Policy Library

6,587 documents

Federal Regulation of Alien Employment and Preemption over State Laws
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-04 · Posts · 2,288 words · PDF available
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) established rules governing the employment of non-U.S. nationals (aliens) in the United States. IRCA made it unlawful for employers to knowingly h...
Homelessness and COVID-19
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-04 · Reports · 7,778 words · PDF available
People experiencing homelessness are at increased risk of contracting and spreading Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Those who are unsheltered may lack ready access to sanitary facilities. For tho...
The Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-04 · Resources · 1,738 words
In response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Federal Reserve (Fed) created a series of emergency lending programs, including the Main Street Lending Program (MSLP). The MSLP supports lendin...
Military Appellate Court: Presidential Comments Can Amount to Unlawful Command Influence
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-02 · Posts · 2,510 words · PDF available
In a set of divided opinions on August 27, the U.S Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (CAAF) rejected Sergeant Robert “Bowe” Bergdahl’s appeal in his desertion case, which he argued was invalid due...
Tracking COVID-19: U.S. Public Health Surveillance and Data
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-02 · Reports · 23,777 words · PDF available
Public health surveillance, or ongoing data collection, is an essential part of public health practice. Particularly during a pandemic, timely data are important to understanding the epidemiology of a...
Social Security Special Minimum Benefit: Policy Options
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-02 · Reports · 16,978 words · PDF available
Social Security’s minimum benefit provision, also known as the special minimum primary insurance amount (PIA), is an alternative benefit formula that increases benefits paid to workers who had low ear...
Flexibility for Equitable Per-Pupil Spending Under Title I, Part E of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-02 · Reports · 19,384 words · PDF available
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; P.L. 114-95) amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to add the “Flexibility for Equitable Per-Pupil Spending” authority as Title I, Part E. Und...
Economic Development Revolving Loan Funds (ED-RLFs)
Congressional Research Service · 2020-11-02 · Resources · 1,603 words · PDF available
Revolving loan funds (RLFs) are instruments frequently used to finance water, wastewater, infrastructure, disaster recovery, and community development activities. RLFs can also be used for economic de...
Jones v. Mississippi: Juvenile Life Without Parole Back at the Supreme Court
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-30 · Posts · 3,177 words · PDF available
On November 3, 2020, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral argument in Jones v. Mississippi, a case concerning whether the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishments requires a find...
“Zombie” Companies: Background and Policy Issues
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-29 · Resources · 1,445 words · PDF available
“Zombie” companies are mature companies that have not generated sufficient profits to cover their debt borrowing costs over a period of years. Such companies are characterized by prolonged underperfor...
Federal Wildfire Management: Ten-Year Funding Trends and Issues (FY2011-FY2020)
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-28 · Reports · 14,127 words · PDF available
Wildfire management is a series of coordinated activities to prepare for, resolve, and recover from wildfire events. The federal agencies responsible for wildfire management include the U.S. Departmen...
Immigration Relief for Victims of Trafficking
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-28 · Reports · 6,888 words
Human trafficking occurs throughout the United States, and traffickers exploit vulnerable individuals for commercial sex and forced labor in a variety of legal and illegal industries. Trafficking vict...
California v. Texas: The Fate of the Affordable Care Act
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-27 · Posts · 2,317 words · PDF available
On November 10, 2020, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral argument in California v. Texas (consolidated with the related case Texas v. California), a constitutional challenge to the Affordable...
Federal Law Enforcement Use of Facial Recognition Technology
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-27 · Reports · 12,039 words · PDF available
Law enforcement agencies’ use of facial recognition technology (FRT), while not a new practice, has received increased attention from policymakers and the public. Some of the concerns raised revolve a...
Semiconductors: U.S. Industry, Global Competition, and Federal Policy
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-26 · Reports · 26,946 words · PDF available
Semiconductors, tiny electronic devices based primarily on silicon or germanium, enable nearly all industrial activities, including systems that undergird U.S. technological competitiveness and nation...
COVID-19: Consumer Loan Forbearance and Other Relief Options
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-23 · Reports · 13,694 words · PDF available
A growing number of reported Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases have been identified in the United States, significantly impacting many communities. The economic impact has been large due to il...
