Policy Library

7,020 documents

The Unemployment Trust Fund (UTF): State Insolvency and Federal Loans to States
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-13 · Reports · 5,273 words
States have a great deal of autonomy in how they establish and run their unemployment insurance programs. However, federal law requires states to pay Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits promptly. ...
The Nineteenth Amendment and Women’s Suffrage Part 2: The Founding Era and the Civil War
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-13 · Posts · 539 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar is the second in a six-part series that discusses the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which recognized women’s voting rights. Shortly before Election Day 2022, a group of ...
The Nineteenth Amendment and Women’s Suffrage Part 3: The Reconstruction Era
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-13 · Posts · 1,019 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar is the third in a six-part series that discusses the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which recognized women’s voting rights. Shortly before Election Day 2022, a group of p...
The Nineteenth Amendment and Women’s Suffrage Part 4: The Progressive Era and Ratification
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-13 · Posts · 1,103 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar is the fourth in a six-part series that discusses the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which recognized women’s voting rights. Shortly before Election Day 2022, a group of ...
Earthquakes Induced by Underground Fluid Injection and the Federal Role in Mitigation
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-13 · Reports · 13,721 words · PDF available
Human activities, including underground fluid injection activities, may cause earthquakes (known as induced earthquakes). Underground fluid injection activities, such as hydraulic fracturing for oil a...
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Water Infrastructure Programs and FY2023 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-13 · Resources · 1,408 words · PDF available
Many policymakers and stakeholders have raised concerns about the condition of the nation’s local drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and the financial challenges that communities may confron...
The Nineteenth Amendment and Women’s Suffrage Part 1: Introduction
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-13 · Posts · 500 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar is the first in a six-part series that discusses the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which recognized women’s voting rights. Shortly before Election Day 2022, a group of p...
The Nineteenth Amendment and Women’s Suffrage Part 6: Impacts Beyond the Supreme Court
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-13 · Posts · 550 words · PDF available
This Legal Sidebar is the last in a six-part series that discusses the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which recognized women’s voting rights. Shortly before Election Day 2022, a group of pe...
Changes to House Rules Affecting the Congressional Budget Process Included in H.Res. 5 (118th Congress)
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-12 · Reports · 3,346 words · PDF available
At the beginning of each Congress, the House of Representatives adopts rules to govern its proceedings. Traditionally, the House does this by readopting the rules of the previous Congress along with c...
U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trends and Projections from the Inflation Reduction Act
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-12 · Reports · 8,203 words · PDF available
Pursuant to international climate change treaty obligations, the United States submitted a nonbinding pledge in 2021 to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50%-52% below 2005 levels by 2030. ...
An Introduction to Oversight of Offices of Inspector General
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-12 · Resources · 1,624 words · PDF available
Who watches the watchers? is a frequently posed question when people consider the role of oversight bodies, including offices of inspector general (OIGs). However, the organization of OIGs may pose un...
USMCA: Labor Provisions
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-12 · Resources · 1,664 words · PDF available
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) entered into force on July 1, 2020, replacing the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). USMCA establishes new and updated provisions on the protect...
DeSantis Tackles Divisive “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” Programs on College Campuses
Heritage Foundation · 2023-01-11 · Commentary · 1,095 words
COMMENTARY BYLindsey M. Burke, PhD@lindseymburkeDirector, Center for Education PolicyLindsey Burke researches and writes on federal and state education issues.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives a speech ...
Average Wage Growth and Related Economic Trends in 2022
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-11 · Reports · 6,802 words
The economy in 2022 has been marked by high inflation and a tight labor market. While year-over-year average hourly earnings growth has reached some of the highest levels seen in decades in nominal (n...
A Comparison of Selected Official Wage Measures
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-11 · Reports · 5,621 words · PDF available
The U.S. government produces several different wage and wage-related measures, each with its own source data, methodology, and uses. Wages can be a catchall term for several different concepts, includ...
New FCC Rules Ban Authorizations for Equipment Posing National Security Risks
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-11 · Posts · 2,415 words · PDF available
On November 25, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released new rules restricting equipment that poses national security risks from being imported to or sold in the United States. Under...
