Policy Library

6,587 documents

Quantum Computing: Concepts, Current State, and Considerations for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-07 · Reports · 10,957 words · PDF available
Congress passed and the President signed into law the National Quantum Initiative Act (NQI Act; P.L. 115-368; codified at 15 U.S.C. §§8801 et seq.) in December 2018 to accelerate quantum research and ...
Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-07 · Reports · 5,495 words · PDF available
The Antideficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 1341-1342, 1511-1519) generally bars the obligation of funds in the absence of appropriations. Exceptions are made under the act, including for activities involving “...
Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-07 · Resources · 1,610 words · PDF available
Establishment In November 2020, then President-elect Joe Biden announced that he would appoint former Secretary of State John F. Kerry to serve in a new Cabinet-level position of Special Presidential ...
Role of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Environmental Justice
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-07 · Resources · 1,593 words · PDF available
The role of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in environmental justice is rooted in multiple executive orders (E.O.s) and implemented through a wide range of agency programs and activitie...
Overview of Selected No Surprises Act Litigation
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-07 · Posts · 2,915 words · PDF available
The No Surprises Act (NSA), part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260), established various consumer protections related to surprise billing—i.e., circumstances where individuals...
The Kingdom of Bhutan
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-06 · Resources · 1,608 words · PDF available
Background The Kingdom of Bhutan is a small, landlocked Himalayan country situated between India and the People’s Republic of China (PRC, or China). The mountainous kingdom is about half the size of I...
National Security Review Bodies (Part I): Legal Context and Comparison
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-06 · Posts · 2,880 words · PDF available
Federal law creates several frameworks that allow the United States to review the national security risks posed by some private commercial transactions. These legal frameworks give the United States a...
National Security Review Bodies (Part II): Creating New Review Systems
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-06 · Posts · 1,149 words · PDF available
Some observers and Members of Congress have advocated for new or expanded national security review frameworks to examine transactions that may not be subject to existing procedures. Proposals in the 1...
Jewish Holidays: Fact Sheet
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-06 · Reports · 1,941 words · PDF available
Judaism is one of the three major Abrahamic faiths, alongside Islam and Christianity. Many traditions and variations of Judaism are practiced in the United States, including cultural and religious var...
The Legal Framework for Federal Methane Regulation
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-05 · Resources · 1,678 words · PDF available
Methane is a greenhouse gas with 25 times the warming capacity of carbon dioxide. Methane makes up about 11% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Primary sources of methane include oi...
Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (August 28, 2023–September 4, 2023)
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-05 · Posts · 2,317 words · PDF available
The federal courts issue hundreds of decisions every week in cases involving diverse legal disputes. This Sidebar series selects decisions from the past week that may be of particular interest to fede...
The Supreme Court’s Narrow Construction of Federal Criminal Laws: Historical Practice and Recent Trends
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-05 · Posts · 2,807 words · PDF available
Criminal law marks a boundary between conduct that society deems permissible and behavior that it deems worthy of punishment. Those who cross the line may be subject to penalty and social disapproval....
Federal Student Loans: Return to Repayment
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-01 · Resources · 1,658 words · PDF available
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, since March 2020, the accrual of interest, monthly payments, and involuntary collections have been paused on most federal student loans. The Fiscal Responsibility...
Environmental Provisions in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)
Congressional Research Service · 2023-09-01 · Resources · 1,528 words · PDF available
Linkages between trade and environmental protection have long been a concern to some U.S. policymakers and stakeholders. The central question is whether trade liberalization (i.e., the removal of barr...
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Production
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-31 · Resources · 1,704 words · PDF available
The 2018 farm bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, P.L. 115-334) expanded support for “urban agriculture and innovative production methods like indoor and rooftop farming.” In a Joint Explanator...
Supreme Court Narrows Dormant Commerce Clause and Upholds State Animal Welfare Law
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-31 · Posts · 3,079 words · PDF available
On May 11, 2023, the Supreme Court upheld a California rule (Proposition 12) banning the in-state sale of whole pork meat from pigs that had been “confined in a cruel manner,” even if those pigs were ...
