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Attempt To Commit A Federal Crime: S. 171, A Proposed General Statute

Description: There is no general federal statute proscribing criminal attempts; the federal criminal statutes are written in such a manner so as to include only the attempt to commit a specific substantive crime or substantive offense. Therefore, a specific in intent crime would require that the offender specifically intended to devise a scheme intended to commit the crime. The government, on the other hand, must present proof by inferences from the circumstances that the offender possessed the specific int… more
Date: June 16, 1998
Creator: Wallace, Paul S., Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Education Vouchers: The Constitutional Standards

Description: The Court’s decisions permit a limited degree of public aid to be provided directly and a broader range of assistance indirectly. This report sketches the constitutional standards that apply to public aid to sectarian schools and especially to programs of indirect assistance such as education vouchers. It also summarizes recent significant state court decisions involving vouchers.
Date: June 11, 1998
Creator: Ackerman, David M.
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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Russia's Religion Law: Assessments and Implications

Description: This short report provides an overview and assessment of Russian religion law. On September 26, 1997, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the religion bill into law, and implementing regulations were promulgated in early 1998. The Administration and Congress have raised concerns that the law may restrict religion and have urged Russia to uphold its international commitments to religious freedom. The FY1998 Foreign Aid Appropriations Act (P.L. 105-118) prohibits the Freedom Support Act aid to… more
Date: May 29, 1998
Creator: Nichol, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Banking and Finance: Legislative Initiatives in the 105th Congress, Second Session

Description: This report reviews major banking and finance issues that are receiving congressional attention in the 2nd session of the 105th Congress. It will be updated periodically to reflect legislative developments. Relevant CRS products are referenced.
Date: August 10, 1998
Creator: Shorter, Gary & Wells, F. J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Crime Control Assistance Through the Byrne Programs

Description: The statute provides that states receive and distribute block grant funds and that the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) of the U.S. Department of Justice awards discretionary grants for specified activities. Allocated largely on the basis of population, block grant funds are used for personnel, equipment, training, technical assistance, and information systems to improve criminal justice systems.
Date: May 20, 1998
Creator: Laney, Garrine P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Its Rise, Fall, and Current Status

Description: This report briefly summarizes Employment Division, Oregon Department of Human Resources v. Smith, the legislative history of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), the Supreme Court's decision in City of Boerne, Texas v. Flores, and RFRA's current legal status, and notes the introduction of the Religious Liberty Protection Act (RLPA).
Date: June 25, 1998
Creator: Ackerman, David M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Impeachment Grounds: Part 6: Quotes from Sundry Commentators

Description: This is a collection of selected background materials pertinent to the issue of what constitutes impeachable misconduct for purposes of Article II, section 4 of the United States Constitution quoted below. It includes quotations from treatises and law reviews on the question.
Date: October 30, 1998
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The "Son of Sam" Case: Legislative Implications

Description: In Simon & Schuster, Inc. v. Members of the new York State Crime Victims Board, the U.S. Supreme Court held that New York State's "Son of Sam" law was inconsistent with the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech and press. This report examines the Supreme Court decision and then considers whether its rationale renders the federal law unconstitutional. Concluding that it likely does, the report considers whether it would be possible to enact a constitutional Son-of-Sam statute. Finally… more
Date: November 30, 1998
Creator: Cohen, Henry
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Air Quality and Transportation Enhancement Provisions in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991

Description: This report describes how the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ) and enhancement programs function, examines the policy issues surrounding them, and summarizes relevant provisions in major legislation to reauthorize ISTEA in the 105th Congress.
Date: June 10, 1998
Creator: Bearden, David M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Obstruction of Justice Under Federal Law: An Abbreviated Sketch

Description: This report focuses on selected aspects of the general obstruction of justice provisions found in 18 U.S.C. 1503, 1505, and 1512. It is essentially a replica, without footnotes or citations, of CRS Report 98-832, Obstruction of Justice Under Federal Law: A Review of Some of the Elements.
Date: October 7, 1998
Creator: Doyle, Charles
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Taxpayer Protections in the IRS Restructuring Bill: Attorneys' Fees and Damages for IRS Abuses

Description: This report discusses the proposals to expand a court's authority to award attorneys' fees and costs in certain cases and the proposal to permit a taxpayer to collect damages for negligent collection actions by IRS agents. These provisions are covered in sections 311 and 312 of the House version and in sections 3101 and 3102 of the Senate version.
Date: June 15, 1998
Creator: Morris, Marie B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Reading Instruction: New Federal Initiatives

Description: President Clinton has proposed an “America Reads Challenge” program, with the goal of helping all children to read successfully by the end of third grade. On November 8, 1997, the House passed an alternative proposal: H.R. 2614, the “Reading Excellence Act”. The Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources reported a revised version of H.R. 2614 on June 10, 1998. Separately, the conference version of H.R. 2646, the Education Savings Act for Public and Private Schools, contains provisions simil… more
Date: June 29, 1998
Creator: Riddle, Wayne C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Air Quality and Transportation Enhancement Provisions in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991

Description: Federal funding to assist states in addressing the environmental impacts of surface transportation is a major issue for the second session of the 105th Congress. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 (P.L. 102-240) authorized a total of $155 billion for transportation projects from FY1992 to FY1997. This report describes how the Congrestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ) and enhancement programs function, examines the policy issues surrounding them, and… more
Date: June 10, 1998
Creator: Bearden, David M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Appropriations for FY1998: Energy and Water Development

Description: This report includes Energy and Water Development Appropriations for FY1998. This report is guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress passed each year.It summarizes the then current legislative status of the bill,its scope,major issues, funding levels, and related Legislative activity.
Date: February 10, 1998
Creator: Humphries, Marc & Behrens, Carl
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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