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Spectrum Policy in the Age of Broadband: Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses some of the commercial and federal radio frequency spectrum policy changes required by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. It also summarizes new policy directions for spectrum management under consideration in the 112th Congress, such as the encouragement of new technologies that use spectrum more efficiently.
Date: May 28, 2013
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Congressional Member Organizations: Their Purpose and Activities, History, and Formation

Description: This report examines the purpose and activities of Committee on House Administration as congressional Member organizations (CMO) and the reasons Members form them. It also identifies and describes seven CMO types, and it provides an overview of the historical development of informal Member organizations since the first Congress, focusing on their regulation in the House by the Committee on House Oversight/Committee on House Administration, the rise and fall of legislative service organizations … more
Date: August 28, 2013
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay & Gerrity, Jessica C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses

Description: Report that discusses the effects of economic sanctions against Iran, support to the Iranian democracy movement, and opposition against Iranian human rights violations and Iranian support for Syrian human rights violations.
Date: May 28, 2013
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Sovereign Debt in Advanced Economies: Overview and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses sovereign debt, which is also called public debt or government debt, and refers to debt incurred by governments. The first section provides background information on sovereign debt, including why governments borrow, how sovereign debt differs from private debt, why governments repay their debt (or not), and how sovereign debt is measured. The second section examines the shift of concerns over sovereign debt sustainability from emerging markets in the 1990s and 2000s to adv… more
Date: October 28, 2013
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The "Pay Ratio Provision" in the Dodd-Frank Act: Legislation to Repeal It in the 113th Congress

Description: This report provides insight into the debate over the pay provision, the SEC proposal to implement the provision, and legislation to repeal the provision. It does so by (1) examining the debate over whether public company executives are overpaid; (2) describing the pay ratio provision and the SEC proposals to implement it; (3) examining various responses to the pay ratio provision and the proposal to implement them; (4) describing legislation to repeal the provision; and (5) examining the publi… more
Date: October 28, 2013
Creator: Shorter, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Foreign Assistance: Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)

Description: This report discusses the evolution of private sector involvement in U.S. foreign assistance programs over recent decades, how globalization has driven the modern approach to development partnerships, potential benefits and drawbacks of public-private partnerships (PPPs), and how partnerships are being used by other bilateral donors and multilateral development agencies. The report then discusses partnership-related issues that may be of interest to Congress as part of the foreign assistance au… more
Date: October 28, 2013
Creator: Lawson, Marian L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Automatic Continuing Resolutions: Background and Overview of Recent Proposals

Description: This report begins by providing background on the historic frequency of federal funding gaps. Then, four major features of automatic continuing resolution (ACR) proposals since the 1980s -- time frame, funding level, activities, and duration -- are explained. This is followed by a summary of the major arguments for and against the enactment of an ACR. Finally, the last three sections of the report review congressional action that has taken place on ACR proposals, describe ACR proposals that hav… more
Date: October 28, 2013
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy Efficiency: Better Coordination among Federal Programs Needed to Allocate Testing Resources

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The three key federal energy efficiency programs--minimum energy efficiency standards led by the Department of Energy (DOE), EnergyGuide led by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Energy Star led by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with support from DOE--take different approaches to the shared goal of improving the energy efficiency of selected categories of household appliances and consume… more
Date: March 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Management Report: Improvements Needed in Controls over the Preparation of the U.S. Consolidated Financial Statements

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "During its audit of the fiscal year 2012 consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government (CFS), GAO identified new and continuing control deficiencies in the Department of the Treasury's (Treasury) and the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) processes used to prepare the CFS. These control deficiencies contributed to material weaknesses in internal control over the federal government's abil… more
Date: June 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Acquisition Workforce: Federal Agencies Obtain Training to Meet Requirements, but Have Limited Insight into Costs and Benefits of Training Investment

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) sets standards and policies for the federal acquisition workforce, and has established certification requirements, including minimal training, for the three main acquisition roles--contracting staff, Contracting Officer's Representatives, and Program/Project Managers--to promote the development of government-wide core acquisition competencies and facilitat… more
Date: March 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Private Pensions: Timely Action Needed to Address Impending Multiemployer Plan Insolvencies