FEMA Assistance for Migrants Through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program-Humanitarian (EFSP-H) and Shelter and Services Program (SSP)
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-31 · Reports · 26,364 words · PDF available
In FY2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had a record high number of enforcement encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border: 2.4 million individuals who either arrived at a port of entry an...
Taylor v. McDonough: Veterans Disability Benefits and Secret Military Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-31 · Posts · 2,132 words · PDF available
On June 15, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decided Taylor v. McDonough. The case involved a veteran (Mr. Taylor) who had a service-connected disability resulting from particip...
The Statutory Bars to Reentry into the United States
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-30 · Resources · 1,840 words · PDF available
Federal immigration laws set forth the conditions under which aliens (as defined in 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(3)) may enter or remain in the United States. Aliens applying for a visa from abroad, presenting ...
Infrastructure Codes, Standards, and Regulations: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-29 · Reports · 8,158 words · PDF available
Ensuring the safe operation of and uninterrupted services provided by infrastructure, as well as resiliency, efficiency, environmental protection, and other aspects of infrastructure performance, may ...
Applying the Telephone Consumer Protection Act to Shared Phones
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-29 · Posts · 1,176 words · PDF available
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is one of the primary federal statutes that regulates robocalls made to residential and wireless phones. The Act is enforced by the Federal Communications ...
Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-29 · Resources · 1,613 words · PDF available
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program is the primary federal program that focuses exclusively on home visiting. The program seeks to provide and strengthen home visi...
Federal Policies to Expand Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-28 · Reports · 12,073 words · PDF available
On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, P.L. 117-58). This broad infrastructure law addresses a range of issues. To expand the national network o...
Removal Proceedings and the Immigration Court Backlog
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-28 · Infographics · 501 words · PDF available
Removal Proceedings and the Immigration Court Backlog Immigration court cases are adjudicated by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice, u...
Medication Abortion: New Litigation May Affect Access
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-28 · Posts · 2,483 words · PDF available
The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has spurred significant debate over federal and state regulation of medication abortion—a pregnancy termination method inv...
Defining and Regulating Online Platforms
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-25 · Reports · 14,956 words · PDF available
The internet has been broadly characterized by an open, decentralized model of content creation, distribution, and consumption. Users’ access to online content evolved from retrieving information from...
The Section 45Q Tax Credit for Carbon Sequestration
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-25 · Resources · 1,529 words · PDF available
Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies are intended to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants, as well as other large industrial sources. The tax credit...
Pell Grants for Short-Term Programs: Background and Legislation in the 118th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-24 · Reports · 14,877 words · PDF available
The Federal Pell Grant program, authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA), is the single largest source of federal grant aid supporting postsecondary education students. For several yea...
The UPS-Teamsters Labor Dispute and Taft-Hartley’s National Emergency Provisions
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-24 · Resources · 1,504 words · PDF available
Introduction On August 22, 2023, United Parcel Service (UPS) package delivery drivers and warehouse logistics workers, who are represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, voted to ratif...
Statues and Busts in the U.S. Capitol: Collections and Authorities
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-24 · Resources · 996 words · PDF available
The U.S. Capitol is home to hundreds of works of art. Among them are a number of statues and busts, including the National Statuary Hall Collection and the Senate Vice Presidential Bust Collection, wh...
Antitrust Agencies Release Draft Merger Guidelines and Propose HSR Rule Changes
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-24 · Posts · 2,768 words · PDF available
On July 19, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (the Agencies) jointly released draft Merger Guidelines (Draft Guidelines) for public comment. If adopted, the ...
Project AWARE
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-23 · Resources · 1,325 words · PDF available
Background Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education) is a school-based mental health grant program administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (S...
Law Enforcement and Technology: Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-22 · Reports · 5,203 words · PDF available
Alongside growth in the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, for both commercial and recreational purposes, law enforcement agencies’ use of this technology has been...
Financial Institution Insolvency and the Federal Response to the Regional Bank Failures of 2023
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-21 · Reports · 11,686 words · PDF available
Three high-profile regional banks collapsed suddenly in the United States during the first half of 2023. On March 10, 2023, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (California...
