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Iran Nuclear Agreement

Description: This report provides background on the agreement negotiated by Iran and six other countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany--collectively known as the P5+1) regarding Iran's nuclear program, and discusses the implications for U.S.-Iran relations.
Date: February 10, 2017
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth & Kerr, Paul K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Private Health Insurance Market Reforms in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Description: This report provides background information about the private health insurance market, including market segments and regulation. It then describes each ACA market reform, grouped under the following categories: obtaining coverage, keeping coverage, cost of purchasing coverage, covered services, cost-sharing limits, consumer assistance and other health care protections, and plan requirements related to health care providers.
Date: February 10, 2016
Creator: Mach, Annie L. & Fernandez, Bernadette
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Volkswagen, Defeat Devices, and the Clean Air Act: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report provides answers to a series of frequently asked questions focusing on a description of modern diesel technologies, their market and emissions profiles, and some potential reasons that could underlie the use of defeat devices. It summarizes the specific allegations filed against VW under the Clean Air Act, the current status of federal and state investigations, and the potential civil and criminal penalties. Further, the report introduces several outstanding issues currently under d… more
Date: February 10, 2016
Creator: Canis, Bill; Lattanzio, Richard K.; Vann, Adam & Yacobucci, Brent D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congressional Member Organizations: Their Purpose and Activities, History, and Formation

Description: This report examines the historical development and contemporary role of congressional Member organizations (CMOs) in the House and informal Member groups in both the House and the Senate. It discusses the differences between CMOs and informal Member groups, and the reasons Members form these groups with a step-by-step guide for House Members and staff who might be interested in forming a CMO. The report also presents the rise and fall of legislative service organizations (LSOs), the House's de… more
Date: February 10, 2015
Creator: Glassman, Matthew E. & Dilger, Robert Jay
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Introduction to Financial Services: International Supervision

Description: This report discusses the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and subsequent global economic turmoil that underscored the interconnectedness of the global financial system as well as its weaknesses. In the wake of the crisis, leaders from the United States and other countries have pursued a wide range of reforms to the international financial regulatory system.
Date: February 10, 2015
Creator: Weiss, Martin A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Palestinians: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report provides an overview of current issues in U.S.-Palestinian relations. It also contains an overview of Palestinian society and politics and descriptions of key Palestinian individuals and groups--chiefly the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian Authority (PA), Fatah, Hamas, and the Palestinian refugee population.
Date: February 10, 2015
Creator: Zanotti, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Perspectives on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) "Torture Report" and Enhanced Interrogation Techniques: In Brief

Description: This report provides a summary of views expressed by public officials, academics, and commentators voiced in a variety of sources regarding perspectives on Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs) and torture, on EITs and values, and on EITs and effectiveness. It also provides background information about EITs and the release of the report "Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA's) Detention and Interrogation (D&I) Program (SSCI Study)" … more
Date: February 10, 2015
Creator: Daugherty Miles, Anne
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation Expensing Allowances: Current Law and Issues for the 114th Congress

Description: This report examines the current status, legislative history, and main economic effects (including their efficacy as an economic stimulus tool) of the Section 179 and bonus depreciation allowances. It concludes with a discussion of the key policy issues facing the 114th Congress as it considers what to do with the allowances that expired at the end of 2014.
Date: February 10, 2015
Creator: Guenther, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

U.S.-Mexico Economic Relations: Trends, Issues, and Implications

Description: This report provides an overview of U.S.-Mexico economic relations, trade trends, the Mexican economy, NAFTA, and trade issues between the United States and Mexico.
Date: February 10, 2015
Creator: Villarreal, M. Angeles
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: February 10, 2015
Creator: Meyer, Peter J.; Seelke, Claire Ribando; Taft-Morales, Maureen & Margesson, Rhoda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Research, Development, and Demonstration at the U.S. Department of Energy

Description: This report aims to provide a snapshot of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) program, including its current funding levels and the budget request for FY2014, together with some discussion of the program's achievements and prospects for success in meeting its stated goals.
Date: February 10, 2014
Creator: Folger, Peter
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Career and Technical Education (CTE): A Primer

Description: This report discusses Career and Technical Education (CTE), often referred to as vocational education, that provides occupational and non-occupational preparation at the secondary, post-secondary, and adult education levels.
Date: February 10, 2014
Creator: Dortch, Cassandria
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Drug Shortages: Public Health Threat Continues, Despite Efforts to Help Ensure Product Availability

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The number of drug shortages remains high. Although reports of new drug shortages declined in 2012, the total number of shortages active during a given year—including both new shortages reported and ongoing shortages that began in a prior year—has increased since 2007. Many shortages are of generic sterile injectable drugs. Provider association representatives reported that drug shortages may force prov… more
Date: February 10, 2014
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The FutureGen Carbon Capture and Sequestration Project: A Brief History and Issues for Congress

Description: This report briefly summarizes the history of FutureGen, discusses why it has gained interest and support from some members of Congress and the Administration while remaining in initial stages of development, and offers some policy considerations on barriers that challenge its further development as a model for a carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) program. A timeline history of FutureGen is included at the end of this report.
Date: February 10, 2014
Creator: Folger, Peter
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy: In Brief

Description: This report briefly analyzes the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy (HSRS), which is the key strategic document released by the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force established by executive order. It also discusses overarching issues for Congress that may arise in oversight of the Hurricane Sandy recovery process and how lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy can be applied to future disasters.
Date: February 10, 2014
Creator: Brown, Jared T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and presents potential issues for Congress concerning the Navy's ship force-structure goals and shipbuilding plans. The planned size of the Navy, the rate of Navy ship procurement, and the prospective affordability of the Navy's shipbuilding plans have been matters of concern for the congressional defense committees for the past several years. Decisions that Congress makes on Navy shipbuilding programs can substantially affect Navy capabilities and fu… more
Date: February 10, 2014
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defining Small Business: A Historical Analysis of Contemporary Issues

Description: This report provides a historical examination of the SBA's size standards, assesses competing views concerning how to define a small business, and discusses how the alternative size standards adopted under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 might affect program eligibility.
Date: February 10, 2012
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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DHS Human Capital: Senior Leadership Vacancy Rates Generally Declined, but Components' Rates Varied [Reissued on February 22, 2012]

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) senior leadership vacancy rates, while reaching a peak of 25 percent in 2006, have generally declined since that time—from 25 percent in fiscal year 2006 to 10 percent at the end of fiscal year 2011. From fiscal years 2006 through 2010—the most recent year for which governmentwide vacancy and attrition data were available—DHS vacancy rates in 2006, 2007, and 2… more
Date: February 10, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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An Examination of Federal Disaster Relief Under the Budget Control Act

Description: This report addresses traditional funding for major disaster declarations, workings of the President's Disaster Relief Fund, a basic overview of how disaster assistance is appropriated, what factors affect how much the federal government spends on disasters, how disaster relief is impacted by the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011, and what the policy implications are for disaster assistance under the constraints of the BCA, and the increasing number of disaster declarations and both the possible… more
Date: February 10, 2012
Creator: Lindsay, Bruce R.; Painter, William L. & McCarthy, Francis X.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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