Policy Library

6,587 documents

Appropriations Report Language: Overview of Development and Components
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-22 · Reports · 11,369 words · PDF available
Congressional reports accompany appropriations measures when they are reported by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees or when the House and Senate use a conference committee to resolve diff...
The Department of Homeland Security: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-21 · Reports · 8,536 words · PDF available
Established in early 2003, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the “youngest” cabinet-level department of the U.S. government, and has a broad and complex mission. This report is intended to ...
Common Causes of Economic Recession
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-21 · Reports · 7,293 words · PDF available
In the short term, the economy fluctuates between periods of increasing economic activity—expansions—and decreasing economic activity—contractions, or recessions. Recessions are characterized by decre...
HIV/AIDS in the Military
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-21 · Resources · 1,371 words · PDF available
In various chapters of Title 10, U.S. Code, Congress has codified a number of broad authorities for the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish certain accession and retention standards for serviceme...
Overview of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) and Emergency Abortion Services
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-21 · Resources · 1,475 words · PDF available
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA, largely codified in Section 1867 of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1395dd) is a federal law that generally compels Medicare-particip...
Extraterritorial Application of American Criminal Law: An Abbreviated Sketch
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-21 · Reports · 4,164 words · PDF available
Criminal law is usually territorial. It is a matter of the law of the place where it occurs. Nevertheless, a number of American criminal laws apply extraterritorially outside of the United States. App...
Extraterritorial Application of American Criminal Law
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-21 · Reports · 46,723 words · PDF available
Criminal law is usually territorial. It is a matter of the law of the place where it occurs. Nevertheless, a number of American criminal laws apply extraterritorially outside of the United States. App...
Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs) and Informal Member Groups: Their Purpose and Activities, History, and Formation
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-21 · Reports · 11,242 words · PDF available
This report examines the historical development and contemporary role of Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs) in the House, as well as informal Member groups in the House, Senate, and across the ...
Agricultural Conservation and the Next Farm Bill
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-20 · Reports · 7,927 words · PDF available
The agricultural conservation title of omnibus farm bills contains authorizing and amending language to existing and new voluntary resource conservation efforts on productive farm and ranch lands. Mos...
Department of Veterans Affairs: Abortion Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-20 · Reports · 4,366 words · PDF available
The primary mission of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is to provide health care services to veterans. To accomplish this goal, VA has promulgated r...
The Role of Bridge Banks in FDIC Receiverships
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-20 · Posts · 786 words · PDF available
The collapses of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank (Signature) bring to the fore the function of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in winding down a failed financial institut...
Supreme Court Rules Against IRS on Foreign Account Reporting Penalties
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-20 · Posts · 2,278 words · PDF available
Federal law requires U.S. persons with a financial interest in or signature or other authority over foreign financial accounts totaling more than $10,000 to report these accounts by filing a Report of...
Energy and Water Development: FY2023 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-20 · Reports · 17,886 words · PDF available
The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies appropriations bill funds civil works projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE); the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation...
The Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA): A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-20 · Reports · 5,470 words · PDF available
This primer summarizes the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA), the Educational Technical Assistance Act (ETAA), and the National Assessment of Educational Progress Authorization Act (NAEPAA). The re...
Coins and Medals Celebrating the Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-20 · Resources · 1,115 words · PDF available
On July 4, the United States celebrates the anniversary of the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence with a federal holiday called Independence Day. For certain milestone anniversaries (ever...
Voting and Quorum Procedures in the House of Representatives
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-20 · Reports · 11,940 words · PDF available
The Constitution requires that a quorum, defined as a majority of the House, be present on the floor when the House transacts business. The House, however, always presumes that a quorum is present unl...
EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-20 · Resources · 1,453 words · PDF available
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) requires certain facilities to report their emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). In addition, the GHGRP req...
Use of National Statuary Hall: Assignment and Historic Events
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-20 · Reports · 4,875 words · PDF available
Statuary Hall has been used as the setting for a variety of events, including memorial ceremonies and receptions for new Members of Congress, award presentations, and as media space after presidential...
