Policy Library

7,020 documents

How Legislation Is Brought to the House Floor: A Snapshot of Parliamentary Practice in the 113th Congress (2013-2014)
Congressional Research Service · 2015-02-13 · Reports · 3,767 words
The 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 man...
Department of Housing and Urban Development: FY2015 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2015-02-11 · Reports · 11,798 words
In FY2015, the Department of Housing and Urban Development was funded as part of the FY2015 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act (P.L. 113-235), enacted on December 16, 2014, followi...
A Guide to Describing the Income Distribution
Congressional Research Service · 2015-02-05 · Reports · 12,937 words
The distribution of income in the United States features heavily in congressional discussions about the middle class, program funding and effectiveness, new and existing target groups, government tax ...
Alien Removals and Returns: Overview and Trends
Congressional Research Service · 2015-02-03 · Reports · 15,057 words
The ability to remove foreign nationals (aliens) who violate U.S. immigration law is central to the immigration enforcement system. Some lawful migrants violate the terms of their admittance, and some...
Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions on Regulatory and Other Collegial Boards and Commissions, 112th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2015-02-03 · Reports · 14,540 words
The President makes appointments to positions within the federal government, either using authorities granted to the President alone or with the advice and consent of the Senate. There are some 149 fu...
Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2015
Congressional Research Service · 2015-02-02 · Reports · 36,408 words
President Obama’s budget request for FY2015 included $135.352 billion for research and development (R&D), a $1.670 billion (1.2%) increase from the FY2014 level of $133.682 billion. Funding for R&D i...
Common Questions About Federal Records and Related Agency Requirements
Congressional Research Service · 2015-02-02 · Reports · 5,629 words
Federal departments and agencies create federal records in the course of their daily operations. Congress first enacted the Federal Records Act (FRA; 44 U.S.C. Chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33) in 1950. Co...
China as the World’s “Largest Economy”
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-29 · Resources · 1,492 words · PDF available
Various media have recently reported that China has overtaken the United States to become the world’s largest economy (a position the United States had held at least since 1913), based on estimates of...
Everglades Restoration: The Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP)
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-29 · Resources · 1,140 words
Overview What Is the Everglades? The Everglades is a unique network of subtropical wetlands in South Florida. Due in part to federal water supply and flood control projects (as well as agricultural an...
Medical Loss Ratio Requirements Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA): Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-29 · Reports · 11,454 words
The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111-148) requires certain health insurers to provide consumer rebates if they do not meet a set financial target known as a medical loss ...
U.S. Natural Gas Exports: New Opportunities, Uncertain Outcomes
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-28 · Reports · 11,731 words
As estimates for the amount of U.S. natural gas resources have grown, so have the prospects of rising U.S. natural gas exports. The United States is expected to go from a net importer of natural gas t...
Government Assistance for GMAC/Ally Financial: Unwinding the Government Stake
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-26 · Reports · 6,226 words
Ally Financial, formerly known as General Motors Acceptance Corporation or GMAC, provides auto financing, insurance, online banking, and mortgage and commercial financing. For most of its history, it ...
Border Security: Immigration Inspections at Ports of Entry
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-26 · Reports · 19,781 words
About 362 million travelers (citizens and noncitizens) entered the United States in FY2013, including about 102 million air passengers and crew, 18 million sea passengers and crew, and 242 million lan...
Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Legislation in the 113th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-22 · Reports · 11,919 words
Defendants convicted of violating certain federal criminal laws face the prospect of mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment. Bills offered during the 113th Congress would have supplemented, enhanced,...
National Security Letters: Proposals in the 113th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-22 · Reports · 18,461 words
A National Security Letter (NSL) is roughly comparable to an administrative subpoena. Various intelligence agencies use NSLs to demand certain customer information from communications providers, finan...
