Policy Library

7,020 documents

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...
2018 Farm Bill Primer: Specialty Crops and Organic Agriculture
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-23 · Resources · 1,580 words · PDF available
The 2018 farm bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, P.L. 115-334) reauthorized and expanded existing programs and policies administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) supporting fru...
The Endangered Species Act and Climate Change: Selected Legal Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-20 · Reports · 11,730 words · PDF available
For more than a decade, federal agencies have grappled with how to address climate change effects when implementing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The ESA aims to protect threatened and end...
The Coast Guard’s Need for Experienced Marine Safety Personnel
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-19 · Reports · 10,000 words · PDF available
For at least four decades, Congress has been concerned about the Coast Guard’s ability to maintain an adequate staff of experienced marine safety personnel to ensure that vessels meet federal safety s...
The Designation of Election Systems as Critical Infrastructure
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-18 · Resources · 1,516 words · PDF available
Prior to the 2016 federal election, a series of cyberattacks occurred on information systems of state and local election jurisdictions. Subsequently, in January 2017 the Department of Homeland Securit...
Federal and State Regulation of Student Loan Servicers: A Legal Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-17 · Reports · 21,400 words · PDF available
As the federal government’s role in the student loan industry has expanded over time, the United States has contracted with student loan servicers to help it administer its growing student loan portfo...
Holocaust-Era Insurance Claims
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-17 · Testimony · 5,940 words · PDF available
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Immigration Detention: A Legal Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-16 · Reports · 41,544 words · PDF available
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) authorizes—and in some cases requires—the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain non-U.S. nationals (aliens) arrested for immigration violations that...
The TIGER/BUILD Program at 10 Years: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-16 · Reports · 6,713 words · PDF available
The Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program is a discretionary program providing grants to surface transportation projects on a competitive basis, with recipients...
Household Debt Among Older Americans, 1989-2016
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-11 · Reports · 9,699 words · PDF available
In the past three decades, debt has grown substantially among older Americans. The increase in debt among older Americans has raised concerns about financial security for people near or during retirem...
Immigration: Nonimmigrant (Temporary) Admissions to the United States
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-10 · Reports · 13,810 words · PDF available
U.S. law provides for the temporary admission of foreign nationals. Nonimmigrants are foreign nationals who are admitted for a designated period of time and a specific purpose. There are 24 major noni...
Climate-Related Risk Disclosure Under U.S. Securities Laws
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-10 · Resources · 1,551 words · PDF available
In light of public concern over climate change, some stakeholders have asked to what extent publicly traded companies should disclose their climate-related risks. The Securities and Exchange Commissio...
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) FY2019 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-09 · Resources · 1,557 words · PDF available
Enacted February 15, 2019, Division E of P.L. 116-6, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2019, provided funding for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, including a to...
Why Subsidize Homeownership? A Review of the Rationales
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-06 · Resources · 1,711 words · PDF available
Homeownership is frequently argued to produce a number of benefits for individuals and society. As a result, subsidies for homeownership—tens of billions of dollars annually—are popular among policyma...
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Appropriations: FY2020 President’s Budget Request
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-06 · Resources · 1,252 words · PDF available
Since FY2006, Congress has funded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bills. Including amendments submitted to Congress May...
Party Leaders in the United States Congress, 1789-2019
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-04 · Reports · 14,690 words · PDF available
This report briefly describes current responsibilities and selection mechanisms for 15 House and Senate party leadership posts and provides tables with historical data, including service dates, party ...
Counting Regulations: An Overview of Rulemaking, Types of Federal Regulations, and Pages in the Federal Register
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-03 · Reports · 11,866 words · PDF available
Federal rulemaking is an important mechanism through which the federal government implements policy. Federal agencies issue regulations pursuant to statutory authority granted by Congress. Therefore, ...
Climate Change and the America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019 (S. 2302)
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-03 · Resources · 1,425 words · PDF available
Highway, public transportation, and rail programs are authorized through FY2020 by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (P.L. 114-94). In August 2019, the Senate Committee on Environ...
Recent Recommendations by the Judicial Conference for New U.S. Circuit and District Court Judgeships: Overview and Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2019-09-03 · Reports · 11,066 words · PDF available
Congress determines through legislative action both the size and structure of the federal judiciary. Consequently, the creation of any new permanent or temporary U.S. circuit and district court judges...