Policy Library

6,587 documents

Selected Health Provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act
Congressional Research Service · 2022-09-01 · Resources · 1,824 words · PDF available
Overview On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law P.L. 117-169, a budget reconciliation measure known as the Inflation Reduction Act (the Act). The Act makes wide-reaching changes to Medica...
FBI v. Fazaga: Supreme Court Unanimously Holds That FISA Does Not Displace the State Secrets Privilege
Congressional Research Service · 2022-09-01 · Posts · 1,192 words · PDF available
On March 4, 2022, the Supreme Court unanimously decided that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) Section 106(f) does not displace the state secrets privilege in Federal Bureau of ...
Intelligence Coordination on Domestic Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2022-09-01 · Reports · 14,627 words · PDF available
This report provides an overview of the evolution of domestic intelligence activities by the intelligence and law enforcement communities, as well as the processes by which intelligence and law enforc...
The Law of Immigration Detention: A Brief Introduction
Congressional Research Service · 2022-09-01 · Resources · 1,789 words · PDF available
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) authorizes—and in some cases requires—the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain non-U.S. nationals (aliens) who are subject to removal from the Unit...
Overview of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, H.R. 8152
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-31 · Posts · 2,105 words · PDF available
On July 20, 2022, the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 53-2 to advance the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), H.R. 8152, to the full House of Representatives. The ADPPA would c...
Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-30 · Resources · 1,486 words · PDF available
In response to rising retail heating oil prices during the winter of 1999-2000 (see Figure 1), the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve (NEHHOR) was created and authorized by presidential directive and ...
Inflation Reduction Act Methane Emissions Charge: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-29 · Reports · 5,647 words · PDF available
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed H.R. 5376 (P.L. 117-169), a budget reconciliation measure commonly referred to as the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022” (IRA). Among other provisions, IRA in...
FEMA’s Approach to Equity and Emergency Management: Disaster Declarations and Policy Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-26 · Reports · 10,985 words · PDF available
Some Members of Congress and other stakeholders have raised concerns regarding equity in the delivery of federal disaster relief. As this topic is of ongoing congressional and national interest, the F...
The Metaverse: Concepts and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-26 · Reports · 13,962 words · PDF available
Congress has long paid attention to technologies for users to access computer-simulated environments and participate in virtual activities on the internet. These technologies include augmented reality...
Farm Bill Primer: Federal Crop Insurance Program
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-26 · Resources · 1,452 words · PDF available
The federal crop insurance program (FCIP) helps make insurance coverage available to farmers from private sector insurers to help mitigate potential financial consequences of adverse growing and marke...
U.S. Citizenship for Children Born Abroad: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-25 · Reports · 2,693 words · PDF available
Children born abroad may acquire U.S. citizenship through qualifying U.S. citizen parents. This report summarizes Immigration and Nationality Act provisions under which children born abroad may acquir...
Expanding Broadband: Potential Role of Municipal Networks to Address the Digital Divide
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-25 · Reports · 11,415 words · PDF available
In the United States, private sector providers deploy technologies that enable them to offer broadband services (also known as high-speed internet). While broadband deployment continues to progress, t...
India-Russia Relations and Implications for U.S. Interests
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-24 · Reports · 16,068 words · PDF available
The emergence of the U.S.-India partnership has been among the notable shifts in global major power politics in the 21st century. After decades of estrangement following India’s 1947 independence, the...
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Appropriations: FY2023 President’s Budget Request
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-24 · Resources · 1,184 words · PDF available
Since FY2006, Congress has funded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bills. For FY2023, the President requested $11.88 bil...
The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): Waiver Authority and Modification of Volumes
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-22 · Reports · 4,303 words · PDF available
The Clean Air Act requires that transportation fuels contain a minimum volume of renewable fuel. This Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct05; P.L. 109-...
Changes in Employment and Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Levels During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-19 · Reports · 14,439 words · PDF available
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and related recession led to massive job loss in early 2020, with some lasting labor market effects. Because a majority of Americans receive their heal...
Farm Bill Primer: Support for Cotton
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-17 · Resources · 1,727 words · PDF available
Title I of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 farm bill; P.L. 115-334) reauthorized commodity support for domestic producers of cotton for the 2019-2023 crop years. Titles I and XII of the ...
