Policy Library

7,020 documents

Federal Telecommunications Modernization: Transitioning from Networx to Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-19 · Resources · 1,024 words · PDF available
Background Periodically, the General Services Administration (GSA) negotiates new contracts through which federal agencies can acquire their telecommunications services. Current contracts—known as Net...
EPA’s Affordable Clean Energy Rule: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-15 · Reports · 8,212 words · PDF available
In 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed its reconsideration of a Clean Air Act (CAA) rulemaking for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from existing fossil-fuel-fired power plant...
Policy Options for Multiemployer Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-14 · Reports · 15,768 words · PDF available
Multiemployer defined benefit (DB) pension plans are pensions sponsored by more than one employer and maintained as part of a collective bargaining agreement. In DB pensions, participants receive a mo...
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: A Comparison of State Eligibility Criteria
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-12 · Reports · 19,963 words · PDF available
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; P.L. 108-446) is the primary source of federal funding to states for the identification and education of children with disabilities. The majority...
Immigration Detainers: Background and Recent Legal Developments
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-09 · Posts · 3,192 words · PDF available
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has authority to detain non-U.S. nationals (aliens) who are subject to removal. Within DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is mainly responsible fo...
Medicaid Telehealth Policies in Response to COVID-19
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-09 · Resources · 1,621 words · PDF available
Medicaid, authorized in Title XIX of the Social Security Act (SSA), is a federal-state program that jointly finances primary and acute medical services, as well as long-term services and supports (LTS...
Robinhood, the Fintech Discount Broker: Recent Developments and Concerns
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-08 · Resources · 1,749 words · PDF available
Founded in 2013, Robinhood is an online and phone app-based discount broker-dealer for retail customers with an interest in trading stocks, stock options, exchange traded funds (ETFs), and cryptocurre...
Contingent Election of the President and Vice President by Congress: Perspectives and Contemporary Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-06 · Reports · 10,211 words · PDF available
The 12th Amendment to the Constitution requires that presidential and vice presidential candidates gain “a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed” in order to win election. With a total of...
Land and Water Conservation Fund: Processes and Criteria for Allocating Funds
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-06 · Reports · 11,677 words · PDF available
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act (54 U.S.C. §§200301 et seq.) was enacted to help ensure access to outdoor recreation to promote the health of U.S. citizens. The law created the LWCF to...
Selected Issues for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Reauthorization and Reform
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-02 · Resources · 1,800 words · PDF available
NFIP Reauthorization The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the main source of primary flood insurance coverage in the United States, with more than five million policies in over 22,000 commun...
State Veterans Homes
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-01 · Resources · 1,636 words · PDF available
State Veterans Homes (SVHs) are state-owned and state-operated facilities that provide nursing home care, domiciliary care, and adult day health care to eligible veterans, spouses, and Gold Star paren...
Federal Efforts to Address the Mental Health of First Responders: Resources and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-01 · Reports · 9,771 words · PDF available
Police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical service personnel are often the first to respond to a crisis or emergency. As such, these first responders may experience significant stress and/or...
Overview of the Steam Electric Power Generator Effluent Limitation Guidelines and Standards
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-01 · Resources · 1,551 words · PDF available
Overview The Clean Water Act (CWA) directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate the discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States. Such discharges are prohibited without a ...
Daylight Saving Time (DST)
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-30 · Reports · 7,501 words · PDF available
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is a period of the year between spring and fall when clocks in most parts of the United States are set one hour ahead of standard time. DST begins on the second Sunday in Ma...
Judge Amy Coney Barrett: Selected Primary Material
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-28 · Posts · 2,955 words · PDF available
On September 26, 2020, President Donald J. Trump announced the nomination of Judge Amy V. Coney Barrett of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (“Seventh Circuit”) to fill the va...
Safety Impact of Speed and Red Light Cameras
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-28 · Reports · 10,218 words · PDF available
Traffic safety, defined as the rate of traffic-related deaths and injuries per mile driven, has greatly improved in the United States over the past several decades. Yet, motor vehicle crashes remain o...
