Policy Library

7,020 documents

Adolescent Pregnancy: Federal Prevention Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-22 · Reports · 18,702 words · PDF available
Congress has supported adolescent pregnancy prevention efforts for many years. These programs aim to prevent adolescent pregnancy to avert associated public health, social, and economic challenges tha...
Federal Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-22 · Resources · 1,540 words · PDF available
Background The U.S. teen birth rate—or the number of births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 each year—has steadily declined since the early 1990s. The rate decreased by 78% from the most recent high o...
Biometric Technologies and Global Security
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-22 · Resources · 1,514 words · PDF available
Biometric technologies use unique biological or behavioral attributes—such as DNA, fingerprints, cardiac signatures, voice or gait patterns, and facial or ocular measurements—to authenticate an indivi...
CRA Lookback Period Currently Estimated to Begin in August 1 Time Frame
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-21 · Posts · 1,017 words · PDF available
The Congressional Review Act (CRA, 5 U.S.C. §§801-808) is a tool that Congress can use to overturn recently finalized regulations. Enacted in 1996, the CRA requires that agencies submit covered rules ...
Emergency Management in the U.S.: Sharing the Costs
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-21 · Infographics · 423 words · PDF available
/ After a hazard strikes, the President may authorize different forms of assistance by issuing a declaration of emergency or major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency A...
Financial Services and General Government FY2025 Appropriations: CFPB’s Funding and Structure Provisions
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-21 · Posts · 1,018 words · PDF available
On June 17, 2024, the House Committee on Appropriations reported its FY2025 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill (H.R. 8773). The reported bill would change the funding...
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B: Key Statutory and Regulatory Provisions
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-20 · Reports · 16,526 words · PDF available
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a statute that authorizes grant programs that support special education and early intervention services for children with disabilities. Under ...
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as Amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): An Analytical Review of the Allocation Formulas
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-20 · Reports · 39,165 words · PDF available
The primary source of federal aid for elementary and secondary education is the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The ESEA was initially enacted in 1965 (P.L. 89-10), and was most recentl...
Defense Primer: Acquiring Specialty Metals and Sensitive Materials
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-20 · Resources · 1,518 words · PDF available
Some metals and metal alloys, as well as strong permanent magnets known as rare earth magnets, are critical to U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) operations. These are frequently integrated into compone...
SEC Securities Disclosure: Background and Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-20 · Resources · 1,717 words · PDF available
Disclosure requirements are the cornerstone of federal securities regulation. One of the key federal securities laws, the Securities Act of 1933 (P.L. 73-22), is often referred to as the “truth in sec...
Three-Judge District Courts
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-20 · Resources · 1,768 words · PDF available
The Constitution vests federal judicial power in “one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.” Congress establishes federal courts via le...
Kamala Harris Criminalized and Prosecuted Parents
Heritage Foundation · 2024-08-19 · Commentary · 1,002 words
Anna Moneymaker / Staff / Getty ImagesKey TakeawaysHarris’ advocacy to keep illegal immigrants, drug users, and rioters out of jail has been widely discussed. Her efforts to imprison parents are less ...
Law Enforcement and Technology: Use of Automated License Plate Readers
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-19 · Reports · 5,460 words · PDF available
Over the past couple of decades, law enforcement use of automated license plate readers (ALPRs; also referred to as LPRs) has increased. These tools are now relatively commonplace in policing. Accordi...
The Federal Statistical System: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-19 · Reports · 10,080 words · PDF available
The federal statistical system (FSS) is a decentralized institution comprising more than 100 agencies, organizational units, and programs across the U.S. government that engage in statistical activiti...
Foreign Nationals in the U.S. Armed Forces: Immigration Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-19 · Reports · 12,501 words · PDF available
Enlistment and appointment in the U.S. Armed Forces is currently limited to U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), and residents of certain Pacific Islands (Freely Associ...
FY2025 NDAA: Defense Industrial Base Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-19 · Posts · 2,394 words · PDF available
Background The defense industrial base (DIB) is the network of organizations, facilities, and resources that supplies the U.S. government—particularly the Department of Defense (DOD)—with materials, p...