Hazard-Resilient Buildings: Sustaining Occupancy and Function After a Natural Disaster
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-15 · Reports · 7,709 words · PDF available
Natural disasters contributed to more than $2.2 trillion in total losses in the United States between 1980 and 2021. Many in Congress are interested in reducing the losses due to buildings damaged or ...
Constitutional Limits on States’ Power over Foreign Affairs
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-15 · Posts · 2,212 words · PDF available
The Constitution gives the federal government the primary power to manage the United States’ foreign relations. Article I, Section 10 prohibits states from engaging in a set of activities that implica...
Climate Liability Suits: Is There a Path to Federal Court?
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-12 · Posts · 2,867 words · PDF available
Many of the most prominent court cases related to climate change in recent years have been decided by federal courts, including the Supreme Court, based on federal law. A growing number of cases, howe...
Tax Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-10 · Reports · 15,539 words · PDF available
***TO BE SUPPRESSED*** July 27, 2022, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Joe Manchin released legislative text for the budget reconciliation legislation, also known as the "Inflation Red...
Ownership of Retirement Assets: Data in Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-10 · Reports · 2,613 words · PDF available
In 2019, about half of U.S. households had retirement assets, which included savings in defined contribution (DC) pension plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Retirement assets represent o...
Unauthorized Immigrants: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-10 · Reports · 8,877 words · PDF available
Unauthorized immigrants are noncitizens who generally have entered the United States without inspection, overstayed a period of lawful admission, or violated the terms of their admission. Congress has...
The Carbon Cycle: Key Component of the Climate System, with Implications for Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-10 · Reports · 6,109 words · PDF available
Large quantities of carbon are actively exchanged between the atmosphere and the other carbon storage pools, including the oceans, vegetation, and soils on the land surface. The exchange, or flux, of ...
Education Department Proposes New Title IX Regulations: Responding to Sex Discrimination and Harassment at School
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-10 · Posts · 2,599 words · PDF available
The Department of Education (ED) recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend its current regulations that implement Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (Title IX). Tit...
The Corporate Minimum Tax Proposal
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-10 · Resources · 1,711 words · PDF available
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (H.R. 5376), which passed the Senate on August 7, 2022, would impose a minimum tax of 15% on the adjusted financial statement income of large corporations. Corporat...
Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP): Limits on Administrative and Operating Subsidies
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-10 · Resources · 1,439 words · PDF available
The federal crop insurance program (FCIP) offers farmers the opportunity to purchase insurance coverage against financial losses caused by a wide variety of perils, including certain adverse growing a...
International Responses to the 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-10 · Resources · 1,438 words · PDF available
Introduction In May 2022, the International Health Regulations (IHR) Focal Point for the United Kingdom notified the World Health Organization (WHO) that an individual who travelled from the United Ki...
Federal Role in Responding to Potential Risks of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-10 · Reports · 40,443 words · PDF available
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of fluorinated compounds that have been used for various purposes, including numerous commercial, industrial, and U.S. military applications. Som...
Forecasting Tropical Cyclones: NOAA’s Role
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-10 · Resources · 1,499 words · PDF available
Timely and accurate forecasts of tropical cyclones, including tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes (hereinafter TCs or storms), can provide life-and property-saving warnings to parts ...
An Excise Tax on Stock Repurchases and Tax Advantages of Buybacks over Dividends
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-10 · Resources · 1,287 words · PDF available
The Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376), as reported by the Committee on the Budget, includes a provision to impose a 1% excise tax on stock repurchases by publicly traded corporations. Stock repurchase...
Federal Payroll Tax Administration
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-09 · Infographics · 602 words · PDF available
/ Federal Payroll Tax Administration Payroll taxes are levied on the wages or earnings of workers. Payroll taxes are the federal government’s second-largest revenue source (after individual income tax...
The U.S. Land-Grant University System: Overview and Role in Agricultural Research
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-09 · Reports · 13,412 words · PDF available
With the passage of the first Morrill Act in 1862, the United States began a novel policy of providing federal support for post-secondary education, focused on agriculture and the mechanical arts. The...
Presidential Records Management: Preservation and Disposal
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-09 · Resources · 1,644 words · PDF available
Presidential records provide an essential window into many of the most consequential actions and decisions of the American government. The Presidential Records Act (PRA; 44 U.S.C. §§2201-2209) sets fo...
