Policy Library

7,020 documents

Legislative Reforms to Commercial Aircraft Certification
Congressional Research Service · 2021-09-09 · Reports · 20,779 words · PDF available
An important Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) function is certifying the safety of aviation products including aircraft, aircraft engines, and major aircraft components. FAA has developed a broad...
Federal Crop Insurance for Hemp Crops
Congressional Research Service · 2021-09-09 · Resources · 1,872 words · PDF available
The 2018 farm bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018; P.L. 115-334) provided a framework to legalize hemp under federal law and facilitate the commercial cultivation, processing, marketing, and sal...
Nationwide Injunctions: Law, History, and Proposals for Reform
Congressional Research Service · 2021-09-08 · Reports · 30,636 words · PDF available
In recent years, nationwide injunctions have generated significant debate among scholars, advocates, judges, and legislators. Sometimes also called national injunctions, universal injunctions, non-par...
Tax Policy and Disaster Recovery
Congressional Research Service · 2021-09-03 · Reports · 13,954 words · PDF available
The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) contains a number of provisions intended to provide disaster relief. Following certain disasters, Congress has passed legislation with temporary and targeted tax relief...
Regular Appropriations Acts: Selected Statutory Interpretation Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2021-09-03 · Reports · 30,769 words · PDF available
The Constitution’s Appropriations Clause provides that “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” Congress, and not another branch of government, th...
Federal Economic Development Resources for Tribal Nations: A Survey
Congressional Research Service · 2021-09-01 · Reports · 8,663 words · PDF available
American Indian tribes and Alaska Native communities have a unique relationship to the U.S. federal government, and face distinctive socioeconomic challenges as a function of their history, as well as...
S.Con.Res. 14: The Budget Resolution for FY2022
Congressional Research Service · 2021-09-01 · Reports · 4,431 words · PDF available
In August 2021, the House and Senate adopted S.Con.Res. 14, a budget resolution for FY2022. The budget resolution generally represents an agreement between the House and Senate on a budgetary plan for...
Low Earth Orbit Satellites: Potential to Address the Broadband Digital Divide
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-31 · Reports · 10,216 words · PDF available
As the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began to unfold, many federal, state, and local governments, in addition to large and small businesses, implemented remote working or distance learn...
Supreme Court Blocks Enforcement of the CDC’s Eviction Moratorium
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-30 · Posts · 1,849 words · PDF available
On August 26, 2021, the Supreme Court blocked enforcement of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) nationwide temporary eviction moratorium issued on August 3, 2021. In granting the...
The “Shadow Docket”: The Supreme Court’s Non-Merits Orders
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-27 · Posts · 3,399 words · PDF available
The evening of Friday, August 20, 2021, saw significant activity on the Supreme Court’s non-merits docket. That evening, the Biden Administration filed an application for stay pending appeal in Biden ...
Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs): Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-27 · Reports · 10,000 words · PDF available
The federal government supports research and development (R&D) that is conducted by a wide variety of performers, including federally owned and operated laboratories, universities, private companies, ...
Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS): OECD/G20 Tax Proposals
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-26 · Reports · 15,602 words · PDF available
Taxes collected by countries around the world can be reduced through various avoidance mechanisms that shift corporate profits out of higher-tax-rate jurisdictions into lower-tax-rate jurisdictions an...
Amending Eligibility Rules for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals: Background and Policy Options
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-25 · Reports · 14,929 words · PDF available
In 1946, the National School Lunch Act (P.L. 79-396) established that schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) would serve lunches for free or at a reduced cost to students wh...
Cryptocurrency Transfers and Data Collection
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-25 · Resources · 1,671 words · PDF available
Overview The extent to which the government should collect data on and require reporting of cryptocurrency (“crypto”) transfers has been the focus of recent policy discussions. Both the Biden Administ...
Office of National Drug Control Policy and Its Role in Federal Drug Control
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-24 · Reports · 7,897 words · PDF available
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is responsible for creating, implementing, and evaluating U.S. drug control policies to reduce the use, manufacturing, and trafficking of illicit dru...
Trade Remedies: Countervailing Duties
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-23 · Reports · 17,907 words · PDF available
The U.S. Constitution grants to Congress the power to regulate trade with foreign nations and levy tariffs. Since 1922, U.S. law and foreign policy have favored applying tariffs and duties equally to ...