U.S. Sanctions: Targeting International Illicit Drug Production and Trafficking
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-19 · Resources · 1,725 words · PDF available
Sanctions play a role in U.S. national drug control strategies to disrupt and deter the illicit production and trafficking of foreign-produced drugs. The 118th Congress has focused on the role of sanc...
District Court Holds That Google Unlawfully Monopolizes Online Search: Overview and Potential Remedies
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-16 · Posts · 3,022 words · PDF available
On August 5, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia held that Google unlawfully monopolizes the markets for general search services and general search text ads through a series of ...
Federal Criminal Laws Prohibiting Unlawful Voting
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-16 · Resources · 1,837 words · PDF available
Introduction While the U.S. Constitution charges the states with primary responsibility for regulating federal elections, it also provides that the federal government play a significant role in overse...
Kazakhstan: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-16 · Reports · 13,492 words · PDF available
Kazakhstan, a U.S. partner in areas such as counterterrorism, regional security, and nuclear nonproliferation, is a strategically situated country with significant hydrocarbon and mineral resources. I...
Policies Governing Employment Discrimination and Harassment in the Judicial Branch
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-16 · Resources · 1,661 words · PDF available
Several federal laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 501), protect...
Assessing Recent U.S. Airstrikes in the Middle East Under the War Powers Framework
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-15 · Posts · 3,643 words · PDF available
Airstrikes by U.S. forces in the Middle East have markedly increased since the outbreak of the current Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7, 2023. To date, the targets have been Iranian-supported milita...
Patent Law: An Introduction and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-15 · Resources · 1,787 words · PDF available
Patents, a form of intellectual property, give their owners certain exclusive rights in new and useful inventions. To encourage innovation, the Constitution gives Congress the power to grant patents t...
The Biden Administration’s Student Loan Debt Relief Rulemaking
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-15 · Reports · 20,333 words · PDF available
Outstanding Higher Education Act (HEA) Title IV federal student loan debt exceeds $1.6 trillion and is owed by about 45 million borrowers. In August 2022, the Biden Administration announced it would i...
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Budget and Funding: Overview and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-15 · Reports · 9,780 words · PDF available
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency within the Department of Commerce (DOC), is the principal federal agency tasked with understanding and predicting changes in clima...
Defense Primer: Lowest Price Technically Acceptable Contracts
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-15 · Resources · 1,644 words · PDF available
Background When procuring goods or services, the Department of Defense (DOD) generally seeks to obtain the best value for the government by encouraging full and open competition, as required by the 1...
Government Can Help Parents Against Big Tech
Heritage Foundation · 2024-08-14 · Commentary · 400 words
COMMENTARY BYKara FrederickFormer Director, Tech Policy CenterKara was Director of the Tech Policy Center at The Heritage Foundation.Keiko Iwabuchi/Getty ImagesKey TakeawaysParents like me need help ...
Oversight of Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity: Current Policies and Options for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-14 · Reports · 8,813 words · PDF available
In the United States, oversight of the life sciences, in particular laboratory biosafety and biosecurity, is exercised pursuant to a mixture of federal law, federal guidance, and self-governance, depe...
The Illegality Doctrine and 501(c)(3) Organizations
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-14 · Resources · 1,716 words · PDF available
Courts and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have long recognized an implied requirement that organizations exempt from taxation under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(3) must not have an i...
Decennial Census and Apportionment: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-14 · Posts · 1,311 words · PDF available
Every 10 years, the U.S. Constitution requires administration of a national census—an “actual Enumeration”—conducted “in such Manner as [Congress] shall by Law direct.” The next decennial census is sc...
Omnibus Appropriations: Overview of Recent Practice
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-14 · Posts · 1,002 words · PDF available
Congress makes decisions on discretionary spending through the annual appropriations process, which currently consists of the development and consideration of 12 regular appropriations bills for each ...
Presidential Transitions: Facilities and Related Services Provided by the General Services Administration
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-12 · Resources · 1,351 words · PDF available
In order to “minimize disruptions that might be occasioned by ... transitions in the office of President,” the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 (PTA; P.L. 82-277), as amended, authorizes the Genera...