Reauthorization of Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-17 · Reports · 10,142 words · PDF available
Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) generally addresses electronic surveillance and other methods of acquiring foreign intelligence information that are directed at targets o...
Veterans-Related Education Legislation Enacted in the 117th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-16 · Reports · 15,392 words · PDF available
Veterans’ educational assistance programs provide financial assistance to individuals, whose eligibility is based on their or a family member’s experience in the uniformed services, while they are enr...
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FY2023 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-16 · Resources · 1,343 words · PDF available
Enacted on December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) provided funding for the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, including funding for the...
Repurposing 3.1-3.55 GHz Spectrum: Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-16 · Resources · 1,688 words · PDF available
Wireless technologies use radio waves, or frequencies, to transmit and receive voice and data signals. The radio spectrum is the range of frequencies used for wireless mobile, satellite, television, A...
Consumer Finance and Financial Technology (Fintech)
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-15 · Reports · 14,689 words · PDF available
Fintech (short for financial technology) refers to advances in technology incorporated into financial products and services. Many companies—both traditional financial firms and new technology-focused ...
Women, Peace, and Security: Global Context and U.S. Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-15 · Resources · 1,741 words · PDF available
In 2000, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. The resolution calls on U.N. member states to, among other things, take steps to ...
Clean Water State Revolving Fund Allotment Formula: Background and Options
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-15 · Reports · 10,604 words · PDF available
In 1987, Congress amended the Clean Water Act (CWA) to establish the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program. For the past 30 years, the CWSRF program has been the principal federal funding p...
The Twenty-Seventh Amendment and Congressional Compensation Part 1: Introduction
This Legal Sidebar post is the first in a six-part series that discusses the Twenty-Seventh Amendment to the Constitution, which prevents laws that modify Members of Congress’s compensation from takin...
The Twenty-Seventh Amendment and Congressional Compensation Part 2: The Federal Convention
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-14 · Posts · 1,201 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar post is the second in a six-part series that discusses the Twenty-Seventh Amendment to the Constitution, which prevents laws that modify Members of Congress’s compensation from taki...
The Twenty-Seventh Amendment and Congressional Compensation Part 3: Debates over the Constitution’s Ratification
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-14 · Posts · 628 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar post is the third in a six-part series that discusses the Twenty-Seventh Amendment to the Constitution, which prevents laws that modify Members of Congress’s compensation from takin...
The Twenty-Seventh Amendment and Congressional Compensation Part 4: Proposal and Ratification
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-14 · Posts · 812 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar post is the fourth in a six-part series that discusses the Twenty-Seventh Amendment to the Constitution, which prevents laws that modify Members of Congress’s compensation from taki...
The Twenty-Seventh Amendment and Congressional Compensation Part 5: Scope of the Amendment
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-14 · Posts · 674 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar post is the fifth in a six-part series that discusses the Twenty-Seventh Amendment to the Constitution, which prevents laws that modify Members of Congress’s compensation from takin...
The Twenty-Seventh Amendment and Congressional Compensation Part 6: Implications for the Article V Amendment Process
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-14 · Posts · 628 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar post is the last in a six-part series that discusses the Twenty-Seventh Amendment to the Constitution, which prevents laws that modify Members of Congress’s compensation from taking...
The Constitution and Race-Conscious Government Action: Narrow Tailoring Requirements
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-14 · Reports · 8,904 words · PDF available
Constitutional equal-protection principles require that state and federal government actors deny no one “the equal protection of the laws.” Equal-protection claims against government actors allege unc...
National Security Implications of Fifth Generation (5G) Mobile Technologies
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-14 · Resources · 1,496 words · PDF available
The fifth generation (5G) of mobile technologies will increase the speed of data transfer and improve bandwidth over existing fourth generation (4G) technologies, in turn enabling new military and com...
Legislative Branch: FY2023 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-13 · Reports · 12,444 words · PDF available
The legislative branch appropriations bill provides funding for the Senate; House of Representatives; Joint Items; Capitol Police; Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (formerly Office of Complian...
