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Advanced Gene Editing: CRISPR-Cas9

Description: This report describes a new gene editing technology, known as CRISPR-Cas9, with the potential to revolutionize genetic engineering and the biotechnology industry. The report then provides information on the potential economic benefits of the technology and identifies some issues for congressional consideration, including the regulation of current and future products, national security concerns, and ethical and societal issues surrounding the use of the technology.
Date: April 28, 2017
Creator: Gallo, Marcy E.; Sargent, John F., Jr.; Sarata, Amanda K. & Cowan, Tadlock
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Airline Passenger Denied Boarding: Rules and Regulations

Description: This report discusses regulations regarding an airline's responsibilities when a passenger with a confirmed ticket is denied boarding on a flight due to lack of seats (known as overselling). The various updates to the original regulation from 1967 are discussed with the latest modifications occurring in 2015.
Date: April 21, 2017
Creator: Tang, Rachel Y.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics

Description: This report provides U.S. war casualty statistics. It includes data tables containing the number of casualties among American military personnel who served in principal wars and combat operations from 1775 to the present. It also includes data on those wounded in action and information such as race and ethnicity, gender, branch of service, and cause of death. The tables are compiled from various Department of Defense (DOD) sources. Wars covered include the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, th… more
Date: April 26, 2017
Creator: DeBruyne, Nese F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Border-Adjusted Consumption Taxes and Exchange Rate Movements: Theory and Evidence

Description: This report provides a basic framework for understanding how and why exchange rates could respond to a Border-Adjusted Tax (BAT). It first describes a BAT(which does not tax exports) and uses several examples to illustrate how one works. It then summarizes the standard economic theory of how exchange rates should respond to a BAT, as well as the arguments against the theoretical predictions. Finally, this report reviews the existing literature that has empirically investigated the relationship… more
Date: April 18, 2017
Creator: Driessen, Grant A. & Keightley, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Budget Control Act and the Defense Budget: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report addresses several frequently asked questions related to the Budget Control Act (BCA) and the defense budget. The BCA limits discretionary spending on defense through the process of sequestration and was enacted in 2011. Recent proposals to remove the restrictions of the BCA on defense or raise the spending limits are also discussed.
Date: April 21, 2017
Creator: Williams, Lynn M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

China's February 2017 Suspension of North Korean Coal Imports

Description: This report discusses China's suspension of coal trade with North Korea for the remainder of 2017 which keeps China in compliance with an UN agreement to limit coal buying from North Korea that was implemented in November 2016 in response to continued nuclear tests by North Korea. Coal's value as an export to North Korea, China's trade with North Korea, quantities of coal and its value that was imported into China in 2016 and 2017, and possible reasons and implications for China's decision are … more
Date: April 25, 2017
Creator: Lawrence, Susan V.; Manyin, Mark E. & Hammond, Keigh E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Congressional Arts Caucus and the Congressional Art Competition: History and Current Practice

Description: This report provides a brief history of the Congressional Arts Caucus and the Congressional Art Competition which is an art competition for high school students. It also provides a history of sponsorship and support for the caucus and the annual competition. The report includes copies of the original correspondence establishing the competition, a sample competition announcement, sample guidelines and required forms for the competition, and a chronological list of congressional co-chairs.
Date: April 21, 2017
Creator: Mansfield, Jerry W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Congressional News Media and the House and Senate Press Galleries

Description: This report provides information about the rules and authorities that affect media coverage of Congress, current practices among the press galleries, and selected data on gallery membership since the 94th Congress. It also provides a brief discussion of considerations that commonly underlie the galleries' practices or may affect gallery operations and congressional media rules.
Date: April 13, 2017
Creator: Eckman, Sarah J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Congressional Nominations to U.S. Service Academies: An Overview and Resources for Outreach and Management

Description: This report describes statutory requirements for allocating congressional nominations to service academies. It also identifies the qualifications that must be met by potential nominees, as established by statute and each academy. Finally, sample documents that could be used by congressional offices at various stages of the nomination selection process are included. These documents provide basic information and can be customized to fit the specific needs of individual office policies.
Date: April 13, 2017
Creator: Petersen, R. Eric & Eckman, Sarah J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline

