Policy Library

6,587 documents

DHS Headquarters Consolidation Project: Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-19 · Reports · 19,024 words
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was established in early 2003, bringing together existing parts of 22 different federal agencies and departments in a new framework of operations. In its firs...
FY2015 Department of Housing and Urban Development Appropriations: Fact Sheet
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-19 · Reports · 1,981 words
On December 13, 2014, the Senate passed H.R. 83, the FY2015 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, two days after it had been passed by the House. The President signed the bill on Dec...
The U.S. Secret Service: History and Missions
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-18 · Reports · 8,433 words · PDF available
The U.S. Secret Service has two missions—criminal investigations and protection. Criminal investigation activities have expanded since the inception of the Service from a small anti-counterfeiting ope...
Radio Broadcasting Chips for Smartphones: A Status Report
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-15 · Reports · 3,032 words
The concurrent developments of digital radio broadcasting and digital cellular networks have enabled hybrid products that incorporate over-the-air broadcasting into cellphones. A recent introduction (...
Chemical Facility Security: Issues and Options for the 113th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-12 · Reports · 27,160 words
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has had statutory authority to regulate chemical facilities for security purposes since the 109th Congress. The 113th Congress extended this authority through...
Cash Versus Accrual Basis of Accounting: An Introduction
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-12 · Reports · 9,097 words
This report introduces two general methods of accounting—the cash basis method and accrual basis method. The choice of accounting method determines the timing of the recognition of revenue and expense...
Federal Land Management Agencies: Appropriations and Revenues
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-10 · Reports · 28,057 words
A perennial focus for Congress is on appropriations for management of federal lands and resources. Issues include the purposes for which appropriations are used, factors influencing their distribution...
Cost-Benefit and Other Analysis Requirements in the Rulemaking Process
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-09 · Reports · 16,804 words
Regulatory analytical requirements (e.g., cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis) have been established incrementally during the last 40 to 50 years through a series of presidential and congress...
Hospital-Based Emergency Departments: Background and Policy Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-08 · Reports · 22,639 words
Hospital-based Emergency Departments (EDs) are required to stabilize patients with emergent conditions regardless of the patients’ ability to pay as a requirement of the Emergency Medical Treatment an...
U.S. Rail Transportation of Crude Oil: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-04 · Reports · 13,847 words
North America is experiencing a boom in crude oil supply, primarily due to growing production in the Canadian oil sands and the recent expansion of shale oil production from the Bakken fields in North...
Energy-Water Nexus: The Energy Sector’s Water Use
Congressional Research Service · 2014-11-28 · Reports · 6,476 words · PDF available
Water and energy are critical resources that are reciprocally linked; this interdependence is often described as the water-energy nexus. Meeting energy-sector water needs, which are often large, depen...
The Budget Control Act and Trends in Discretionary Spending
Congressional Research Service · 2014-11-26 · Reports · 17,689 words
Discretionary spending is provided and controlled through appropriations acts, which fund many of the activities commonly associated with such federal government functions as running executive branch ...
U.S. Secret Service Protection Mission Funding and Staffing: Fact Sheet
Congressional Research Service · 2014-11-25 · Reports · 1,421 words
U.S. Secret Service Presidential protection White House Security U.S. Secret Service appropriations U.S. Secret Service staffing U.S. Secret Service Police U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division
Child Welfare: State Plan Requirements under the Title IV-E Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, and Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program
Congressional Research Service · 2014-11-17 · Reports · 16,432 words
Under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, states, territories, and tribes are entitled to claim partial federal reimbursement for the cost of providing foster care, adoption assistance, and kinship...
Adult Education and Family Literacy Act: Major Statutory Provisions
Congressional Research Service · 2014-11-17 · Reports · 5,031 words
The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) is the primary federal legislation that supports basic education for out-of-school adults. Commonly called “adult education,” the programs and activ...
Federal Proposals to Tax Marijuana: An Economic Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2014-11-13 · Reports · 19,233 words
The combination of state policy and general public opinion favoring the legalizing of marijuana has led some in Congress to advocate for legalization and taxation of marijuana at the federal level. Th...
FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2014-11-12 · Reports · 16,398 words
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (referred to as the Stafford Act—42 U.S.C. 5721 et seq.) authorizes the President to issue “major disaster” or “emergency” declarati...