Competition Among Video Streaming Services
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-25 · Reports · 8,122 words · PDF available
Video streaming services allow users to watch movies and television shows over the internet. Some offer video-on-demand, which can be watched at any time, as well as live TV programs being broadcast a...
COVID-19 Liability: Tort, Workplace Safety, and Securities Law
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-24 · Reports · 28,433 words · PDF available
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is still unfolding, a number of plaintiffs have already filed lawsuits seeking compensation for COVID-19-related injuries. Some stakeholders have expressed concern that ...
Digital Contact Tracing and Data Protection Law
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-24 · Reports · 21,344 words · PDF available
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected millions of Americans since the ongoing pandemic began, and the disease has caused many thousands of deaths across the country. Government officials at...
Asylum and Related Protections for Aliens Who Fear Gang and Domestic Violence
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-23 · Posts · 3,300 words · PDF available
Update: After this Sidebar’s initial publication, the federal district court for the District of Columbia ruled that several U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policies discussed in thi...
Local and Urban Food Systems: Selected Farm Bill and Other Federal Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-23 · Reports · 27,229 words · PDF available
Over the past decade, food policy in the United States has responded to ongoing shifts in consumer preferences and producer trends that favor local and regional food systems as well as agricultural pr...
“Organic” Certification: An Overview of the Legal Framework
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-21 · Resources · 1,742 words · PDF available
In 1990, Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), 7 U.S.C. §§ 6501–6522, “to establish national standards governing the marketing of certain agricultural products as organically produc...
U.S. Regulation of Chinese Stocks: Legal Background and Regulatory Options
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-21 · Posts · 2,935 words · PDF available
Tensions between the United States and China have again moved to center stage. In recent weeks, the Trump Administration has ordered China to close its Houston consulate over allegations of economic e...
Direct Listings, an Alternative to Stock-based Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-21 · Resources · 1,673 words · PDF available
Introduction An initial public offering, or IPO, refers to the initial time that a private company offers its shares of stock to the general public to raise capital. After an IPO, the company’s shares...
The Civil Rights Act of 1964: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-21 · Reports · 76,875 words · PDF available
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, comprised of eleven titles and numerous sections, has been called the “most comprehensive undertaking” to prevent and address discrimination in a wide range of contexts. ...
COVID-19 and the U.S. Seafood Sector
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-21 · Reports · 7,871 words · PDF available
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has reduced demand for many seafood products and disrupted seafood supply chains. Food service purchasers, such as restaurants, cafeterias, and schools...
Confirmation of U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations During Presidential Election Years: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-18 · Reports · 10,365 words · PDF available
This report provides data and analysis related to frequently asked questions about the confirmation of U.S. circuit and district court nominations during presidential election years. Senators with dif...
2020 Country Brief: North Korea
Third Way · 2020-09-17 · Primer · 3,050 words
Third Way is a center-left think tank that champions modern solutions to the most challenging problems in US public policy, including the economy, climate and energy, national security, social policy,...
Methane and Other Air Pollution Issues in Natural Gas Systems
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-17 · Reports · 15,862 words · PDF available
Natural Gas Systems and Air Pollution Congressional interest in U.S. energy policy has often focused on ways through which the United States could secure more economical, reliable, and cleaner fossil ...
Judicial Review of Actions Legally Committed to an Agency’s Discretion
Individuals and entities affected by a federal agency’s action sometimes may be able to challenge that action in federal court. In some cases, an agency’s governing statute specifically authorizes aff...
Intellectual Property Violations and China: Legal Remedies
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-17 · Reports · 32,981 words · PDF available
Concerns that the government of the People’s Republic of China (China) fails to protect and enforce intellectual property (IP) rights, and thus harms U.S. IP rights holders, have been one of the key i...
Patent Law: A Handbook for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-16 · Reports · 16,203 words · PDF available
A patent gives its owner the exclusive right to make, use, import, sell, or offer for sale the invention covered by the patent. The patent system has long been viewed as important to encouraging Ameri...
Police Reform and the 116th Congress: Selected Legal Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-16 · Reports · 21,389 words · PDF available
Nationwide protests during the spring and summer of 2020 related to police use of force have prompted calls for increased congressional regulation of federal, state, and local law enforcement. There a...
