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Legislative Branch: FY2016 Appropriations

Description: This report provides an overview of the consideration of FY2016 legislative branch appropriations, with subsections covering each action. It also addresses the FY2016 budget requests, hearings, and requested administrative language or other major funding issues for individual legislative branch agencies and entities.
Date: February 1, 2016
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Tracking Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Basic Sources

Description: This report introduces selected basic sources that are useful in obtaining background information or specific facts on the status of federal legislative or regulatory initiatives. It includes telephone, online, and media sources are included, as well as pertinent directories, such as those of organizations that track areas of interest. Annotations describing each source's contents and organization are included so that researchers can select those that most closely fit their needs. Internet addr… more
Date: March 2, 2004
Creator: Davis, Carol D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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A User's Guide to the Congressional Record

Description: This report discusses use of the Congressional Record, which is a substantially verbatim account of remarks made during the proceedings of the House and Senate, subject only to technical, grammatical, and typographical corrections. It consists of four main sections: the proceedings of the House and Senate, the Extensions of Remarks, and the Daily Digest.
Date: October 27, 2005
Creator: Amer, Mildred
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Sponsorship and Cosponsorship of Senate Bills

Description: This report discusses the sponsorship and co-sponsorship of Senate bills. A Senator who introduces a bill or other measure in the Senate is called its sponsor. Senators may together submit a bill, but the first-named Senator is considered the chief sponsor; the others are considered cosponsors.
Date: June 21, 2004
Creator: Sachs, Richard C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Membership of the 109th Congress: A Profile

Description: This report presents a profile of the membership of the 109th Congress. Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age and length of service, occupation, religious affiliation, female and minority Members, foreign-born Members, and military service.
Date: November 29, 2006
Creator: Amer, Mildred
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Selected Privileges and Courtesies Extended to Departing and Former Senators

Description: This report provides information on selected privileges and courtesies (with the exception of federal health insurance, life insurance, and retirement benefits) extended to departing and former Senators. Some are derived from law and Senate Rules, but most are courtesies that have been extended as a matter of custom.
Date: September 14, 2004
Creator: Amer, Mildred
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Expulsion, Censure, Reprimand, and Fine: Legislative Discipline in the House of Representatives

Description: This report discusses the processes of expulsion and censure in the House of Representatives. The House is expressly authorized within the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 5, clause 2) to discipline or "punish" its own Members. It is designed as a measure to protect the institutional integrity of the House of Representatives, its proceedings and its reputation.
Date: January 25, 2005
Creator: Maskell, Jack
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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How Special Rules Regulate Calling up Measures for Consideration in the House

Description: This fact sheet describes how a special rule -- a House resolution that regulates consideration of a specific legislative measure named in the resolution -- may set terms for consideration by Representatives. It includes information about the system of privilege, forms of consideration, and how the rules are used to manage the agenda.
Date: December 5, 2005
Creator: Beth, Richard S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account (SOPOEA): History and Usage

Description: This report provides a history of the Senators' Official Personnel and Office Expense Account (SOPOEA) and an overview of recent developments, including funding levels. It also analyzes actual SOPOEA spending patterns in selected years. The allowance is provided on a fiscal year basis (i.e., October 1-September 30) in the annual legislative branch appropriations bills.
Date: February 25, 2016
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Flow of Business: Typical Day on the Senate Floor

Description: This report discusses procedures and business that usually occur every session day, and notes certain business items that may occur less frequently. Several authorities govern the daily chamber work of the Senate: the standing rules, the "standing orders," unanimous consent agreements, precedent, and tradition. Because these authorities have different influence at certain times, no Senate session day is truly typical.
Date: July 25, 2005
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Budget Resolution Enforcement

Description: This report briefly discusses the annual budget resolution, which sets forth Congress's budget plan for a period of at least five fiscal years. It includes total levels of new budget authority, outlays, revenues, the deficit, and the public debt for each of the fiscal years covered. Once a budget resolution is adopted, Congress may enforce its provisions, through points of order, at several levels: the total levels of spending and revenues, the level of resources allocated to committees, and th… more
Date: November 22, 2006
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hearings in the U.S. Senate: A Guide for Preparation and Procedure

Description: This report discusses hearings in the U.S. Senate and is divided into four main sections: (1) the role of hearings in the committee process, types of hearings, and broad organizational issues, (2) a discussion of the planning process, (3) how a hearing is held, and (4) activities committees often undertake following a hearing.
Date: July 19, 2004
Creator: Sachs, Richard C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Overrides of Presidential Vetoes

Description: This report discusses Congress' power to override presidential vetoes. The President's veto authority is among his most significant tools in legislative dealings with Congress. It is effective not only in preventing the passage of legislation undesirable to the President, but also as a threat, sometimes forcing Congress to modify legislation before it is presented to the President.
Date: April 7, 2004
Creator: Sollenberger, Mitchel A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) for Law Enforcement

Description: This report provides a brief history of how the current National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) system evolved and operates. It includes information about issues that may be of concern to Members and committees of the 107th Congress, such as whether expanding NIBIN to include new gun purchases could be construed as a step toward a national gun registry system. The report also summarizes bills introduced in the 107th Congress related to NIBIN.
Date: July 3, 2001
Creator: Boesman, William C. & Krouse, William J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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House and Senate Rules of Procedure: A Comparison

Description: This report compares selected House and Senate rules of procedure governing various stages of the legislative process: referral of legislation to committees; scheduling and calling up measures; and floor consideration. The appendices provide sources of additional information about House and Senate rules of procedure.
Date: April 7, 1999
Creator: Rundquist, Paul; Schneider, Judy & Tong, Lorraine H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Amendments in Disagreement

Description: This report briefly summarizes the process of amendments between the House of Representatives and the Senate, which occurs if the House and Senate approve differing versions of a measure. The House and Senate must approve an identical version of a measure before it may be presented for the President's approval or veto. If the House and Senate approve differing versions of a measure, the differences must first be resolved.
Date: November 3, 2004
Creator: Saturno, James V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Revenue Legislation in the Congressional Budget Process

Description: This report discusses revenue legislation, which may include changes to individual and corporate income taxes, social insurance taxes, excise taxes, or tariffs and duties. Congressional consideration of revenue legislation is governed by various constitutional provisions and procedural rules.
Date: June 13, 2003
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Hearings in the House of Representatives: A Guide for Preparation and Procedure

Description: The report describes provisions of House rules that pertain to hearings; citations to these rules are included for reference. While House rules generally apply to committees and subcommittees, it is House Rule XI that contains many provisions specific to hearings. House rules set the general framework in which committees hold hearings.
Date: June 13, 2006
Creator: Carr, Thomas P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Grants Work in a Congressional Office

Description: Report discussing grants requests for federal funds made to members of Congress by their constituents. It provides a general overview, information provided to constituents about grant funding, letters of support for grant seekers, federal assistance opportunities, proposal writing, following up on requests, announcements of grant awards, foundations and corporate grants, and additional grant-related resources.
Date: January 3, 2005
Creator: Gerli, Merete F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Private Bills: Procedure in the House

Description: This report briefly discusses private bills, which are bills providing benefits to specified individuals (including corporate bodies). Individuals sometimes request relief through private law when administrative or legal remedies are exhausted, but Congress seems more often to view private legislation as appropriate when no other remedy is available, and when enactment would, in a broad sense, afford equity.
Date: October 21, 2004
Creator: Beth, Richard S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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