Policy Library

7,020 documents

Fertility Fraud: Federal Criminal Law Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-19 · Resources · 1,779 words · PDF available
Recent media attention has focused on medical fertility specialists who have misrepresented the provenance of biological material—for example, inseminating patients with the specialists’ own sperm. Of...
The Social Security Statement
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-18 · Reports · 16,397 words · PDF available
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is required by law to provide Social Security number (SSN) holders with annual statements that contain certain information from their Social Security records i...
PFAS and Drinking Water: Selected EPA and Congressional Actions
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-18 · Reports · 10,829 words · PDF available
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are fluorinated chemicals that have been used in an array of commercial, industrial, and U.S. military applications for decades. Some of the more common appl...
Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Roles, Missions, and Future Concepts
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-18 · Reports · 12,535 words · PDF available
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have gained increased prominence in U.S. military operations. The Department of Defense (DOD) is currently developing advanced UAS, along with optionally crewed aircraf...
Benefits for Service-Disabled Veterans
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-18 · Reports · 5,936 words · PDF available
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers programs and provides benefits to qualified former U.S. servicemembers with service-connected disabilities (i.e., service-disabled veterans). These ...
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-15 · Resources · 1,589 words · PDF available
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), enacted as part of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (HIRE Act, P.L. 111-147), was intended to increase compliance with U.S. tax law among...
Abortion and Family Planning-Related Provisions in U.S. Foreign Assistance Law and Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-15 · Reports · 7,178 words · PDF available
This report details legislation and policies that restrict or place requirements on U.S. funding of abortion or family planning activities abroad. The level and extent of federal funding for these act...
Housing and the Consumer Price Index
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-14 · Resources · 1,613 words · PDF available
Over much of 2021 and 2022, inflation in the United States has been high. Housing costs carry a relatively large weight in the calculation of overall price increases across many measures, notably in t...
Small Business Administration (SBA) Funding: Overview and Recent Trends
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-14 · Reports · 25,158 words · PDF available
This report examines the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) appropriations (new budget authority, minus rescissions and sequestration) over time, focusing on developments and trends since FY2000....
Better, Together: Examining the Unified Proposed Rule to Modernize the Community Reinvestment Act
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-13 · Testimony · 6,028 words · PDF available
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The H-2B Visa and the Statutory Cap
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-13 · Reports · 9,862 words · PDF available
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952, as amended, enumerates categories of foreign nationals, known as nonimmigrants, who are admitted to the United States for a temporary period of time ...
Wild Horse and Burro Management: Overview of Costs
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-13 · Resources · 1,539 words · PDF available
Background The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 (the 1971 Act, 16 U.S.C. §§1331 et seq.) provides for management and protection of wild horses and burros by the Bureau of Land Managemen...
Supreme Court Addresses Major Questions Doctrine and EPA’s Regulation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-12 · Posts · 3,210 words · PDF available
On June 30, 2022, the Supreme Court decided West Virginia v. EPA, a case with significant implications for U.S. environmental policy and, more broadly, for Congress’s ability to delegate authority ove...
Setting Budgetary Levels: The House’s FY2023 Deeming Resolution
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-11 · Reports · 3,084 words · PDF available
The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 directs Congress to adopt a budget resolution each spring, providing an agreement between the House and Senate on a budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year (and a...
Trade-Related Agencies: FY2022 Appropriations, Commerce, Science, Justice and Related Agencies (CJS)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-08 · Reports · 6,587 words · PDF available
This report provides an overview of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget request and appropriations for the International Trade Administration (ITA), the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), and t...
Redefining Waters of the United States (WOTUS): Recent Developments
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-08 · Reports · 21,181 words · PDF available
Congress established the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), to restore and protect the quality of the nation’s surface waters. The CWA protects “navigable wa...
Abortion, Data Privacy, and Law Enforcement Access: A Legal Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-08 · Posts · 3,024 words · PDF available
In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, some Members of Congress and commentators have expressed concerns that law enforcement officials may seek...
