Policy Library

7,020 documents

Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Ownership: Data and Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2020-12-09 · Reports · 22,697 words · PDF available
Retirement income in the U.S. can come from multiple sources—Social Security, savings in employer-sponsored plans (e.g., public and private defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans), and p...
Legislative Proposals Related to the Removal of Inspectors General in the 116th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2020-12-09 · Resources · 1,747 words · PDF available
The role of inspectors general (IGs) within the federal government is an issue of perennial interest to Congress. In particular, removal protections for IGs have drawn frequent attention. Proposals to...
A Brief Overview of Business Types and Their Tax Treatment
Congressional Research Service · 2020-12-09 · Reports · 4,225 words · PDF available
In the United States, how a business is taxed at the federal level is partly dependent on how it is organized. The income of subchapter C corporations, also known as “regular” corporations, is taxed o...
How FEMA Public Assistance Works
Congressional Research Service · 2020-12-08 · Infographics · 442 words · PDF available
/ How FEMA Public Assistance Works FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) reimburses eligible public and nonprofit entities for at least 75% of eligible response and recovery costs when authorized in a preside...
Federal Private Health Insurance Market Reforms: Legal Framework and Enforcement
Congressional Research Service · 2020-12-08 · Reports · 6,812 words · PDF available
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2018, over 65% of the U.S. population was covered by private-sector health insurance offered either through an employer or a union, or directly purchased by an ...
The COVID-19 Pandemic: Labor Market Implications for Women
Congressional Research Service · 2020-12-08 · Reports · 7,424 words · PDF available
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic dramatically disrupted the labor force in early 2020 as businesses closed or reduced operations and consumer demand shifted away from in-person commerc...
U.S. Farm Programs: Eligibility and Payment Limits
Congressional Research Service · 2020-12-07 · Reports · 18,697 words · PDF available
Under the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-334, 2018 farm bill), U.S. farm program participants—whether individuals or multiperson legal entities—must meet specific eligibility requireme...
Lifting the Earmark Moratorium: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2020-12-03 · Reports · 3,897 words · PDF available
In response to congressional concern over the earmarking process, in the 110th Congress (2007-2008), the House and Senate codified earmark disclosure requirements into their respective chamber rules w...
Agricultural Soils and Climate Change Mitigation
Congressional Research Service · 2020-12-03 · Resources · 1,622 words · PDF available
Policymakers, scientists, farmers, and other stakeholders have debated the potential of agricultural soils to sequester (store) carbon and help mitigate future climate change. This discussion includes...
Google and Competition: Concerns Beyond the DOJ’s Lawsuit
Congressional Research Service · 2020-12-02 · Resources · 1,773 words · PDF available
On October 20, 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and 11 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Google LLC under Section 2 of the Sherman Act (15 U.S.C. § 2). The lawsuit alleges that Goog...
A Time for Change: Assessing the Need to Modernize Veteran Eligibility for Care
Congressional Research Service · 2020-12-02 · Testimony · 9,894 words · PDF available
Type here to begin keywords
The Annual Energy Outlook (AEO): A Brief Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2020-12-01 · Resources · 1,600 words · PDF available
The Annual Energy Outlook (AEO) provides an annual projection of U.S. energy supply, demand, prices, certain energy-related air emissions, and other factors over a 25-30 year period. Congress has an o...
The MORE Act: House Plans Historic Vote on Federal Marijuana Legalization
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-25 · Posts · 2,310 words · PDF available
In December 2020, the House of Representatives plans to vote on H.R. 3884, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019 (MORE Act). The MORE Act is also pending before the Senate...
The Gray Wolf Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA): A Case Study in Listing and Delisting Challenges
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-25 · Reports · 23,684 words · PDF available
Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA or the Act; 16 U.S.C. §§ 1531-1544), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (together, the Services) de...
Legal Issues in COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Deployment
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-25 · Reports · 22,687 words · PDF available
Private companies, universities, and governmental entities are working to develop a vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Vaccines are biological products regulated under the Public Health ...
Potential Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Income Security of Older Americans
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-24 · Reports · 27,932 words · PDF available
Americans aged 55 and older account for approximately 30% of the overall population in 2020, representing older workers approaching retirement and current retirees and totaling about 100 million indiv...
