Policy Library

6,587 documents

Pesticide Registration and Tolerance Fees: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2013-11-05 · Reports · 19,385 words
The Pesticide Registration Improvement Extension Act of 2012 (PRIA 3; P.L. 112-177), enacted September 28, 2012, amended the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal...
Carbon Capture: A Technology Assessment
Congressional Research Service · 2013-11-05 · Reports · 0 words
Carbon capture and sequestration (or carbon capture and storage, CCS) is widely seen as a critical strategy for limiting atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2)—the principal “greenhouse gas” li...
Carbon Capture Technology Assessment: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2013-11-05 · Reports · 4,317 words
Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is widely seen as a critical strategy for limiting atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2)—the principal “greenhouse gas” linked to global climate change—f...
Corporate Criminal Liability: An Overview of Federal Law
Congressional Research Service · 2013-10-30 · Reports · 17,921 words
A corporation is criminally liable for the federal crimes its employees or agents commit in its interest. Corporate officers, employees, and agents are individually liable for the crimes they commit, ...
Corporate Criminal Liability: An Abbreviated Overview of Federal Law
Congressional Research Service · 2013-10-30 · Reports · 5,851 words
A corporation is criminally liable for the federal crimes its employees or agents commit in its interest. Corporate officers, employees, and agents are individually liable for the crimes they commit, ...
FY2014 Appropriations Lapse and the Department of Homeland Security: Impact and Legislation
Congressional Research Service · 2013-10-24 · Reports · 8,210 words
Absent legislation providing appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY2014, the Department implemented a shutdown furlough on October 1, 2013. Operations of different compone...
Federal Financial Reporting: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2013-10-22 · Reports · 10,071 words
Federal financial reporting—defined here as the process of recording retrospective executive department-level financial and performance information—can provide both a snapshot of the government’s fina...
Improper Payments and Recovery Audits: Legislation, Implementation, and Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2013-10-18 · Reports · 11,856 words
As Congress searches for ways to generate savings, reduce the deficit, and fund federal programs, it has held hearings and passed legislation to prevent and recover improper payments. Improper payment...
Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Appropriations Process: FAQs Regarding Potential Legislative Changes and Effects of a Government Shutdown
Congressional Research Service · 2013-10-02 · Reports · 11,049 words
Congress has yet to complete legislative action on any of the 12 regular appropriations bills to fund the routine operations of federal agencies for FY2014, which began on October 1, 2013. Moreover, l...
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: Background and Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2013-09-30 · Reports · 10,286 words
The Great Lakes ecosystem is recognized by many as an international natural resource that has been altered by human activities and climate variability. These alterations have led to degraded water qua...
Overview of Management and Restoration Activities in the Salton Sea
Congressional Research Service · 2013-09-24 · Reports · 14,830 words
The Salton Sea is located in southern California and is considered the largest inland water body in the state. The Salton Basin, where the Salton Sea is located, has supported many lakes and water bod...
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Appropriations for FY2013: Debate During the 112th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2013-09-24 · Reports · 27,958 words
Preceding the March 26, 2013, enactment of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (P.L. 113-6), during the 113th Congress, the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 (P.L...
Chemical Weapons: A Summary Report of Characteristics and Effects
Congressional Research Service · 2013-09-13 · Reports · 6,400 words
The potential for terrorist use of chemical agents is a noted concern highlighted by the Tokyo sarin gas attacks of 1995. The events of September 11, 2001, increased congressional attention towards re...
Federal Climate Change Funding from FY2008 to FY2014
Congressional Research Service · 2013-09-13 · Reports · 6,518 words
Direct federal funding to address global climate change totaled approximately $77 billion from FY2008 through FY2013. The large majority—more than 75%—has funded technology development and deployment,...
Harbor Maintenance Finance and Funding
Congressional Research Service · 2013-09-12 · Reports · 8,848 words
The federal government has assumed principal responsibility for maintenance of the nation’s harbors and shipping channels. Harbor maintenance activities are overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer...
Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Statutes
Congressional Research Service · 2013-09-09 · Reports · 73,277 words
Federal mandatory minimum sentencing statutes limit the discretion of a sentencing court to impose a sentence that does not include a term of imprisonment or the death penalty. They have a long histor...
Ordering a Roll Call Vote in the Senate
Congressional Research Service · 2013-09-09 · Reports · 1,388 words
Any time the Senate is considering a question—whether that question is a bill, amendment, motion, conference report, or something else—a Senator who has the floor can “ask for the yeas and nays” or a ...
Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Statutes: An Abbreviated Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2013-09-09 · Reports · 7,799 words
Federal mandatory minimum sentencing statutes limit the discretion of a sentencing court to impose a sentence that does not include a term of imprisonment or the death penalty. They have a long histor...
Gas Hydrates: Resource and Hazard
Congressional Research Service · 2013-08-23 · Reports · 4,934 words
Solid gas hydrates are a potentially huge source of natural gas for the United States. Gas hydrates occur naturally onshore in some permafrost regions, and at or below the seafloor in sediments where ...
U.S. Coal Exports
Congressional Research Service · 2013-08-21 · Reports · 12,212 words
The gap between available U.S. coal supply and demand may continue to widen as low cost natural gas becomes more attractive to electric power plants and uncertainties with emission regulations may inh...
Changing the Federal Reserve’s Mandate: An Economic Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2013-08-12 · Reports · 13,913 words
The Federal Reserve’s (Fed’s) current statutory mandate calls for it to “promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.” Some economists hav...
European Union Wind and Solar Electricity Policies: Overview and Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2013-08-07 · Reports · 17,385 words
European Union (EU) countries have provided support for the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies, dating back to as early as the 1980s. Today, the European Union has established...
The MF Global Bankruptcy, Missing Customer Funds, and Proposals for Reform
Congressional Research Service · 2013-08-01 · Reports · 5,648 words
On October 31, 2011, MF Global, a large brokerage firm registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a broker-dealer and with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as a fut...
Retaining and Preserving Federal Records in a Digital Environment: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2013-07-26 · Reports · 9,001 words
All federal departments and agencies create federal records “in connection with the transaction of public business.” The Federal Records Act, as amended (44 U.S.C. Chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33), requir...
Earthquakes: Risk, Detection, Warning, and Research
Congressional Research Service · 2013-07-18 · Reports · 10,310 words
Portions of all 50 states and the District of Columbia are vulnerable to earthquake hazards, although risks vary greatly across the country and within individual states. Seismic hazards are greatest i...
U.S. and South Korean Cooperation in the World Nuclear Energy Market: Major Policy Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2013-06-25 · Reports · 8,706 words
A South Korean consortium signed a contract in December 2009 to provide four commercial nuclear reactors to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), signaling a new role for South Korea in the world nuclear en...
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission: Background and Current Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2013-06-24 · Reports · 11,380 words
The 113th Congress is interested in an array of issues faced by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The congressional committees with oversight of the agency, the House and Senate Agricul...
The Federal Rulemaking Process: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2013-06-17 · Reports · 18,864 words
Federal regulation, like taxing and spending, is one of the basic tools of government used to implement public policy. Although not as frequently examined as congressional or presidential policy makin...
The Chained Consumer Price Index: What Is It and Would It Be Appropriate for Cost-of-Living Adjustments?
Congressional Research Service · 2013-06-12 · Reports · 6,150 words
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes two important measures of inflation: the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners an...
Inland Waterways: Financing and Management Options in Federal Studies
Congressional Research Service · 2013-06-07 · Reports · 4,624 words
barge, inland waterways, locks, army corps of engineers, rivers, freight, cargo, shippers, navigation, waterways, intracoastal, intercoastal, tow, towboat, tug, tugboat, maritime, marine, waterborne, ...
The Federal Railroad Administration’s Train Horn Rule
Congressional Research Service · 2013-06-03 · Reports · 4,722 words
Numerous communities across the United States imposed bans on the sounding of train whistles at highway-rail grade crossings beginning in the late 1970s to address complaints and concerns of nearby re...
Reexamination of Agency Reporting Requirements: Annual Process Under the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA)
Congressional Research Service · 2013-05-29 · Reports · 12,929 words
On January 4, 2011, the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) became law. The acronym “GPRA” in the act’s short title refers to the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA 1993), a law ...
Proposed Cuts to Air Traffic Control Towers Under Budget Sequestration: Background and Considerations for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2013-05-16 · Reports · 5,137 words
Budgetary flexibility enacted under the Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-9) has permitted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to cancel plans to close 149 air traffic control towers ...
Search and Seizure Cases in the October 2012 Term of the Supreme Court
Congressional Research Service · 2013-05-15 · Reports · 9,381 words
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable ca...
