Policy Library

7,020 documents

Natural Gas Liquids: The Unknown Hydrocarbons
Congressional Research Service · 2018-10-26 · Reports · 7,276 words · PDF available
The U.S. oil and natural gas industries have gone through a “renaissance” of production. Technological improvements in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have unlocked enormous oil and natur...
Invasive Species: A Brief Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2018-10-26 · Resources · 1,139 words · PDF available
An invasive species is a nonnative (also known as an alien) species that does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. The human-mediated spread of species has occ...
What Legal Obligations do Internet Companies Have to Prevent and Respond to a Data Breach?
Recently, large Internet companies—i.e., companies that do most of their business on the Internet, such as social media platforms or search engines—have made headlines after failing to secure their us...
Regulation of Cell-Cultured Meat
Congressional Research Service · 2018-10-25 · Resources · 1,608 words
Cell-cultured meat (also referred to as lab-grown meat, clean meat, in vitro meat, imitation meat, synthetic meat, and fake meat) is grown in laboratories from animal cell-cultures (Figure 1). A numbe...
Donor Disclosure: 501(c) Groups and Campaign Spending
Congressional Research Service · 2018-10-18 · Resources · 1,590 words
Introduction Independent spending in a 2012 Senate race, which resulted in a recently decided court case, CREW v. FEC, exemplifies a long-running policy debate about which contributions to politically...
Financial Innovation: Digital Assets and Initial Coin Offerings
Congressional Research Service · 2018-10-17 · Resources · 1,627 words
This In Focus provides an overview of policy issues regarding “digital assets” in the capital markets. Digital assets (often referred to as “crypto assets,” among other terminology) are digital repres...
The Music Modernization Act: Extending Copyright Protection to Pre-1972 Sound Recordings
UPDATE: On October 11, 2018, President Trump signed the Orrin G. Hatch-Bob Goodlatte Music Modernization Act (H.R. 1551) (the MMA) into law. The final bill reflects a compromise reached in the Senate ...
Building the Fleets of the Future: Coast Guard and NOAA Fleet Recapitalization
Congressional Research Service · 2018-10-11 · Testimony · 11,219 words
Coast Guard, NOAA, fleet, ship, shipbuilding, recapitalization, acquisition, procurement, budget
House Passes Bill to Amend the Federal “Crime of Violence” Definition
Recently the House passed the Community Safety and Security Act of 2018 (CSSA), which would amend the federal “crime of violence” (COV) definition found at 18 U.S.C. § 16. Many federal statutes incorp...
Banking: Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL)
Congressional Research Service · 2018-10-09 · Reports · 8,993 words · PDF available
Some observers asserted that leading up to the financial crisis of 2007-2009 banks did not have sufficient credit loss reserves or capital to absorb the resulting losses and as a consequence supported...
The Federal Role in Railroad Bridge Safety
Congressional Research Service · 2018-10-05 · Resources · 1,792 words
Railroad bridges carry heavy and potentially dangerous loads over busy roadways and important waterways. Many of these bridges are a century old or more. For example, the Metropolis and Sciotoville br...
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF): Overview, Issues, and Legislation
Congressional Research Service · 2018-10-02 · Reports · 12,296 words
The state of the nation’s water infrastructure and the challenges many communities face in addressing infrastructure needs continue to receive congressional attention. In 1996, Congress authorized the...
Selected Legal Tools for Maintaining Government Contractor Accountability
Congressional Research Service · 2018-09-26 · Reports · 15,387 words · PDF available
Federal procurement statutes and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) establish largely uniform policies and procedures applicable to government contracts “to deliver on a timely basis the best va...
Dairy Revenue Protection Insurance
Congressional Research Service · 2018-09-20 · Resources · 1,678 words
Background In recent years, dairy farmers have experienced low milk prices. From 2015 to the present, milk prices received by dairy farmers have averaged 20% lower than the relatively high price perio...
Supreme Court October Term 2017: A Review of Selected Major Rulings
Congressional Research Service · 2018-09-19 · Reports · 21,184 words · PDF available
On October 2, 2017, the Supreme Court began one of the most notable terms in recent memory. The latest term of the Court was the first full term for Justice Neil Gorsuch, who succeeded Justice Antonin...
Long-Tenured Displaced Workers
Congressional Research Service · 2018-09-19 · Resources · 1,435 words
Job separations are a part of most workers’ careers. Some workers leave jobs to pursue other opportunities; others are fired for poor performance or because they are otherwise not a good fit. In some...
