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Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues

Description: This report examines debates over what constitutes an unfunded federal mandate and the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act's (UMRA's) implementation. It also discusses particular mandates and procedures associated with UMRA, and assesses UMRA's impact on federal mandates and arguments concerning UMRA's future, focusing on UMRA's definitions, exclusions, and exceptions that currently exempt many federal actions with potentially significant financial impacts on nonfederal entities.
Date: January 13, 2016
Creator: Dilger, Robert J. & Beth, Richard S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal and State Quarantine and Isolation Authority

Description: This report provides an overview of federal and state public health laws as they relate to the quarantine and isolation of individuals, a discussion of constitutional issues that may be raised should individual liberties be restricted in a quarantine situation, and federalism questions that may arise where federal and state authorities overlap. In addition, the possible role of the armed forces in enforcing public health measures is discussed, specifically whether the Posse Comitatus Act would … more
Date: January 23, 2007
Creator: Swendiman, Kathleen S. & Elsea, Jennifer K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Department of Homeland Security Grants to State and Local Governments: FY2003 to FY2006

Description: This report provides information about the Department of Homeland Security Grants to State and Local Governments in between FY2003 to FY2006. This report also analyzes federal grants to state and local governments that are administered by DHS.
Date: January 19, 2007
Creator: Maguire, Steven & Reese, Shawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Administration’s Proposal to Reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: Comparison to Current Law

Description: This report discusses the challenges and consequences of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Moreover, the report outlines the Department of Education's (ED) ideas for reform in the reauthorization. Finally, the reforms are compared to the current policy the ESEA possesses.
Date: January 14, 2013
Creator: Skinner, Rebecca R.; Dortch, Cassandria; Kuenzi, Jeffrey J. & McCallion, Gail
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Services Block Grant: Background and Funding

Description: The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) is a flexible source of funds that states may use to support a wide variety of social services activities. States have broad discretion over the use of these funds. This short report provides background information on the SSBG and tracks relevant legislation and appropriations measures.
Date: January 14, 2015
Creator: Lynch, Karen E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues

Description: This report examines debates over what constitutes an unfunded federal mandate and the implementation of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA). It includes an overview of UMRA, its origins, and provisions; definitions for unfunded federal mandates; how UMRA relates to Congressional procedure (Title I) and to federal rulemaking (Title II); and concluding observations on the issues.
Date: January 5, 2015
Creator: Dilger, Robert J. & Beth, Richard S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program

Description: This report provides background information on the The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program. It begins with a discussion of the programs that were combined to form the JAG program: the Byrne Formula Grant and LLEBG programs. The report then provides an overview of the JAG program. This is followed by a review of appropriations for JAG and its predecessor programs going back to FY1998. The report concludes with a discussion of some of the issues Congress might consider as… more
Date: January 30, 2013
Creator: James, Nathan
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Internet Commerce and State Sales and Use Taxes

Description: In theory, state sales and use taxes are based on the destination principle, which prescribes that taxes should be paid where the consumption takes place. States are concerned because they anticipate gradually losing more tax revenue as the growth of Internet commerce allows more residents to buy products from vendors located out-of-state and evade use taxes. The size of the revenue loss from Internet commerce and subsequent tax evasion is uncertain. Congress is involved in this issue because c… more
Date: January 18, 2002
Creator: Maguire, Steven
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Internet Commerce and State Sales and Use Taxes

Description: State governments rely on sales and use taxes for approximately one-third (32.3%) of their total tax revenue – or approximately $174 billion in FY2000. Local governments derived 16.4% of their tax revenue or $51.6 billion from local sales and use taxes in FY1999. Both state and local sales taxes are collected by vendors at the time of transaction and are levied at a percentage of a product’s retail price. Alternatively, use taxes are not collected by vendors if they do not have nexus (loosely d… more
Date: January 18, 2002
Creator: Maguire, Steven
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Internet Commerce and State Sales and Use Taxes

Description: State governments rely on sales and use taxes for approximately one-third (32.3%) of their total tax revenue – or approximately $174 billion in FY2000. Local governments derived 16.4% of their tax revenue or $51.6 billion from local sales and use taxes in FY1999. Both state and local sales taxes are collected by vendors at the time of transaction and are levied at a percentage of a product’s retail price. Alternatively, use taxes are not collected by vendors if they do not have nexus (loosely d… more
Date: January 18, 2002
Creator: Maguire, Steven
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Comparison of California's Financial Information Privacy Act of 2003 with Federal Privacy Provisions

Description: The California Financial Information Privacy Act,1 enacted on August 28, 2003, and effective on July 1, 2004, governs the rights of California residents with respect to the dissemination of nonpublic personal information by financial institutions. In some respects, it diverges from two federal laws that impose restrictions on the dissemination of nonpublic personally identifiable customer information by financial information.
Date: January 6, 2004
Creator: Murphy, M. Maureen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC): An Overview

Description: The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is an agreement among member states to provide assistance after disasters overwhelm a state’s capacity to manage the consequences. The compact, initiated by the states and coordinated by the National Emergency Management Association, provides a structure for requesting emergency assistance from party states. EMAC also resolves some, but not all, potential legal and administrative obstacles that may hinder such assistance. EMAC also enhances sta… more
Date: January 10, 2005
Creator: Bea, Keith
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Medicaid Disproportionate Share Payments

Description: The Medicaid statute requires that states make disproportionate share (DSH) adjustments to the payment rates of certain hospitals treating large numbers of low-income and Medicaid patients — recognizing the disadvantaged situation of those hospitals. Although the requirement was established in 1981, DSH payments did not become a significant part of the program until after 1989 when they grew from just under $1 billion to almost $17 billion by 1992. During that time states’ Medicaid budgets were… more
Date: January 10, 2005
Creator: Hearne, Jean P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Medicaid and the Current State Fiscal Crisis

Description: Medicaid, a health insurance program funded jointly by the federal government and the states, is facing a period of quickly escalating costs at a time when the need (as measured by the number of uninsured) among the population it serves — the lowincome disabled, families and elderly — is rising. The pressures of quickly rising costs and increasing need are driving legislative attention both at the state and federal levels. Between FY2000 and FY2003, the annual growth rate of federal Medicaid ex… more
Date: January 21, 2005
Creator: Scott, Christine
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Managing Regional Growth: Is There a Role for Congress?

Description: Regional growth management is largely addressed at he local and state levels, driven by a myriad of concerns. Many of these concerns re driven by the concept of sprawl, and pit expansion of suburban development against protection of open space, agricultural activities, and amenity values. Local and state policies to these concerns are also diverse.
Date: January 4, 1999
Creator: Zinn, Jeffrey A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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American Federalism, 1776 to 1997: Significant Events

Description: This report identifies several significant eras and events in the evolution of American federalism and provides a capsule description or discussion of each. It should be noted that among experts in the field of federalism there may be a general consensus concerning the evolution of American federalism; however, the choice of events and scholarly interpretations of such events may vary and are by nature subjective.
Date: January 6, 1997
Creator: Boyd, Eugene
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Electric Utility Restructuring: Overview of Basic Policy Questions

Description: Proposals to increase competition in the electric utility industry involve segmenting electric functions (generation, transmission, distribution) that are currently integrated (or bundled) in most cases (both in terms of corporate and rate structures). This report identifies five basic issues this effort raises for the Congress to consider as the debate on restructuring proceeds.
Date: January 28, 1997
Creator: Parker, Larry
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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