Policy Library

6,587 documents

Department of Energy Appliance and Equipment Standards Program
Congressional Research Service · 2019-11-08 · Resources · 1,487 words · PDF available
Congress continues to consider the extent and effectiveness of energy efficiency standards. One focus is energy efficiency standards for appliances and equipment. Overview The Department of Energy’s (...
Legalization Framework Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)
Congressional Research Service · 2019-11-05 · Reports · 23,466 words · PDF available
The population of unlawfully present aliens in the United States numbers between 10 million and 12 million, according to recent estimates. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) takes three primary...
Federal Land Management Agencies’ Mandatory Appropriations Accounts
Congressional Research Service · 2019-11-05 · Reports · 19,505 words · PDF available
Management of lands and resources is a principal mission for four federal agencies—the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Forest Service (FS), and National Park Service ...
Unemployment Compensation (UC): Issues Related to Drug Testing
Congressional Research Service · 2019-11-04 · Reports · 18,415 words · PDF available
Recent interest in Unemployment Compensation (UC) drug testing has grown at both the federal and state levels. The policy interest in mandatory drug testing of individuals who are applying for or rece...
Social Security: Demographic Trends and the Funding Shortfall
Congressional Research Service · 2019-11-04 · Reports · 12,513 words · PDF available
The Social Security program pays monthly benefits to retired or disabled workers and their families and to the family members of deceased workers. Social Security, or Old-Age, Survivors, and Disabilit...
Using the Power of the Purse to Change Policy: SCOTUS Case on ACA Risk Corridors Asks Important Appropriations Law Question
Congressional Research Service · 2019-11-01 · Posts · 1,884 words · PDF available
In the world of recent litigation involving the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), most attention has focused on the ongoing litigation in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circui...
Impact of Commercial Space Launch Activities on Aviation
Congressional Research Service · 2019-11-01 · Resources · 1,395 words · PDF available
Introduction Congress has encouraged the growth of commercial space activities by requiring federal agencies to use private launch services and establishing offices to oversee commercial activity. In ...
Quantum Information Science: Applications, Global Research and Development, and Policy Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2019-11-01 · Reports · 5,960 words · PDF available
Quantum information science (QIS) combines elements of mathematics, computer science, engineering, and physical sciences, and has the potential to provide capabilities far beyond what is possible with...
Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs)
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-31 · Infographics · 498 words · PDF available
/ Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) Throughout the U.S., there are geographic areas, populations, and facilities with too few primary care, dental, and mental health providers. As part of eff...
This Land Is Your Land? Eminent Domain Under the Natural Gas Act and State Sovereign Immunity
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-30 · Posts · 1,462 words · PDF available
In passing the Natural Gas Act of 1938, Congress acknowledged that interstate natural gas pipelines and other natural gas transmission facilities serve the public interest. To facilitate the land acqu...
U.S. Natural Gas: Becoming Dominant
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-30 · Reports · 3,605 words · PDF available
In the beginning of the 21st century, natural gas prices were increasing and the United States was viewed as a growing natural gas importer. Multiple liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals were ...
“Things of Value” and the Foreign Contribution Ban
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-28 · Posts · 2,271 words · PDF available
The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), as amended, prohibits foreign nationals from contributing money “or other thing[s] of value” in connection with a federal, state, or local election. A “thing,...
Video Broadcasting from the Federal Courts: Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-28 · Reports · 19,678 words · PDF available
Members of Congress, along with the legal community, journalists, and the public, have long considered the potential merits and drawbacks of using video cameras to record and/or broadcast courtroom pr...
Congressional Access to Information in an Impeachment Investigation
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-25 · Reports · 26,322 words · PDF available
Committee investigations in the House of Representatives can serve several objectives. Most often, an investigation seeks to gather information either to review past legislation or develop future legi...
Financial Inclusion and Credit Access Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-24 · Reports · 12,331 words · PDF available
Access to basic financial products and services is generally considered foundational for households to manage their financial affairs, improve their financial well-being, and graduate to wealth buildi...
Unemployment Insurance: Consequences of Changes in State Unemployment Compensation Laws
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-23 · Reports · 10,165 words · PDF available
This report analyzes recent changes to state Unemployment Compensation (UC) programs. Two categories of UC state law issues are considered: (1) changes in the duration of state UC unemployment benefit...
