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The Endangered Species Act and "Sound Science"

Description: This report provides a context for evaluating legislative proposals through examples of how science has been used in selected cases, a discussion of the nature and role of science in general, and its role in the Endangered Species Act (ESA) process in particular, together with general and agency information quality requirements and policies, and a review of how the courts have viewed agency use of science.
Date: September 27, 2007
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. L.; Baldwin, Pamela & Alexander, Kristina
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Racial Profiling: Legal and Constitutional Issues

Description: Racial profiling is the practice of targeting individuals for police or security detention based on their race or ethnicity in the belief that certain minority groups are more likely to engage in unlawful behavior. Examples of racial profiling by law enforcement agencies suggest that minorities are disproportionately the subject of security-related practices. The issue has periodically attracted congressional interest and several courts have considered the constitutional ramifications of the pr… more
Date: April 16, 2012
Creator: Feder, Jody
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Bayh-Dole Act: Selected Issues in Patent Policy and the Commercialization of Technology

Description: This report discusses the rationale behind the passage of P.L. 96-517 (Amendments to the Patent and Trademark Act, or the "Bayh-Dole Act") as well as its provisions and information regarding the implementation of the law. Under this 1980 law, as amended, title to inventions made with government support is provided to the contractor if that contractor is a small business, a university, or other non-profit institution.
Date: February 3, 2009
Creator: Schacht, Wendy H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Commerce Clause as a Limit on Congressional Power to Protect the Environment

Description: Several times during the 1990s the Supreme Court struck down federal enactments as exceeding Congress' power under the Commerce Clause or Tenth Amendment. This report briefly reviews three of these decisions -- United States v. Lopez, New York v. United States, and Printz v. United States. Its focus, however, is how these cases have played out in subsequent lower-court challenges to federal environmental laws. The report shows that Supreme Court rulings in favor of these states notwithstanding,… more
Date: March 12, 1999
Creator: Meltz, Robert
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Electricity Restructuring: Comparison of Comprehensive Bills

Description: Once considered the nation's most regulated industry, the electric utility industry is evolving into a more competitive environment. Currently, the focus of this development is the generating sector, where the advent of new generating technologies has lowered both entry barriers to competitors of traditional utilities and the marginal costs of those competitors below those of some traditional utilities. This technological advance has combined with legislative initiatives, such as the Energy Pol… more
Date: July 24, 2000
Creator: Parker, Larry & Abel, Amy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Farm Bill: Soil and Water Conservation Issues

Description: This report discusses resource conservation topics, which are a part of the farm bill debate. Debate on existing programs focuses on reauthorization of the Conservation Reserve Program and possible amendments to the reserve, swampbuster, and conservation compliance.
Date: December 29, 1995
Creator: Zinn, Jeffrey A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Statutes: What They Are and Where to Find Them

Description: This report provides a brief overview of Federal statutes and where to find them, both in hard copy and on the Internet. After providing an overview on the basics of Federal statutes, this report gives guidance on where Federal statutes, in their various forms, may be located on the Internet, where they are most readily accessible.
Date: January 16, 2001
Creator: Gurevitz, Mark
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Endangered Species Act and "Sound Science"

Description: This report provides a context for evaluating legislative proposals through examples of how science has been used in selected cases, a discussion of the nature and role of science in general, and its role in the Endangered Species Act (ESA) process in particular, together with general and agency information quality requirements and policies, and a review of how the courts have viewed agency use of science.
Date: October 5, 2006
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. Lynne & Baldwin, Pamela
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Abortion Law Development: A Brief Overview

Description: This report offers an overview of the development of abortion law from 1973 to the present. Beginning with a brief discussion of the historical background, the report analyzes the leading Supreme Court decisions over the past twenty-eight years, emphasizing particularly the landmark decisions in Roe and Doe, the Court’s shift in direction in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, and the Court’s most recent decision on abortion, Ste… more
Date: January 2, 2001
Creator: Lewis, Karen J. & Shimabukuro, Jon O.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Insurance Coverage of the World Trade Center: Interpretation of "War Risk" Exclusion Causes Under New York Contract Law

Description: This report addresses the interpretation of war risk exclusion clauses under New York contract and insurance law. The purpose of excluding “war risks” from insurance policies is to prevent the insurer from being bankrupted by shouldering countrywide losses from war. The widespread characterization of the events of September 11th as an “act of war” raises the possibility that insurable risks to life and property in the World Trade Center may not receive coverage due to the enforcement of these c… more
Date: September 18, 2001
Creator: Jennings, Christopher Alan
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

"Terrorism" and Related Terms in Statute and Regulation: Selected Language

Description: Congress is considering revised definitions of “terrorism” and related terms in the context of the proposed “Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001.” While the proposed definitions relate to criminal law and immigration law, hundreds of other federal statutes and regulations already define “terrorism” and related terms in a variety of other contexts. However, these statutes and regulations ultimately refer to an extremely small set of statutory definitions, current criminal law and immigration definitions … more
Date: September 26, 2001
Creator: Martin, Elizabeth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Charter Schools: State Developments and Federal Policy Options

Description: Charter schools are public elementary or secondary schools which are released from a variety of state, local, and possibly federal regulations in return for new forms of accountability in terms of outcomes for pupils. Approximately one-half of the states authorize the establishment of charter schools, and a federal Public Charter Schools (PCS) program provides start-up funds for such schools. The House has passed (H.R. 2616), and the Senate is considering (S. 1380) legislation to modify and exp… more
Date: April 6, 1998
Creator: Riddle, Wayne C.; Stedman, James B. & Aleman, Steven R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Class Actions and Proposed Reform in the 108th Congress: Class Action Fairness Act of 2003

Description: The report discusses the consumer class action bill of rights in each proposal contains safeguards which provide for judicial scrutiny of coupon and other non-cash settlements, protection against a proposed settlement that would result in a net loss to a class member, protection against discrimination based upon geographic location, and prohibition on a class representative receiving a greater share of the award.
Date: June 23, 2003
Creator: Wallace, Paul Starett, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Class Actions and Proposed Reform in the 107th Congress: Class Action Fairness Act of 2002

Description: This report discusses the Class Action Fairness Act of 2002. The bill reflects a preference for class actions to be adjudicated in federal courts and would enlarge U.S. district courts original jurisdiction over class actions with claims aggregating $2,000,000 or more (even if each of the members of the class had not sustained damages in excess of $75,000 as is now required).
Date: March 12, 2002
Creator: Wallace, Paul Starett, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Major Decisions in the House and Senate on Social Security: 1935-2011

Description: This report is intended to respond to the many inquiries that CRS gets for Social Security vote information, which range from requests for general information about legislative action over the years to requests for information about specific floor amendments. Thus, it is intended to be a reference document on the major statutory decisions made by Congress on the Social Security program. A detailed table of contents and a summary table of the legislation discussed are provided to aid the reader.
Date: January 11, 2012
Creator: Sidor, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Federal Statutes: What They Are and Where to Find Them

Description: This report provides a brief overview of federal statutes and where to find them, both in print and on the internet. When Congress passes a law, it may amend or repeal earlier enactments or it may write on a clean slate. After providing an overview on the basics of federal statutes, this report gives guidance on where federal statutes, in their various forms, may be located on the Internet.
Date: December 27, 2007
Creator: Foley, Cassandra L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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