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Oil Spill Legislation in the 111th Congress

Description: This report summarizes provisions of selected legislation - enacted and proposed - that address oil spill policy issues raised after the April 20, 2010, explosion and resulting oil spill at the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. This report focuses primarily on oil spill policy matters that concern prevention, preparedness, response, and the liability and compensation framework.
Date: October 15, 2010
Creator: Ramseur, Jonathan L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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"Robo-Signing" and Other Alleged Documentation Problems in Judicial and Nonjudicial Foreclosure Processes

Description: Recent depositions involving major servicers, including GMAC Mortgage, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, have raised concerns about "robo-signing" -- the practice of having a small number of individuals sign a large number of affidavits and other legal documents submitted to courts and other public authorities by mortgage companies to execute foreclosure. This report explores concerns related to these issues by explaining the mortgage market process, procedural problems that have surfaced dur… more
Date: November 15, 2010
Creator: Carpenter, David H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Employees' Retirement System: Benefits and Financing

Description: Most civilian federal employees who were hired before 1984 are covered by the Civil Service Retirement System, and contribute 7.0% of their pay to a retirement fund. Federal employees hired in 1984 or later are covered by the Federal Employees' Retirement System and contribute 0.8% of their pay to a retirement fund. Both require participants to contribute toward the cost of their pensions through a payroll tax. The taxable wage base is $106,800 in 2010. This report discusses both retirement fun… more
Date: September 15, 2010
Creator: Isaacs, Katelin P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Food Safety on the Farm: Federal Programs and Legislative Action

Description: In recent years, major outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, product recalls, and reports about unsafe food imports have caused some to question the adequacy of the U.S. food safety system. Stakeholders appear to agree that an optimal system should encompass a comprehensive, preventive approach to food safety, focusing on those foods and points in the food system that pose the greatest public health risks, starting at the point of production - that is, on farms and ranches. This report discusses di… more
Date: December 15, 2010
Creator: Johnson, Renée
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Outer Continental Shelf Moratoria on Oil and Gas Development

Description: This report discusses moratoria measures for the outer continental shelf (OCS) which establish bans or restrictions on oil and gas exploration and development in federal ocean areas. It includes a background of offshore oil and gas development, the sources of U.S. moratorium policy, the background of ocean governance, U.S. moratoria in international areas, and related issues for congress.
Date: June 15, 2010
Creator: Hagerty, Curry L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Ocean Dumping Act: A Summary of the Law

Description: The Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act has two basic aims: to regulate intentional ocean disposal of materials, and to authorize related research. Permit and enforcement provisions of the law are often referred to as the Ocean Dumping Act. The basic provisions of the act have remained virtually unchanged since 1972, when it was enacted to establish a comprehensive waste management system to regulate disposal or dumping of all materials into marine waters that are within U.S. juris… more
Date: December 15, 2010
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): An Overview

Description: The Earned Income Tax Credit began in 1975 as a temporary program to return a portion of the Social Security taxes paid by lower-income taxpayers, and was made permanent in 1978. In the 1990s, the program because a major component of federal efforts to reduce poverty, and is now the largest anti-poverty entitlement program. This report contains information on eligibility for the program, credit amount, participation, interaction with other tax provisions, issues, compliance, and more as related… more
Date: December 15, 2010
Creator: Scott, Christine
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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CRS Issue Statement on Disability Benefits

Description: This report discusses about the Federal disability benefit programs that are primarily intended to provide a measure of income security to persons with disabilities by replacing some of the income lost due to their inability to work.
Date: January 15, 2010
Creator: Szymendera, Scott
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Conservation Reserve Program: Status and Current Issues

Description: This report discusses the Conservative Reserve Program (CRP), enacted in 1985, that provides payments to farmers to take highly erodible or environmentally sensitive cropland out of production for 10 years or more. It also discusses several other subprograms of CRP.
Date: September 15, 2010
Creator: Cowan, Tadlock
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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CRS Issue Statement on Medicare Reform

Description: This report discusses about medicare and its spending that has been growing much faster than the general economy. It further discusses about congress's consideration on change on medicare expenditure by reducing provider payment.
Date: January 15, 2010
Creator: Davis, Patricia A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Clean Water Act: A Summary of the Law

Description: This report discusses the financial assistance for constructing municipal sewage treatment plants and certain other types of water quality improvement projects. It also points out Titles II and VI ---Municipal Wastewater Treatment Construction.
Date: December 15, 2010
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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