Policy Library

6,587 documents

Country-of-Origin Labeling for Foods and the WTO Trade Dispute on Meat Labeling
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-08 · Reports · 29,731 words
Since the final rule to implement country-of-origin labeling (COOL) took effect in March 2009, most retail food stores have been required to inform consumers about the country of origin of fresh fruit...
Section 202 and Other HUD Rental Housing Programs for Low-Income Elderly Residents
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-07 · Reports · 15,845 words
The population of persons age 65 and older in the United States is expected to grow both in numbers and as a percentage of the total population over the coming years, through 2030. In 2002, a bipartis...
Section 811 and Other HUD Housing Programs for Persons with Disabilities
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-07 · Reports · 19,353 words
The ability of persons with disabilities to live independently in affordable, accessible housing became a prominent issue starting in 1999 as the result of a Supreme Court decision, Olmstead v. L.C. T...
First-Term Members of the House of Representatives and Senate, 64th-114th Congresses
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-07 · Reports · 5,742 words
This report provides summary data on the number of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives who first entered Congress between the 64th Congress (1915-1917) and the 114th Congress (2015-20...
ESEA Title I-A Formulas: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-07 · Reports · 4,229 words
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was comprehensively reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; P.L. 114-95) on December 10, 2015. The Title I-A program is the largest gran...
Candidates, Groups, and the Campaign Finance Environment: A Brief Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-03 · Resources · 995 words
Once the purview of only political parties and candidates, the campaign environment now features several different kinds of entities, ranging from candidate campaigns to political parties, political a...
Encryption: Selected Legal Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-03 · Reports · 16,948 words
In 2014, three of the biggest technology companies in the United States—Apple, Google, and Facebook—began encrypting their devices and communication platforms by default. These security practices rene...
Fresh Beef Import Rules for Brazil and Argentina
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-02 · Resources · 1,645 words
On July 2, 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued final rules allowing import of fresh beef (chilled or frozen) from Brazil (80 Fed...
Nutrients in Agricultural Production: A Water Quality Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-29 · Reports · 11,109 words
Nutrients are elements essential to plant and animal growth. In agricultural production, the focus generally rests on the three primary macronutrients––nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)—...
Unlocking the Set-Top Box
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-24 · Resources · 1,497 words
On February 18, 2016 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed rules intended to make it easier for television viewers who subscribe to cable or satellite services to buy set-top boxes from...
Daily Fantasy Sports: Industry Trends, Legal and Regulatory Issues, and Policy Options
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-24 · Reports · 11,999 words · PDF available
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) companies, which operate online gaming platforms that allow players to assemble imaginary sports teams and compete in daily or weekly contests, function in a gray area of th...
U.S. Farm Policy: Local and Regional Food Systems
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-24 · Resources · 1,625 words
What Are “Local Food Systems”? There is no established definition of what constitutes a “local food.” Local and regional food systems generally refer to agricultural production and marketing that occu...
The Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Legislative Action
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-23 · Reports · 5,175 words
The budget reconciliation process is an optional procedure under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 that operates as an adjunct to the annual budget resolution process. The chief purpose of the reco...
Crude Oil Exports and Related Provisions in P.L. 114-113: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-22 · Reports · 6,063 words
On December 18, 2015, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (H.R. 2029), which was signed by the President and became P.L. 114-113. Included in P.L. 114-113 is a provision that rep...
House and Senate Floor and Committee Action to Reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: 1966 to Present
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-19 · Reports · 1,863 words
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was initially enacted in 1965 (P.L. 89-10). Since then, there have been 13 major reauthorizations of the ESEA, with the most recent reauthorization oc...
Encryption and Evolving Technology: Implications for U.S. Law Enforcement Investigations
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-18 · Reports · 6,683 words
Because modern-day criminals are constantly developing new tools and techniques to facilitate their illicit activities, law enforcement is challenged with leveraging its tools and authorities to keep ...
The Role of Local and Regional Food Systems in U.S. Farm Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-18 · Reports · 22,420 words
Sales of locally produced foods comprise a small but growing part of U.S. agricultural sales. Estimates vary but indicate that local food sales total between $4 billion and $12 billion annually. The U...