Medicaid Prescription Drug Pricing and Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2014-11-07 · Reports · 27,514 words
Medicaid is a federal-state entitlement program that pays for health care and related services on behalf of certain low-income individuals. Prescription drugs are an optional Medicaid benefit and all ...
Nuclear Energy Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2014-10-15 · Reports · 21,348 words
Nuclear energy issues facing Congress include reactor safety and regulation, radioactive waste management, research and development priorities, federal incentives for new commercial reactors, nuclear ...
Phased Retirement: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2014-10-08 · Reports · 5,193 words
On July 6, 2012, P.L. 112-141, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), was signed into law. Section 100121 of P.L. 112-141 provides authority for a new phased retirement option...
Federal Pollution Control Laws: How Are They Enforced?
Congressional Research Service · 2014-10-07 · Reports · 24,569 words · PDF available
As a result of enforcement actions and settlements for noncompliance with federal pollution control requirements, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that, during FY2013, regulated...
U.S. Exports of Crude Oil and Natural Gas: The Case of Alaska
Congressional Research Service · 2014-10-01 · Reports · 9,120 words
Recent growth in U.S. natural gas and crude oil production has fundamentally shifted the energy supply and demand balance in key U.S. energy markets. Many analysts and energy producers argue that ther...
Extending Unemployment Compensation Benefits During Recessions
Congressional Research Service · 2014-10-01 · Reports · 13,297 words
This report describes the history of temporary federal extensions to unemployment benefits from 1980 to the present. Among these extensions is the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program c...
Public Transportation Program and Funding Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2014-09-26 · Reports · 8,157 words
The federal public transportation program, administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), is the primary means by which the federal government funds and regulates public transportation, suc...
Dark Pools in Equity Trading: Policy Concerns and Recent Developments
Congressional Research Service · 2014-09-26 · Reports · 7,400 words
The term “dark pools” generally refers to electronic stock trading platforms in which pre-trade bids and offers are not published and price information about the trade is only made public after the tr...
Federal Labor Relations Statutes: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2014-09-05 · Reports · 22,056 words · PDF available
Since 1926, Congress has enacted three major laws that govern labor-management relations for private sector and federal employees. An issue for Congress is the effect of these laws on employers, worke...
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): Status and Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2014-08-29 · Reports · 8,970 words
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provides payments to agricultural producers to take highly erodible and environmentally sensitive land out of production and install resource conserving practice...
Summary Report: FY2014 Supplemental Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2014-08-28 · Reports · 2,354 words
On July 8, 2014, the Administration requested $4,346 million in FY2014 supplemental appropriations to address two issues: the surge in both unaccompanied and escorted children illegally crossing the s...
Overview of the Relationship between Federal Student Aid and Increases in College Prices
Congressional Research Service · 2014-08-22 · Reports · 0 words
College affordability is an issue that has received considerable attention from federal policy makers in recent years as concerns have arisen that a college education may be out of reach for an increa...
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP): Implementation and Status
Congressional Research Service · 2014-08-21 · Reports · 11,858 words
The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was created by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (EESA; P.L. 110-343) in October 2008. EESA was enacted to address an ongoing financial crisis that reac...
Social Networking and Constituent Communications: Members’ Use of Vine in Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2014-08-21 · Reports · 3,524 words
In the past 10 years, the rise of social media has expanded the number of options available for communication between Members of Congress and their constituents. Virtually all Members, including all 1...
Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08): Status of Benefits Prior to Expiration
Congressional Research Service · 2014-08-11 · Reports · 5,501 words
Until its expiration at the end of December 2013, the temporary Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program provided additional federal unemployment insurance benefits to eligible individuals ...
The Military Commissions Act of 2009 (MCA 2009): Overview and Legal Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2014-08-04 · Reports · 31,294 words
On November 13, 2001, President Bush issued a Military Order (M.O.) pertaining to the detention, treatment, and trial of certain non-citizens in the war against terrorism. Military commissions pursuan...
Nominations to Cabinet Positions During Inter-Term Transitions Since 1984
Congressional Research Service · 2014-07-30 · Reports · 7,971 words
Under the Constitution, high-level leadership positions in the executive branch are filled through appointment by the President “by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate.” These posts include ...
“Black Boxes” in Passenger Vehicles: Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2014-07-22 · Reports · 8,981 words
An event data recorder (EDR) is an electronic sensor installed in a motor vehicle that records certain technical information about a vehicle’s operational performance for a few seconds immediately pri...