Remote Learning for K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-20 · Reports · 16,477 words · PDF available
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, most elementary and secondary schools and local educational agencies (LEAs) across the United States closed schools in February or March 2020. By the middle of Ap...
Unemployment Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-20 · Reports · 8,559 words · PDF available
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on labor market metrics for every state, economic sector, and major demographic group in the United States. This report provides information on unemp...
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency: Overview and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-19 · Reports · 10,272 words · PDF available
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), established in 1958, is an agency within the Department of Defense (DOD) responsible for catalyzing the development of technologies that maintain...
Agriculture in the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12)
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-19 · Resources · 1,703 words · PDF available
The United States is one of the world’s largest agricultural trading countries and has a major stake in negotiations on trade rules and disciplines. Congress continues to seek to influence and monitor...
Permissible and Prohibited Uses of Campaign Funds: Frequently Asked Questions and Policy Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-18 · Reports · 11,873 words · PDF available
Many frequently asked questions about permissible and prohibited uses of campaign funds are relatively straightforward. The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) generally permits spending campaign fun...
The Selective Service System and Draft Registration: Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-18 · Reports · 22,883 words · PDF available
The Military Selective Service Act (MSSA), first enacted as the Selective Service Act of 1948, provides the statutory authority for the federal government to maintain a Selective Service System (SSS) ...
Federal Information Technology (IT) Budgeting Process in the Executive Branch: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-17 · Reports · 10,089 words · PDF available
Information technology (IT) systems serve as a means by which federal agencies interact with citizens, other federal agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector (such as contractors ...
Naturalization: The Process of Becoming a U.S. Citizen
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-17 · Infographics · 667 words · PDF available
/ Naturalization The Process of Becoming a U.S. Citizen Naturalization is the process that grants U.S. citizenship to lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who fulfill requirements established by Congres...
The Regulatory Flexibility Act: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-16 · Resources · 1,777 words · PDF available
Congress enacted the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA; 5 U.S.C. §§601-612) in 1980 to require federal agencies to consider the effects of their regulations on small businesses and other small entities....
Addressing Nontariff Barriers to Agricultural Trade at the WTO
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-16 · Resources · 1,665 words · PDF available
Multilateral trade rules allow governments to adopt various measures—including sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT) measures—that are “necessary for the protection of...
Health Insurance Continuation Coverage Under COBRA
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-13 · Reports · 7,344 words · PDF available
Health insurance helps to protect individuals and families against financial loss. Having health insurance also promotes access to regular health care. Most Americans with private health insurance are...
PennEast Pipeline Company v. New Jersey: Can a Natural Gas Pipeline Company Bring a Condemnation Suit Against a State?
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-12 · Posts · 1,474 words · PDF available
A foundational principle of the United States, as reflected in various portions of the U.S. Constitution, is the notion that states retain certain sovereign powers. One such power that has repeatedly ...
Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP): Replanting, Delayed Planting, and Prevented Planting
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-12 · Reports · 11,345 words · PDF available
The federal crop insurance program (FCIP) offers farmers the opportunity to purchase insurance coverage against financial losses caused by certain adverse growing and market conditions. FCIP policies ...
The 287(g) Program: State and Local Immigration Enforcement
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-12 · Resources · 1,580 words · PDF available
Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), codified in 8 U.S.C. §1357(g), permits the delegation of certain immigration enforcement functions to state and local law enforcement agenc...
The Digital Equity Act of 2021
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-12 · Resources · 1,638 words · PDF available
Introduction The Digital Equity Act is included in the Senate-passed version of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684). Submitted as an amendment in the nature of a substitute (S.Amdt....
Tax Treatment of Gig Economy Workers
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-11 · Resources · 1,614 words · PDF available
The gig economy (or sharing economy) is a form of work relationship that has become popular in recent years. Gig economy workers earn income by providing on-demand work, with “gigs” often facilitated ...
Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics of Older Households with Debt: 2019
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-09 · Reports · 12,022 words · PDF available
Debt among aged households (i.e., households whose head is 65 years old or older) has increased substantially in the past three decades. From 1992 to 2019, the share of aged households with debt incre...
Asylum Eligibility for Applicants Fleeing Gang and Domestic Violence: Recent Developments
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-06 · Posts · 2,420 words · PDF available
Non-U.S. nationals (aliens, as the term is used in the Immigration and Nationality Act) from Central America have increasingly pursued asylum and related protections in the United States because of ga...
