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Legislative Branch: FY2013 Appropriations

Description: This report discusses the legislative branch appropriations bill that provides funding for the Senate; House of Representatives; Joint Items; Capitol Police; Office of Compliance; Congressional Budget Office (CBO); Architect of the Capitol (AOC); Library of Congress, including the Congressional Research Service (CRS); Government Printing Office (GPO); Government Accountability Office (GAO); and Open World Leadership Center.
Date: May 2, 2013
Creator: Brudnick, Ida A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nuclear Weapons R&D Organizations in Nine Nations

Description: This report describes the organizations controlling research and development (R&D) on nuclear weapons (i.e., nuclear explosive devices, as distinct from the bombers and missiles that carry them) in these nations, and presents a brief history of the organizations controlling nuclear weapons R&D in the United States. It discusses whether these organizations are civilian or military, though in many nations the lines between civilian and military are blurred.
Date: May 1, 2013
Creator: Medalia, Jonathan; Belkin, Paul; Kan, Shirley A.; Kerr, Paul K.; Mix, Derek E.; Nikitin, Mary Beth et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The President's Office of Science and Technology Policy: Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides an overview of the history of science and technology (S&T) advice to the President and discusses selected issues and options for Congress regarding the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director, OSTP management and operations, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).
Date: November 10, 2008
Creator: Stine, Deborah D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Brazil's WTO Case Against the U.S. Cotton Program

Description: This report provides a description and status report on Brazil's challenge to certain aspects of the U.S. cotton program under the rules of the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) dispute settlement process in case DS267.1 The "Brazil cotton case" had its WTO origins in 2002 and has since evolved into a sprawling legal enterprise that is still ongoing as of early 2011.
Date: January 5, 2011
Creator: Schnepf, Randy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Juvenile Victims of Domestic Sex Trafficking: Juvenile Justice Issues

Description: This report examines juvenile victims of sex trafficking and their intersection with states' juvenile justice systems throughout the United States. It outlines the federal conceptualization of minors involved in commercial sexual activities and discusses factors that may contribute to the treatment of sex trafficking victims as perpetrators. It also outlines various criminal justice policy options and approaches to victim-centered policing.
Date: August 5, 2014
Creator: Finklea, Kristin M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security Administration (SSA): Budget Issues

Description: This report provides an overview of the SSA's mandatory spending but largely focuses on discretionary appropriations for the agency's administrative expenses. The size of the annual appropriations for administrative expenses affects the agency's ability to effectively administer the SSA's benefit programs as well as conduct program integrity activities designed to ensure that only eligible persons receive federal benefits.
Date: January 25, 2012
Creator: Szymendera, Scott
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Procedural Analysis of Private Laws Enacted:1986-2013

Description: This report examines the broad distinctions among private laws in terms of their subject matter, introduction, sponsorship and co-sponsorship, referral, method of consideration, amendment, and reconciling of differences between the chambers' versions of the bill.
Date: April 9, 2013
Creator: Davis, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Trade and Investment in the Middle East and North Africa: Overview and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background and analysis for policymakers considering re-evaluating U.S. trade and investment in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in light of recent political developments. In particular, the report examines the economic challenges facing many countries in the region and the area's limited integration in the world economy, including relatively weak economic ties with the United States. It also analyzes various policy options for increasing trade and investment… more
Date: March 4, 2013
Creator: Akhtar, Shayerah Ilias; Bolle, Mary Jane & Nelson, Rebecca M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

Description: This report discusses Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Act, which was enacted by the 108th Congress as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136). It includes background of the SAFER Act, appropriations from FY2011-FY2013, reauthorization of the program in the House and Senate, and information about program implementation.
Date: February 22, 2013
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Funeral Honors and Military Cemeteries: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report provides answers to frequently asked questions about military funeral honors and military cemeteries, including information on the eligibility criteria, required components of the honor detail, and the funeral ceremony. It also cites legislation that mandates that the Department of Defense (DOD) make military funeral honors available to every eligible veteran upon request.
Date: February 18, 2009
Creator: Oboroceanu, Mari-Jana
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Chemical Facility Security: Issues and Options for the 113th Congress

Description: This report provides a brief overview of the existing statutory authority and implementing regulation, as well as a description of several policy issues raised in previous debates regarding chemical facility security. It also identifies policy options for congressional consideration.
Date: July 17, 2014
Creator: Shea, Dana A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Security Assistance Reform: "Section 1206" Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background on the pre-Section 1206 status of security assistance authorities and the factors contributing to the enactment of Section 1206, which provides the Secretary of Defense with authority to train and equip foreign military forces and foreign maritime security forces. It then sets out the purposes of the legislation and scope of its activities, restrictions on its use, the DOD-State Department planning process, and funding. It concludes with a discussion of issues fo… more
Date: June 29, 2010
Creator: Serafino, Nina M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

Description: This report discusses Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Act, which was enacted by the 108th Congress as Section 1057 of the FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 108-136). It includes background of the SAFER Act, appropriations from FY2010-FY2011, reauthorization of the program in the House and Senate, and information about program implementation.
Date: July 4, 2010
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV): Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information on the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) and it discusses the Army's proposed replacement to the Vietnam-era M-113 personnel carriers, which are still in service in a variety of support capacities in Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs).
Date: July 30, 2014
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Regulation of Fertilizers: Ammonium Nitrate and Anhydrous Ammonia

Description: This report focuses on some of the federal regulatory programs overseeing storage of ammonium nitrate and anhydrous ammonia by retailers. It discusses federal occupational safety, environmental, and security statutes and regulations applicable to each chemical. Select policy issues regarding these federal regulatory programs will be highlighted.
Date: May 14, 2013
Creator: Shea, Dana A.; Schierow, Linda-Jo & Szymendera, Scott D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress

Description: This report presents policy and oversight issues for Congress arising from maritime territorial disputes involving China in the South China Sea (SCS), East China Sea (ECS), and an additional dispute over whether China has a right under international law to regulate U.S. and other foreign military activities in its maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Date: August 5, 2014
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases

Description: This report discusses how the total debt of the federal government can increase, an historical overview of debt limits, and how the current economic slowdown has led to higher deficits and thereby a series of debt limit increases, as well as legislation related to these increases.
Date: May 22, 2013
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew & Levit, Mindy R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and potential issues for Congress on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), a relatively inexpensive Navy surface combatant equipped with modular "plug-and-fight" mission packages for countering mines, small boats, and diesel-electric submarines, particularly in littoral (i.e., near-shore) waters.
Date: May 24, 2013
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Same-Sex Marriages: Legal Issues

Description: This report discusses the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and legal challenges to it. It reviews legal principles applied to determine the validity of a marriage contracted in another state and surveys the various approaches employed by states to address same-sex marriage. It also examines previous congressional resolutions proposing a constitutional amendment and limiting federal courts' jurisdiction to hear or determine any question pertaining to the interpretation of DOMA.
Date: May 6, 2013
Creator: Smith, Alison M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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House Standing Committee Chairs and Ranking Minority Members: Rules Governing Selection Procedures

Description: This report discusses house rules, Republican Conference rules, and Democratic Caucus rules each detail aspects of the procedures followed in selecting standing committee chairs and ranking minority members. This report summarizes those procedures and lists membership on each party's steering committee.
Date: October 7, 2014
Creator: Schneider, Judy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Conservation Reserve Program Payments: Self-Employment Income, Rental Income, or Something Else?

Description: This report outlines the history of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the changing positions of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), pertinent case law, and other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). Several possible approaches to the taxation of CRP payments are discussed.
Date: April 14, 2008
Creator: Pettit, Carol A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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