Congressional Authority to Regulate Abortion
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-08 · Posts · 3,516 words · PDF available
On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overruled Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey an...
The CASES Act: Implementation and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-08 · Resources · 1,449 words · PDF available
The CASES Act is intended to modernize and simplify what has been an inconsistent and variable process of obtaining an individual’s written consent for information disclosure. The act would enable con...
Geoengineering: Ocean Iron Fertilization
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-07 · Reports · 6,673 words · PDF available
Congress has shown growing interest in and support for geoengineering techniques as a means to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Geoengineering is a field of study that involves large-s...
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-07 · Reports · 2,452 words · PDF available
Within the last year, multiple commercial airlines have announced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) purchase agreements. Airlines report they are purchasing SAF, in part, to “address the climate crisis”...
Information Access for Congressional Advisory Commissions
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-07 · Reports · 8,912 words · PDF available
Advisory commissions assist Congress with the development of public policy. Congressional advisory commissions are formal groups, usually composed of policy experts, that provide independent advice, r...
Taxpayer Advocate Service: Purpose, History, Performance, and Resources
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-07 · Resources · 1,779 words · PDF available
The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is intended to play a significant role in protecting taxpayer rights and fostering taxpayer confidence in the accountability and integrity of the Internal Revenue S...
Carson v. Makin: Using Government Funds for Religious Activity
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-06 · Posts · 2,503 words · PDF available
When the government decides whether to give public funds to religious entities, that decision can raise constitutional questions under both of the First Amendment’s Religion Clauses. For many years, S...
The Social Security Retirement Age
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-06 · Reports · 14,233 words · PDF available
The Social Security full retirement age (FRA) is the age at which workers can first claim full (i.e., unreduced) Social Security retired-worker benefits. Among other factors, a worker’s monthly benefi...
Education Provisions in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-06 · Resources · 1,604 words · PDF available
On June 25, 2022, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA; P.L. 117-159) was signed into law. In addition to provisions addressing mental health services, firearms, and Medicare, the act requires t...
Youth Employment and Training Programs Authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-06 · Resources · 1,470 words · PDF available
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA, P.L. 113-128) is the primary federal statute centrally focused on workforce development. It authorizes a group of programs to assist workers and emp...
SBA’s Office of Inspector General: Overview, Impact, and Relationship with Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-05 · Reports · 12,998 words · PDF available
Congress created offices of inspector general (OIGs) to assist in its oversight of the executive branch. OIGs provide independent, nonpartisan analysis, conducted in accordance with generally accepted...
SBA Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program (SVOG)
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-05 · Reports · 7,584 words · PDF available
The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several types of programs to support small businesses, including direct disaster loan programs to assist their recovery from natural disasters; loan...
Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentences: The Safety Valve and Substantial Assistance Exceptions
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-05 · Reports · 9,985 words · PDF available
Federal law requires a sentencing judge to impose a minimum sentence of imprisonment following conviction for any of a number of federal offenses. Congress has created three exceptions. Two are availa...
Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund: Overview and Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-01 · Reports · 8,222 words · PDF available
As communities face a variety of economic challenges, some may look to local banks and financial institutions for solutions that address the specific development needs of low-income and distressed com...
Siegel v. Fitzgerald: Supreme Court Makes Rare Comment on the Bankruptcy Clause’s Uniformity Requirement
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-01 · Posts · 1,917 words · PDF available
On June 6, 2022, the Supreme Court decided Siegel v. Fitzgerald, holding that the Bankruptcy Judgeship Act of 2017 (the “2017 Act”) violated the uniformity requirement of the U.S. Constitution’s Bankr...
Cryptocurrency in 401(k) Retirement Plans
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-01 · Resources · 1,515 words · PDF available
Digital assets, which include cryptocurrencies, crypto-assets, or digital tokens, among others, are digital representations of value and are issued and transferred using distributed ledger or blockcha...