Medical Supply Chains and Policy Options: The Data Challenge
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-16 · Resources · 1,813 words · PDF available
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed some areas in which the United States relies heavily on global supply chains. U.S. shortages of critical supplies of medical products have...
Do Veterans Have Choices in How They Access Health Care?
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-15 · Resources · 1,448 words · PDF available
Introduction On June 6, 2018, the President signed into law the VA MISSION Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-182, as amended). Among other things, the act established a new Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP)....
Selected Privileges and Courtesies Extended to Former Members of Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-15 · Reports · 1,023 words
After Members of the House or Senate leave office, they are afforded certain courtesies and privileges. Some are derived from law and chamber rules, but others are courtesies that have been extended a...
Expanding the Selective Service: Legal Issues Surrounding Women and the Draft
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-14 · Posts · 1,992 words · PDF available
Should American women be required to register for the draft alongside their male counterparts? On March 25, 2020, the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service (the Commission) rel...
Internships, Fellowships, and Other Work Experience Opportunities in the Federal Government
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-14 · Reports · 5,498 words
Although there are many opportunities in the federal government for internships, fellowships, and other work experience, there is no comprehensive source to assist in locating these opportunities. Thi...
Distribution of Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Expenditures
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-10 · Resources · 1,809 words
As Congress deliberates on authorization legislation for Army Corps of Engineers water resource projects (House-passed H.R. 7575, Senate-reported S. 3591), it is considering how to direct the use of f...
Trade Remedies: Antidumping
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-10 · Reports · 11,461 words · PDF available
The U.S. Constitution grants to Congress the power to regulate trade with foreign nations and levy tariffs. Since 1922, U.S. law and foreign policy have favored applying tariffs and duties equally to ...
Identifying TV Political and Issue Ad Sponsors in the Digital Age
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-09 · Reports · 14,520 words · PDF available
Since the 1930s, both Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have imposed specific requirements on the transmission of political and issue advertising by broadcasters. These rules, w...
Industrial Loan Companies (ILCs): Background and Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-09 · Reports · 10,151 words
Industrial loan companies (ILCs)—financial institutions chartered by a small number of states—operate in almost every way like a commercial bank, including taking deposits insured by the Federal Depos...
The U.S. Energy Information Administration
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-09 · Reports · 15,460 words
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is the lead federal agency for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data on U.S. and world energy supply and consumption. EIA was established in 19...
For Whom the FERC Tolls: Federal Court Rejects Agency “Tolling Orders”
In Allegheny Defense Project v. FERC, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) addressed the legitimacy of “tolling orders,” a long-standing procedural tool utiliz...
Political Campaign Contributions and Congress: A Legal Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-08 · Reports · 17,513 words
To help curb corruption in the political process and safeguard First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and association, Congress has enacted laws that regulate political campaign contributions. Th...
Supreme Court October Term 2019: A Review of Selected Major Rulings
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-04 · Reports · 26,448 words · PDF available
The Supreme Court term that began on October 7, 2019 was one of the most eventful in recent history. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic colored much of the Court’s work, leading the Cour...
Protecting Against Rogue Drones
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-03 · Resources · 1,677 words · PDF available
Rules for Unmanned Aircraft As of September 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had registered about 1.7 million unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), often referred to as drones. More than 70...
PRWORA’s Restrictions on Noncitizen Eligibility for Federal Public Benefits: Legal Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-03 · Reports · 21,242 words · PDF available
Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) restricts the eligibility of non-U.S. nationals (aliens) for many federal benefit programs. It applies ...
Trade-Related Agencies: FY2021 Appropriations, Commerce, Science, Justice and Related Agencies (CJS)
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-03 · Reports · 5,549 words · PDF available
This report provides an overview of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 budget request and appropriations for the International Trade Administration (ITA), the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), and t...
Federal Conservation Corps Programs: Options for Congress in Response to COVID19
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-03 · Reports · 9,916 words · PDF available
Due to the effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, unemployment across the United States has risen to levels unseen since the Great Depression. In response, some stakeholders, inc...