Policy Library

6,587 documents

Commercial Space Launch and the April 2023 Starship Mishap
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-19 · Resources · 1,607 words · PDF available
The commercial space industry, including the launch sector, has been expanding rapidly (see Figure 1). A mishap during a test of a new rocket in April 2023 has drawn congressional attention to issues ...
The SBA’s Small Business Development Centers Program
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-19 · Resources · 1,512 words · PDF available
Overview The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) provide free counseling, training, and resources to small business owners and entrepreneurs. SBDCs operate...
Federal Land Designations: A Brief Guide
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-19 · Reports · 7,337 words · PDF available
This report provides a brief guide to selected titles—such as national park, national wildlife refuge, national monument, national conservation area, national recreation area, and others—that Congress...
Supreme Court Considers Religious Accommodations in the Workplace
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-18 · Posts · 2,912 words · PDF available
Recent Supreme Court decisions interpreting the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Religion and Speech Clauses of the First Amendment have strengthened protections for religious activity. The C...
The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act: Prosecuting Foreign States After the Supreme Court’s Decision in Halkbank
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-18 · Posts · 2,129 words · PDF available
The Supreme Court’s decision in Türkiye Halk Bankasi A.S. v. United States, holding that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) does not provide foreign states immunity from criminal prosecution,...
Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the U.S. Electricity Sector: Background, Policies, and Projections
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-18 · Reports · 11,397 words · PDF available
International negotiations and domestic policy developments continue to generate congressional interest in current and projected U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The United States has pledged to r...
Tribal Co-management of Federal Lands: Overview and Selected Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-18 · Reports · 16,413 words · PDF available
In recent decades, congressional interest in federal-tribal collaboration, or co-management, on federal lands has grown, especially as some tribes have sought more input into federal land management. ...
National Forest System Management: Overview and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-18 · Reports · 18,195 words · PDF available
The 193 million acres of the National Forest System (NFS) comprise 154 national forests, 20 national grasslands, and several other federal land designations. Management of the NFS is one of the three ...
Chevron Deference: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-18 · Reports · 22,957 words · PDF available
When Congress delegates regulatory functions to an administrative agency, that agency’s ability to act is governed by the statutes that authorize it to carry out these delegated tasks. In the course o...
Federal Preemption: A Legal Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-18 · Reports · 17,426 words · PDF available
The Constitution’s Supremacy Clause provides that federal law is “the supreme Law of the Land” notwithstanding any state law to the contrary. This language is the foundation for the doctrine of federa...
Single-Employer Defined Benefit Pension Plans: Funding Relief and Modifications to Funding Rules
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-18 · Reports · 10,749 words · PDF available
To protect the interests of participants and beneficiaries in pension plans, Congress enacted the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA; P.L. 93-406). ERISA specified funding rules fo...
Death in Custody Reporting Act: Background and Legislative Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-17 · Reports · 9,854 words · PDF available
There are no comprehensive statistics on how many people die in the custody of law enforcement and correctional agencies, and the circumstances surrounding their deaths. Congress sought to address thi...
Campaign Finance Law: An Analysis of Key Issues, Recent Developments, and Constitutional Considerations for Legislation
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-17 · Reports · 20,441 words · PDF available
Federal campaign finance law is composed of a complex set of limits, restrictions, and requirements on money and other things of value that are spent or contributed in the context of federal elections...
The Appropriations Process: A Brief Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-17 · Reports · 6,323 words · PDF available
The Constitution states that “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” This means that the power of the purse must be exercised through the lawmaki...
Mexico: Background and U.S. Relations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-17 · Reports · 18,482 words · PDF available
Mexico, the 10th most populous country and 15th largest economy in the world, is bound to the United States by geography and strong economic, cultural, and historical ties. In addition to sharing a ne...
Implementation of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Guidance and Legal Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-16 · Reports · 10,382 words · PDF available
This report discusses P.L. 117-169, a budget reconciliation measure often referred to as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and its creation of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (the Program...
Authorizations and the Appropriations Process
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-16 · Reports · 6,530 words · PDF available
The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the “power of the purse” by prohibiting expenditures “but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” As a result, legislation to provide for government expend...