Banking, Data Privacy, and Cybersecurity Regulation
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-13 · Reports · 5,847 words · PDF available
Financial data contains significant amounts of sensitive information, and ensuring the privacy of such data among financial institutions is a goal of many policymakers. In particular, Congress has dem...
Afghanistan Central Bank Reserves
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-13 · Resources · 1,672 words · PDF available
Since the Taliban’s August 2021 return to power, Afghanistan has faced an extreme recession and a humanitarian crisis. A U.S. hold on assets of the Afghan central bank (Da Afghanistan Bank, or DAB) de...
Statutory Interpretation: Theories, Tools, and Trends
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-10 · Reports · 44,949 words
In the tripartite structure of the U.S. federal government, it is the job of courts to say what the law is, as Chief Justice John Marshall announced in 1803. When courts render decisions on the meanin...
Trafficking in Persons: Grants for Victim Services in the United States
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-10 · Reports · 5,657 words · PDF available
Trafficking in persons (TIP), also known as human trafficking, occurs across the United States and around the world. Traffickers exploit vulnerable individuals for commercial sex and forced labor in a...
Term Limits for Members of Congress: Policy and Legal Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-10 · Resources · 1,691 words · PDF available
Introduction Legislative proposals for congressional term limits date to 1789. Supporters generally argue that requiring frequent turnover among Members of Congress would make the House and Senate mor...
Fifth Circuit: CFPB’s Funding Authority is Unconstitutional
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-09 · Posts · 2,952 words · PDF available
In 2010, Congress established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the CFPB or Bureau) as an independent bureau within the Federal Reserve System. As with other financial regulators, Congress gav...
Drought in the United States: Science, Policy, and Selected Federal Authorities
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-09 · Reports · 24,634 words · PDF available
Droughta deficiency of moisture that results in adverse effectsoccurs to some extent almost every year in areas of the United States. Droughts can simultaneously reduce available water supplies and in...
Capital Markets: Overview and Selected Policy Issues in the 118th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-09 · Reports · 24,193 words · PDF available
Capital markets are part of the financial system where entities raise funding from investors by dealing in stocks, bonds, digital asset securities, and other investments. As a main segment of the fina...
Bank Capital Requirements: A Primer and Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-09 · Reports · 20,294 words · PDF available
Financial regulators at the state and federal levels take a number of measures to ensure the financial health of banks, generally through what is referred to as prudential (or safety and soundness) re...
Diesel and Fuel Oil: Distillate Supply Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-09 · Reports · 7,249 words · PDF available
Distillate fuel oil, a fuel category that includes diesel and heating oil, is a middle distillate produced by separating crude oil in a refinery. Distillate fuel oil is primarily used for two purposes...
Overview of FY2023 Appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS)
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-09 · Reports · 9,034 words · PDF available
This report describes actions taken to provide FY2023 appropriations for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) accounts. The annual CJS appropriations act provides funding for the Dep...
Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): A Legal Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-09 · Resources · 1,449 words · PDF available
In 1938, Congress enacted the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to reduce the influence of foreign propaganda circulating in the United States. Anticipating that greater transparency could help a...
Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Certain Countries: Recent Litigation Developments
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-08 · Posts · 2,461 words · PDF available
Certain aliens (as defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)) who otherwise are subject to removal from the United States may stay and work here when the Department of Homeland Security (DH...
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-08 · Reports · 10,714 words · PDF available
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provides workers with minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor protections. The FLSA covers most, but not all, private and public sector employees. In addition, ...
Multifamily Housing Finance and Selected Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-08 · Reports · 12,932 words · PDF available
A mortgage is a loan secured by the underlying real estate collateral being financed by the loan. Single-family mortgages are loans secured by a residential dwelling having at least one and no more th...
Limiting Lead in Public Water Supplies: An Overview of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Regulatory Actions
Congressional Research Service · 2023-03-08 · Resources · 1,777 words · PDF available
Exposure to lead can be harmful to human health, particularly children’s health, even at low levels. Lead’s adverse health effects have resulted in continued efforts to reduce exposure to lead includi...