Policy Library

7,020 documents

District Court Decision May Help Pave the Way for Trump Administration’s Border Wall Plans
The construction of potentially hundreds of miles of fencing and other barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border is a key pillar of the Trump Administration’s border security strategy. Completing this obj...
Federal “Right-to-Try” Legislation: Legal Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2018-03-30 · Posts · 1,757 words · PDF available
Congress has been engaged in a vigorous debate over how patients with life-threatening conditions may access investigational therapies that have not been approved under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cos...
Clarifying “Gibberish”: Supreme Court Holds That State Courts Can Hear Securities Act Lawsuits
On March 20, in a case watched closely by the securities bar, the Supreme Court addressed the implications of the Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act of 1998 (SLUSA)—a statute that Justices Al...
Whose Line is it Anyway: Could Congress Give the President a Line-Item Veto?
In announcing his intention to sign H.R. 1625, the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018,” President Trump, noting his concerns over the fiscal size of the bill, called on Congress to provide him wit...
Venezuela’s Petroleum Sector and U.S. Sanctions
Congressional Research Service · 2018-03-27 · Resources · 1,470 words
In response to the ongoing political and economic crisis in Venezuela, the United States has imposed targeted sanctions on certain Venezuelan individuals as well as broader financial sanctions on the ...
Capital Access: IPO and “IPO On-Ramp”
Congressional Research Service · 2018-03-26 · Resources · 1,637 words
Raising capital through public offerings was traditionally viewed as a significant step for companies to achieve growth and create jobs. Its importance, however, has deteriorated over the last two dec...
It Belongs in a Museum: Sovereign Immunity Shields Iranian Antiquities Even When It Does Not Protect Iran
Foreign sovereign immunity may protect property owned by nations designated as state sponsors of terrorism, even when it does not shield the nations themselves, the Supreme Court held in Rubin v. Isla...
FDA Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS): Description and Effect on Generic Drug Development
Congressional Research Service · 2018-03-16 · Reports · 10,263 words · PDF available
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) authorizes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the safety and effectiveness of drug products sold in the United States. The statutory st...
Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA): 2017 Reauthorization as PDUFA VI
Congressional Research Service · 2018-03-16 · Reports · 10,975 words · PDF available
The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA, now called PDUFA I) was reauthorized as PDUFA VI by the Food and Drug Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017 (FDARA, P.L. 115-52). First passed by Congre...
Capital Access: SEC Regulation A+ (“Mini-IPO”)
Congressional Research Service · 2018-03-15 · Resources · 1,669 words
Companies turn to a variety of sources to access the funding they need to grow and make new investments. Among them are capital markets, segments of the financial system in which capital is raised thr...
Tax-Preferred College Savings Plans: An Introduction to Coverdells
Congressional Research Service · 2018-03-13 · Reports · 5,373 words · PDF available
A Coverdell ESA—often referred to simply as a Coverdell—is a tax-advantaged investment account that can be used to pay for both higher-education expenses and elementary and secondary school expenses. ...
The Constitutionality of Censuring the President
House Democrats have introduced a resolution that, if approved by the House, would formally “censure and condemn” President Trump for disparaging comments on immigration issues he allegedly made durin...
Does Executive Privilege Apply to the Communications of a President-elect?
Former White House Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon and outgoing White House Communications Director Hope Hicks both appeared recently before closed-door meetings of the House Permanent Select Committe...
The Renewable Fuel Standard: Is Legislative Reform Needed?
Congressional Research Service · 2018-03-08 · Resources · 1,656 words
There is widespread and heightened interest in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) among some Members of Congress and stakeholders. Recent developments—including meetings between some Members of Congres...
UPDATED: The Latest on the SEC’s Consideration of the Proposed Acquisition of Chicago Stock Exchange
Congressional Research Service · 2018-03-07 · Posts · 1,579 words · PDF available
UPDATE: On February 15, 2018, the SEC disapproved CHX’s proposed rule change. The SEC based its decision on CHX’s inability to provide sufficient documentation verifying the relationships between and ...