The “Flores Settlement” and Alien Families Apprehended at the U.S. Border: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2018-09-17 · Reports · 11,499 words · PDF available
Reports of alien minors being separated from their parents at the U.S. border have raised questions about the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) authority to detain alien families together pend...
Costs of Government Interventions in Response to the Financial Crisis: A Retrospective
Congressional Research Service · 2018-09-12 · Reports · 19,781 words · PDF available
In August 2007, asset-backed securities (ABS), particularly those backed by subprime mortgages, suddenly became illiquid and fell sharply in value as an unprecedented housing boom turned into a housin...
Will courts clarify the implied false certification theory? Ninth Circuit holds that the Supreme Court established a mandatory test, but the issue remains unsettled
On August 24, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit became the latest circuit court to weigh in on one of the most disputed areas of False Claims Act (“FCA”) jurisprudence—the implied ...
Proposed Reorganization of U.S. Federal Food Safety Agencies
Congressional Research Service · 2018-09-07 · Resources · 1,722 words
The Trump Administration is proposing to consolidate the federal government’s primary food safety functions into a single federal agency based in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This propos...
UPDATED: Déjà Vu All Over Again: States Renew Constitutional Challenge to the ACA’s Individual Mandate
UPDATE: Oral arguments in this case are scheduled for September 5, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Parties before the court include the state plaintiffs, the U.S. ...
Naming of House and Senate Office Buildings and Rooms: Brief Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2018-09-04 · Resources · 1,014 words
Various procedures have been used to designate the names of House and Senate office buildings, as well as of rooms and spaces within the Capitol Complex. The set of procedures used has varied dependi...
Overview of Programs Supporting Minority-Serving Institutions Under the Higher Education Act
Congressional Research Service · 2018-08-27 · Resources · 1,467 words · PDF available
What Are Minority Serving Institutions? Minority-serving institutions (MSIs) are institutions of higher education (IHEs) that serve high concentrations of minority students. MSIs tend to have relative...
Loan Sharking Isn’t a Violent Crime?
The term “loan shark” conjures up images of usurious loans and violent collection methods. Nevertheless, the federal crime of loan sharking does not qualify as a violent felony under the Armed Career ...
Federal Management of Saltwater Recreational Fisheries
Congressional Research Service · 2018-08-17 · Resources · 1,566 words · PDF available
Federal management of saltwater recreational fishing by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has received increasing attention from Congress. Many constituents have expressed concerns with the...
Medicare Coverage of End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Congressional Research Service · 2018-08-16 · Reports · 12,349 words · PDF available
End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the last stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is the gradual decrease of kidney function over time. Individuals with ESRD have substantial and permanent loss ...
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): An Economic Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2018-08-13 · Reports · 18,584 words · PDF available
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit available to eligible workers earning relatively low wages. The EITC, enacted more than 40 years ago, has evolved from a relatively modes...
Emergency Use Authorization and FDA’s Related Authorities
Congressional Research Service · 2018-08-13 · Resources · 1,522 words · PDF available
Under most circumstances, drugs, medical devices, and biologics may only be introduced into interstate commerce if they have been approved, cleared, or licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FD...
Buy America and the Electric Bus Market
Congressional Research Service · 2018-08-06 · Resources · 1,493 words
Buy America requirements are an integral aspect of federal transportation funding. In a series of statutes, Congress has required that federally funded highway, public transportation, aviation, and in...
Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF): Cartel Lite?
Congressional Research Service · 2018-08-02 · Resources · 1,627 words
Background on the GECF From 2013 and 2017, global natural gas production and consumption grew about 9%. However, as part of the overall fuel mix, which rose 5%, the contribution of natural gas has dec...
Seed Cotton as a Farm Program Crop: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2018-08-01 · Reports · 7,197 words · PDF available
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123; BBA), signed into law on February 9, 2018, included a provision—Section 60101(a)—which amended the 2014 farm bill (P.L. 113-79) to add seed cotton as a...
China-U.S. Trade Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2018-07-30 · Reports · 39,769 words · PDF available
U.S.-China economic ties have expanded substantially since China began reforming its economy and liberalizing its trade regime in the late 1970s. Total U.S.-China merchandise trade rose from $2 billio...