Description: This report provides roll call vote data on Keystone XL Pipeline legislation identified by CRS using CQ.com's Roll Call Vote Report database as well as the Congress.gov legislative database. Roll call votes listed in the tables are broken down by chamber, Congress, and type of legislation--substantive votes (i.e., votes on amendments or passage of bills) versus procedural votes (e.g., votes to recommit the bill to a committee or to provide for the consideration of a bill). Votes are also listed… more
Date: April 4, 2017
Creator: Cunningham, Lynn J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Cost-Benefit Analysis and Financial Regulator Rulemaking

Description: This report examines issues related to financial regulators and cost-benefit analysis' (CBA), including potential difficulties facing such regulators and methods available to them when preforming a CBA, the analytical requirements the agencies currently face, and the arguments for and against increasing requirements on financial regulators. This report also briefly describes several examples of proposed legislation that would change the requirements facing financial regulators.
Date: April 12, 2017
Creator: Perkins, David W. & Carey, Maeve P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Cybersecurity: Critical Infrastructure Authoritative Reports and Resources

Description: This report provides resources for congressional staff researching cybersecurity issues and critical infrastructure.The annotated descriptions of these sources are listed in reverse chronological order with an emphasis on material published in the past several years.The report includes resources and studies from government agencies (federal, state, local, and international), think tanks, academic institutions, news organizations, and other sources. Table 1 contains overview reports and resource… more
Date: April 21, 2017
Creator: Tehan, Rita
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Deferred Maintenance of Federal Land Management Agencies: Fiscal Year 2007-Fiscal Year 2016 Estimates and Issues

Description: This report discusses the maintenance backlogs/deferred maintenance at the four federal land management agencies (the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service). It first provides agency deferred maintenance estimates for FY2016, the most recent fiscal year for which this information is available. It also discusses changes in deferred maintenance over the past decade (FY2007-FY2016) and then identifies some of the factors that li… more
Date: April 25, 2017
Creator: Vincent, Carol Hardy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Department of Defense Contractor and Troop Levels in Iraq and Afghanistan: 2007-2017

Description: This report provides background information for Congress on the levels of Department of Defense (DOD) troop and contractor personnel deployed in support of prior and ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Date: April 28, 2017
Creator: Peters, Heidi M.; Schwartz, Moshe & Kapp, Lawrence
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Background and Summary

Description: This report reviews issues related to financial regulation and provides brief descriptions of major provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, along with links to CRS products going in to greater depth on specific issues. It does not attempt to track the legislative debate in the 115th Congress.
Date: April 21, 2017
Creator: Webel, Baird
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): A Brief Legislative History

Description: This report first provides a general overview of the current Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) credit. The report then summarizes the key legislative changes to the credit and provides analysis of some of the congressional intentions behind these changes. An overview of the current structure of the EITC can be found in Appendix A at the end of this report.
Date: April 26, 2017
Creator: Crandall-Hollick, Margot L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Electing the Speaker of the House of Representatives: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report briefly poses and answers several "frequently asked questions" in relation to the floor proceedings used to elect a Speaker of the House. Current practice for electing a Speaker, either at the start of a Congress or in the event of a vacancy (e.g., death or resignation), is by roll-call vote, during which Members state aloud the name of their preferred candidate. Members may vote for any individual. If no candidate receives a majority of votes cast, balloting continues; in subsequen… more
Date: April 24, 2017
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

FDA Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS): Description and Effect on Generic Drug Development

Description: This report provides a brief history of FDA drug regulation, describes FDA's early risk management programs, and focuses on the agency's current risk management authorities, specifically risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS). The report also discusses issues that have arisen as a result of REMS, particularly the impact on generic drug competition. It does not discuss antitrust issues raised by restricted distribution systems.
Date: April 11, 2017
Creator: Dabrowska, Agata
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Federal Disaster Assistance: The National Flood Insurance Program and Other Federal Disaster Assistance Programs Available to Individuals and Households After a Flood

Description: This report provides an overview of the government assistance available to individuals and households following a flood and provides links to more comprehensive guidance on both flood insurance and disaster assistance.
Date: April 6, 2017
Creator: Horn, Diane P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA): Workers' Compensation for Federal Employees

Description: This report discusses the Federal Workers Compensation Act (FECA) which governs disability and death benefits for federal employees who are injured, become ill, or are killed on the job. Key policy issues facing the program, including the disproportionate share of claims and program costs attributed to postal workers, the payment of FECA benefits after retirement age, the overall level of FECA disability benefits as compared with those offered by the states, the administration of the FECA prog… more
Date: April 26, 2017
Creator: Szymendara, Scott D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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