Funding for the Impact Aid Program: Options for Budget Year Appropriations, Forward Funding, and Advance Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2014-07-22 · Reports · 7,679 words
Administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), the Impact Aid program is one of the oldest federal education programs, dating from 1950. Impact Aid, authorized under Title VIII of the Elementa...
Shipping U.S. Crude Oil by Water: Vessel Flag Requirements and Safety Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2014-07-21 · Reports · 14,374 words
New sources of crude oil from North Dakota, Texas, and western Canada have induced new routes for shipping crude oil to U.S. and Canadian refineries. While pipelines have traditionally been the prefer...
Shale Energy Technology Assessment: Current and Emerging Water Practices
Congressional Research Service · 2014-07-14 · Reports · 17,670 words
Shale oil and gas (collectively referred to as shale energy), long considered “unconventional” hydrocarbon resources, are now being developed rapidly. Economic extraction of shale energy resources typ...
Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014: Comparison of Select Provisions
Congressional Research Service · 2014-07-14 · Reports · 25,941 words
The Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA 2014, P.L. 113-121) became law on June 10, 2014. The conference report, H.Rept. 113-449, resolved differences between H.R. 3080, the Water...
U.S. Shale Gas Development: Production, Infrastructure, and Market Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2014-07-14 · Reports · 6,583 words
The United States is in the process of discovering the true extent of its unconventional natural gas resources primarily derived from shale, with estimates rising every year. Natural gas has become an...
Fruits, Vegetables, and Other Specialty Crops: Selected Farm Bill and Federal Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2014-07-11 · Reports · 25,779 words · PDF available
U.S. farmers grow more than 350 types of fruit, vegetable, tree nut, flower, nursery, and other horticultural crops in addition to the major bulk commodity crops. Specialty crop producers are ineligib...
Specialty Crop Provisions in the 2014 Farm Bill (P.L. 113-79)
Congressional Research Service · 2014-07-10 · Reports · 11,781 words
U.S. farmers grow more than 350 types of fruit, vegetable, tree nut, flower, nursery, and other horticultural crops in addition to the major bulk commodity crops. Specialty crops, defined in statute a...
Monetary Policy and the Taylor Rule
Congressional Research Service · 2014-07-09 · Resources · 1,715 words
Overview Some Members of Congress, dissatisfied with the Federal Reserve’s (Fed’s) conduct of monetary policy, have looked for alternatives to the current regime. H.R. 5018 would trigger congressional...
Hydraulic Fracturing and Water Use in California
Congressional Research Service · 2014-07-02 · Resources · 1,606 words
Hydraulic fracturing (sometimes referred to as fracking) is a technique that uses water, sand, and chemicals under pressure to enable or enhance the production of natural gas and crude oil from format...
U.S. Energy: Overview and Key Statistics
Congressional Research Service · 2014-06-27 · Reports · 10,156 words
Energy policy has been a recurring issue for Congress since the first major crises in the 1970s. As an aid in policymaking, this report presents a current and historical view of the supply and consump...
Inland Waterways: Recent Proposals and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2014-06-26 · Reports · 12,985 words
Inland waterways are a significant part of the nation’s transportation system. Because of the national economic benefits of maritime transport, the federal government has invested in navigation infras...
Bond v. United States: Validity and Construction of the Federal Chemical Weapons Statute
Congressional Research Service · 2014-06-20 · Reports · 5,281 words
The Chemical Weapons Convention obligates the United States to outlaw the use, production, and retention of weapons consisting of toxic chemicals. The Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act ou...
High-Frequency Trading: Background, Concerns, and Regulatory Developments
Congressional Research Service · 2014-06-19 · Reports · 24,750 words
High-frequency trading (HFT) is a broad term without a precise legal or regulatory definition. It is used to describe what many characterize as a subset of algorithmic trading that involves very rapid...
The Project BioShield Act: Issues for the 113th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2014-06-18 · Reports · 8,619 words
In 2004, Congress passed the Project BioShield Act (P.L. 108-276) to provide the federal government with new authorities related to the development, procurement, and use of medical countermeasures aga...
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD): FY2015 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2014-06-16 · Reports · 11,314 words
The House and Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) appropriations subcommittees are charged with providing annual appropriations for the Department of Tran...