President Obama’s First-Term U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations: An Analysis and Comparison with Presidents Since Reagan
Congressional Research Service · 2013-05-02 · Reports · 15,044 words
The process by which lower federal court judges are nominated by the President and considered by the Senate is of continuing interest to Congress. Recent Senate debates in Congress over judicial nomin...
Expediting the Return to Work: Approaches in the Unemployment Compensation Program
Congressional Research Service · 2013-05-01 · Reports · 19,390 words
The most recent recession led to an unprecedented increase in the number of those unemployed for more than 26 weeks (the long-term unemployed). As a result, congressional interest in policy initiative...
Terrorism, Miranda, and Related Matters
Congressional Research Service · 2013-04-24 · Reports · 6,270 words
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides in part that “No person ... shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or...
Department of Defense Implementation of the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative: Implications for Federal Information Technology Reform Management
Congressional Research Service · 2013-04-23 · Reports · 8,815 words
The Department of Defense (DOD) is the single largest energy consumer in the nation. As the largest owner of federal data centers, with 772, the DOD has more than twice as many centers as any other ag...
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: A Summary of Congressional Action for FY2013
Congressional Research Service · 2013-04-22 · Reports · 5,184 words
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations bill includes funding for all components and functions of DHS, including Customs and Border Protection (CBP); Immigration and Customs Enforceme...
Common Questions About Postage and Stamps
Congressional Research Service · 2013-04-19 · Reports · 3,523 words
Constituents and interest groups often approach congressional offices with questions about postage and stamps. This report provides brief answers to commonly asked questions and provides sources where...
The Reclamation Fund: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2013-04-18 · Reports · 3,466 words
The Reclamation Fund was established in 1902 to fund the development of irrigation projects on arid and semiarid lands of the 17 western states. It originated as a revolving fund for construction proj...
Ensuring That Traffic Signs Are Visible at Night: Federal Regulations
Congressional Research Service · 2013-04-16 · Reports · 3,396 words
Traffic signs provide information to help motorists travel safely. If a sign is useful during daytime, it has equal or greater value to motorists at night, when less of the road environment can be see...
How Legislation Is Brought to the House Floor: A Snapshot of Parliamentary Practice in the 112th Congress (2011-2012)
Congressional Research Service · 2013-04-15 · Reports · 3,915 words
House of Representatives has several different parliamentary procedures through which it can bring legislation to the chamber floor. Which of these will be used in a given situation depends on many fa...
Antipoverty Effects of Unemployment Insurance
Congressional Research Service · 2013-04-10 · Reports · 13,276 words
This report examines the antipoverty effects of unemployment insurance benefits during the past recession and the economic recovery. The analysis highlights the impact of the additional and expanded u...
Congressional Authority to Enact Criminal Law: An Examination of Selected Recent Cases
Congressional Research Service · 2013-03-27 · Reports · 12,720 words
The powers of Congress begin and end with the Constitution. The Constitution vests Congress with explicit authority to enact criminal laws relating to counterfeiting, piracy, crimes on the high seas, ...
Changes to Senate Procedures at the Start of the 113th Congress Affecting the Operation of Cloture (S.Res. 15 and S.Res. 16)
Congressional Research Service · 2013-03-19 · Reports · 15,315 words
On January 25, 2013, the Senate approved two resolutions affecting the process for considering legislation and nominations. S.Res. 15 established two standing orders of the Senate that will apply only...
Publishing Scientific Papers with Potential Security Risks: Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2013-03-18 · Reports · 12,809 words
The federal government generally supports the publication of federally funded research results because wide dissemination may drive innovation, job creation, technology development, and the advance of...
Border Security: Understanding Threats at U.S. Borders
Congressional Research Service · 2013-02-21 · Reports · 15,403 words
The United States confronts a wide array of threats at U.S. borders, ranging from terrorists who may have weapons of mass destruction, to transnational criminals smuggling drugs or counterfeit goods, ...
Secretary of the Senate: Legislative and Administrative Duties
Congressional Research Service · 2013-02-12 · Reports · 2,231 words
The Secretary of the Senate is an officer of the Senate elected at the beginning of each Congress by the membership of the Senate. The Secretary has financial, administrative, and legislative responsi...
Role of Home State Senators in the Selection of Lower Federal Court Judges
Congressional Research Service · 2013-02-11 · Reports · 46,247 words
This report examines the role that home state Senators, historically and in the contemporary era, have played in the selection of nominees to U.S. district court and circuit court of appeals judgeship...