Policy Library

7,020 documents

Venture Capital Operations and Regulation
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-25 · Resources · 1,587 words · PDF available
Venture capital (VC) funds are sources of startup financing for early-stage, high-growth firms, such as technology startups. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as of the second...
Offshore Energy: Vessel and Crew Nationality Requirements
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-25 · Resources · 1,898 words · PDF available
Introduction The 118th Congress is debating whether to further restrict foreigners from working in the U.S. offshore energy sector (i.e., oil, gas, and wind). The offshore wind industry asserts that p...
The Oregon and California Railroad Lands (O&C Lands): In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-25 · Reports · 4,063 words · PDF available
The Oregon and California Railroad (O&C) lands consist of 2.6 million acres of timberland in western Oregon. The majority of these lands were originally granted to the Oregon & California Railroad Com...
Stop the Presses? Newspapers in the Digital Age
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-24 · Reports · 16,144 words · PDF available
During the past 20 years, more than 200 local daily newspapers have either reduced their publication frequency or ceased publishing altogether. Among those that survived, many employ a fraction of the...
Involuntary Civil Commitment: Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Protections
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-24 · Reports · 19,833 words · PDF available
Involuntary civil commitment refers to the forced hospitalization of persons with serious mental illness (SMI). While this process is generally governed by state law, it also implicates constitutional...
Comparison of Proposed Legislation Concerning Fentanyl-Related Substances
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-24 · Reports · 4,737 words · PDF available
On February 6, 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a temporary scheduling order that placed certain “fentanyl-related substances” (FRS) in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Ac...
Funding and Financing Highways and Public Transportation Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-24 · Reports · 18,664 words · PDF available
Congress has long considered how to pay for investment in highway and public transportation infrastructure. Since 1956, federal surface transportation programs have been largely funded by taxes on mot...
Oversight of Inspectors General: The CIGIE Integrity Committee
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-24 · Resources · 1,294 words · PDF available
The role of inspectors general (IGs) in the federal government makes it particularly important that they operate with integrity and maintain the confidence of government stakeholders and the public. W...
Fusion Energy
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-24 · Resources · 1,758 words · PDF available
The federal government has supported fusion energy research and development (R&D) for decades. In recent years, congressional interest in fusion has grown in response to scientific progress by fusion ...
What Is Place-Based Economic Development?
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-24 · Resources · 1,528 words · PDF available
The Economic Development Administration (EDA) defines economic development as creating “the conditions for economic growth and improved quality of life by expanding the capacity of individuals, firms,...
Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H): Overview and Selected Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-23 · Reports · 7,752 words · PDF available
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) “advances high-potential, high-impact biomedical and health research that cannot be readily accomplished through traditional research or comme...
Generative Artificial Intelligence and Data Privacy: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-23 · Reports · 3,875 words · PDF available
generative AI, generative artificial intelligence, data privacy, data protection, data protections, artificial intelligence, chatbot, ChatGPT, Bard, Stable Diffusion, LLaMA, DALL-E, GPT-3, GPT-4, larg...
The Takings Clause of the Constitution: Overview of Supreme Court Jurisprudence on Key Topics
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-22 · Reports · 6,990 words · PDF available
Government seizure of private property for public use without the consent of the property owner, often called “eminent domain,” is a traditional power of the state that predates the Constitution. The ...
Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (May 15–May 21, 2023), Part 1
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-22 · Posts · 1,150 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...
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education: FY2023 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-22 · Reports · 29,743 words · PDF available
This report offers an overview of actions taken by Congress and the President to provide FY2023 appropriations for accounts funded by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education...
Pakistan and U.S.-Pakistan Relations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-22 · Reports · 6,952 words · PDF available
As of May 2023, Pakistan is in what some observers have called a “polycrisis,” with serious political instability, an economic balance-of-payments crisis, renewed domestic security and terrorism threa...
Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (May 15–May 21, 2023), Part 2
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-22 · Posts · 1,829 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 2022 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-22 · Reports · 8,190 words · PDF available
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was originally enacted in 1994 as Title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-322 ). It addressed congressional concerns about...
Nonfederal Levee Safety: Primer, Status, and Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-22 · Resources · 1,369 words · PDF available
This In Focus discusses nonfederal levees, the evolution of federal efforts to enhance nonfederal levee safety since 2007, and related policy considerations. Nonfederal Levees and Risk Levees (i.e., ...
Federal Research and Development (R&D) Funding: FY2024
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-19 · Reports · 26,852 words · PDF available
The U.S. government supports a broad range of scientific and engineering research and development (R&D). Its purposes include addressing national defense, health, safety, the environment, and energy s...
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...
Conservative Senators Stop Weaponization of Child Abuse Bill Against Parents Opposed to Abortion, “Transgenderism” for Children
Heritage Foundation · 2023-05-18 · Commentary · 1,292 words
Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) (L) delivers remarks on September 4, 2018 in Washington, D.C., sitting beside Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).Chip Somodevilla / Getty ImagesKey TakeawaysTh...
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...