Guns, Excise Taxes, Wildlife Restoration, and the National Firearms Act
Congressional Research Service · 2018-03-05 · Reports · 7,934 words · PDF available
Federal taxes on firearms and ammunition are collected through different methods and used for different purposes, depending on the nature of the firearms. Some tax receipts are used for wildlife resto...
Material Support for Terrorism Is Not Always an “Act of International Terrorism,” Second Circuit Holds
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (Second Circuit) recently overturned a jury verdict deeming one of the largest financial institutions in the Middle East liable for providing financial...
A Bar Bouncer Equivalent for Planes in Flight
Two federal appellate courts recently upheld convictions under the federal statute that outlaws intimidating flight attendants aboard a commercial airline. Both cases involved boorish in-flight misco...
So, Now Can Menachem Zivotofsky Get His Passport Reissued to Say “Israel”?
Congressional Research Service · 2018-03-01 · Posts · 852 words · PDF available
Does the President’s proclamation recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel have any effect on what goes on the passports of U.S. citizens born there? It appears that the executive branch could c...
Unemployment Compensation (UC) and Family Leave
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-26 · Resources · 1,605 words
Introduction In general, unemployed workers who voluntarily exit the workforce for the care of a family member—including the birth, adoption, or care of a child—would be ineligible for unemployment co...
Inland Waterways Trust Fund
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-26 · Resources · 1,366 words
Overview The Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) is a fund in the U.S. Treasury that receives revenues from a tax (also known as the inland waterway user fee) on commercial-barge fuel on federally desi...
Budgetary Effects of the BCA as Amended: The “Parity Principle”
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-23 · Resources · 1,433 words
Enactment of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA 2018; P.L. 115-123) has drawn attention to how recent spending modifications affect certain portions of the budget. Specifically, there has been con...
Financial Reform: Small Bank Holding Company Threshold
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-23 · Resources · 1,632 words
Small bank holding companies and small thrift holding companies (hereafter collectively referred to as small BHCs) face less stringent regulation related to debt financed acquisitions and capital requ...
Dairy Provisions in the Bipartisan Budget Act (P.L. 115-123)
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-22 · Resources · 1,452 words
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA; P.L. 115-123) made important changes to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) dairy Margin Protection Program (MPP) and removed the cost cap on livestock in...
Russians Indicted for Online Election Trolling
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the grand jury indictment of three Russian companies and thirteen Russian nationals on February 16, 2018. The indictment alleges that the defendants took par...
Federal and Indian Lands on the U.S.-Mexico Border
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-21 · Resources · 1,373 words · PDF available
The federal government owns roughly 640 million acres of land, about 28% of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the United States. In addition, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), in the Department of t...
Campus-Based Student Financial Aid Programs Under the Higher Education Act
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-20 · Reports · 10,077 words · PDF available
Three Higher Education Act (HEA) student financial aid programs—the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program, the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program, and the Federal Perkins Lo...
How Many People Experience Homelessness?
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-16 · Resources · 1,285 words · PDF available
Attempts by the federal government to estimate the number of people who are homeless have only taken place on a regular basis for a little more than a decade. Prior to that, there had been several nat...
Agriculture Funding in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-16 · Resources · 1,232 words
On February 9, 2018, Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123), which broadly authorized supplemental appropriations, including for crop and livestock losses from the 2017 hurri...
HPSCI Memorandum Sparks Debate over FISA Application Requirements
The recent disclosure by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) of a declassified memorandum written by HPSCI majority staff has sparked a renewed conversation about the governme...
Hunting and Fishing on Federal Lands and Waters: Overview and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-14 · Reports · 14,171 words
This report provides an overview of issues related to hunting and fishing on federal lands. Each year millions of individuals participate in hunting and fishing activities, bringing in billions of dol...
The Half Trillion Dollar Ruling: Latest Dodd-Frank Case Narrows “Skin-in-the-Game” Rule
Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (D.C. Circuit) held that the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act’s (Dodd-Frank’s) risk-retention requirements—which one ...
Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC): Structure and Activities
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-12 · Reports · 6,828 words · PDF available
The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) and its Office of Financial Research (OFR) were established by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (P.L. 111-203) to address ...
Association Health Plans: Some Key Aspects of the Labor Department’s Proposed Rule
Association health plans (AHPs) are in the spotlight due to a recent Labor Department proposed rule that aims to broaden access to this type of health insurance coverage. The proposed rule responds to...
