Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress (open access)

Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress

This report discusses the current U.S.-Puerto Rico relationship, the history of said relationship, and the current political state of Puerto Rico, as well as relevant pieces of U.S. Congressional legislation concerning Puerto Rico.
Date: May 19, 2010
Creator: Bea, Keith & Garrett, R. Sam
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Puerto Rican Statehood: Effects on House Apportionment (open access)

Puerto Rican Statehood: Effects on House Apportionment

This report looks at House of Representative distribution between states if Puerto Rico were to gain statehood.
Date: March 16, 2011
Creator: Crocker, Royce
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Puerto Rico and Health Care Finance: Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

Puerto Rico and Health Care Finance: Frequently Asked Questions

This report provides answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Puerto Rico's health care system.
Date: June 20, 2016
Creator: Mach, Annie L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA; H.R. 5278, S. 2328) (open access)

The Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA; H.R. 5278, S. 2328)

The report presents a brief description of Puerto Rico, its relationship with the federal government, and its fiscal challenges. It also includes a short overview of bill H.R. 5278, with a comparison with previous legislation involving control boards and a section-by-section description of the bill.
Date: July 1, 2016
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
2013 National Ocean Dumping Site Monitoring Assessment Report (open access)

2013 National Ocean Dumping Site Monitoring Assessment Report

This national report presents EPA's ocean dumping monitoring activities in fiscal year 2013. EPA conducted 13 surveys at 20 ocean disposal sites offshore from Puerto Rico, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, Hawaii, and Oregon. This report summarizes each survey's objectives(s), activities, conclusions, and recommended environmental management actions.
Date: May 2016
Creator: United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Water.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA; H.R. 5278, S. 2328) (open access)

The Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA; H.R. 5278, S. 2328)

The report presents a brief description of Puerto Rico, its relationship with the federal government, and its fiscal challenges. The body of the report provides a section-by-section description of H.R. 5278, including a short overview of the bill, along with a comparison with previous legislation involving control boards.
Date: July 1, 2016
Creator: Austin, D. A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
CDC-Funded HIV Testing: United States, Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands, 2012 (open access)

CDC-Funded HIV Testing: United States, Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands, 2012

This report includes HIV testing data from 61 CDC-funded health department jurisdictions and directly-funded community-based organizations (CBOs).
Date: November 2014
Creator: National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Puerto Rico's Current Fiscal Challenges: In Brief (open access)

Puerto Rico's Current Fiscal Challenges: In Brief

This report discusses the current state of Puerto Rico's public finances. Puerto Rico faces several fiscal hurdles in 2015. Concerns regarding the sustainability of Puerto Rico's public finances have intensified over the past year, despite several measures taken by the island's government to reduce spending, increase revenues, and restructure its obligations.
Date: August 18, 2015
Creator: Austin, D. A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress (open access)

Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress

This report discusses the current U.S.-Puerto Rico relationship, the history of said relationship, and the current political state of Puerto Rico, as well as relevant pieces of U.S. Congressional legislation concerning Puerto Rico.
Date: March 16, 2010
Creator: Bea, Keith & Garrett, R. Sam
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Rum Excise Tax Cover-Over: Legislative History and Current Issues (open access)

The Rum Excise Tax Cover-Over: Legislative History and Current Issues

This report provides a history and analysis of the rum cover-over program and current legislative efforts to modify the program. The congressional debate on this legislation could also lead to debate on the broader issue of the cover-over program more generally.
Date: January 20, 2010
Creator: Maguire, Steven & Teefy, Jennifer
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress (open access)

Political Status of Puerto Rico: Options for Congress

This report discusses the current U.S.-Puerto Rico relationship, the history of said relationship, and the current political state of Puerto Rico, as well as relevant pieces of U.S. Congressional legislation concerning Puerto Rico.
Date: April 23, 2010
Creator: Bea, Keith & Garrett, R. Sam
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Comprehensive Energy Planning for Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (open access)

Comprehensive Energy Planning for Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands

This report discusses the electric power grid of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands which were mainly destroyed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria with Puerto Rico being the hardest hit power grid. The report mainly concerns previous and current efforts to create long-term comprehensive energy plans for insular areas such as Puerto Rico and some of the challenges encountered in doing so.
Date: November 6, 2017
Creator: Clark, Corrie E.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Puerto Rico and Electric Power Restoration from Hurricane Maria (open access)

Puerto Rico and Electric Power Restoration from Hurricane Maria

This report discusses efforts to restore power in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria decimated the island's electricity infrastructure. Challenges in power restoration due to the extent of the damage, supply deliveries, timing of the storm after Hurricane Harvey and Irma, and the electric company's financial crisis along with recommendations for strengthening the electric system are discussed.
Date: September 21, 2017
Creator: Campbell, Richard J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and Debt Restructuring under PROMESA, P.L. 114-187 (open access)

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and Debt Restructuring under PROMESA, P.L. 114-187

