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Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

Description: Coast Guard polar icebreakers perform a variety of missions supporting U.S. interests in polar regions. The Coast Guard's two heavy polar icebreakers - Polar Star and Polar Sea - have exceeded their intended 30-year service lives. Following a decision to design and build one or more new polar icebreakers, the first replacement polar icebreaker might enter service in eight to 10 years, by which time Polar Star and Polar Sea could be more than 40 years old. The issue for Congress is whether to ap… more
Date: September 29, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Nuclear-Powered Surface Ships: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

Description: This report discusses the possibility of increasing the number of Navy surface ships powered by nuclear energy, including the Navy's planned CG(X) cruiser. The report explores a 2006 Navy study that discusses budget considerations, the cost of a nuclear-powered ship compared to a ship powered by crude oil, and other suggestions relating to this proposed expansion. The overall report has a specific emphasis on the planned CG(X) cruiser, and how the implementation of this cruiser may be delayed b… more
Date: September 29, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Coast Guard Deepwater Acquisition Programs: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress

Description: The term Deepwater refers to a collection of more than a dozen Coast Guard acquisition programs for replacing and modernizing the service's aging fleet of deepwater-capable ships and aircraft. Currently, there are plans to increase and enhance the Coast Guard's fleet through the Deepwater acquisition program. This report details the Coast Guard's budget requests and explains how the Coast Guard has improved its organization and management over the past several years.
Date: September 29, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Marine Protected Areas: An Overview

Description: Marine protected areas (MPAs) are generally defined as areas reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment. This report identifies a number of issues related to establishing MPAs in the United States. It begins by defining the concept and administrative actions taken to provide spatial protection in marine areas. It then considers some of the key issues and potential benefits and costs of designating additional MPAs. It concludes by considering pote… more
Date: September 29, 2010
Creator: Upton, Harold E. & Buck, Eugene H.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Navy Nuclear Aircraft Carrier (CVN) Homeporting at Mayport: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: On January 14, 2009, the Navy announced that it wants to transfer one of its nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs) to the Navy home port at Mayport, FL, known formally as Naval Station (NAVSTA) Mayport. The Navy's proposed FY2010 budget requests $46.3 million in Military Construction (MilCon) funding for channel dredging at Mayport. The Navy states that a key reason it wants to transfer a CVN to Mayport is to hedge against the risk of a catastrophic event that could damage the Navy's CVN hom… more
Date: September 29, 2010
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Army Corps of Engineers Water Resource Projects: Authorization and Appropriations

Description: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attracts congressional attention because its projects can have significant local and regional economic benefits and environmental effects, in addition to their water resource development purposes. This report provides an overview of the Corps civil works program. It covers the congressional authorization and appropriation process, the standard project development process, and other Corps activities and authorities. It also includes an Appendix on the evolution o… more
Date: September 29, 2010
Creator: Carter, Nicole T. & Stern, Charles V.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cuba-U.S. Relations: Should the United States Reexamine Its Policy?

Description: This report first outlines the current U.S. policy approach toward Cuba and then discusses the option of moderating policy and what this strategy might entail. It then examines the arguments in favor of such a policy approach and the arguments opposed to changing U.S. Policy.
Date: September 29, 1994
Creator: Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Chemical Facility Security: Issues and Options for the 112th Congress

Description: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has statutory authority to regulate chemical facilities for security purposes. This report provides a brief overview of the existing statutory authority and the regulation implementing this authority. It describes several policy issues raised in previous debates regarding chemical facility security and identifies policy options for congressional consideration. Finally, the report discusses legislation in the Congress regarding whether funding should be… more
Date: September 29, 2011
Creator: Shea, Dana A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Legislation in the 110th Congress

Description: This report reviews the status of energy efficiency and renewable energy legislation introduced during the 110th Congress. Most action in the second session is focused on the FY2009 budget request and legislation that would extend or modify selected renewable energy and energy efficiency tax incentives.
Date: September 29, 2009
Creator: Sissine, Fred; Cunningham, Lynn J. & Gurevitz, Mark
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Tort Reform Legislation: Constitutionality and Summaries of Selected Statutes

Description: This report provides information about the Constitutionality and Summaries of Selected Statutes on Federal Tort Reform Legislation. This report also considers the functionality of federal reform legislation such as product liability.
Date: September 29, 2008
Creator: Cohen, Henry & Burrows, Vanessa K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The ADA Amendments Act: P.L. 110-325

Description: This report summarizes the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Moreover, the report specifically considers the purpose of the ADA, threshold issues, and other court decisions. The report highlights that many Supreme Court decisions and lower court decisions have interpreted the definition of disabled strictly.
Date: September 29, 2008
Creator: Jones, Nancy Lee
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Points of Order, Rulings, and Appeals in the Senate

Description: The Senate’s presiding officer typically does not have responsibility for pro-actively ensuring that matters under consideration comply with the rules. Instead, Senators may enforce the Senate’s legislative rules and precedents by making points of order whenever they believe that one of those rules or precedents is, or is about to be, violated. This report briefly discusses the process by which a point of order is raised and ruled upon.
Date: September 29, 2006
Creator: Heitshusen, Valerie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Debt-for-Nature Initiatives and the Tropical Forest Conservation Act: Status and Implementation

Description: This report provides a description of debt-for-nature transactions and a summary of the Tropical Forest Conservation Act. Debt-for- nature transactions are generally viewed as a success by conservation organizations and government.
Date: September 29, 2004
Creator: Sheikh, Pervaze A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Periods of War and Dates of Recent Conflicts

Description: This report lists the beginning and ending dates for "periods of war" found in Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations, dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It also lists and differentiates other beginning dates given in declarations of war, as well as termination of hostilities dates and armistice and ending dates given in proclamations, laws, or treaties.
Date: September 29, 2016
Creator: Salazar Torreon, Barbara
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy

Description: This report examines Kuwait's relationships with its neighbors in the Persian Gulf, and its own political system which has been in turmoil since 2006. Kuwait remains pivotal to U.S. efforts to secure the Persian Gulf region because of its willingness to cooperate with U.S. strategy and military operations in the region and its proximity to both Iran and Iraq.
Date: September 29, 2016
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Description: This report discusses the firefighting activities that are traditionally the responsibility of states and local communities. The report also talks about the funding for firefighters, which is provided mostly by state and local governments. However, during the 106th Congress, many in the fire community asserted that local fire departments require and deserve greater support from the federal government.
Date: September 29, 2014
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

Description: This report discusses the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Act, which authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination local fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
Date: September 29, 2014
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Limitations in Appropriations Measures: An Overview of Procedural Issues

Description: This report discusses internal congressional rules and procedures regarding money and policy decisions. It begins by explaining the contrasting procedural contexts that influence the consideration of limitation provisions in appropriations measures on the House and Senate floor. Next, it defines the two forms of limitations that have been allowed under House and Senate precedents, with examples of previous purposes that have been allowed. This report then proceeds to identify the variety of sub… more
Date: September 29, 2014
Creator: Tollestrup, Jessica
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments

Description: This report discusses the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which bans all nuclear explosion and was in 1996 adopted by the U.N. General Assembly but rejected by the U.S. Senate in 1997. This report discusses the Obama Administration's stated goal of pursuing U.S. ratification of the CTBT, although the Administration has mainly focused on securing Senate consent to ratification of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). This report also discusses other nuclear weapons-r… more
Date: September 29, 2014
Creator: Medalia, Jonathan
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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