SCOTUS Rules That PROMESA Does Not Abrogate Puerto Rico Oversight Board’s Sovereign Immunity—If It Has Any
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-16 · Posts · 1,288 words · PDF available
On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in Financial Oversight and Management Board (Board) for Puerto Rico v. Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI). The case presented the q...
Cybercrime and the Law: Primer on the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and Related Statutes
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-16 · Reports · 34,267 words · PDF available
There is no single, straightforward definition of cybercrime under federal law. Rather, depending on the context, “cybercrime” may refer to all crimes involving computers, or only to crimes targeting ...
Limitations in Appropriations Measures: An Overview of Procedural Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-16 · Reports · 13,111 words · PDF available
Both the House and Senate have internal rules encouraging the separation of money and policy decisions. These rules bar legislative provisions from being included in general appropriations measures un...
Asylum Process in Immigration Courts and Selected Trends
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-15 · Reports · 4,448 words · PDF available
Individuals who reside unlawfully in the United States, who arrive in the United States at a port of entry and are inadmissible, or who cross into the United States illegally between ports of entry ma...
The Biden Administration’s Final Rule on Arriving Aliens Seeking Asylum
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-15 · Posts · 3,597 words · PDF available
In anticipation of increased migration at the U.S. Southwest border following the termination of a public health order issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (known as the Title 42 order), the De...
NLRB Reinstates “Overwhelming Community of Interest” Collective Bargaining Unit Standard
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-15 · Posts · 1,749 words · PDF available
The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) establishes a right to engage in collective bargaining for most private sector employees. Since 2011, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board), which ...
Medigap: Background and Statistics
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-12 · Reports · 5,276 words · PDF available
Medicare is a federal program that pays for covered health care services of qualified beneficiaries, which include most individuals aged 65 and older and certain younger individuals with permanent dis...
Criminal Prohibitions on Leaks and Other Disclosures of Classified Defense Information
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-11 · Reports · 20,922 words · PDF available
High-profile leaks and disclosures of protected government information have prompted frequent congressional interest in the criminal penalties for disclosing government secrets. In one recent case, a ...
H-2A and H-2B Temporary Worker Visas: Policy and Related Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-11 · Reports · 16,837 words · PDF available
Certain foreign workers, sometimes referred to as guest workers, may be admitted to the United States to perform temporary labor under two temporary worker visas: the H-2A visa for agricultural worker...
Social Security Retirement Earnings Test: How Earnings Affect Benefits
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-10 · Reports · 16,277 words · PDF available
Under the Social Security Retirement Earnings Test (RET), the monthly benefits of most Social Security beneficiaries who are below full retirement age (FRA)—between 65 and 67, depending on year of bir...
Remittances: Background and Issues for the 118th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-10 · Reports · 6,442 words · PDF available
This report focuses on remittances, the transfers of money and capital sent by migrants and foreign immigrant communities to their home countries. At over $626 billion annually, remittances sent home...
Social Security’s Funding Shortfall
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-10 · Resources · 1,748 words · PDF available
Overview Social Security provides monthly cash benefits to retired or disabled workers, their family members, and family members of deceased workers. Many people of all ages have some connection to th...
Social Security Trust Fund Investment Practices
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-10 · Resources · 1,681 words · PDF available
Background Social Security is a self-financing program that provides monthly cash benefits to retired or disabled workers, and to the eligible family members of retired, disabled, or deceased workers....
Automation, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning in Consumer Lending
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-10 · Resources · 1,480 words · PDF available
Financial firms may use algorithms—pre-coded sets of instructions and calculations that are executed automatically—to enhance consumer loan underwriting, the process of evaluating the likelihood that ...
Shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway: An Update
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-09 · Reports · 3,404 words · PDF available
Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway shipping ports iron ore steel coal bulk waterborne freight locks ships navigation army corps of engineers maritime shipyard icebreaker coast guard docks wharfs cruise c...
Appeals Court Holds That Apple’s “Walled Garden” Does Not Violate Federal Antitrust Law
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-09 · Posts · 2,307 words · PDF available
On April 24, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court decision holding that Apple does not violate federal antitrust law by restricting app distribution on iOS d...