Hostage-Taking Statute Covers Kidnapping for Ransom Abroad
In the midst of a rash of kidnappings, a U.S. citizen living in Haiti was seized and held for ransom. In United States v. Noel, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (Eleventh Circuit) re...
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA): Reauthorization Issues for the 115th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2018-07-27 · Resources · 1,625 words · PDF available
In the 115th Congress, both chambers have continued efforts to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA; 16 U.S.C. §§1801 et seq.). The MSA governs management and ...
Only Minimal Impact on Commerce Needed for Attempted Bombing
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (Eleventh Circuit) recently held in United States v. Suarez that a minimal impact on commerce is sufficient to satisfy the jurisdictional re...
Examining Changes to Social Security’s Disability Appeals Process
Congressional Research Service · 2018-07-25 · Testimony · 5,867 words
Reconsideration Prototype
UPDATE: Fannie & Freddie Investors Turn to Congress After S. Ct. Declines to Resurrect Their Legal Claims
UPDATE: On July 16, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in Collins v. Mnuchin, became the fourth U.S. Court of Appeals to dismiss statutory claims asserted by Fannie Mae and Freddie...
Background on Renewable Identification Numbers under the Renewable Fuel StandardBackground on Renewable Identification Numbers under the Renewable Fuel Standard
Congressional Research Service · 2018-07-25 · Testimony · 3,897 words
Renewable Fuel Standard RFS Renewable Identification Numbers RINs Biofuel Motor fuel Ethanol Biodiesel Cellulosic Quality Assurance Program QAP EPA Moderated Transaction System EMTS
Indexing Capital Gains Taxes for Inflation
Congressional Research Service · 2018-07-24 · Reports · 12,020 words · PDF available
Recently, proposals to index capital gains for inflation have reentered the public debate. The proposed change would eliminate the part of capital gains that reflects inflation by increasing the basis...
Supreme Court Rules Ohio Voter Roll Law Comports with National Voter Registration Act
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court recently ruled in Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute that an Ohio process for removing the names of registrants from its official federal voter registration r...
Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the Russian Federation: A Sketch
The recent indictment by Special Counsel Robert Mueller of twelve Russian intelligence officials for offenses related to interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election raises questions concerning...
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2018-07-20 · Reports · 12,921 words · PDF available
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), an agency within the Department of the Interior (DOI), is the principal federal agency tasked with the conservation, protection, and restoration of fish and w...
Supreme Court Invalidates Public-Sector Union Agency Fees: Considerations for Congress in the Wake of Janus
On June 27, 2018, the Supreme Court held that “agency fee” arrangements between a union and a government employer necessarily violate the First Amendment, overruling its 1977 decision in Abood v. Detr...
Emergency Department Boarding of Behavioral Health Patients
Congressional Research Service · 2018-07-19 · Resources · 1,458 words
This In Focus outlines emergency department (ED) boarding of behavioral health (BH) patients. Behavioral health refers to patients with psychiatric and/or substance use disorders. Boarding refers to t...
Military Commission Judges Do Not Have Unilateral Power to Punish for Contempt
Brigadier General (Gen.) John G. Baker, Chief Defense Counsel of the Military Commission System, prevailed in his habeas case against a military commission judge who sentenced him to 21 days’ confinem...
Can a President Amend Regulations by Executive Order?
An executive order signed by President Trump on July 10, 2018, raises the question of whether a President—with the stroke of a pen—can amend federal rules codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (...
Brett M. Kavanaugh: Selected Primary Material
Congressional Research Service · 2018-07-17 · Posts · 1,577 words · PDF available
On July 9, 2018, President Trump announced the nomination of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) to fill the impending vacancy on ...
Supreme Court Directs State Court to Decide Whether Indian Tribe Can Invoke Sovereign Immunity in Property Dispute
Indian tribes possess “inherent sovereign authority,” which means, among other things, that they cannot be subject to lawsuits unless the tribe waives or Congress expressly abrogates such immunity. Re...
U.S. District Court Holds U.S. Citizen Can Challenge His Inclusion on “Kill List”
In a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the court held that a U.S. citizen who could allege sufficient facts to credibly demonstrate he is being targeted by the U.S. mil...
Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity
Congressional Research Service · 2018-07-09 · Reports · 23,155 words · PDF available
Industrial hemp is an agricultural commodity that is cultivated for use in the production of a wide range of products, including foods and beverages, cosmetics and personal care products, nutritional ...