U.S.-Brazil Trade Relations
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-23 · Resources · 1,486 words · PDF available
Overview The United States and Brazil have enjoyed a strong economic relationship for many years. In 2019, Brazil ranked second among the United States’ Latin American trading partners in goods and 19...
Electricity Portfolio Standards: Background, Design Elements, and Policy Considerations
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-21 · Reports · 14,998 words · PDF available
Electricity portfolio standards, such as renewable portfolio standards and clean energy standards, are policies aimed at changing the energy sources used to generate electricity. Supporters identify m...
The Impact of the Federal Income Tax Code on Poverty
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-19 · Reports · 15,690 words · PDF available
The federal individual income tax is structured so that the poor owe little or no income tax. In addition, the federal individual income tax (hereinafter referred to simply as the income tax code or i...
The Tax Treatment and Economics of Net Operating Losses
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-19 · Reports · 6,326 words · PDF available
This report provides an overview of the tax treatment and economics of net operating losses (NOLs). How losses are treated for tax purposes can have important implications for capital investment becau...
COVID-19 and the Future of Commercial Real Estate Finance
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-19 · Reports · 9,681 words · PDF available
Commercial real estate (CRE) refers to a broad range of properties, including office buildings, hotels, retail storefronts, restaurants, hospitals, stadiums, schools, and apartments. The market for CR...
Federal Telecommunications Modernization: Transitioning from Networx to Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-19 · Resources · 1,024 words · PDF available
Background Periodically, the General Services Administration (GSA) negotiates new contracts through which federal agencies can acquire their telecommunications services. Current contracts—known as Net...
EPA’s Affordable Clean Energy Rule: In Brief
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-15 · Reports · 8,212 words · PDF available
In 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed its reconsideration of a Clean Air Act (CAA) rulemaking for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from existing fossil-fuel-fired power plant...
Policy Options for Multiemployer Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-14 · Reports · 15,768 words · PDF available
Multiemployer defined benefit (DB) pension plans are pensions sponsored by more than one employer and maintained as part of a collective bargaining agreement. In DB pensions, participants receive a mo...
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: A Comparison of State Eligibility Criteria
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-12 · Reports · 19,963 words · PDF available
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; P.L. 108-446) is the primary source of federal funding to states for the identification and education of children with disabilities. The majority...
Immigration Detainers: Background and Recent Legal Developments
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-09 · Posts · 3,192 words · PDF available
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has authority to detain non-U.S. nationals (aliens) who are subject to removal. Within DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is mainly responsible fo...
Medicaid Telehealth Policies in Response to COVID-19
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-09 · Resources · 1,621 words · PDF available
Medicaid, authorized in Title XIX of the Social Security Act (SSA), is a federal-state program that jointly finances primary and acute medical services, as well as long-term services and supports (LTS...
Robinhood, the Fintech Discount Broker: Recent Developments and Concerns
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-08 · Resources · 1,749 words · PDF available
Founded in 2013, Robinhood is an online and phone app-based discount broker-dealer for retail customers with an interest in trading stocks, stock options, exchange traded funds (ETFs), and cryptocurre...
Contingent Election of the President and Vice President by Congress: Perspectives and Contemporary Analysis
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-06 · Reports · 10,211 words · PDF available
The 12th Amendment to the Constitution requires that presidential and vice presidential candidates gain “a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed” in order to win election. With a total of...
Land and Water Conservation Fund: Processes and Criteria for Allocating Funds
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-06 · Reports · 11,677 words · PDF available
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act (54 U.S.C. §§200301 et seq.) was enacted to help ensure access to outdoor recreation to promote the health of U.S. citizens. The law created the LWCF to...
Selected Issues for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Reauthorization and Reform
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-02 · Resources · 1,800 words · PDF available
NFIP Reauthorization The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the main source of primary flood insurance coverage in the United States, with more than five million policies in over 22,000 commun...
State Veterans Homes
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-01 · Resources · 1,636 words · PDF available
State Veterans Homes (SVHs) are state-owned and state-operated facilities that provide nursing home care, domiciliary care, and adult day health care to eligible veterans, spouses, and Gold Star paren...
Federal Efforts to Address the Mental Health of First Responders: Resources and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-01 · Reports · 9,771 words · PDF available
Police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical service personnel are often the first to respond to a crisis or emergency. As such, these first responders may experience significant stress and/or...
