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Block Grants

Description: This report includes the material on block grants, including a CRS Report on the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1981, several articles, and a guide to State block grant implementation. For additional information and assistance, we have also included addresses of people to contact on the Federal (p. 59) and State levels (p. 70-104).
Date: August 31, 1981
Creator: Osbourn, Sandra S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Access to Medical Records Under Federal Law

Description: This report highlights the contentions surrounding the release of health care information when it is meant to be confidential. In addition, the report summarizes the federal laws that govern how this information is distributed and when it is to be distributed. Finally, the report discusses the tension between the federal government and state governments in implementing a uniform standard for this type of law.
Date: August 3, 1993
Creator: Stevens, Gina Marie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Department of Homeland Security: State and Local Preparedness Issues

Description: Both H.R. 5005 and S. 2452 propose a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which would have a number of responsibilities relating to state and local preparedness for potential terrorist attacks. This report discusses selected state and local preparedness issues that specifically pertain to the proposed Emergency Preparedness and Response Division of the new department.1 The report does not, however, discuss certain issues, such as the impact of integrating selected offices from the Departm… more
Date: August 14, 2002
Creator: Canada, Ben
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Services Block Grant (Title XX of the Social Security Act)

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: August 20, 2003
Creator: Gish, Melinda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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First Responder Initiative: Policy Issues and Options

Description: This report provides background information and policy analysis pertinent to proposals to restructure first responder assistance programs. Specifically, this report provides information on existing programs, appropriations, legislation in the 108th Congress, and selected policy issues. This report does not discuss all relevant policy issues, but, rather, those issues that may be germane to any significant restructuring of existing programs.
Date: August 28, 2003
Creator: Canada, Ben
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Equal Rights Amendments: State Provisions

Description: Twenty states adopted state equal rights amendments between 1879 and 1998. The texts of most of these amendments either are similar to the proposed federal amendment or restate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The timing of the enactment of these state amendments and the choice of wording reflect both the ebb and flow of the women's movement in the United States and the political culture of the particular states at the time of passage. A brief hi… more
Date: August 23, 2004
Creator: Gladstone, Leslie W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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State and Local Homeland Security: Unresolved Issues for the 109th Congress

Description: Arguably, the three most important homeland security public laws enacted following the terrorist attacks on September 2001 are the USA PATRIOT Act, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. This report describes each of these pieces of legislation and their respective domestic security enhancements. Many important state and local homeland security policy issues remain, separate from these three laws, which the 109th Congress might addre… more
Date: August 3, 2006
Creator: Reese, Shawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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State and Local Homeland Security: Unresolved Issues for the 109th Congress

Description: Arguably, the three most important homeland security public laws enacted following the terrorist attacks on September 2001 are: P.L. 107-56, “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act)”; P.L. 107-296, “Homeland Security Act of 2002”; and P.L. 108-458, “Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.” The PATRIOT Act focused on enhancing domestic security through anti-terrorism measures, specifical… more
Date: August 3, 2006
Creator: Reese, Shawn
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Enforcing Immigration Law: The Role of State and Local Law Enforcement

Description: This report examines the role of state and local law enforcement in enforcing immigration law. The discussion is limited to the role of state and local law enforcement in the investigation, arrest, and detention of all immigration violators. The report does not discuss the prosecution, adjudication, or removal of aliens who violate the law. The report opens with a brief discussion of the types of immigration interior enforcement activities that the former Immigration and Naturalization Service … more
Date: August 14, 2006
Creator: Seghetti, Lisa M.; Vina, Stephen R. & Ester, Karma
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: August 16, 2006
Creator: Swendiman, Kathleen S. & Elsea, Jennifer K.
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: August 16, 2006
Creator: Swendiman, Kathleen S. & Elsea, Jennifer K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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General Services Administration Prospectus Thresholds for Owned and Leased Federal Facilities

Description: The General Services Administration (GSA) oversees GSA-owned and -leased federal buildings and courthouses. This report provides an overview of the funding for GSA, GSA procedures, and related legislation, especially in light of recent disasters, i.e., hurricanes, flooding, etc.
Date: August 20, 2008
Creator: Wellborn, Clay H.
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: August 3, 2010
Creator: Skinner, Rebecca R.; Lomax, Erin D.; Dortch, Cassandria; Kuenzi, Jeffrey J. & McCallion, Gail
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 Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA's) implementation. It focuses on UMRA's requirement that Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issue written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in legislation, its procedures for raising points of order in the House and Senate concerning unfunded federal mandates in legislation, and its requirement that federal agencies prepare written cost estimate statements for… more
Date: August 13, 2010
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay & Beth, Richard S.
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: August 10, 2011
Creator: Lynch, Karen E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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House Apportionment 2012: States Gaining, Losing, and on the Margin

Description: This report examines the distribution of seats based on the most recent estimates of the population of the states (as of July 1, 2012). It explores the question of, what, if any, would be the impact on the distribution of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives if the apportionment were conducted today, using the most recent official U.S. Census population figures available.
Date: August 23, 2013
Creator: Crocker, Royce
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues

Description: This report examines debates regarding what constitutes an "unfunded federal mandate" and the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995's (UMRA) implementation. It focuses on UMRA's requirement that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issue written cost estimate statements for federal mandates in legislation, its procedures for raising points of order in the House and Senate concerning unfunded federal mandates in legislation, and its requirement that federal agencies prepare written cost estimate… more
Date: August 29, 2013
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay & Beth, Richard S.
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 use to support a wide variety of social services activities. States have broad discretion over the use of these funds. In FY2009, the most recent year for which expenditure data are available, the largest expenditures for services under the SSBG were for child care, foster care, and special services for the disabled. This report provides background and funding information about the SSBG.
Date: August 26, 2014
Creator: Lynch, Karen E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The “1033 Program,” Department of Defense Support to Law Enforcement

Description: This report focuses on the "1033 Program" that grants authority to the Secretary of Defense to give defense material to federal and state agencies. The focal point of the program is mostly for terrorism and illegal drug activities. This report describes how law enforcement agencies may apply to be part of the program and the structure of the program.
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: Else, Daniel H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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State Innovation Waivers: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report answers nine frequently asked questions about the State Innovation Waiver program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that allows states to obtain waivers from certain areas of the program and instead use their own state run processes.
Date: August 28, 2017
Creator: Mach, Annie L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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