Policy Library

7,020 documents

Unemployment Compensation (Insurance) and Military Service
Congressional Research Service · 2016-06-07 · Reports · 3,668 words
The Unemployment Compensation (UC) program contains several provisions relevant to current and former military service personnel and their families. The UC program does not provide benefits for milita...
Puerto Rico’s Current Fiscal Challenges
Congressional Research Service · 2016-06-03 · Reports · 13,650 words
The government of Puerto Rico faces severe fiscal challenges. A federal district court judge in late March 2016 held that the island’s government was insolvent and unable to pay its obligations on tim...
Medicare’s Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Three-Day Inpatient Stay Requirement: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2016-06-02 · Reports · 3,723 words
Medicare beneficiaries are generally entitled to coverage for care they receive in a skilled nursing facility (SNF). However, Medicare beneficiaries can be liable for substantial cost sharing related ...
Changes in the U.S. Commercial Space Industry
Congressional Research Service · 2016-06-02 · Resources · 1,487 words · PDF available
The Space Economy Rockets, satellites, and the services they provide, once the domain of governments, are increasingly launched and managed by privately owned companies as well. Commercial activities ...
Funding for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) at DOE: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2016-05-26 · Reports · 2,416 words
to be suppressed Carbon capture and sequestration (or storage)—known as CCS The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (P.L. 111-5; enacted February 17, 2009, hereinaft...
Social Media in Congress: The Impact of Electronic Media on Member Communications
Congressional Research Service · 2016-05-26 · Reports · 11,257 words
The mediums through which Members and constituents communicate have changed significantly over American history and continue to evolve today. Whereas most communications traditionally occurred through...
Military Funeral Honors for Veterans
Congressional Research Service · 2016-05-25 · Reports · 4,008 words · PDF available
Eligible veterans are entitled to receive military honors at their funerals. Federal law, enacted in 1999 (P.L. 105-261) and amended in 2000 (P.L. 106-65) provides that each eligible veteran shall be ...
Earthquake Risk and U.S. Highway Infrastructure: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2016-05-19 · Reports · 3,927 words
Earthquakes and related events, such as soil liquefaction, landslides, tsunamis, flooding, and fires, pose risks to highway infrastructure. Concerns about the U.S. highway system’s seismic vulnerabili...
Farm Credit System
Congressional Research Service · 2016-05-17 · Reports · 3,486 words
The Farm Credit System (FCS) is a nationwide financial cooperative lending to agricultural and aquatic producers, rural homeowners, and certain agriculture-related businesses and cooperatives. Establi...
Fiscal Accountability Requirements That Apply to Title I-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
Congressional Research Service · 2016-05-16 · Resources · 1,693 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...
Currency Exchange Rate Policies and the World Trade Organization Subsidies Agreement
Congressional Research Service · 2016-05-16 · Resources · 1,679 words
Some Members of Congress have expressed concerns that foreign countries are “manipulating” their currencies through their exchange rate policies. Such concerns have focused on policies that are seen a...
The Sentencing Reform Act of 2015 (H.R. 3713): A Summary
Congressional Research Service · 2016-05-16 · Reports · 4,953 words
H.R. 3713, the Sentencing Reform Act of 2015, addresses the sentences that may be imposed in various drug and firearms cases. It proposes amendments to those areas of federal law that govern mandatory...
The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2016-05-10 · Reports · 2,486 words · PDF available
Suppress for publication In addition to raising revenue, the individual income tax has been used as a vehicle to promote various social and economic goals. This has been accomplished by according pre...
Legislative Procedures for Adjusting the Public Debt Limit: A Brief Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2016-05-06 · Reports · 4,451 words
Nearly all of the outstanding debt of the federal government is subject to a statutory limit, which is set forth as a dollar limitation in 31 U.S.C. 3101(b). From time to time, Congress considers and ...
Efforts to Address the Safety of FDA-Regulated Food Imports
Congressional Research Service · 2016-05-05 · Resources · 1,348 words
High-profile foodborne outbreaks and incidents involving imported foods have generated growing concerns about whether current federal programs sufficiently ensure the safety of these imports. Safety c...
