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Drones in Domestic Surveillance Operations: Fourth Amendment Implications and Legislative Responses

Description: This report first explores the potential uses of drones in the domestic sphere by federal, state, and local governments. It then surveys current Fourth Amendment jurisprudence, including cases surrounding privacy in the home, privacy in public spaces, location tracking, manned aerial surveillance, and those involving the national border. Next, it considers how existing jurisprudence may inform current and proposed drone uses. It then describes the various legislative measures introduced in the … more
Date: September 6, 2012
Creator: Thompson, Richard M., II
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Reauthorization of the FISA Amendments Act

Description: This report describes the changes that were made by the FISA Amendments Act within the context of the government's authority to conduct surveillance for foreign intelligence purposes.
Date: September 12, 2012
Creator: Liu, Edward C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Corporate Income Tax System: Overview and Options for Reform

Description: This report (1) briefly reviews the current U.S. corporate tax system; (2) discusses economic factors that may be considered in the corporate tax reform debate; and (3) presents corporate tax reform policy options, including a brief discussion of current corporate tax reform proposals.
Date: September 13, 2012
Creator: Keightley, Mark P. & Sherlock, Molly F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Whistleblower Protections Under Federal Law: An Overview

Description: This report provides an overview of key aspects of the 18 selected federal statutes applicable to individuals in certain private-sector industries. It focuses on the protections provided to employees who believe they have been subject to retaliation, rather than on how or where alleged misconduct should be disclosed. In addition, the report also includes an overview of the Whistleblower Protection Act. While state law may also provide whistleblower protections for employees, this report focuses… more
Date: September 13, 2012
Creator: Shimabukuro, Jon O. & Whitaker, L. Paige
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Taxes and the Economy: An Economic Analysis of the Top Tax Rates Since 1945

Description: This report attempts to clarify whether or not there is an association between the tax rates of the highest income taxpayers and economic growth. Data is analyzed to illustrate the association between the tax rates of the highest income taxpayers and measures of economic growth.
Date: September 14, 2012
Creator: Hungerford, Thomas L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Prospects for Democracy in Hong Kong: Results of the 2012 Elections

Description: This report looks at the state of Hong Kong politics after the 2012 elections. It covers three key reasons why Congress may consider appropriating funds to foster the development of civil society and democratic practices in Hong Kong: [1] it is U.S. policy to support democracy in Hong Kong, [2] the conduct of the 2012 elections may be indicators of support for democratic reforms, and [3] there is a possibility that democracy in Hong Kong could lead to democratic reforms in Mainland China.
Date: September 14, 2012
Creator: Martin, Michael F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Clean Water Act and Pollutant Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

Description: This report discusses the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program which regulates pollutants to ensure that water quality standards can be attained; section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires states to identify waters that are impaired by pollution, even after application of pollution controls. The report focuses on new challenges facing the TMDL program, including more complex TMDLs, larger scale impairments, and nonpoint sources.
Date: September 21, 2012
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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DHS Headquarters Consolidation Project: Issues for Congress

Description: This report outlines the policy considerations to be evaluated in deciding whether to continue funding the consolidated Department of Homeland Security (DHS) headquarters, and to explore some of the benefits and consequences of several possible ways forward.
Date: September 21, 2012
Creator: Painter, William L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Public Diplomacy: Legislative Proposals to Amend Prohibitions on Disseminating Materials to Domestic Audiences

Description: This report looks at amendments to the Smith-Mundt Act, proposed by the 112th Congress that would restate provisions to exclude any ban on domestic dissemination of international information materials prepared for foreign public available to a domestic audience. The original legislation was also amended in 1972, and a 1985 provision, popularly known as the Zorinsky Amendment, prohibited domestic dissemination of international information materials and products.
Date: September 21, 2012
Creator: Weed, Matthew C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (Post-9/11 GI Bill): Primer and Issues