Merchant Discount, Interchange, and Other Transaction Fees in the Retail Electronic Payment System
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-06 · Resources · 1,710 words · PDF available
Recent policy discussions around faster payments, cryptocurrencies, and other financial innovations have highlighted some of the costs and fees associated with the retail payment system. In the past, ...
At What Rate Do Noncitizens Appear for Their Removal Hearings? Measuring In Absentia Removal Order Rates
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-05 · Resources · 1,366 words · PDF available
Noncitizens who are charged by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with immigration violations may have their cases adjudicated during immigration court removal proceedings. Immigration courts o...
Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 Consultation and Infrastructure Projects
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-04 · Reports · 8,486 words · PDF available
Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. §§1531 et seq.) requires federal agencies (often referred to as action agencies) to ensure that actions they undertake, authorize, or fund are n...
RICO: An Abridged Sketch
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-03 · Reports · 7,043 words · PDF available
Congress enacted the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) provisions as part of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970. Despite its name and origin, RICO is not limited to “mo...
Federal Requirements for State and Military Registered Sex Offender Management
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-02 · Reports · 16,250 words · PDF available
The federal government plays a role in the management of individuals convicted of certain sex offenses. In a law enforcement capacity, it enforces federal laws involving sexual abuse, online predatory...
Litigation of the CDC’s Eviction Moratorium
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-02 · Posts · 4,183 words · PDF available
On August 1, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) order imposing a nationwide, temporary federal moratorium on residential evictions for the nonpayment of rent expired. The o...
National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 (H.R. 447)
Congressional Research Service · 2021-08-02 · Reports · 7,259 words · PDF available
Apprenticeship is a workforce development strategy that trains a worker in a recognized occupation using a structured combination of on-the-job training and related instruction. Congress has expressed...
How Are Reporting Requirements Submitted to Congress?
Congressional Research Service · 2021-07-30 · Reports · 2,893 words · PDF available
Congress may direct federal agencies, commissions, and the President to prepare and submit required reports to Congress or its committees as a function of its oversight of the executive branch or to o...
COVID-19 and the U.S. Timber Industry
Congressional Research Service · 2021-07-29 · Reports · 13,721 words
The timber industry is a diverse commodity industry, wherein cut trees (timber) are converted to a wide variety of articles made from wood (wood products). The largest wood product sectors in the Unit...
The American Rescue Plan Act: Equal Protection Challenges
Congressional Research Service · 2021-07-29 · Posts · 2,373 words · PDF available
Following the enactment of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) earlier this year, several lawsuits have been filed in federal court alleging that certain race- or sex-conscious relief that the ARPA au...
Health Equity and Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Brief Overview of the Federal Role
Congressional Research Service · 2021-07-28 · Reports · 5,763 words · PDF available
We will suppress this, and populate it with searchable tags before publication. During the COVID-19 Pandemic response, communities with different demographics, geographies, resources, and network sup...
Salton Sea Restoration
Congressional Research Service · 2021-07-28 · Reports · 11,341 words · PDF available
The Salton Sea—a lake located in Southern California—is the largest inland water body in the state. The sea has few natural inlets of water, has no natural outlets, and is largely sustained by agricul...
Alternative Fuels and Vehicles: Legislative Proposals
Congressional Research Service · 2021-07-28 · Reports · 10,040 words · PDF available
Congress continues to pursue broad goals of reducing petroleum-based fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in road transportation. Legislative proposals in the 116th Congress—several of ...
Submission of the President’s Budget in Transition Years
Congressional Research Service · 2021-07-28 · Reports · 3,701 words
At the time of a presidential transition, one question commonly asked is whether the outgoing or incoming President submits the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Under past practices, and prior to ...
Tribal Energy Resource Agreements (TERAs): Approval Process and Selected Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2021-07-26 · Reports · 14,555 words · PDF available
Congress provided federally recognized Indian tribes the option to enter into a Tribal Energy Resource Agreement (TERA) with the federal government in the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Det...
Surprise Billing in Private Health Insurance: Overview of Federal Consumer Protections and Payment for Out-of-Network Services
Congressional Research Service · 2021-07-26 · Reports · 19,376 words · PDF available
The term surprise billing typically refers to individuals receiving large, unexpected medical bills for out-of-network care. Generally, surprise billing occurs when consumers are unknowingly, and pote...