracted thorium more efficiently than Aliquat-336 at high acidity. Thorium could be readily stripped with dilute nitric acid from 1M35PY. After irradiation of 0.1M 1M35PY with {sup 60}Co at 40R/min for 48 hours, no change in the extraction efficiency …

Field investigation of the Kootenai valley-fill sandstones was begun in the first quarter. About one half of the outcrop belt was inventoried for occurrences of channel sandstone before heavy snows came to the area. Five exposures of valley-fill sandstone have been located, of these two are 15 meters (50 feet) or greater in thickness and have excellent porosity and permeability. These will be measured and studied in detail during the next field season (1997). No further field work was possible during the second quarter because of snow cover. Subsurface data is being collected, organized, and a digital database is being prepared for the project. A collection of most of the oil and gas well logs for the Crow Reservation area was donated to the project by a company that had initiated an exploration program on the reservoir several years ago. Geographix petroleum software will probably be used to manage and manipulate the data. Regional subsurface cross sections are being constructed for correlation purposes. All of the four 30 ft. x 60 ft. geologic quadrangles, the Billings, Bridger, Hardin, and Lodge Grass, have been scanned to produce a digital surface geologic data base for the Crow Reservation. These maps are currently …

Report providing an overview of the Medicaid program, including background, statistics about its use in Texas, services and programs in the state, and other related information.

Bimonthly newsletter of the Texas Department of State Health Services about topics related to the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. WIC is a nutritional program that provides education and counselling, nutritious foods, and help accessing health care to low-income women, infants, and children.

Newsletter issued by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service related to news, events and other updates in the organization related to raising and managing horses, as well as other relevant topics of interest to county extension agents.

Monthly newsletter of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service discussing plants that are cultivated in the state, news, and other topics related to gardening in Texas.

Monthly bulletin issued to address topics related to law enforcement. This issue discusses "Missing Persons Units" including the history, policies, and follow-ups.