Overview of the Steam Electric Power Generator Effluent Limitation Guidelines and Standards
Congressional Research Service · 2020-10-01 · Resources · 1,551 words · PDF available
Overview The Clean Water Act (CWA) directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate the discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States. Such discharges are prohibited without a ...
Daylight Saving Time (DST)
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-30 · Reports · 7,501 words · PDF available
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is a period of the year between spring and fall when clocks in most parts of the United States are set one hour ahead of standard time. DST begins on the second Sunday in Ma...
Judge Amy Coney Barrett: Selected Primary Material
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-28 · Posts · 2,955 words · PDF available
On September 26, 2020, President Donald J. Trump announced the nomination of Judge Amy V. Coney Barrett of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (“Seventh Circuit”) to fill the va...
Safety Impact of Speed and Red Light Cameras
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-28 · Reports · 10,218 words · PDF available
Traffic safety, defined as the rate of traffic-related deaths and injuries per mile driven, has greatly improved in the United States over the past several decades. Yet, motor vehicle crashes remain o...
Competition Among Video Streaming Services
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-25 · Reports · 8,122 words · PDF available
Video streaming services allow users to watch movies and television shows over the internet. Some offer video-on-demand, which can be watched at any time, as well as live TV programs being broadcast a...
COVID-19 Liability: Tort, Workplace Safety, and Securities Law
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-24 · Reports · 28,433 words · PDF available
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is still unfolding, a number of plaintiffs have already filed lawsuits seeking compensation for COVID-19-related injuries. Some stakeholders have expressed concern that ...
Digital Contact Tracing and Data Protection Law
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-24 · Reports · 21,344 words · PDF available
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected millions of Americans since the ongoing pandemic began, and the disease has caused many thousands of deaths across the country. Government officials at...
Asylum and Related Protections for Aliens Who Fear Gang and Domestic Violence
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-23 · Posts · 3,300 words · PDF available
Update: After this Sidebar’s initial publication, the federal district court for the District of Columbia ruled that several U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policies discussed in thi...
Local and Urban Food Systems: Selected Farm Bill and Other Federal Programs
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-23 · Reports · 27,229 words · PDF available
Over the past decade, food policy in the United States has responded to ongoing shifts in consumer preferences and producer trends that favor local and regional food systems as well as agricultural pr...
“Organic” Certification: An Overview of the Legal Framework
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-21 · Resources · 1,742 words · PDF available
In 1990, Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA), 7 U.S.C. §§ 6501–6522, “to establish national standards governing the marketing of certain agricultural products as organically produc...
U.S. Regulation of Chinese Stocks: Legal Background and Regulatory Options
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-21 · Posts · 2,935 words · PDF available
Tensions between the United States and China have again moved to center stage. In recent weeks, the Trump Administration has ordered China to close its Houston consulate over allegations of economic e...
Direct Listings, an Alternative to Stock-based Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-21 · Resources · 1,673 words · PDF available
Introduction An initial public offering, or IPO, refers to the initial time that a private company offers its shares of stock to the general public to raise capital. After an IPO, the company’s shares...
The Civil Rights Act of 1964: An Overview
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-21 · Reports · 76,875 words · PDF available
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, comprised of eleven titles and numerous sections, has been called the “most comprehensive undertaking” to prevent and address discrimination in a wide range of contexts. ...
COVID-19 and the U.S. Seafood Sector
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-21 · Reports · 7,871 words · PDF available
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has reduced demand for many seafood products and disrupted seafood supply chains. Food service purchasers, such as restaurants, cafeterias, and schools...
Confirmation of U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations During Presidential Election Years: Frequently Asked Questions
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-18 · Reports · 10,365 words · PDF available
This report provides data and analysis related to frequently asked questions about the confirmation of U.S. circuit and district court nominations during presidential election years. Senators with dif...
Methane and Other Air Pollution Issues in Natural Gas Systems
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-17 · Reports · 15,862 words · PDF available
Natural Gas Systems and Air Pollution Congressional interest in U.S. energy policy has often focused on ways through which the United States could secure more economical, reliable, and cleaner fossil ...
Judicial Review of Actions Legally Committed to an Agency’s Discretion
Congressional Research Service · 2020-09-17 · Posts · 2,045 words
Individuals and entities affected by a federal agency’s action sometimes may be able to challenge that action in federal court. In some cases, an agency’s governing statute specifically authorizes aff...