Puerto Rico’s Financial Oversight and Management Board: The Supreme Court’s Analysis and What It Means for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-23 · Posts · 2,103 words · PDF available
The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Financial Oversight & Management Board for Puerto Rico v. Aurelius Investment, LLC (Aurelius), in which the Court rejected an Appointments Clause challenge to Pu...
Arms Sales in the Middle East: Trends and Analytical Perspectives for U.S. Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-23 · Reports · 30,708 words · PDF available
This report analyzes state-to-state arms sales in the Middle East with a particular focus on U.S. transfers, as authorized and reviewed by Congress. Arms sales historically have been one important mea...
Final Rule on Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-23 · Reports · 3,482 words · PDF available
In March 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a final rule establishing policies related to its Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs). The rule established criteria and procedur...
Pending Cases in U.S. Immigration Courts, FY2008-FY2020
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-19 · Resources · 1,080 words · PDF available
Immigration court proceedings are adjudicated by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), an agency within the Department of Justice (DOJ). They commence when the Department of Homeland Sec...
Overview of Recent Anti-Lynching Proposals
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-18 · Posts · 1,062 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar was initially published on June 29, 2020, but has been updated to reflect changes to the Justice in Policing Act. Following the death of George Floyd in police custody in May and th...
Reclamation of Coal Mining Operations: Select Issues and Legislation
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-17 · Reports · 8,916 words · PDF available
In the United States, coal mining operations supported economic growth and electrical power generation needs throughout the 20th century. Prior to the enactment of the Surface Mining Control and Recla...
Institute of Museum and Library Services Grants to States Funding Formula: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-17 · Reports · 2,212 words · PDF available
Click here and type your Summary
Instructing Senate Conferees
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-13 · Reports · 2,493 words · PDF available
The Senate and House often create a conference committee to propose the final version of a bill that the two houses have passed in different forms. Sometimes, the Senate votes to instruct its conferee...
The Status of Puerto Rico’s Recovery and Ongoing Challenges Following Hurricanes Irma and María: FEMA, SBA, and HUD Assistance
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-13 · Reports · 52,224 words · PDF available
Three years after Hurricanes Irma and María, Puerto Rico is still recovering from the devastation to communities, homes and property, businesses, and infrastructure that was caused by the hurricanes. ...
Artificial Intelligence and National Security
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-10 · Reports · 20,404 words · PDF available
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing field of technology with potentially significant implications for national security. As such, the United States and other nations are developing AI ap...
ESEA: Title I-A Poverty Measures and Grants to Local Education Agencies and Schools
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-09 · Reports · 25,401 words · PDF available
The primary source of federal aid to elementary and secondary education is the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)—particularly its Title I-A program, which authorizes federal aid for the ed...
Federal Real Property Data: Limitations and Implications for Oversight
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-05 · Reports · 5,447 words · PDF available
The federal executive branch owns and leases more than 127,000 buildings, with annual operating costs in excess of $15 billion. Oversight of this portfolio has been a priority for recent Congresses, p...
Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account (SOPOEA): History and Usage
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-05 · Reports · 5,735 words · PDF available
The Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account (SOPOEA) is available to assist Senators in their official duties. The allowance is provided on a fiscal-year basis (i.e., October 1-Septemb...
Federal Regulation of Alien Employment and Preemption over State Laws
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-04 · Posts · 2,288 words · PDF available
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) established rules governing the employment of non-U.S. nationals (aliens) in the United States. IRCA made it unlawful for employers to knowingly h...
Homelessness and COVID-19
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-04 · Reports · 7,778 words · PDF available
People experiencing homelessness are at increased risk of contracting and spreading Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Those who are unsheltered may lack ready access to sanitary facilities. For tho...
The Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-04 · Resources · 1,738 words
In response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Federal Reserve (Fed) created a series of emergency lending programs, including the Main Street Lending Program (MSLP). The MSLP supports lendin...
Military Appellate Court: Presidential Comments Can Amount to Unlawful Command Influence
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-02 · Posts · 2,510 words · PDF available
In a set of divided opinions on August 27, the U.S Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (CAAF) rejected Sergeant Robert “Bowe” Bergdahl’s appeal in his desertion case, which he argued was invalid due...
Tracking COVID-19: U.S. Public Health Surveillance and Data
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-02 · Reports · 23,777 words · PDF available
Public health surveillance, or ongoing data collection, is an essential part of public health practice. Particularly during a pandemic, timely data are important to understanding the epidemiology of a...