This report discusses the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and its debt restructuring process under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA). The major debt the company is in has prevented it from maintaining power stations and transmission lines properly or diversifying its energy production methods leading to widespread unreliability of the power supply and high prices.
Date: August 8, 2017
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew & Campbell, Richard J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Repair or Rebuild: Options for Electric Power in Puerto Rico (open access)

Repair or Rebuild: Options for Electric Power in Puerto Rico

This report explores several alternative electric power structures to PREPA for meeting the electricity services and needs of Puerto Rico. The ability of Puerto Rico and its citizens to assume the burden of paying for a rebuilt (and possibly restructured) electricity system is doubtful. Modernizing Puerto Rico’s grid, and taking the next steps to incorporate resiliency, could be expensive. None of the options discussed provides a silver bullet solution to the issues of the grid in Puerto Rico. Congress may consider whether the efforts to restore electric power in Puerto Rico need to progress beyond simple restoration of electricity, and require new investment and oversight by the federal government.
Date: November 16, 2017
Creator: Campbell, Richard J.; Clark, Corrie E. & Austin, D. Andrew
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Puerto Rico and Health Care Finance: Frequently Asked Questions (open access)

Puerto Rico and Health Care Finance: Frequently Asked Questions

This report provides answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about how federal health care programs and requirements are implemented in Puerto Rico, including information about eligibility, coverage, program requirements, and payment rules. Examples provided in the FAQs illustrate that in many circumstances, some health programs in Puerto Rico differ from programs in the US, while in other circumstances, Puerto Rico is treated the same as the states. As such, these questions and answers should be viewed as a discussion of the complexity of health care financing as it relates to Puerto Rico under current law.
Date: February 3, 2016
Creator: Mach, Annie L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory (open access)

The Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory

This report discusses how the Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory gathers funding for future endeavors.
Date: January 25, 2012
Creator: Matthews, Christine M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Puerto Rico’s Political Status and the 2012 Plebiscite: Background and Key Questions (open access)

Puerto Rico’s Political Status and the 2012 Plebiscite: Background and Key Questions

This report provides a foundation for understanding Puerto Rico’s status, why those on the island and in Washington continue to be interested in the issue, and how the 2012 plebiscite and its aftermath provides an opportunity to revisit status. This report is designed to emphasize brief, accessible answers to selected key questions and issues about Puerto Rico’s political status and the plebiscite. The discussion is organized around selected key policy questions, followed by brief answers and additional analysis.
Date: June 25, 2013
Creator: Garrett, R. S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Political Status of Puerto Rico: Brief Background and Recent Developments for Congress (open access)

Political Status of Puerto Rico: Brief Background and Recent Developments for Congress

This report provides policy and historical background about Puerto Rico's political status--a term of art referring to the relationship between the federal government and a territorial one. The report emphasizes recent developments that are likely to be most relevant for Congress. Congress has not altered the island's status since 1952, when it approved a territorial constitution.
Date: December 28, 2016
Creator: Garrett, R. Sam
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Puerto Rico's Current Fiscal Challenges (open access)

Puerto Rico's Current Fiscal Challenges

This report discusses multiple challenges the government of Puerto Rico faces in the fall of 2015. Concerns regarding the sustainability of Puerto Rico's public finances have intensified over the past year, despite several measures taken by the island's government to reduce spending, increase revenues, and restructure its obligations. The Puerto Rican government outlined a medium-term strategy to address those challenges in a fiscal plan put forth in mid-September 2015.
Date: June 3, 2016
Creator: Austin, D. A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Political Status of Puerto Rico: Brief Background and Recent Developments for Congress (open access)

Political Status of Puerto Rico: Brief Background and Recent Developments for Congress

This report provides policy and historical background about Puerto Rico's political status--a term of art referring to the relationship between the federal government and a territorial one. It emphasizes recent developments that are likely to be most relevant for Congress. Congress has not altered the island's status since 1952, when it approved a territorial constitution.
Date: June 12, 2017
Creator: Garrett, R. S.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
National Coastal Condition Report IV (open access)

National Coastal Condition Report IV

This report assesses the condition of the nation's estuaries and costal embayments, including the coastal waters of the conterminous United States, Southeastern Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Date: September 2012
Creator: United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Office of Research and Development.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
What Climate Change Means for Puerto Rico (open access)

What Climate Change Means for Puerto Rico

Fact sheet describing location-specific impacts that global warming will have on the people, ecosystems, and wildlife in Puerto Rico.
Date: August 2016
Creator: United States. Environmental Protection Agency.
Object Type: Pamphlet
System: The UNT Digital Library
Tropical Storm? The Supreme Court Considers Double Jeopardy and the Sovereign Status of Puerto Rico (open access)

Tropical Storm? The Supreme Court Considers Double Jeopardy and the Sovereign Status of Puerto Rico

This legal sidebar discusses the nature of the relationship between the United States government and the territory of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Based in part on statutory language providing that the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States is "in the nature of a compact," arguments have been made that any change in Puerto Rico's political status must be consented to by both parties.
Date: November 4, 2015
Creator: unknown
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library