Challenges and Opportunities for Oil and Gas Development in Different Price Environments
Congressional Research Service · 2016-04-26 · Testimony · 901 words
Oil, natural gas, prices
What’s on Television? The Intersection of Communications and Copyright Policies
Congressional Research Service · 2016-04-20 · Reports · 14,565 words
In the 1940s and 1950s, watching television meant tuning into one of a few broadcast television stations, with the help of an antenna, to watch a program at a prescheduled time. Over subsequent decade...
Border Security: Immigration Enforcement Between Ports of Entry
Congressional Research Service · 2016-04-19 · Reports · 17,175 words
Border enforcement is a core element of the Department of Homeland Security’s effort to control unauthorized migration, with the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) within the U.S. Customs and Border Protection...
Foreign Military Sales Congressional Review Process
Congressional Research Service · 2016-04-19 · Resources · 1,267 words
Congressional Notification Section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA; P.L. 90-629) governs congressional notification requirements for proposed Foreign Military Sales (FMS). This section requ...
Pipelines: Securing the Veins of the American Economy
Congressional Research Service · 2016-04-19 · Testimony · 7,504 words
pipelines, pipeline safety, pipeline security, critical infrastructure, Transportation Security Administration, TSA
Congressional Redistricting: Legal and Constitutional Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2016-04-14 · Reports · 9,239 words
Congressional redistricting is the drawing of district boundaries from which the people choose their representatives to the U.S. House of Representatives. The legal framework for congressional redistr...
General Policy Statements: Legal Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2016-04-14 · Reports · 17,888 words
Agencies frequently use guidance documents to set regulatory policy. While “legislative rules” carry the force of law and are required to undergo the notice and comment procedures of the Administrativ...
Surveillance of Foreigners Outside the United States Under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)
Congressional Research Service · 2016-04-13 · Reports · 3,451 words
After the attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush authorized the National Security Agency to conduct a Terrorist Surveillance Program (TSP) to “intercept international communications i...
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2017 President’s Budget Request
Congressional Research Service · 2016-04-06 · Resources · 1,227 words · PDF available
Since FY2006, Congress has funded EPA in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations. Title II of Division G of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113), provided $8...
National Park System: Units Managed Through Partnerships
Congressional Research Service · 2016-04-05 · Reports · 7,039 words
In recent decades, it has become more common for the National Park Service (NPS) to own and manage units of the National Park System in partnership with others in the federal, tribal, state, local, or...
Calling Up Business on the Senate Floor
Congressional Research Service · 2016-04-01 · Reports · 1,232 words
The Senate takes up measures and matters under procedures set in Senate rules and by long-standing customs, thereby giving it flexibility in setting its floor agenda. This report first treats those pr...
FY2015 State Grants Under Title I-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-31 · Reports · 2,269 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...
Taxation of Credit Unions: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-31 · Reports · 3,165 words
[suppress summary] Credit unions are financial cooperatives organized by people with a common bond; they are the only depository institutions exempt from the federal corporate income tax. As financial...
The Federal Budget: Overview and Issues for FY2017 and Beyond
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-24 · Reports · 9,770 words
The federal budget is a central component of the congressional “power of the purse.” Each fiscal year, Congress and the President engage in a number of practices that influence short- and long-run rev...
Financial Services and Cybersecurity: The Federal Role
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-23 · Reports · 13,995 words · PDF available
Multiple federal and state regulators oversee companies in the financial services industry. Regulatory authority is often directed at particular functions or financial services activities rather than ...
Racing to Regulate: EPA’s Latest Overreach on Amateur Drivers
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-15 · Testimony · 2,124 words
Clean Air Act motor vehicle competition vehicle racing vehicle racecar tampering defeat device emissions regulation off-road nonroad motorcycle
The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program: Overview and Impact of the Affordable Care Act
Congressional Research Service · 2016-03-10 · Reports · 14,391 words
The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program makes federal funds available to eligible metropolitan areas, states, and local community-based organizations to assist with health care costs and support services for ...
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...