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The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act: Overview and Issues for Congress
This report describes Congress's pursuit of postal reform, and summarizes the major provisions of the new postal reform law. The report also suggests PAEA-related oversight issues for Congress. President George W. Bush signed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA; P.L. 109-435; 120 Stat. 3198) on December 20, 2006. The PAEA was the first broad revision of the 1970 statute that replaced the U.S. Post Office with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), a self-supporting, independent agency of the executive branch.
English as the Official Language of the United States: Legal Background
For over a decade, legislation that would either declare English the official language of the United States government or that would oppose such declarations has been introduced in Congress. This report discusses the legal effect of some of these congressional proposals, as well as current federal policy on foreign language assistance, the constitutional law implications of official English proposals, and legal issues regarding state laws on official English.
FCC Media Ownership Rules: Current Status and Issues for Congress
This report analyzes each of the areas that has changed as a result of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) actions and Court decisions. The various positions in the debate also are summarized.
The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape
This report provides information about The Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape on the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC is an independent agency directly responsible for congress.
Emergency Communications: Broadband and the Future of 911
This report discusses the Summary of 911 Legislation and Policy, Funding and Grants and National Broadband Plan.
The FCC’s 10 Commissioned Economic Research Studies on Media Ownership: Policy Implications
No Description Available.
Digital Surveillance: The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act
This report provides information about The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act on Digital Surveillance. CALEA is intended to preserve the ability of law enforcement officials to conduct electronic surveillance effectively and efficiently.
Emergency Communications: Broadband and the Future of 911
This report discusses the Summary of 911 Legislative and Policy, Funding and Grants and Creating the Base for Change.
Digital Surveillance: The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act
This report provides information about The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act on Digital Surveillance. CALEA is intended to preserve the ability of law enforcement officials to conduct electronic surveillance effectively and efficiently.
Open Access Publishing and Citation Archives: Background and Controversy
This report begins with an inventory of basic information: definitions and guides to histories of the growth of open access publishing and citation archives and descriptions of selected major open access activities. It moves on to summarize major points of difference between proponents and opponents of nongovernmental open access publishing and databases, and then highlights federal, including National Institutes of Health (NIH), open access activities and contentious issues surrounding these developments. The report also briefly describes open access developments in the United Kingdom (where a number of governmental and nongovernmental initiatives have occurred) and in the international arena. Finally, controversial issues which could receive attention the 110th Congress are summarized.
Satellite Television: Historical Information on SHVIA and LOCAL
This historical report summarizes the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act (SHVIA) and the Launching Our Communities Access to Local Television Act (LOCAL), and the debate over whether a company called Northpoint should be able to use the same frequencies as satellites to transmit data and television using terrestrial systems.
Public Speaking and Speechwriting: Selected References
No Description Available.
FCC Media Ownership Rules: Current Status and Issues for Congress
On June 2, 2003, the Federal Communications Commission modified five of its media ownership rules, easing restrictions on the ownership of multiple television stations and on local media cross-ownership, and tightening restrictions on the ownership of multiple radio stations in local markets.
Balancing Scientific Publication and National Security Concerns: Issues for Congress
There is a lack of consensus regarding the best method of balancing scientific publishing and national security. The current federal policy, as described in National Security Decision Directive 189, is that fundamental research should remain unrestricted and that in the rare case where it is necessary to restrict such information, classification is the appropriate vehicle to do so. Other mechanisms restrict international information flow, where Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) control export of items and technical information on specific lists. Both EAR and ITAR contain a fundamental research exclusion, but this exclusion is lost if prepublication review of research results for sensitive information occurs.
Obscenity: A Legal Primer
This report provides an overview of the present law of obscenity and pornography, with emphasis on the following topics: (1) the legal definition of obscenity; (2) the constitutionality of restrictive zoning laws; (3) federal authority to legislate in this area; (4) child pornography; (5) regulation of the broadcast media in this context; (6) obscenity and cable television; (7) obscene prerecorded messages; (8) seizure of obscene materials; and .(9) pornography as a form of sex discrimination.
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