Enlisting Assistance or Intruding On Judicial Independence? Compelling Testimony by Supreme Court Justices
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-09 · Posts · 2,953 words · PDF available
In conjunction with growing public and congressional interest in how the Supreme Court approaches ethical issues, the Senate Judiciary Committee recently invited Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. or a...
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2023 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-09 · Reports · 9,533 words · PDF available
The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill—often called the Interior bill—contains funding for about three dozen agencies and entities. Funded entities include most of the Dep...
Juvenile Delinquents and Federal Criminal Law: The Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act and Related Matters in Short
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-09 · Reports · 5,023 words · PDF available
The federal Juvenile Delinquency Act (JDA) gives federal authorities three options when a juvenile violates federal criminal law. First, they can refer the juvenile to state authorities. Second, they ...
Solar Geoengineering and Climate Change
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-09 · Reports · 7,481 words · PDF available
Solar geoengineering (SG) refers to a set of methods aimed at cooling the Earth in order to counteract the warming effects of increases in greenhouse gases (GHGs). Interest in SG has developed due to ...
Juvenile Delinquents and Federal Criminal Law: The Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act and Related Matters
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-09 · Reports · 14,600 words · PDF available
The Federal Juvenile Delinquency Act (JDA) gives federal authorities three options when a juvenile violates federal criminal law. First, they can refer the juvenile to state authorities. Second, they ...
House Rule XXI, Clause 10: The CUTGO Rule
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-09 · Reports · 6,483 words · PDF available
House Rule XXI, clause 10, currently referred to as the CUTGO (or cut-as-you-go) rule, prohibits the consideration of legislation that is estimated to result in a net increase in mandatory spending ov...
Commemorative Works in the District of Columbia: Background and Practice
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-08 · Reports · 19,223 words · PDF available
In 1783, the Continental Congress authorized the first memorial in American history, an equestrian statue to honor George Washington that was to be constructed by the “best artist” in Europe. Since th...
Monuments and Memorials in the District of Columbia: Analysis and Options for Proposed Exemptions to the Commemorative Works Act
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-08 · Reports · 9,680 words · PDF available
During the course of each Congress, numerous proposals to create new commemorative works (i.e., monuments and memorials) in the District of Columbia are introduced. In evaluating each proposal, Congre...
The Corporation for National and Community Service: Overview of Programs and Funding
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-08 · Reports · 4,236 words · PDF available
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is an independent federal agency that administers the programs authorized by two statutes: the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCS...
Authorizing New Additions to Memorials in the District of Columbia: Issues for Consideration
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-08 · Resources · 1,163 words · PDF available
In recent Congresses, measures have been introduced to add new elements to existing memorials in the District of Columbia. Adding new elements to completed commemorative works requires an act of Congr...
The DOJ’s Ad Tech Antitrust Case Against Google: A Brief Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-05 · Posts · 2,102 words · PDF available
On January 24, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and several state attorneys general filed a civil antitrust suit against Google in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Th...
Historic Properties and Federal Responsibilities: An Introduction to Section 106 Reviews
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-05 · Reports · 7,157 words · PDF available
The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA; 54 U.S.C. §§300101 et seq.), as amended, created a process for federal agencies to follow when projects may affect certain historic resources. Among its v...
Login.gov: Administration and Identity Authentication
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-04 · Resources · 1,587 words · PDF available
In recent years, Congress and the executive branch have worked to digitize and streamline processes where members of the public interact with the federal government. In 2015, Congress required the Gen...
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-04 · Resources · 1,493 words · PDF available
In October 2013, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Bali, Indonesia, China proposed creating a new multilateral development bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). As it...
African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA): Overview and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-03 · Reports · 8,836 words · PDF available
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a nascent goods and services free trade zone that African Union (AU) member states created to foster greater intracontinental trade and investment a...
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations for FY2023
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-03 · Reports · 8,196 words · PDF available
The House and the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations subcommittees are charged with providing annual appropriations for the Department of ...
Immigration: The U.S. Entry-Exit System
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-02 · Reports · 8,821 words · PDF available
The U.S. entry-exit system aids in immigration enforcement, national security, and travel facilitation. For example, the system assists U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in making determination...