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The most severely distressed multiemployer plans have taken significant steps to address their funding problems and, while most plans expected improved financial health, some did not. A survey conducted by a large actuarial and consulting firm serving multiemployer plans suggests that the large majority of the most severely underfunded plans--those designated as being in critical status--either have inc… more
Date: March 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Manufactured Homes: State-Based Replacement Programs May Provide Benefits, but Energy Savings Do Not Fully Offset Costs

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO identified three states—Maine, Montana, and Washington—that have developed pilot programs focused on replacing older manufactured homes using a combination of state and federal funds. The three programs were relatively small, accounting for about $4.5 million in spending and responsible for replacing 81 homes, over about 2 years. The programs differed in requirements, including whether the land that… more
Date: March 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Farm Programs: USDA Needs to Do More to Prevent Improper Payments to Deceased Individuals

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2007, the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA), which administers various programs for farmers that help support farm incomes and provide disaster assistance, has established procedures for preventing improper payments to deceased individuals, including, on a quarterly basis, matching payments to program participants with the Social Security Administration's (SSA) data on d… more
Date: June 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) 2012 portfolio of 86 major defense acquisition programs is estimated to cost a total of $1.6 trillion, reflecting decreases in both size and cost from the 2011 portfolio. Those decreases are largely the result of more programs exiting than entering the portfolio, as well as reductions in procurement quantities due to program cancelations and restructurings. Notably a majo… more
Date: March 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Logistics: A Completed Comprehensive Strategy is Needed to Guide DOD's In-Transit Visibility Efforts

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense (DOD) has taken steps to improve in-transit visibility of its assets through efforts developed by several of the defense components, but no one DOD organization is fully aware of all such efforts across the department, because they are not centrally tracked. In-transit visibility is the ability to track the identity, status, and location of DOD assets and personnel from origin … more
Date: February 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Defense Contracting: Actions Needed to Increase Competition

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense’s (DOD) competition rate for all contract obligations declined over the past five fiscal years, from 62.6 percent in fiscal year 2008 to 57.1 percent in fiscal year 2012. GAO also found that the competition rate in fiscal year 2012 varied by specific DOD component with the Air Force having the lowest at 37.1 percent and the Defense Logistics Agency the highest at 83.3 percent. … more
Date: March 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Grant Workforce: Agency Training Practices Should Inform Future Government-wide Efforts

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Identifying the federal grant workforce presents challenges due to differences in how agencies manage grants and the wide range of job series that make up the grant workforce. Some agencies manage grants by using a combination of program specialists (subject-matter experts) and grants management specialists, while other agencies use program specialists to manage the entire grant process. In the four age… more
Date: June 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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California High-Speed Passenger Rail: Project Estimates Could Be Improved to Better Inform Future Decisions

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) met some, but not all of the best practices in GAO's Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide (Cost Guide) for producing cost estimates that are accurate, comprehensive, well documented, and credible. By not following all best practices, there is increased risk of such things as cost overruns, missed deadlines, and unmet performance targets. The Authority… more
Date: March 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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National Science Foundation: Steps Taken to Improve Contracting Practices, but Opportunities Exist to Do More

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "For the contracts GAO reviewed, the National Science Foundation (NSF) generally used key contracting practices in each of the three phases of the acquisition process, but the agency needs additional guidance on early acquisition planning as well as arrangements for contract audits."
Date: March 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Export-Import Bank: Recent Growth Underscores Need for Continued Improvements in Risk Management

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "From fiscal year 2008 to fiscal year 2012, the U.S. Export-Import Bank's (Ex-Im) outstanding financial commitments (exposure) grew from about $59 billion to about $107 billion, largely in long-term loans and guarantees. Factors associated with this growth include reduced private-sector financing following the financial crisis and Ex-Im's authorization of direct loans--a product not offered by export cre… more
Date: March 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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National Airspace System: Airport-Centric Development

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO found that airport operators, government officials, real estate developers, and other regional stakeholders are taking actions consistent with five factors when pursuing airport-centric development (development on the airport property to enhance the airport's nonaeronautical revenue and development outside the airport that leverages a region's proximity to the airport)."
Date: March 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

WIC Program: Improved Oversight of Income Eligibility Determination Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The discretion granted by federal law, regulations, and guidance in certain areas of income eligibility determination for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has resulted in policy variation across states and localities. For example, while national survey data show that many states use an applicant's current income to determine income eligibility, GAO's revi… more
Date: February 28, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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