Waters of the United States (WOTUS): Repealing and Revising the 2015 Clean Water Rule
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-23 · Resources · 1,619 words · PDF available
Background: What Is WOTUS? Congress passed the Clean Water Act (CWA) to restore and protect the quality of the nation’s surface waters (33 U.S.C. §1251 et seq.). The statute protects “navigable waters...
The Outdoor Recreation Economy
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-22 · Reports · 8,760 words · PDF available
Congress plays an overarching role in shaping outdoor recreation throughout the nation through legislation and oversight. As Congress continues to debate outdoor recreation issues—including provision ...
Could the Global Legal Entity Identifier Be Useful for Financial Transparency Legislation in the 116th Congress?
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-22 · Resources · 1,789 words · PDF available
Overview The 116th Congress is examining legislation related to financial transparency. This has come in the form of bills—H.R. 2513, S. 2563, S. 1978, or S. 1889—that would mandate greater disclosure...
The District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) Program
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-21 · Reports · 7,517 words · PDF available
To address concerns about the public postsecondary education offerings available to District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999 (P.L. 106-98) established the Di...
Deficit Financing, the Debt, and “Modern Monetary Theory”
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-21 · Reports · 10,124 words · PDF available
Explaining persistently low interest rates despite large deficits and rising debt has been one of the central challenges of macroeconomists since the end of the Great Recession. This dynamic has led t...
Unemployment Insurance: Programs and Benefits
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-18 · Reports · 6,907 words · PDF available
Certain benefits may be available to unemployed workers to provide them with income support during a spell of unemployment. The cornerstone of this income support is the joint federal-state Unemployme...
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit: Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-17 · Resources · 1,708 words · PDF available
The low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program is the federal government’s primary policy tool for the development of affordable rental housing. The program awards developers federal tax credits to...
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-17 · Testimony · 981 words · PDF available
Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Policy Framework, SPR Mandated, Modernization Sales, Policy Considerations, H.R. 2740, S. 2470
Drug Testing Unemployment Compensation Applicants & the Fourth Amendment
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-17 · Posts · 3,506 words · PDF available
On October 4, 2019, the Department of Labor (DOL) published final regulations to guide states on how to design and implement drug testing programs in accordance with Section 303 of the Social Security...
How Measures Are Brought to the Senate Floor: A Brief Introduction
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-16 · Reports · 3,005 words · PDF available
Two basic methods are used by the Senate to bring legislation to the floor for consideration: (1) The Senate, at the majority leader’s request, grants unanimous consent to take up a matter or (2) it a...
Senate Rule XIV Procedure for Placing Measures Directly on the Senate Calendar
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-16 · Reports · 1,448 words · PDF available
When a Senator introduces a bill or joint resolution, or a House-passed bill or joint resolution is received in the Senate from the House, the measure is often referred to committee pursuant to provis...
Protecting America: The Reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-16 · Testimony · 7,910 words
TRIA Terrorism Risk Insurance Terrorism Insurance TRIA reauthorization Terrorism Risk Insurance reauthorization Terrorism Insurance reauthorization
The House Calendar and Schedule: Evaluating Practices and Challenges
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-16 · Testimony · 4,054 words · PDF available
House scheduling, House calendar, daily meetings, floor activities
Congressional Budget Office: Appointment and Tenure of the Director and Deputy Director
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-16 · Reports · 3,486 words · PDF available
The requirements regarding the appointment and tenure of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) director are set forth in Section 201(a) of the 1974 Congressional Budget Act, as amended, and codified a...
“Sense of” Resolutions and Provisions
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-16 · Reports · 1,290 words · PDF available
One or both houses of Congress may formally express opinions about subjects of current national interest through freestanding simple or concurrent resolutions (called generically “sense of the House,”...
Expired and Expiring Tax Provisions (“Tax Extenders”): CRS Resources
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-16 · Reports · 3,166 words · PDF available
Some Members of Congress have expressed interest in extending temporary tax provisions that expired at the end of 2017 and 2018, and possibly extending provisions scheduled to expire at the end of 201...
Restitution in Federal Criminal Cases
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-15 · Reports · 26,242 words · PDF available
Restitution endeavors to restore victims to the place where they stood when they became victims of crime. It seeks to make them whole and no more. In the case of a corporate or affluent defendant, vic...