Recent Developments in the Democratic Presidential Nominating Process
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-12 · Posts · 1,241 words · PDF available
On July 21, President Joseph Biden announced that he would no longer seek the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. This CRS Insight discusses selected issues that could be of interest to Congress ...
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month Speech Resources: Fact Sheet
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-12 · Reports · 1,454 words · PDF available
May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. It is a time to recognize the contributions and achievements of Americans of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Island descent. This guide is designed to...
Private Equity Investments in Health Care: Selected Enforcement Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-08 · Posts · 3,234 words · PDF available
A 2021 report from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) found that private equity investments in health care substantially expanded in the preceding 20 years, particularly with respect to...
Retirement Benefits for Federal Law Enforcement Personnel
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-08 · Reports · 6,851 words · PDF available
Certain federal employees who perform specific duties, as defined in statute, are classified as law enforcement officers (LEOs) for the purpose of federal retirement benefits. LEOs and a few legislati...
Foreign Assistance: Where Does the Money Go?
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-08 · Reports · 13,802 words · PDF available
Congress provided $66.1 billion in foreign assistance appropriations in FY2023. In allocating foreign assistance and overseeing agencies’ execution of those funds, some Members of Congress have focuse...
Funding for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-08 · Resources · 902 words · PDF available
Congress provides annual appropriations and periodically provides supplemental appropriations for public elementary and secondary schools through many agencies and programs. Of these funds, the larges...
Evergrande Group and China’s Debt Challenges
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-08 · Resources · 1,822 words · PDF available
Since 2021, some Members of Congress have raised concerns about the People’s Republic of China (PRC or China)’s debt levels and the solvency of PRC property developers. The inability of Evergrande Gro...
Rapidly Growing “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) Financing: Market Developments and Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-08 · Resources · 1,465 words · PDF available
“Buy now, pay later” (BNPL) is a form of point-of-sales financing. With BNPL financing, a consumer can purchase an item now and pay for it later on a predetermined payment schedule. While retailers ha...
The Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot Program
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-07 · Resources · 1,337 words · PDF available
Although cybercrimes against large companies often attract attention, criminals also frequently attack small businesses online. One 2022 report found that an average employee at a small business will ...
Federal Agricultural Assistance for Extreme Heat
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-06 · Resources · 1,441 words · PDF available
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reported June 2023 to May 2024 as 12 consecutive months of record-high monthly average global surface temperatures (Figure 1). The U.S. Global ...
U.S. Immigration Courts: Access to Counsel in Removal Proceedings and Legal Access Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-06 · Resources · 1,211 words · PDF available
Immigration courts are administered by the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). During removal proceedings in immigration courts, immigration judges (IJs) determine ...
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-06 · Posts · 1,044 words · PDF available
Introduction The majority of funding in the United States for both pre- and post-disaster mitigation comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which defines mitigation as “any sustain...
U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America and the Caribbean: FY2024 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-06 · Reports · 11,087 words · PDF available
The United States provides foreign assistance to Latin American and Caribbean countries to support development and other U.S. objectives. U.S. policymakers have emphasized different strategic interest...
Kamala Harris’ chances in November could hinge on a women’s voting surge
Brookings Institution · 2024-08-05 · Article · 1,804 words
The nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential candidate has shaken up the race in ways that have yet to fully play out. However, given the fact that she could become th...
Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant: Overview and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-05 · Reports · 20,401 words · PDF available
The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant program aims to support and improve the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families, particularly those with low income or limited...
Title V State Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grants
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-05 · Resources · 1,374 words · PDF available
Overview Title V of the Social Security Act (SSA; P.L. 74-121, as amended; 42 U.S.C. §§701-709) permanently authorizes the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant, which aims to improve t...
Argentina: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-05 · Resources · 1,673 words · PDF available
Located on the Atlantic coast of South America’s Southern Cone, Argentina is the third-largest economy in Latin America (after Brazil and Mexico). U.S.-Argentina relations have traditionally been stro...
Financial Inclusion: Access to Bank Accounts
Congressional Research Service · 2024-08-02 · Resources · 1,646 words · PDF available
Most U.S. consumers choose to open a bank account, such as a checking or savings account, because it is considered a safe and secure way to store money, particularly as the Federal Deposit Insurance C...