Federal Assistance for Nonfederal Dam Safety
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-11 · Reports · 9,746 words · PDF available
Nonfederal entities (e.g., state or local governments, public utilities, private entities) own most dams in the United States: 97% of the more than 91,000 dams in the National Inventory of Dams (NID)....
The Good Neighbor Authority on Federal Lands
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-11 · Resources · 1,707 words · PDF available
The Good Neighbor Authority allows the Forest Service (FS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to authorize states, counties, and federally recognized Indian tribes to conduct certain projects on ...
The FTC’s Competition Rulemaking Authority
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-11 · Posts · 2,403 words · PDF available
On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a rule that would prohibit noncompete clauses in employment contracts. The proposal relies on the FTC’s putative authority to issue rule...
Introduction to the Federal Budget Process
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-10 · Reports · 21,959 words · PDF available
Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress exercises the “power of the purse.” This power is expressed through the application of several provisions. The power to lay and collect taxes and the power to bor...
A Brief Overview of the Congressional Budget Process
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-10 · Reports · 4,011 words · PDF available
Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress exercises the “power of the purse.” This power is expressed through the application of several provisions. The power to lay and collect taxes and the power to bor...
Pandemic Relief: The Emergency Rental Assistance Program
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-10 · Reports · 9,140 words · PDF available
In response to concerns about the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on renters and their landlords, Congress created a $25 billion Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program in the Consolidated...
Free Speech: When and Why Content-Based Laws Are Presumptively Unconstitutional
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-10 · Resources · 1,755 words · PDF available
The First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause prohibits the government from suppressing or requiring adherence to particular ideas or messages. U.S. Const. amend. I. The Supreme Court has recognized that l...
Crime and Forfeiture
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-10 · Reports · 74,119 words
Modern forfeiture is a creature of statute that calls for the confiscation of certain property related to a criminal offense. Forfeiture has long been a law enforcement tool in the United States. Cong...
The Holman Rule (House Rule XXI, Clause 2(b))
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-10 · Reports · 3,689 words · PDF available
Although congressional rules establish a general division of responsibility under which questions of policy are kept separate from questions of funding, House rules provide for exceptions in certain c...
Crime and Forfeiture: In Short
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-10 · Reports · 5,624 words · PDF available
Modern forfeiture is a creature of statute that calls for the confiscation of certain property related to a criminal offense. Forfeiture has long been a tool of law enforcement in the United States. C...
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): Supplemental Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-09 · Resources · 1,475 words · PDF available
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is a science agency in the Department of the Interior (DOI) that provides information to describe and understand the geological processes of the Earth, to mitigate ri...
Congress and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-09 · Resources · 1,624 words · PDF available
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA, 5 U.S.C. §552) is often referred to as the embodiment of “the people’s right to know” about the activities and operations of government. It established a statutor...
Private Flood Insurance and the National Flood Insurance Program
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-09 · Reports · 14,971 words · PDF available
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the main source of primary flood insurance coverage in the United States, collecting over $4.6 billion in premiums, fees, and surcharges for over five mi...
Education Stabilization Fund Programs Funded by the CARES Act, CRRSAA, and ARPA: Background and Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-09 · Reports · 46,225 words
From March 2020 through March 2021, the enactment of three laws provided increasing levels of federal funding for elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education primarily through the Education Sta...
What Is “Political Warfare”?
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-09 · Resources · 1,616 words · PDF available
Background Military theorist Carl von Clausewitz wrote in his seminal book On War that “war is the continuation of politics by other means.” Historically, in Congress as well as in the broader policy ...
Budget Enforcement Procedures: The Senate Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) Rule
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-09 · Reports · 10,990 words · PDF available
The Senate pay-as-you-go, or PAYGO, rule prohibits consideration of legislation that is projected to increase on-budget deficits in any of the following four fiscal-year periods: (1) the current year;...
Options for Making the National Flood Insurance Program More Affordable
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-06 · Reports · 20,125 words · PDF available
Concerns about the affordability of flood insurance premiums have come to the fore as FEMA introduces a new pricing system known as Risk Rating 2.0, which represents the biggest change to the way the ...
Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-06 · Reports · 25,776 words · PDF available
Japan is a significant partner of the United States in a number of foreign policy areas, including addressing regional security concerns, which range from hedging against Chinese military modernizatio...
U.S. Dollar Coins: History and Current Status
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-06 · Resources · 1,062 words · PDF available
The Secretary of the Treasury, through the U.S. Mint, is statutorily authorized to issue specific denominations of circulating coins (31 U.S.C. §5112). The dollar coin was first authorized in the Coin...
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): Background and FY2023 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-06 · Resources · 1,406 words · PDF available
Background The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in the Department of the Interior (DOI), provides scientific information about geologic processes to mitigate risks from natural hazards and to support th...
Indonesia: GHG Emissions and Climate Change Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-06 · Resources · 1,526 words · PDF available
Introduction The Republic of Indonesia faces multiple challenges related to addressing the effects of climate change and lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while also meeting its economic and de...
Stafford Act and Selected Federal Recovery Programs for Civil Unrest: Historical Perspectives and Policy Observations
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-05 · Reports · 14,579 words · PDF available
States and localities have looked to the federal government for help with civil unrest since the formation of the United States in 1776. The federal response to incidents of civil unrest was provided ...
Introduction to Financial Services: Financial Cybersecurity
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-05 · Resources · 1,470 words · PDF available
Cybersecurity is a major concern of financial institutions and financial regulators. Recent data breaches at large financial institutions have increased concerns about the privacy and security of cons...
The Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Program: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-05 · Resources · 1,276 words · PDF available
The Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program is a tribal economic development assistance program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Nativ...
HUD Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing (RCB) Program
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-05 · Resources · 1,119 words · PDF available
The Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing program (Rural Capacity Building or RCB), administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one...
Elections and Voting: Policy and Legal Issues for the 118th Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-05 · Resources · 1,659 words · PDF available
Traditionally, the federal government’s role in campaigns and elections primarily includes regulating campaign finance, protecting voting rights, and supporting states in election administration. Cong...
Introduction to Financial Services: Systemic Risk
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-05 · Resources · 1,714 words · PDF available
Recent Episodes of Financial Instability Systemic risk is financial market risk that poses a threat to financial stability. The 2007-2009 financial crisis was characterized by system-wide financial in...
Introduction to Financial Services: Accounting and Auditing Regulatory Structure, U.S. and International
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-05 · Resources · 1,512 words · PDF available
This In Focus provides an overview of how accounting and auditing standards are created and regulated in the private sector, the federal government, and state and local governments. Different accounti...
FDA Regulation of Medical Devices
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-04 · Reports · 20,620 words · PDF available
Medical devices are an important part of health care service delivery, and developments in new technologies can improve their ability to diagnose and treat illness. The medical device industry produce...
Quarter and Half Dollar Coins: History and Current Status
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-04 · Resources · 1,012 words · PDF available
The Secretary of the Treasury, through the U.S. Mint, is statutorily authorized to issue specific denominations of circulating coins (31 U.S.C. §5112). Currently, the United States has six circulating...
Redesigning Circulating Quarters, Half Dollars, and Dollar Coins: Current and Future Designs
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-04 · Resources · 1,175 words · PDF available
In January 2021, the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-330) was enacted. The legislation authorizes the redesigns of the circulating quarter dollar, half dollar, and $1 coins...
Ukraine and International Financial Institutions
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-04 · Resources · 1,654 words · PDF available
Russia’s war against Ukraine has devastated the Ukrainian economy and is having widespread repercussions in Europe and around the world. While the economic impact is largest in Ukraine, neighboring co...
Potential Causes of Delayed Disbursements of Supplemental Grant Funding
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-04 · Resources · 1,322 words · PDF available
Introduction Congress uses an annual appropriations process to fund the routine activities of most federal agencies, including appropriating funding for federal grant programs. Congress may also appro...
Congressional Involvement in the Design of Circulating Coins
Congressional Research Service · 2023-01-04 · Resources · 1,088 words · PDF available
In April 1792, the Coinage Act (1 Stat. 246) established the United States Mint. Pursuant to the act, Congress prescribed various aspects of the design of circulating coins. For example, the Coinage A...