Description: This report provides a description of the eligibility requirements, benefit availability, benefit payments, participation, and obligations of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The report also describes a few issues that may be addressed by Congress.
Date: September 21, 2012
Creator: Dortch, Cassandria
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund: Programs and Policy Issues

Description: This report begins by describing the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund's (Fund's) history, current appropriations, and each of its programs. The next section of the report analyzes four policy considerations of congressional interest, regarding the Fund and the effective use of federal resources to promote economic development. Lastly, this report examines the Fund's programs and management to see if they represent an effective and efficient government effort to promote economic… more
Date: October 3, 2012
Creator: Lowry, Sean
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Textile Manufacturing and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations

Description: This report examines the potential implications of a prospective Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) on the U.S. textile manufacturing industry. The TFP is a proposed regional free trade agreement (FTA) currently under negotiation among 11 Pacific Rim countries.
Date: October 5, 2012
Creator: Platzer, Michaela D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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2012-2013 Presidential Election Period: National Security Considerations and Options

Description: This report discusses historical national security-related presidential transition activities, provides a representative sampling of national security issues a new Administration may encounter, and offers considerations and options relevant to each of the five phases of the presidential election period. Each phase has distinct challenges and opportunities for the incoming Administration, the outgoing Administration, and Congress. This report is intended to provide a framework for national secur… more
Date: October 5, 2012
Creator: Rollins, John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Sudan and South Sudan: Current Issues for Congress and U.S. Policy

Description: This report examines the shared interests and outstanding disputes between Sudan and South Sudan after separating into two countries. It gives an overview of political, economic, and humanitarian conditions in the two countries, with a focus on possible implications for U.S. policy and congressional engagement.
Date: October 5, 2012
Creator: Ploch Blanchard, Lauren
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR): Funding Issues After a Decade of Implementation, FY2004-FY2013

Description: This report outlines U.S. spending on global HIV/AIDS programs since the inception of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), analyzes global HIV/AIDS funding by other donors, and highlights key issues pertaining to funding that will face the 113th Congress as it considers the future of PEPFAR
Date: October 10, 2012
Creator: Salaam-Blyther, Tiaji
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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House Committee Funding: Process and Analysis of Disbursements

Description: This report provides an overview of the committee funding process in the House; it analyzes funding levels since 1995, reviews House floor and committee action on committee funding in the 112th Congress, summarizes the rules and regulations that structure the use of committee funds, and analyzes actual committee funding spending patterns during five previous years.
Date: October 16, 2012
Creator: Glassman, Matthew Eric
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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America COMPETES Acts: FY2008-FY2013 Funding Tables

Description: This report tracks historical federal funding associated with the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMEPETES) Reauthorization Act of 2010, which are set to expire in 2013.
Date: October 16, 2012
Creator: Gonzalez, Heather B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Civil Aviation Programs: An Overview

Description: This report focuses on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) civil aviation programs addressed in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-95), enacted on February 14, 2012, which authorizes AATF taxes and revenue collections and civil aviation program expenditures through FY2015. Programs for these agencies are funded primarily through a special trust fund, the airport and airways trust fund (AATF), and, in part, through general fund contri… more
Date: October 17, 2012
Creator: Elias, Bart
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 (1) maritime territorial disputes involving China in the South China Sea (SCS) and East China Sea (ECS) and (2) an additional dispute over whether China has a right under international law to regulate U.S. and other foreign military activities in its 200-nautical-mile maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Date: October 22, 2012
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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GI Bills Enacted Prior to 2008 and Related Veterans' Educational Assistance Programs: A Primer

Description: This report describes the GI Bills enacted prior to 2008. Although participation in the programs has ended or is declining, the programs' evolution and provisions inform current policy. Included is a description of the eligibility requirements, eligible programs of education, benefit availability, and benefits. The report also provides some summary statistics, comparisons between the programs, and brief discussions of related programs.
Date: October 22, 2012
Creator: Dortch, Cassandria
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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