Modernizing Access to Military Service Records: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-08 · Reports · 9,313 words · PDF available
As the world increasingly relies on digital access and electronic material as means to apply for jobs, educational programs, disability or military benefits, etc., documents that are not digitized are...
Beyond January 6th: White House Confidentiality and Congressional Investigations
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-05 · Posts · 2,400 words · PDF available
One significant aspect of the recent hearings held by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (Committee) has been the frequency and prevalence of...
Ongoing Efforts to Address Fraud and Adulteration of Honey
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-05 · Resources · 1,763 words · PDF available
In the next farm bill, Congress may address concerns raised by U.S. honey producers about the adulteration, misbranding, and fraudulent mislabeling of both domestically produced and imported honey. So...
U.S. Domestic Response to the 2022 Monkeypox Outbreak
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-05 · Resources · 1,681 words · PDF available
Background On August 4, 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary declared a Public Health Emergency for the monkeypox outbreak. Countries in Africa have reported monkeypox sin...
The FAFSA Simplification Act
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-04 · Reports · 14,487 words · PDF available
The Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA; P.L. 89-329, as amended), authorizes numerous federal aid programs that provide support to both individuals pursuing a postsecondary education and institutions o...
Maintaining Electric Reliability with Wind and Solar Sources: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-04 · Reports · 11,146 words · PDF available
The share of wind and solar power in the U.S. electricity mix grew from 1% in 2008 to 13% in 2021. Wind and solar are variable renewable energy (VRE) sources. Unlike conventional sources, weather vari...
Judicial Review and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-04 · Reports · 10,531 words · PDF available
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), enacted in 1969, requires federal agencies to integrate environmental considerations into their decisionmaking processes. It also directs agencies to use ...
Taxation of Carried Interest
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-04 · Reports · 4,845 words · PDF available
Congress has had a long-standing interest in the tax treatment of carried interest—a form of compensation often received by fund managers of alternative investment vehicles (e.g., private equity or he...
Federal Student Loan Repayment Programs for Behavioral Health Service Providers
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-04 · Resources · 1,637 words · PDF available
Many policymakers have long-standing concerns about the availability of behavioral health (i.e., mental health and substance use) treatment services overall and in specific geographic areas. One optio...
Microsoft’s Proposed Acquisition of Activision Blizzard: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-03 · Reports · 5,701 words · PDF available
Keywords: Microsoft Corp., Activision Blizzard Inc., video game, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department of Justice (DOJ), antitrust, Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, Clayton Act, competition, labor market, ...
Overview of Governmental Action Under the Stored Communications Act (SCA)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-03 · Posts · 1,706 words · PDF available
The Stored Communications Act (SCA), 18 U.S.C. §§ 2701 et seq., governs access to stored wire and electronic communications such as emails and other online messages held by service providers. Congress...
Job Corps: A Primer
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-03 · Reports · 6,176 words · PDF available
Job Corps is a comprehensive and primarily residential federal job training program for youth ages 16 to 24 who are low-income and have a barrier to education and employment. The program is authorized...
Conducting Research on Federal Real Property: A Guide to Selected Resources
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-03 · Reports · 3,249 words · PDF available
This report is designed to introduce congressional staff to selected sources published by the General Services Administration (GSA) that may be useful in conducting research on federal real property—l...
Legal and Practical Implications of the Ninth Circuit’s Cottonwood Environmental Law Center v. U.S. Forest Service Decision Under the Endangered Species Act
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-02 · Reports · 10,466 words · PDF available
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; P.L. 93-205) generally requires federal agencies to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (toge...
Three Strike Mandatory Sentencing (18 U.S.C. § 3559(c)): An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-01 · Reports · 5,752 words · PDF available
The federal three strikes provision calls for a mandatory term of life imprisonment for defendants convicted of a serious violent felony who have two or more federal or state serious violent felony co...
Railroad Retirement Board: Trust Fund Investment Practices
Congressional Research Service · 2022-08-01 · Reports · 4,663 words
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), an independent federal agency, administers retirement, survivor, disability, unemployment, and sickness insurance for railroad workers and their families. Railroad...