SCOTUS Bolsters State Criminal Jurisdiction on Tribal Lands
Congressional Research Service · 2022-07-01 · Posts · 1,249 words · PDF available
Rejecting the view that states lack criminal jurisdiction on tribal reservations unless Congress specifically grants such jurisdiction, on June 29, 2022, the Supreme Court announced in Oklahoma v. Cas...
Small Business Administration 7(a) Loan Guaranty Program
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-30 · Reports · 19,709 words
The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several programs to support small businesses, including loan guaranty programs designed to encourage lenders to provide loans to small businesses “t...
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations for FY2022
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-30 · Reports · 11,030 words · PDF available
The respective House and Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations subcommittees are charged with providing annual appropriations for the Departm...
Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) FY2022 Appropriations: Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-30 · Reports · 5,409 words · PDF available
The Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill includes funding for the Department of the Treasury, the Executive Office of the President, the judiciary, the District of Colu...
Supreme Court’s Decision in Boechler, P.C. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue May Save Some Late-Filed Tax Petitions
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-30 · Posts · 2,136 words · PDF available
On April 21, 2022, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Boechler, P.C. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, providing insight on when a tax statute’s filing deadline becomes a jurisdiction...
Kennedy v. Bremerton School District: School Prayer and the Establishment Clause
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-30 · Posts · 3,473 words · PDF available
On June 27, 2022, the Supreme Court released a 6-3 decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District that significantly altered Establishment Clause jurisprudence. In ruling in favor of a high school f...
Supreme Court To Address Foreign Account Reporting Penalties
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-29 · Posts · 1,642 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...
Mortgage Servicing Assets and Selected Market Developments
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-29 · Resources · 1,810 words · PDF available
A mortgage servicer receives a fee to perform various administrative tasks that include collecting and remitting the principal and interest payments made by a borrower to the owner (e.g., lender, inve...
Civil Rights Remedies in Cummings and Implications for Title VI and Title IX
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-29 · Posts · 2,329 words · PDF available
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) prohibit various types of discrimination in federally funded programs and other covered entities. The Supreme Co...
Freedom of Information Act Fees for Government Information
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-29 · Resources · 1,609 words · PDF available
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) establishes a presumption that information in the possession of executive branch agencies and departments of the U.S. federal government is accessible to the publ...
Department of Veterans Affairs FY2022 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-28 · Reports · 21,868 words · PDF available
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers numerous programs that provide benefits and services to eligible veterans and their families. These benefits include medical care; disability compen...
Supreme Court Rules No Constitutional Right to Abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization
On June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case challenging the constitutionality of Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act, which genera...
Voting Rights Act: Section 3(c) “Bail-In” Provision
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-27 · Posts · 2,816 words · PDF available
Congress has recently considered legislation that would amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). For example, during the 117th Congress, the House passed H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Adva...
Federal Procurement Restrictions on Organizational Conflicts of Interest
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-27 · Posts · 2,665 words · PDF available
Recent congressional reports and news articles have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest when a company that provides consulting or advisory services to a federal regulatory agency th...
Delaware River Basin Restoration
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-27 · Resources · 1,481 words · PDF available
Background The Delaware River Basin drains the lands surrounding the Delaware River and its tributaries, which stretch from the Catskill Mountains in New York to the Delaware Estuary (see Figure 1). T...
Army Corps of Engineers: FY2022 Appropriations
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-24 · Resources · 1,388 words · PDF available
Congress generally funds the civil works activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in annual Energy and Water Development appropriations acts. These activities include the planning and co...
2022 Summit of the Americas
Congressional Research Service · 2022-06-24 · Posts · 1,038 words · PDF available
The United States hosted the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles on June 6-10, 2022. The Summits of the Americas, held roughly every three years since 1994, serve as opportunities for the West...