Articles Posted in Library Reference and Research

During this past week (week ending July 21,2023) we have received listings of 35 Government and Administrative Law Summaries,  69 Constitutional Law summaries and 64 Criminal Law Summaries .  We plan is to continue posting opinion summaries, under corresponding areas of law, weekly whenever possible in order to keep blog readers updated.  To gain access to these case summaries, click on the corresponding links below:

Opinion Summaries Posted for Week Ending July 21, 2023:

Criminal Law Opinion Summaries

Report, July 14, 2023

CBO estimates that plans for U.S. nuclear forces, as described in the fiscal year 2023 budget and supporting documents, would cost $756 billion over the 2023–2032 period, $122 billion more than CBO’s 2021 estimate for the 2021–2030 period.

Summary:

As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on May 17, 2023

This bill would:

• Authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide danger pay allowances to employees who

In an earlier posting, CBO Projections: The 2023 Budget, we provided Congressional Budget Office (CBO) documents which discuss, from a budgetary perspective, their analysis and projections of what the federal budget and economy would look like over the next 20 years, if current laws generally remain unchanged. In this posting we focus primarily on material provided by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to provide more general dimension to this discussion. The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 formed the then named General Accounting Office to investigate all matters related to the  use of public funds. The Act also required GAO to report its findings to Congress and recommend ways to increase economy and efficiency in government spending. It is an independent, non-partisan agency that works for Congress.

Both the GAO and the CBO are partners in supporting Congress in its effort to ensure accountability to the American people.  While both can be involved in the development and analysis of federal and defense budgets, sometimes collaborating in these initiatives, the GAO is also responsible for monitoring expenditures, including excessive spending, and issuing legal decisions on matters such as those related to disputes involving the awarding of government contracts, and has the power to investigate activities of the executive branch, although its enforcement powers are considered negligible.

Regarding The State of the Economy of the United States: As Viewed by GAO and CBO, there are indications from the various federal agencies reporting on these matters that  over the long term the nation’s fiscal health may be in peril if current fiscal policies remain unchanged..

Report June 28, 2023:

Introduction:

The U.S. faces a challenging fiscal outlook in the coming years, according to CBO’s projections. Measured as a percentage of GDP, large and sustained deficits lead to high and rising federal debt that exceeds any previously recorded level.

As reported by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on June 13, 2023.

Summary:

S. 1074 would require the Departments of State and Defense to identify and report to the Congress on U.S. goods and services that China relies on and Chinese goods and services that the federal government procures and relies on. The bill also would require those departments to report on policies to reduce the federal government’s reliance on Chinese imports and respond to potential coercive action by the Chinese government. On the basis of information about the costs of similar reports, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2023-2028 period. Any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

During this past week (week ending June 16, 2023) we have received listings of 37 Government and Administrative Law Summaries,  84 Constitutional Law summaries,  89 Criminal Law Summaries and 3 U.S. Supreme Court Summaries.  We plan is to continue posting opinion summaries, under corresponding areas of law, weekly whenever possible in order to keep blog readers updated.  To gain access to these case summaries, click on the corresponding links below:

Opinion Summaries Posted for Week Ending June 16, 2023:

Criminal Law Opinion Summaries

INTRODUCTION:

Established in 1974, The Congressional Budget Office is a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government.  It is charged with providing  members of Congress  non partisan, objective  analysis of budgeting and economic issues to support the congressional budget process. Each year, CBO economists and budget analysts produce dozens of reports and hundreds of cost estimates for proposed legislation.

For the past several months I have been receiving  directly from CBO links to  which I now plan to begin posting  selectively on this blog in the interest of information sharing.  If there appears to be sufficient interest among readers of this blog over a period of time, I plan to continue posting selections I receive from CBO.

Received : June 13, 2023.

Summary:

H.R. 1165 would amend title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) to expand and equally apply protections for consumers and customers with respect to the use of data by financial institutions. The bill would redefine the terms consumer and customer and would require financial institutions to provide opportunities for consumers and customers to opt out of having their personal data disclosed to third parties. H.R. 1165 would require financial institutions to notify people about the information they collect and hold and, upon request, delete nonpublic personal information held by the institution. Finally, the bill would direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to the Congress on whether the GLBA’s data safeguards adequately protect people’s nonpublic personal information.

Being a retired law librarian of a certain age, I am now often asked to reflect upon my 50 years serving in various capacities as a law librarian. I have noticed that most questions asked can be grouped into discrete categories. For example, people want to know what lessons I have learned along the way as a law librarian, what I found most rewarding being a law librarian, what changes in law librarianship I have observed since I started approximately 50 years ago, and who have been my mentors or people who have greatly influenced me along the way. In this posting, I offer responses to these questions based on my current views.

What are some of the lessons you have learned as a professional in your field and in life?

I have come to appreciate the importance of understanding that change as it relates to all aspects of work and life is constant. And in order to be truly successful and to avoid stagnation, we must learn to become highly adaptable and flexible. Of utmost importance is the need to maintain enduring and useful connections with others.

Contact Information