China Primer: South China Sea Disputes
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-21 · Resources · 1,614 words · PDF available
Overview Multiple Asian governments assert sovereignty over rocks, reefs, and other geographic features in the heavily trafficked South China Sea (SCS), with the People’s Republic of China (PRC or Chi...
Public Corruption and the Limits of Federal Fraud Statutes
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-21 · Posts · 2,314 words · PDF available
Over time, Congress has shown consistent interest in policing public-sector corruption, enacting a number of criminal provisions aimed at holding corrupt officials and those who entice them accountabl...
Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (August 14, 2023–August 20, 2023)
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-21 · Posts · 2,346 words · PDF available
The federal courts issue hundreds of decisions every week in cases involving diverse legal disputes. This Sidebar series selects decisions from the past week that may be of particular interest to fede...
The Individual Income Tax, 2023
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-18 · Infographics · 673 words · PDF available
/ The Individual Income Tax, 2023 How Income Tax Liability Is Calculated for Individuals, Families, and Passthrough Businesses taxable income + positive income tax liability investment income long-ter...
Brunei Darussalam
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-18 · Resources · 1,465 words · PDF available
The State of Brunei Darussalam (Brunei) is located on the northwest coast of the Island of Borneo, and is bordered and bifurcated by eastern Malaysia. Brunei has a land mass of 2,226 square miles (sli...
Supreme Court Limits States’ Ability to Challenge Immigration Enforcement Policies
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-18 · Posts · 2,746 words · PDF available
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is one of the key agencies responsible for the enforcement of federal immigration laws against aliens who lack a legal basis to remain in the United States. C...
Outreach for Socially Disadvantaged Producers (2501 Program)
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-18 · Resources · 1,598 words · PDF available
The 2018 farm bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, P.L. 115-334) reauthorized and expanded support for socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers (SDFRs) within programs administered by the U.S....
SBA’s Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Program
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-18 · Resources · 1,511 words · PDF available
Program Background The Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program is designed to provide greater access to federal contracts for WOSBs, inclu...
FDA’s Oversight of Hemp-Derived Compounds
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-18 · Resources · 1,737 words · PDF available
In January 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement that the agency would “work with Congress” to develop “a new regulatory pathway” for cannabidiol (CBD), a hemp-based cannabin...
The Orphan Drug Act and Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., v. Becerra
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-17 · Reports · 10,194 words · PDF available
Orphan drugs are used to treat rare diseases and conditions, but they can be costly to produce and are generally used to treat fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. In 1983, Congress enacted...
Immigration Options for Immigration Parolees
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-17 · Reports · 5,987 words · PDF available
Since 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has granted immigration parole through special initiatives to more than 350,000 persons from Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Ukraine, and Ven...
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Federal Election Campaigns: Legal Background and Constitutional Considerations for Legislation
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-17 · Resources · 1,745 words · PDF available
Introduction Federal campaign finance law does not specifically regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in political campaign advertising. As technology continues to evolve, concerns have gro...
Online Age Verification (Part II): Constitutional Background
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-17 · Posts · 1,522 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar is the second installment in a three-part series on efforts to require online services to verify the ages of their users. Part I discussed the common elements of online age verifica...
Online Age Verification (Part III): Select Constitutional Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-17 · Posts · 2,350 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar is the third installment in a three-part series on efforts to require online services to verify the ages of their users. Part I provided an overview of elements common in age verifi...
Mountain Valley Pipeline Litigation Tests Congress’s Power to Limit Federal Court Jurisdiction
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-17 · Posts · 1,925 words · PDF available
The Mountain Valley Pipeline (Pipeline), currently under construction, is planned as a 303-mile natural gas transmission pipeline that would link natural gas fields in West Virginia to the existing Tr...
Online Age Verification (Part I): Current Context
Congressional Research Service · 2023-08-17 · Posts · 1,448 words · PDF available
For almost as long as the internet has existed, journalists and lawmakers have sounded alarms over children’s ability to access harmful material online. The targeted material has expanded over the yea...