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Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): Status and Issues

Description: This report discusses the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which provides payments to agricultural producers to take highly erodible and environmentally sensitive land out of production and install resource conserving practices for 10 or more years. CRP was first authorized in the Food Security Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-198, 1985 farm bill) and is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Farm Service Agency (FSA) with technical support from other USDA agencies.
Date: August 29, 2014
Creator: Stubbs, Megan
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Key Issues for the 113th Congress

Description: This report provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Obama Administration's priorities; examines changes in the region's economic and political environment that affect U.S. relations with the region; and analyzes U.S. policy toward the region and various recommendations made by policy analysts and think tanks.
Date: August 29, 2014
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Organization of American States: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report covers the background of the Organization of American States (OAS). It discusses the importance of U.S. participation in this organization in order to exert authority and shape outcomes in the Western Hemisphere.
Date: August 29, 2014
Creator: Meyer, Peter J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Special Immigrant Juveniles: In Brief

Description: This report provides a brief explanation of the statutory basis of special immigrant juvenile (SIJ) status and how it has evolved. It also presents statistics on the number of children who have applied for and received SIJ status since FY2005. The report concludes with a discussion of the applicability of SIJ status for unaccompanied alien children.
Date: August 29, 2014
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990

Description: This report, updated through the 113th Congress, discusses U.S. security assistance to Taiwan (calling itself Republic of China (ROC)), including policy issues for Congress and legislation.
Date: August 29, 2014
Creator: Kan, Shirley A.
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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Can Body Worn Cameras Serve as a Deterrent to Police Misconduct?

Description: This report discusses various issues regarding body worn cameras (BWCs), including the potential merits, concerns, and financial costs of use. The report also briefly states a possible method for allotting federal funds to help law enforcement agencies purchase BWCs.
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: James, Nathan
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Designating Systemically Important Financial Institutions (SIFIs)

Description: This report discusses congressional concerns regarding the Financial Stability Oversight Council's (FSOC) authorization to designate certain non-bank entities as Systemically Important Financial Institutions (SIFI).
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Islamic State in Syria and Iraq: A Possible Threat to Jordan?

Description: This report briefly examines the extent to which the Islamic State (IS, formerly referred to as ISIS or ISIL) may pose a threat to Jordan, an "important U.S. partner." The report discusses Jordanian actions to address threats, and U.S. policy implications.
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Legal Issues with Federal Labeling of Genetically Engineered Food: In Brief

Description: This report discusses the debate of labeling genetically engineered (GE) or genetically modified (GMO) food products and the inconsistency of jurisdiction surrounding the issue, considering the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) lack of formal regulations and policies on the labeling of GE food. Report was later updated on September 22, 2015.
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: Lanza, Emily M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Social Security: What Would Happen If the Trust Funds Ran Out?

Description: This report explains what the Social Security trust funds are and how they work. It describes the historical operations of the trust funds and the Social Security trustees' projections of future operations. It explains what could happen if Congress allowed the trust funds to run out. It also analyzes two scenarios that assume Congress waits until the moment of insolvency to act, showing the magnitude of benefit cuts or tax increases needed and how such changes would affect beneficiaries.
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: Meyerson, Noah P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Thailand: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report includes information regarding Thailand, its background, and relations with the United States. Sections include security and regional relations.
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Dolven, Ben & Scott, Christopher H.
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 TPP is a proposed regional free trade agreement (FTA) currently under negotiation among 11 Pacific Rim countries.
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: Platzer, Michaela D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unaccompanied Children from Central America: Foreign Policy Considerations

Description: This report examines policy considerations for Congress in response to the recent influx of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) from Central American countries being apprehended at the U.S. border. The report also discusses current policy framework and the Obama Administration's diplomatic response.
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: Meyer, Peter J.; Seelke, Claire Ribando; Taft-Morales, Maureen & Margesson, Rhoda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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"Dark Pools" In Equity Trading: Significance and Recent Developments

Description: This report discusses "Dark Pools", relatively recent and controversial electronic stock trading alternatives to traditional exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and now account for about 15% of overall trading volume. The report discusses the pros and cons of "dark trading", civil suits in reaction to Dark Pools and recent Securities and Exchange Commission actions.
Date: August 27, 2014
Creator: Shorter, Gary & Miller, Rena S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The New START Treaty: Central Limits and Key Provisions

Description: This report provides an overview of the New Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty (START), including a comparison to the original START Treaty, the belief of the Obama Administration and outside analysts that New START will enhance U.S. national security, and the criticisms of those who say that New START is a distraction from more important items on the nonproliferation agenda.
Date: August 27, 2014
Creator: Woolf, Amy F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR)

Description: This report briefly discusses the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) that provides short-, medium-, and long-term blueprints for how to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives and values through the operations of both the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Date: August 27, 2014
Creator: Epstein, Susan B. & Tiersky, Alex
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA): An Explanation

Description: This report provides a section-by-section summary of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), which provides civil protections and rights to individuals based on their service in the Reserve and National Guard military units.
Date: August 27, 2014
Creator: Mason, R. Chuck
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The 2014 Ebola Outbreak: International and U.S. Responses

Description: This report discusses the Ebola virus disease (Ebola or EVD), which is a severe, often fatal disease that was first detected near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1976.
Date: August 26, 2014
Creator: Salaam-Blyther, Tiaji
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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