Policy Library

7,020 documents

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...
Parents Get Back in Charge of Their Children’s Education
Heritage Foundation · 2023-05-03 · Commentary · 1,700 words
COMMENTARY BYAdam KisselVisiting Fellow, Higher Education ReformAdam Kissel is a Visiting Fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy.Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) talks about the Pa...
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...
Confucius Institutes in the United States: Selected Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-02 · Resources · 1,617 words · PDF available
The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s or China’s) Confucius Institutes offer instruction in Chinese language in universities around the world. The Institutes have been the subject of controversy sin...
Congressional Court Watcher: Recent Appellate Decisions of Interest to Lawmakers (Apr. 24–Apr. 30, 2023)
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-01 · Posts · 1,738 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...
Federal Involvement in Ocean-Based Research and Development
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-01 · Reports · 12,284 words · PDF available
Multiple federal departments and agencies conduct ocean-based research, monitoring, and/or technological development. Federal departments and agencies also may support academic, commercial, and nonpro...
Senators Who Die In Office: History and Current Practices
Congressional Research Service · 2023-05-01 · Resources · 1,564 words · PDF available
Since 1789, 301 Senators have died in office. When a sitting Member dies, the Senate and House of Representatives carry out a number of actions based in part on chamber rules, statutes, long-standing ...
Federal Recognition of Indian Tribes: The Administrative Process
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-28 · Infographics · 646 words · PDF available
/ Federal Recognition of Indian Tribes: The Administrative Process Federal recognition (sometimes called federal acknowledgment) is a term of art formalizing a relationship between the United States ...
Immigration Options and Professional Requirements for Foreign Health Care Workers
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-28 · Reports · 17,808 words · PDF available
The United States has long relied on foreign nationals to supplement its health care workforce because of long-standing shortages of doctors in some underserved regions and of nurses nationwide. Despi...
New Federal Protections for Pregnant and Nursing Workers
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-28 · Resources · 1,645 words · PDF available
Several federal laws protect workers during nursing and pregnancy, but two new federal laws, passed as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, go into effect this year and expand those pr...
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): FY2024 Budget Request Fact Sheet
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-27 · Reports · 1,848 words · PDF available
This report provides a brief overview of the President’s FY2024 budget request for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It links to relevant Administration budget documents and Congr...
Status of FY2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-27 · Reports · 5,080 words · PDF available
This report provides a brief summary of the status of FY2023 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations as of the cover date of this rep...
Data in Brief: Funding Status of Multiemployer Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-26 · Reports · 4,368 words · PDF available
Multiemployer defined benefit (DB) pension plans are private-sector pensions sponsored by more than one employer and maintained as part of a collective bargaining agreement. In DB pension plans, parti...
Second Circuit Applies Supreme Court Decision to Limit the Reach of Federal Fraud Statutes
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-26 · Posts · 1,658 words · PDF available
In December 2022 the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued its second decision in United States v. Blaszczak (Blaszczak II), overturning convictions for wire fraud, securities f...
Social Security Fundamentals: A Fact-Based Foundation
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-26 · Testimony · 6,548 words · PDF available
Social Security, Income Security, Social Insurance, Retirement, Retirement Security, OASI, OASDI
House Rules Changes Affecting Committee Procedure in the 118th Congress (2023-2024)
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-26 · Reports · 5,348 words · PDF available
As agreed to in the House, H.Res. 5, a resolution adopting the rules of the House of Representatives, provided amendments to the rules, as well as separate orders, that affect committee procedure in t...
Connecting Constituents with Federal Programs for Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-26 · Resources · 1,272 words · PDF available
Congress has established programs to assist constituents—including individuals, organizations, and local governments—with drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects. This In Focus includes ...
First Amendment Limitations on Disclosure Requirements
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-26 · Resources · 1,727 words · PDF available
The government often requires regulated entities to make disclaimer statements or disclose information. These disclosure requirements are often seen as a more speech-friendly alternative to government...
Closed, Converted, Merged, and New Hospitals with Medicare Rural Designations: January 2018-November 2022
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-26 · Reports · 14,287 words · PDF available
Hospital closures, conversions (or downsizes), and mergers, particularly hospitals located in rural areas, can have a significant impact, raising concerns about access to hospital and other health car...
Locate an Agency or Program Within Appropriations Bills
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-25 · Reports · 3,312 words · PDF available
This report provides an alphabetical listing of federal agencies and programs, and it is an aid to identify the major source of their appropriated funding. A listing of House and Senate Appropriations...
Ocean Acidification: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-25 · Reports · 8,259 words · PDF available
The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Chemical reactions between CO2 and water can change the pH of seawater (pH is a measure of water’s acidity or basicity). The current shift i...
Transgender Students and School Bathroom Policies: Title IX Challenges Divide Appellate Courts
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-25 · Posts · 2,726 words · PDF available
In the past several years, federal courts have disagreed about whether school policies that prohibit transgender students from using the school bathroom consistent with their gender identity violate T...
The Voting Rights Act: Historical Development and Policy Background
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-25 · Reports · 14,069 words · PDF available
The Voting Rights Act (VRA) is one of the most significant elections statutes ever enacted. The law prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or language-minority status in registration and votin...
Frequently Asked Questions: CHIPS Act of 2022 Provisions and Implementation
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-25 · Reports · 17,849 words · PDF available
Semiconductors are a uniquely important enabling technology, fundamental to nearly all modern industrial and national security activities, as well as essential building blocks of other emerging techno...
Military Medical Malpractice and the Feres Doctrine
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-25 · Resources · 1,354 words · PDF available
The Department of Defense (DOD) employs physicians and other medical personnel to administer health care to servicemembers, military retirees, and their family members. If these providers commit medic...
An Overview of the Corporate Income Tax System
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-24 · Reports · 12,316 words · PDF available
This report presents information and research on the U.S. corporate income tax to help policymakers understand and evaluate policies to modify it. The structure of the corporate tax can influence the ...
U.S. International Climate Finance: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-24 · Resources · 1,649 words · PDF available
International Environmental Assistance Many governments hold that environmental degradation and climate change pose international and transboundary risks to human populations, economies, and ecosystem...
U.S. International Climate Finance: FY2024
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-24 · Resources · 1,193 words · PDF available
U.S. International Climate Finance Over the past several decades, to varying degrees, the United States has delivered financial and technical assistance for climate change activities in the developing...
The U.S. DOT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-24 · Resources · 1,560 words · PDF available
The Department of Transportation (DOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program seeks to offer small disadvantaged businesses a fair opportunity to compete for federally funded transportation c...
Single-Family Residential Appraisals: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-24 · Resources · 1,603 words · PDF available
A real estate appraisal is an estimate of the value that a property can be sold for, given prevailing market conditions. An appraisal (also called a valuation) is typically conducted prior to the comp...
Defining Final Agency Action for APA and CRA Review
Congressional Research Service · 2023-04-24 · Resources · 1,877 words · PDF available
Executive branch action may be subject to both judicial and congressional review. Two federal statutes authorizing such review are the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which generally governs judic...