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Runaway and Homeless Youth Grants: Improvements Needed in the Grant Award Process

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awards grants to provide shelter and services to runaway and homeless youth through the Basic Center, Transitional Living and Street Outreach Programs. In response to a mandate for a review of the grant award process for these programs in the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008 (Pub. L. No. 110-378), GAO examined (1) grant announcements and applicati… more
Date: May 10, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Role of Home State Senators in the Selection of Lower Federal Court Judges

Description: This report examines the role played by Senators in the selection of nominees to two kinds of lower federal court judgeships. Specifically, the judgeships in question, over which Senators have historically played a role in nominee selection, are those (1) in the U.S. district courts lying geographically within the Senators' states and (2) in the U.S. court of appeals circuits of which the Senators' states are a geographic part. This report also discusses several historical and ethical aspects r… more
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Rutkus, Denis Steven
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Committee Types and Roles

Description: This report briefly describes the structure of the congressional committee system and the types of congressional committees, as well as congressional subcommittees.
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Points of Order, Rulings, and Appeals in the House of Representatives

Description: This report briefly describes points of order in the House of Representatives. A point of order is a formal appeal made when a Member of House believes that the House's legislative procedures or are about to be violated in some way.
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Guide to Individuals Seated on the House Dais

Description: This report describes the House of Representatives officers who sit on the three tiers of the House chamber's central dais.
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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General Motors' Initial Public Offering: Review of Issues and Implications for TARP

Description: This report analyzes the progress General Motors Company has made since it was created from the sale of the bankrupt Old GM in July 2009 and the major issues related to its anticipated 2010 initial public offering (IPO).
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Canis, Bill; Webel, Baird & Shorter, Gary
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Bush Tax Cuts and the Economy

Description: The George W. Bush Administration enacted a series of tax cuts through the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. This report examines these tax cuts within the context of the current and long-term economic environment.
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Hungerford, Thomas L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Surface Transportation Funding and Finance

Description: This report discusses changes in funding to the national surface transportation infrastructure, especially in light of the recession that began in 2007, which led to decreases in driving and fuel use. This report focuses on possible revenue sources for surface transportation infrastructure. It begins with a brief discussion of the problems associated with the trust fund financing system and then explores possible immediate and longer-term solutions to the financing problem.
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Fischer, John W.; Kirk, Robert S. & Mallett, William J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Contractor Integrity: Stronger Safeguards Needed for Contractor Access to Sensitive Information

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In performing agency tasks, contractor employees often require access to sensitive information that must be protected from unauthorized disclosure or misuse. This report assesses the (1) extent to which agency guidance and contracts contain safeguards for contractor access to sensitive information, and (2) adequacy of governmentwide guidance on how agencies are to safeguard sensitive information to whic… more
Date: September 10, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Space Acquisitions: Challenges in Commercializing Technologies Developed under the Small Business Innovation Research Program

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To be competitive in the global economy, the United States relies heavily on innovation through research and development (R&D). The Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 established the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program to stimulate technological innovation among small businesses. SBIR offers one avenue for introducing technological innovation in the Department of Defense (DO… more
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Financial Audit: IRS's Fiscal Years 2010 and 2009 Financial Statements

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Because of the significance of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) collections to overall federal receipts and, in turn, to the consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government, which GAO is required to audit, and Congress's interest in financial management at IRS, GAO audits IRS's financial statements annually to determine whether (1) the financial statements are fairly stated, and (2) IRS managemen… more
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Supply Chain Security: CBP Has Made Progress in Assisting the Trade Industry in Implementing the New Importer Security Filing Requirements, but Some Challenges Remain

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Cargo containers present significant security concerns given the potential for using them to smuggle contraband, including weapons of mass destruction. In January 2009, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), implemented the Importer Security Filing (ISF) and Additional Carrier Requirements, collectively known as the 10+2 rule. Collection of cargo info… more
Date: September 10, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Biological Laboratories: Design and Implementation Considerations for Safety Reporting Systems

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "As the number of biological labs increases, so too do the safety risks for lab workers. Data on these risks--collected through a safety reporting system (SRS) from reports of hazards, incidents, and accidents--can support safety efforts. However, no such system exists for all biological labs, and a limited system--managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Animal and Plant H… more
Date: September 10, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Recovery Act: IRS Quickly Implemented Tax Provisions, but Reporting and Enforcement Improvements Are Needed

