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Abortion: Termination of Early Pregnancy with RU-486 (Mifepristone)

Description: On September 28, 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug mifepristone, also known as RU-486, for the termination of early pregnancy. Because RU-486 is an abortion agent, the process of moving it out of the lab and into mainstream medicine has been fraught with controversy. Since its discovery, the pro-life movement has been adamantly against the use of this drug for abortion. This report discusses the procedure of obtaining and using the drug, as well as the ongoing debat… more
Date: February 23, 2001
Creator: Johnson, Judith A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Medicare Beneficiary Access to Care: The Effects of New Prospective Payment Systems on Outpatient Hospital Care, Home Health Care, and Skilled Nursing Facility Care

Description: This report discusses the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA 97), which required that prospective payment systems replace retrospective cost-based reimbursement systems for Medicare beneficiaries receiving care in hospital outpatient departments, from home health care agencies, and in skilled nursing facilities.
Date: February 2, 2000
Creator: Merck, Carolyn L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Economics of Agricultural Policy

Description: An English Act of 1663 imposed a duty on grain imported from abroad whenever the domestic price was below a legislatively set price floor. The English farmer enjoyed a virtual monopoly in the domestic market. By the same token, he was allowed to export grain whenever the domestic price exceeded the price floor, and, after 1673, was granted a bounty (subsidy) on grain exports.
Date: February 20, 1992
Creator: Carr, A. Barry
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Conservation Reserve Program: Status and Policy Issues

Description: The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), enacted in 1985, enables producers to bid to retire highly erodible or environmentally sensitive cropland, usually for 10 years. Participants receive annual rental and cost-sharing payments, and technical assistance to install approved plantings. Up to 36.4 million acres have been enrolled; current enrollment is estimated to be 32.9 million acres.
Date: February 24, 1997
Creator: Zinn, Jeffrey A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Farm Commodity Legislation: Chronology, 1933-98

Description: Farm commodity programs were a product of the Great Depression. This report discusses the history of farm commodity legislation. Since 1933, Congress has required the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to administer a variety of programs providing price support and income protection for the nations farmers.
Date: February 9, 1999
Creator: Becker, Geoffrey S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Sugar Policy Issues [Updated February 5, 2003]

Description: This report discusses U.S. sugar policy, including its main features. The report also examines developments that have impacted the domestic sugar market and program, including issues relating to the international sugar trade with Mexico.
Date: February 5, 2003
Creator: Jurenas, Remy
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Dairy Policy Issues

Description: Several major dairy policy issues are addressed in the context of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P.L. 107- 171, the 2002 farm bill), which was signed into law on May 13, 2002. Included in the enacted 2002 farm bill are a reauthorization of the dairy price support program for an additional 5 ½ years, and new authorization for direct payments to dairy farmers through September 2005, triggered whenever the market price of farm milk falls below a target price level.
Date: February 5, 2003
Creator: Chite, Ralph M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Agriculture: A List of Websites

Description: This list provides a sampling of the rapidly proliferating number of agricultural resources available on the Internet. It is not intended to be exhaustive. It is divided into 24 main categories and 15 subcategories.
Date: February 8, 2001
Creator: Canada, Carol
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Farm Labor Shortages and Immigration Policy

Description: This report first explains the connection made over the past several years between farm labor and immigration policies. It next examines the composition of the seasonal agricultural labor force and presents the arguments of grower and farmworker advocates concerning its adequacy relative to employer demand. The report closes with an analysis of the trends in employment, unemployment, time worked and wages of authorized and unauthorized farmworkers to determine whether they are consistent with t… more
Date: February 9, 2004
Creator: Levine, Linda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Immigration of Agricultural Guest Workers: Policy, Trends, and Legislative Issues

Description: This report discusses the revision of U.S. immigration policy on agricultural guest workers that are coming from various perspectives, and several major bills have already been introduced in the 107th Congress
Date: February 15, 2001
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen & Collver, Geoffrey K
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Grazing Regulations: Public Lands Council v. Babbitt

Description: This report discusses new regulations on livestock grazing on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management became effective August 21, 1995. Many aspects of the new regulations were challenged in Public Lands Council v. Babbitt. A federal district court upheld many of the regulations, but struck down four of them and enjoined their implementation. At the appellate level, only the new regulation allowing conservation use to the exclusion of livestock grazing for the full term of a permit was h… more
Date: February 1, 2000
Creator: Baldwin, Pamela
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Global Climate Change: Congressional Concern About "Back Door" Implementation of the 1997 U.N. Kyoto Protocol

Description: This report discusses legislation and issues relating to global climate change, some legislation and some FY1999 appropriations bills were used as vehicles for explicit congressional direction to the executive branch about possible "back door" implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.
Date: February 3, 1999
Creator: Morrissey, Wayne A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Global Climate Change

Description: This report discusses the effect of human activities on global climate change. Human activities, particularly burning of fossil fuels, have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and other trace gases, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane, and nitrous oxide.
Date: February 25, 2003
Creator: Justus, John R. & Fletcher, Susan R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Global Climate Change: The Role for Energy Efficiency

Description: This report reviews the role of energy efficiency in federal policies to curb CO2 emissions. In particular, it discusses targets for CO2 reductions, projected energy efficiency impacts, strategies for measuring impacts, and legislative proposals that would affect support for energy efficiency programs.
Date: February 3, 2000
Creator: Sissine, Fred
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Endangered Species: Difficult Choices

Description: This report discusses issues debated in the 107th Congress while is considering various proposals to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Major issues in recent years have included changing the role of science in decision-making, changing the role of critical habitat, reducing conflicts with Department of Defense activities, incorporating further protection for property owners, and increasing protection of listed species, among others. In addition, many have advocated including signi… more
Date: February 4, 2003
Creator: Buck, Eugene H.; Corn, M. Lynne & Baldwin, Pamela
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Federal Fiscal Year

Description: This report discusses the federal fiscal year which is the accounting period of the federal government.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Basic Federal Budgeting Terminology

Description: In its most elemental form, the federal budget is a comprehensive accounting of the government’s spending, revenues, and borrowing. This fact sheet provides a brief overview of the basic terminology and concepts used in the federal budget process.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Consideration of the Budget Resolution

Description: Consideration of a concurrent budget resolution is governed by special procedures in the House and Senate. Although the procedures of each chamber differ, they serve generally to expedite consideration of the budget resolution.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Debt-Limit Legislation in the Congressional Budget Process

Description: The gross federal debt consists of the debt held by the public plus the debt held by government accounts. Almost all of the gross federal debt is subject to a public debt limit, as set forth in statute (31 U.S.C. 3101).This report considers legislation needed to change the public debt limit.
Date: February 25, 1999
Creator: Heniff, Bill, Jr.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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