Enforcement of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act: Select Legal Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-09 · Reports · 12,336 words · PDF available
In an increasingly interconnected world, public health concerns and crises have domestic and international implications. In the United States, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 (FD&C Ac...
Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA)
The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) was enacted as part of Division E of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (H.R. 1892). Among other changes, FFPSA expands federal support for services to ...
Digital Currencies: Sanctions Evasion Risks
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-08 · Resources · 1,475 words
Introduction As the market for digital currencies evolves, one area on which Congress has focused is the potential use of digital currencies for sanctions evasion. Digital currencies face an uneven in...
Addressing Sexual Harassment by Modifying the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995: A Look at Key Provisions in H.R. 4924
On February 6, 2018, H.R. 4924 passed the House by a voice vote. This Sidebar was originally written in reference to H.R. 4924’s predecessor bill, H.R. 4822. The two bills are nearly identical, with m...
Criminal Prohibitions on Disclosing the Identities of Covert Intelligence Assets
The recent arrest of a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer with knowledge of human intelligence operations targeting China that reportedly have been compromised raises questions regarding...
Social Security Benefits and Unauthorized Alien Workers
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-06 · Resources · 1,794 words · PDF available
“Are unauthorized alien workers eligible for Social Security benefits?” This In Focus addresses the frequently asked question in a summary format. A more detailed discussion is provided in CRS Report ...
Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Ways of Funding Government: Exploring the Cost to Taxpayers of Spending Uncertainty Caused by Governing Through Continuing Resolutions, Giant Omnibus Spending Bills, and Shutdown Crises
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-06 · Testimony · 5,507 words
continuing resolution, CR, continuing resolutions, CRs, interim CR, shutdown, funding gap, funding lapse, budget process
The 2017 Tax Revision (P.L. 115-97): Comparison to 2017 Tax Law
Congressional Research Service · 2018-02-06 · Reports · 20,640 words · PDF available
A tax revision enacted late in 2017 substantively changed the federal income tax system (P.L. 115-97). Broadly, for individuals, the act temporarily modifies income tax rates. Some deductions, credits...
Clean Water Rule Challenges Must Begin in Federal District Courts, Supreme Court Holds
In National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) v. Department of Defense, the Supreme Court held that legal challenges to the 2015 Clean Water Rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a...
Elementary and Secondary Education Act: Overview of Title IA Academic Accountability Provisions
Congressional Research Service · 2018-01-31 · Resources · 1,602 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 ESSA made numerous changes to the sta...
Financial Reform: Savings Associations or “Thrifts”
Congressional Research Service · 2018-01-29 · Resources · 1,596 words
The degree to which the regulatory regime facing federal savings associations—also called “thrifts”—and banks should differ is a prominent policy issue in the 115th Congress. For example, S. 2155 and ...
AT&T-Time Warner Merger Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2018-01-26 · Resources · 1,371 words
On October 22, 2016, AT&T Inc. and Time Warner Inc. announced that they had entered into an agreement under which AT&T will merge with Time Warner. As of September 30, 2017, the total transaction valu...
Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2018
Congressional Research Service · 2018-01-25 · Reports · 31,312 words
President Trump’s budget request for FY2018 includes $117.697 billion for research and development (R&D). This represents a $30.605 billion (20.6%) decrease from the FY2016 actual level of $148.302 bi...
Amateur Strip-Club Arrests: Probable Cause & Qualified Immunity
The Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision that had found a lack of probable cause, and had denied police officers qualified immunity for arrest of participants in a late-night, strip-club-li...
Disney-Fox Transaction
Congressional Research Service · 2018-01-19 · Resources · 1,533 words
On December 14, 2017, the Walt Disney Company (Disney) and 21st Century Fox Inc. (Fox) announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Disney will acquire Fox for $66.1 billion. The pri...
Standards of Identity for Foods and Plant-Based Food Products
Congressional Research Service · 2018-01-18 · Resources · 1,786 words
Foods are often subject to federal regulations or established standards regarding how they are formulated or ingredients they may contain. Given this regulatory framework, as the market for plant-base...