Social Security Special Minimum Benefit: Policy Options
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-02 · Reports · 16,978 words · PDF available
Social Security’s minimum benefit provision, also known as the special minimum primary insurance amount (PIA), is an alternative benefit formula that increases benefits paid to workers who had low ear...
Flexibility for Equitable Per-Pupil Spending Under Title I, Part E of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-02 · Reports · 19,384 words · PDF available
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; P.L. 114-95) amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to add the “Flexibility for Equitable Per-Pupil Spending” authority as Title I, Part E. Und...
Economic Development Revolving Loan Funds (ED-RLFs)
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-02 · Resources · 1,603 words · PDF available
Revolving loan funds (RLFs) are instruments frequently used to finance water, wastewater, infrastructure, disaster recovery, and community development activities. RLFs can also be used for economic de...
Jones v. Mississippi: Juvenile Life Without Parole Back at the Supreme Court
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-30 · Posts · 3,177 words · PDF available
On November 3, 2020, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral argument in Jones v. Mississippi, a case concerning whether the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishments requires a find...
“Zombie” Companies: Background and Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-29 · Resources · 1,445 words · PDF available
“Zombie” companies are mature companies that have not generated sufficient profits to cover their debt borrowing costs over a period of years. Such companies are characterized by prolonged underperfor...
Federal Wildfire Management: Ten-Year Funding Trends and Issues (FY2011-FY2020)
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-28 · Reports · 14,127 words · PDF available
Wildfire management is a series of coordinated activities to prepare for, resolve, and recover from wildfire events. The federal agencies responsible for wildfire management include the U.S. Departmen...
Immigration Relief for Victims of Trafficking
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-28 · Reports · 6,888 words
Human trafficking occurs throughout the United States, and traffickers exploit vulnerable individuals for commercial sex and forced labor in a variety of legal and illegal industries. Trafficking vict...
California v. Texas: The Fate of the Affordable Care Act
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-27 · Posts · 2,317 words · PDF available
On November 10, 2020, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral argument in California v. Texas (consolidated with the related case Texas v. California), a constitutional challenge to the Affordable...
Federal Law Enforcement Use of Facial Recognition Technology
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-27 · Reports · 12,039 words · PDF available
Law enforcement agencies’ use of facial recognition technology (FRT), while not a new practice, has received increased attention from policymakers and the public. Some of the concerns raised revolve a...
Semiconductors: U.S. Industry, Global Competition, and Federal Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-26 · Reports · 26,946 words · PDF available
Semiconductors, tiny electronic devices based primarily on silicon or germanium, enable nearly all industrial activities, including systems that undergird U.S. technological competitiveness and nation...
COVID-19: Consumer Loan Forbearance and Other Relief Options
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-23 · Reports · 13,694 words · PDF available
A growing number of reported Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases have been identified in the United States, significantly impacting many communities. The economic impact has been large due to il...
U.S.-Brazil Trade Relations
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-23 · Resources · 1,486 words · PDF available
Overview The United States and Brazil have enjoyed a strong economic relationship for many years. In 2019, Brazil ranked second among the United States’ Latin American trading partners in goods and 19...
Electricity Portfolio Standards: Background, Design Elements, and Policy Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-21 · Reports · 14,998 words · PDF available
Electricity portfolio standards, such as renewable portfolio standards and clean energy standards, are policies aimed at changing the energy sources used to generate electricity. Supporters identify m...
The Impact of the Federal Income Tax Code on Poverty
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-19 · Reports · 15,690 words · PDF available
The federal individual income tax is structured so that the poor owe little or no income tax. In addition, the federal individual income tax (hereinafter referred to simply as the income tax code or i...
The Tax Treatment and Economics of Net Operating Losses
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-19 · Reports · 6,326 words · PDF available
This report provides an overview of the tax treatment and economics of net operating losses (NOLs). How losses are treated for tax purposes can have important implications for capital investment becau...
COVID-19 and the Future of Commercial Real Estate Finance
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-19 · Reports · 9,681 words · PDF available
Commercial real estate (CRE) refers to a broad range of properties, including office buildings, hotels, retail storefronts, restaurants, hospitals, stadiums, schools, and apartments. The market for CR...