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), was enacted to bolster the struggling U.S. economy at an estimated cost of $787 billion, of which more than a third was in the form of tax relief to the public. This report (1) describes the status of the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) implementation of Recovery Act tax provisions; (2) examines whether IRS captured or planned to captur… more
Date: February 10, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Homeland Security: US-VISIT Pilot Evaluations Offer Limited Understanding of Air Exit Options

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program is to control and monitor the entry and exit of foreign visitors by storing and processing biometric and biographic information. The entry capability has operated since 2006; an exit capability is not yet implemented. In September 2008, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and… more
Date: August 10, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Recovery Act: Project Selection and Starts Are Influenced by Certain Federal Requirements and Other Factors

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) aims to stimulate the economy. It provided $787 billion in spending and tax provisions; more than a third of the money was slated for projects and activities, including construction and certain research projects. To implement a project using federal funds, agencies and funding recipients must comply with federal laws and regulations. GAO … more
Date: February 10, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), also called the Lighting II, is a new strike fighter being procured in different versions by the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. The F-35 program is the Department of Defense's (DOD's) largest weapon procurement program in terms of total estimated acquisition cost. This report details the Obama Administration's proposed FY2010 defense budget requests for F-35 program funding and outlines the issues that Congress must consider when deciding whether to appr… more
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Gertler, Jeremiah
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Reorganization of the Minerals Management Service in the Aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Description: This report provides background and context on the origins of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) in the Department of the Interior (DOI). The April 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill refocused attention on MMS, which had previously endured management challenges. The report also discusses Secretary Kenneth L. Salazar's handling of conflicts within MMS, potential congressional options regarding MMS reorganization, historical examples of similar reorganization efforts, and informati… more
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Hogue, Henry B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Surface Transportation Funding and Finance

Description: This report discusses changes in funding to the national surface transportation infrastructure, especially in light of the recession that began in 2007, which led to decreases in driving and fuel use. This report focuses on possible revenue sources for surface transportation infrastructure. It begins with a brief discussion of the problems associated with the trust fund financing system and then explores possible immediate and longer-term solutions to the financing problem.
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Fischer, John W.; Kirk, Robert S. & Mallett, William J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Structure and Functions of the Federal Reserve System

Description: This report examines the structure and operations of the major components of the Federal Reserve System and provides an overview of congressional oversight activities. The report identifies the provisions of P.L. 111-203 (the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act) that affect the structure and operations of the system.
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Smale, Pauline
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Business Systems Modernization: Internal Revenue Service's Fiscal Year 2010 Expenditure Plan

Description: A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Business Systems Modernization (BSM) program is a multi-billion dollar, high risk, highly complex effort that involves the development and delivery of a number of modernized systems that are intended to replace the agency's aging business and tax processing systems. As required, IRS submitted its fiscal year 2010 expenditure plan in November 2009 to the House and Sen… more
Date: May 10, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Trends in Discretionary Spending

Description: Discretionary spending is provided in, and controlled by, annual appropriations acts, which fund many of the routine activities commonly associated with such federal government functions as running executive branch agencies, congressional offices and agencies, and international operations of the government. Essentially all spending on federal wages and salaries is discretionary. This report discusses historical, current, and projected discretionary spending trends. It also describes how current… more
Date: September 10, 2010
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew & Levit, Mindy R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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F-35 Alternate Engine Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the past four years of administration proposals to terminate the program to develop the General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 engine as an alternative to the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine that currently powers the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). These proposals have been continually rejected by Congress. The Obama Administration's FY2011 budget submission against proposes to terminate the program. This report explores both sides of the termination argument.
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Gertler, Jeremiah
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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North Korea: U.S. Relations, Nuclear Diplomacy, and Internal Situation

Description: Although the primary focus of U.S. policy toward North Korea is the nuclear weapons program, there are a host of other issues, which this report explores through an overview of the U.S.-North Korea relationship, including an emphasis on the diplomacy of the Six-Party Talks. Please refer to the list at the end of this report for the full list of CRS reports focusing on other North Korean issues.
Date: November 10, 2010
Creator: Chanlett-Avery, Emma & Taylor, Mi Ae
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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