Recovery Act Funding for DOE Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Projects
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-18 · Reports · 9,371 words
Federal policymakers have long been interested in the potential of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) as a mitigation strategy for lowering global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). Congress has a...
Surface Transportation Funding and Programs Under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act; P.L. 114-94)
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-18 · Reports · 12,147 words
On December 4, 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act; P.L. 114-94). The act authorized spending on federal highway and public transportation pro...
Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2016
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-17 · Reports · 39,325 words
President Obama’s budget request for FY2016 included $145.694 billion for research and development (R&D), an increase of $7.625 billion (5.5%) over the estimated FY2015 R&D funding level of $138.069 b...
The Clean Power Plan (CPP): The Treatment of Biomass
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-12 · Resources · 1,541 words
The Clean Power Plan On August 3, 2015, the Obama Administration issued its final rule for carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reductions from existing fossil fuel-fired electric power plants, commonly refe...
Is Biopower Carbon Neutral?
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-12 · Reports · 6,301 words
To promote energy diversity and improve energy security, Congress has expressed interest in biopower—electricity generated from biomass. Biopower, a baseload power source, can be produced from a large...
Department of Housing and Urban Development: FY2016 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-12 · Reports · 12,028 words
Most of the funding for the activities of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) comes from discretionary appropriations provided each year in the annual appropriations acts, typically ...
Biopower: Background and Federal Support
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-12 · Reports · 9,944 words
Biopower—a form of renewable energy—is the generation of electric power from biomass feedstocks. In 2014, Biopower comprised about 1.6% of total U.S. electricity generation and accounted for close to ...
Senate Committee Rules in the 114th Congress: Key Provisions
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-08 · Reports · 9,514 words
Senate Rule XXVI establishes specific requirements for certain Senate committee procedures. In addition, each Senate committee is required to adopt rules to govern its own proceedings. These rules may...
Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-03 · Reports · 11,232 words · PDF available
The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program provides health insurance to federal employees, retirees, and their dependents. This report provides a general overview of FEHB. It describes the s...
Post-Committee Adjustment in the Modern House: The Use of Rules Committee Prints
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-03 · Reports · 9,577 words
Floor proceedings in the U.S. House of Representatives often begin on the basis of legislation reported from committee. In some instances, adjustments to committee recommendations are made and a new l...
Highways and Highway Safety on Indian Lands
Congressional Research Service · 2016-02-02 · Reports · 6,425 words
Cars and trucks are the primary means of transportation on Indian lands, mostly rural areas that cover about 56 million acres. There are about 145,000 miles of roads, owned variously by tribal, federa...
Apprenticeship in the United States: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-29 · Reports · 2,177 words
Apprenticeship is a job training strategy that combines on-the-job training with related instruction, typically provided in a classroom setting. This report answers frequently asked questions about ap...
Senate Legislative Procedures: Published Sources of Information
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-28 · Reports · 813 words
The Senate publishes its rules, precedents, and other related information so that Senators and their staff have convenient access to the Senate’s legislative procedures and can gauge how those procedu...
Unmanned Aircraft Operations in Domestic Airspace: U.S. Policy Perspectives and the Regulatory Landscape
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-27 · Reports · 11,360 words
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), often referred to as “drones,” have become commonplace over the past few years. As UAS technology develops rapidly, the United States faces significant challenges in b...
Final Senate Action on U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations During a President’s Eighth Year in Office
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-27 · Reports · 5,731 words
This report, in light of continued Senate interest in the judicial confirmation process during a President’s final year in office, provides statistics related to Senate action on U.S. circuit and dist...
Methods of Estimating the Total Cost of Federal Regulations
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-21 · Reports · 17,273 words
Federal agencies issue thousands of regulations each year under delegated authority from Congress. Over the past 70 years, Congress and various Presidents have created a set of procedures agencies mus...
The Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund: Background and Current Status
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-19 · Reports · 13,388 words
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides benefits to nonelderly workers and their eligible dependents if the worker paid Social Security taxes for a certain number of years and is unable t...
The Glass-Steagall Act: A Legal and Policy Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-19 · Reports · 15,375 words
The phrase “Glass-Steagall” generally refers to the separation of commercial banking from investment banking. Congress effected a separation of commercial and investment banking through four sections ...
Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Committee Responses to Reconciliation Directives
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-19 · Reports · 8,385 words
When reconciliation directives (also referred to as reconciliation instructions) are included in an annual budget resolution, their purpose is to require committees to develop and report reconciliatio...
Omnibus Appropriations Acts: Overview of Recent Practices
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-14 · Reports · 5,494 words
Omnibus appropriations acts have become a significant feature of the legislative process in recent years as Congress and the President have used them more frequently to bring action on the regular app...
Efforts to Reauthorize the America COMPETES Act: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-14 · Reports · 1,756 words · PDF available
America COMPETES Act. P.L. 110-69. America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act. America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. P.L. 111-3...
The Indian Health Service (IHS):An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-12 · Reports · 12,061 words
The IHS provides an array of medical services, including inpatient, ambulatory, emergency, dental, public health nursing, and preventive health care. The IHS does not have a defined medical benefit pa...
USDA’s “GIPSA Rule” on Livestock and Poultry Marketing Practices
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-07 · Reports · 20,664 words
The 2008 farm bill (P.L. 110-246) included new provisions that amended the Packers and Stockyards Act (P&S Act) to give poultry and swine growers the right to cancel contracts, to require that poultry...
Minding the Data Gap: NOAA’s Polar-Orbiting Weather Satellites and Strategies for Data Continuity
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-07 · Reports · 5,413 words
Concerns have been raised in Congress about the possibility of a “data gap” in the polar-orbiting weather satellite coverage. A near-term data gap could occur if the currently operating polar-orbiting...
Big Data in U.S. Agriculture
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-06 · Reports · 7,560 words
Recent media and industry reports have employed the term big data as a key to the future of increased food production and sustainable agriculture. A recent hearing on the private elements of big data ...
The Motion to Recommit in the House of Representatives
Congressional Research Service · 2016-01-06 · Reports · 4,225 words
The motion to recommit provides a final opportunity for the House to affect a measure before passage, either by amending the measure or sending it back to committee. The motion to recommit is often r...
The Budget Control Act of 2011 as Amended: Budgetary Effects
Congressional Research Service · 2015-12-29 · Reports · 10,260 words
Following a lengthy debate over raising the debt limit, the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA; P.L. 112-25) was signed into law by President Obama on August 2, 2011. In addition to including a mechanism...
Western Water and Drought: Legislative Analysis of H.R. 2898 and S. 1894
Congressional Research Service · 2015-12-23 · Reports · 25,885 words
Several western states are experiencing extreme or exceptional drought conditions. The persistence and intensity of the drought, which began in 2011 in some areas, has received considerable attention ...
Executive Agreements
Congressional Research Service · 2015-12-21 · Infographics · 403 words
Secretary of State authorizes negotiation State Department periodically notifies S. Foreign Relations and H. Foreign Affairs Committees of significant agreements for negotiation. Congress may be consu...
Economic Effects of the FY2014 Shutdown
Congressional Research Service · 2015-12-21 · Infographics · 367 words · PDF available
Prepared by Marc Labonte and Bisola Momoh For more information, see CRS Report R43292, The FY2014 Government Shutdown: Economic Effects, by Marc Labonte. Sources: Federal Employees out of work in Octo...
Department of Transportation (DOT): FY2016 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2015-12-21 · Reports · 7,933 words
On February 2, 2015, the Obama Administration proposed a $93.7 billion budget for the Department of Transportation (DOT) for FY2016. That is about $22 billion (31%) more than was provided in FY2015. T...
Ecosystem Restoration in the Puget Sound
Congressional Research Service · 2015-12-17 · Resources · 1,467 words
Introduction The Puget Sound (the Sound), located in the state of Washington, is the second-largest estuary in the United States, covering 35,500 square kilometers, and the largest estuary in the coun...
Leverage Ratios in Bank Capital Requirements
Congressional Research Service · 2015-12-09 · Resources · 1,664 words
This In Focus provides a summary of leverage ratios used in bank capital requirements. It also explains the concept of leverage and the rationale behind a leverage ratio. Leverage and the Financial C...