Insurance Agent Licensing: Overview and Background on Federal NARAB Legislation
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-20 · Reports · 5,114 words
The individual states have been the primary regulators of insurance in this country for the past 150 years. Congress specifically authorized the states’ role in the 1945 McCarran-Ferguson Act (15 U.S....
Terrorism Risk Insurance Legislation in the 114th Congress: Issue Summary and Side-by-Side Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-20 · Reports · 5,473 words
Prior to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, insurance covering terrorism losses was normally included in commercial insurance policies without additional cost to the policyholders. Following t...
Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines: Process and Timing of FERC Permit Application Review
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-16 · Reports · 7,341 words
Growth in U.S. shale gas production involves the expansion of natural gas pipeline infrastructure to transport natural gas from producing regions to consuming markets, typically in other states. Over ...
The Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program: Status and Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-15 · Reports · 7,964 words
The Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program is a Department of Energy (DOE) program designed to reduce petroleum use in vehicles and promote domestic manufacturing. It was estab...
The Affordable Care Act and Small Business: Economic Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-15 · Reports · 13,484 words
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA; P.L. 111-148 and P.L. 111-152) contains several provisions to encourage employer-sponsored health coverage, particularly among small businesses. Th...
Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions in Independent and Other Agencies During the 112th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-13 · Reports · 12,567 words
The President makes appointments to positions within the federal government, either using the authorities granted to the President alone or with the advice and consent of the Senate. This report ident...
Proposals to Change the ACA’s Definition of “Full Time”
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-13 · Resources · 1,485 words
Background Context. For the purposes of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA; P.L. 111-148, as amended) employer penalty, “large employers” are defined as firms with 50 or more “full-time equivalent” employ...
Presidential Appointments to Full-Time Positions in Executive Departments During the 112th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-08 · Reports · 15,120 words
The President makes appointments to positions within the federal government, either using the authorities granted to the President alone or with the advice and consent of the Senate. There are some 34...
The Network for Manufacturing Innovation
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-08 · Reports · 6,157 words · PDF available
In December 2014, Congress passed the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2014 (RAMIA), as Title VII of Division B of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 20...
Cyber Operations in DOD Policy and Plans: Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-05 · Reports · 15,700 words
Cyberspace is defined by the Department of Defense as a global domain consisting of the interdependent networks of information technology infrastructures and resident data, including the Internet, tel...
Desalination and Membrane Technologies: Federal Research and Adoption Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2015-01-02 · Reports · 8,425 words
In the United States, desalination and membrane technologies are used to augment municipal water supply, produce high-quality industrial water supplies, and reclaim contaminated supplies (including fr...
Public-Private Partnerships for Purposes of Federal Real Property Management
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-31 · Reports · 19,338 words · PDF available
While public-private partnerships (PPPs) have long been used to manage real property, congressional interest in PPPs has recently increased due to the large number of underutilized and excess building...
U.S. Crude Oil Export Policy: Background and Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-31 · Reports · 20,452 words · PDF available
During an era of oil price controls and following the 1973 Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries oil embargo, Congress passed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), which ...
Secret Sessions of the House and Senate: Authority, Confidentiality, and Frequency
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-30 · Reports · 3,406 words
Secret, or closed, sessions of the House and Senate exclude the press and the public. They may be held for matters deemed to require confidentiality and secrecy—such as national security, sensitive co...
Rehabilitation Act: Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-30 · Reports · 6,507 words
The federal government is authorized to make grants to state agencies for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services. These grants support services to help individuals with disabilities prepare for and e...
NASA: Issues for Authorization, Appropriations, and Oversight in the 114th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-22 · Reports · 18,544 words
Spaceflight fascinates and inspires many Americans, but in a time of constrained federal budgets, it must compete with a multitude of other national priorities. As the 114th Congress conducts oversigh...
Reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA)
Congressional Research Service · 2014-12-22 · Reports · 9,532 words
One hundred sixteen million U.S. households watch television. Approximately 86% of those households subscribe to a service that carries the retransmitted signals of broadcast stations over fiber optic...
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 ...