Restitution in Federal Criminal Cases: A Sketch
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-15 · Reports · 5,261 words · PDF available
Restitution endeavors to restore victims to the place where they stood when they became victims of crime. It seeks to make them whole and no more. In the case of a corporate or affluent defendant, vic...
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-15 · Reports · 10,418 words · PDF available
The purpose of the diversity immigrant visa program (DV program, sometimes called “the green card lottery” or “the visa lottery”) is, as the name suggests, to foster legal immigration from countries o...
Capital Markets: Asset Management and Related Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-11 · Reports · 18,167 words · PDF available
The asset management industry is large and complex. Asset management companies—also known as investment management companies, or asset managers—are companies that manage money for a fee with the goal ...
Supreme Court Considers Sex Discrimination Claims by Gay and Transgender Workers
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-11 · Posts · 2,907 words · PDF available
On October 8, 2019, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Altitude Express, Inc. v. Zarda, Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes, Inc. (Harris Homes) v. EEOC, a t...
The Congressional Arts Caucus and the Congressional Art Competition: History and Current Practice
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-11 · Reports · 4,089 words · PDF available
Sponsored by the Congressional Arts Caucus, and known in recent years as “An Artistic Discovery,” the Congressional Art Competition is open to high school students nationwide. Begun in 1982, the compe...
U.S. Offshore Aquaculture Regulation and Development
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-10 · Reports · 24,503 words · PDF available
Regulatory uncertainty has been identified as one of the main barriers to offshore aquaculture development in the United States. Many industry observers have emphasized that congressional action may b...
Obstruction of Justice As a Sidecar
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-08 · Posts · 1,565 words · PDF available
Introduction The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (Second Circuit) recently vacated the sentence of an Air Force veteran convicted of providing material support to a foreign terrorist orga...
Expedited Removal of Aliens: Legal Framework
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-08 · Reports · 34,496 words · PDF available
The federal government has broad authority over the admission of non-U.S. nationals (aliens) seeking to enter the United States. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the government may exclude s...
Executive Branch Service and the “Revolving Door” in Cabinet Departments: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-07 · Reports · 9,280 words · PDF available
Individuals may be subject to certain restrictions when leaving the government for private employment or joining the government from the private sector. These restrictions were enacted in response to ...
Frequently Asked Questions About Flag Law
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-07 · Reports · 8,443 words · PDF available
The “flag code” is the federal law that sets forth guidelines for the appearance and display of the U.S. flag (“flag”) by private citizens. These guidelines specify times and conditions for display of...
Cockpit Automation, Flight Systems Complexity, and Aircraft Certification: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-03 · Reports · 15,269 words · PDF available
The increasing complexity and automation of flight control systems pose a challenge to federal policy regarding aircraft certification and pilot training. Despite significant commercial aviation safet...
Millennium Challenge Corporation: Overview and Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-03 · Reports · 15,522 words · PDF available
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) provides economic assistance through a competitive selection process to developing nations that demonstrate positive performance in three areas: ruling justl...
Impeachment Investigations: Law and Process
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-02 · Posts · 2,823 words · PDF available
Speaker Pelosi announced last week that the House “is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry.” Although the Speaker’s statement did not address precisely how the House will proceed, it is...
The Budget Control Act: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2019-10-01 · Reports · 7,184 words · PDF available
When there is concern with deficit or debt levels, Congress will sometimes implement budget enforcement mechanisms to mandate specific budgetary policies or fiscal outcomes. The Budget Control Act of ...
Federal Regulation of Tobacco: Legal Framework and Issues for the 116th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-30 · Resources · 1,611 words · PDF available
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA), P.L. 111-31, establishes the central federal regulatory regime for the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products. The st...
2018 Farm Bill Primer: Agricultural Research and Extension
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-24 · Resources · 1,427 words · PDF available
Congress reauthorizes, amends, and adds new programs and requirements to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research, education, and extension activities through Title VII of the 2018 farm bill (Ag...
U.S. Payment System Policy Issues: Faster Payments and Innovation
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-23 · Reports · 9,663 words · PDF available
Technological advances in digitization and data processing and storage have greatly increased the availability and convenience of electronic payments. New products and services offer faster, more conv...