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Insourcing Functions Performed by Federal Contractors: An Overview of the Legal Issues

Description: This report provides a brief overview of key legal issues related to recent insourcing initiatives. Recent Congresses and the Obama Administration have taken numerous actions to promote "insourcing," or the use of government personnel to perform functions that contractors previously performed on behalf of federal agencies. Among other things, the 109th through the 111th Congresses enacted several statutes requiring the development of policies and guidelines to ensure that agencies "consider" us… more
Date: June 8, 2011
Creator: Manuel, Kate M. & Maskell, Jack
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cybersecurity: Legislation, Hearings, and Executive Branch Documents

Description: This report provides a list of executive orders and presidential directives pertaining to information and computer security. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities challenge governments, businesses, and individuals worldwide. Attacks have various targets, depending upon whether the attacker was seeking military intelligence, conducting diplomatic or industrial espionage, engaging in cybercrime, or intimidating political activists; additionally attributing an attack to a specific location can be difficul… more
Date: September 8, 2015
Creator: Tehan, Rita
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Franking Privilege: Historical Development and Options for Change

Description: This report discusses controversy regarding the franking privilege, which allows Members of Congress to transmit mail matter under their signature without postage. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the franking privilege served a fundamental democratic role, allowing Members of Congress to convey information to their constituents about the operations of government and policy matters before Congress. Conversely, it also provided a mechanism for citizens to communicate their feelings and concer… more
Date: September 8, 2008
Creator: Glassman, Matthew E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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House Committee Party Ratios: 98th-115th Congresses

Description: This report documents, in tabular form, House committee party ratios for 18 Congresses -- covering the period from the 98th Congress (1983-1985) through February 2017, the first part of the 115th Congress (2017-2019).
Date: November 8, 2018
Creator: Eckman, Sarah J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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House Committee on Ethics: A Brief History of Its Evolution and Jurisdiction

Description: This report briefly outlines the background of ethics enforcement in the House of Representatives, including the creation of both the Select Committee on Ethics and the Committee on Ethics. The report also focuses on various jurisdictional and procedural changes that the committee has experienced since 1967 and discusses the committee's current jurisdiction and procedures.
Date: March 8, 2011
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Clean Water Act Issues in the 107th Congress

Description: Key water quality issues that may face the 107th Congress include: actions to implement existing provisions of the Clean Water Act (CWA), whether additional steps are necessary to achieve overall goals of the Act, and the appropriate federal role in guiding and paying for clean water activities. Legislative prospects for comprehensively amending the Act have for some time stalled over whether and exactly how to change the law. If clean water issues receive attention in the 107th Congress, consi… more
Date: July 8, 2002
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Clean Air Act Issues in the 107th Congress

Description: In the 107th Congress, the most prominent air quality issue has been whether state and federal regulations designed to protect air quality are having a negative impact on energy production, and, if so, whether legislation should be enacted to reform such regulations. The early discussion focused primarily on California, but with the release of the Administration’s energy policy recommendations in May 2001 and subsequent congressional action, attention shifted to issues more national in scope.
Date: July 8, 2002
Creator: McCarthy, James E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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House Committee Hearings: Preparation

Description: Committee hearings afford Representatives an opportunity to gather information on, and draw attention to, legislation and issues within a committee's purview; conduct oversight of programs or agencies; and investigate allegations of wrongdoing. This report identifies many of the tasks that need to be performed by full committees and, in most cases, subcommittees in advance of a hearing. Some of these tasks are required by House or committee rules; others are common committee practice.
Date: March 8, 2001
Creator: Sachs, Richard C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressionally Chartered Nonprofit Organizations ("Title 36 Corporations"): What They Are and How Congress Treats Them

Description: This report discusses a category of congressionally chartered nonprofit organizations that have as their purpose the promotion of patriotic, charitable, educational, and other eleemosynary activities . Title 36 of the United States Code, where such corporate organizations are listed with their charters, was re-codified by law in 1998 (EL 105-225).
Date: April 8, 2004
Creator: Moe, Ronald C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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House Committee Hearings: Scheduling and Notification

Description: Each House committee has authority to hold hearings whether the House is in session, has recessed, or has adjourned (Rule XI, clause 2(m)(1)(A)). Regardless of the type of hearing, or whether a hearing is held in or outside of Washington, hearings share common aspects of planning and preparation. this report discusses the issues a committee faces in deciding whether to schedule a hearing.
Date: March 8, 1999
Creator: Hardy-Vincent, Carol
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Senate Legislative Procedures: Published Sources of Information

Description: The Senate publishes its rules, precedents, and other related information so that Senators and their staff have convenient access to the Senate’s legislative procedures and can gauge how those procedures are likely to apply in various situations. Information about the Senate’s legislative procedures is published in four official documents. This report discusses these documents.
Date: June 8, 2007
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Presidential Appointments, the Senate's Confirmation Process, and Proposals for Change, 112th Congress

Description: The responsibility for populating top positions in the executive and judicial branches of government is shared, with the President having the power of appointment and the Senate having the power of advice and consent. This report provides a brief background on advice and consent issues, an overview of the appointment process in both the executive and legislative branches, and a brief discussion of recent concerns about the system. Next, the report explores the events in the 112th Congress leadi… more
Date: July 8, 2011
Creator: Carey, Maeve P. & Palmer, Betsy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Debt-Limit Legislation in the Congressional Budget Process

Description: The gross federal debt consists of the debt held by the public plus the debt held by government accounts. Almost all of the gross federal debt is subject to a public debt limit, as set forth in statute (31 U.S.C. 3101).This report considers legislation needed to change the public debt limit.
Date: May 8, 1998
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Ebola: 2014 Outbreak in West Africa

Description: This report gives a overview of the West African Ebola outbreak that began in March, 2014. The report discusses the nature of the disease as well as local and international responses to it. The report also briefly examines U.S policy and congressional actions in the wake of the outbreak.
Date: August 8, 2014
Creator: Cook, Nicolas & Salaam-Blyther, Tiaji
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Legislative Process on the House Floor: An Introduction

Description: This report provides an introduction to the legislative process on the House floor, including limitations on debate, calendars and the order of business, modes of floor consideration, senate amendments and conference reports, voting and quorum procedures, and information about a typical day on the House floor.
Date: November 8, 2002
Creator: Rybicki, Elizabeth & Bach, Stanley
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction

Description: This report discusses the following aspects of the congressional appropriations process: the annual appropriations cycle; types of appropriations measures; spending ceilings for appropriations associated with the annual budget resolution; and the relationship between authorization and appropriation measures.
Date: September 8, 2006
Creator: Streeter, Sandy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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