Congressional Research Service Reports - 284 Matching Results
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- "Robo-Signing" and Other Alleged Documentation Problems in Judicial and Nonjudicial Foreclosure Processes
- Recent depositions involving major servicers, including GMAC Mortgage, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo, have raised concerns about "robo-signing" -- the practice of having a small number of individuals sign a large number of affidavits and other legal documents submitted to courts and other public authorities by mortgage companies to execute foreclosure. This report explores concerns related to these issues by explaining the mortgage market process, procedural problems that have surfaced during foreclosure proceedings, and other relevant information.
- State Efforts to Deter Unauthorized Aliens: Legal Analysis of Arizona's S.B. 1070
- On April 23, 2010, Arizona enacted S.B. 1070, which is designed to discourage and deter the entry or presence of aliens who lack lawful status under federal immigration law. This report discusses this piece of legislation and some of the notable preemption issues raised by its provisions. Where relevant, it examines the district court's ruling that the federal government is likely to succeed on the merits of its arguments that certain sections of S.B. 1070 are preempted by federal law. It also discusses other preemption issues potentially raised by S.B. 1070 or similar legislation, including some issues that were not expressly addressed by the district court in its preliminary ruling.
- False Patent Marking: Litigation and Legislation
- This report will describe and analyze the Federal Circuit's 2009 decision that requires a per-article penalty for false marking, as well as two subsequent Federal Circuit decisions in 2010 that answer several questions that have arisen during the recent false patent marking litigation. It also identifies and discusses legislation in the 111th Congress that would amend § 292 in order to retroactively end qui tam false marking suits and with the intent of reducing the number of false marking suits filed in the future.
- Appropriations and Fund Transfers in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
- The report is categorized into three categories: (I) Mandated Appropriations and Fund Transfers, (II) Discretionary Funding and (III) CRS Products.
- Nonimmigrant Overstays: Brief Synthesis of the Issue
- This report discusses a fundamental problem of immigration control in which foreign nationals enter legally on a temporary basis and continue to stay after their visas expire.
- Legal Issues Associated with the Development of Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Technology
- This report discusses the myriad legal issues associated with the development of CCS technology.
- Food Safety on the Farm: Federal Programs and Selected Proposals
- This report discusses comprehensive food safety bills that are progressing in the 111th Congress and could affect farmers and ranchers. Interest in on-farm practices was renewed after more than 1,300 persons in 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada were found to be infected with the same unusual strain of bacteria (Salmonella Saintpaul) in April-July 2008.
- CRS Issue Statement on Medicare Reform
- This report discusses about medicare and its spending that has been growing much faster than the general economy. It further discusses about congress's consideration on change on medicare expenditure by reducing provider payment.
- Current Legal Status of the FCC’s Media Ownership Rules
- This report discusses the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) media ownership regulations, which place limits on the number of broadcast radio and television outlets one owner can possess in a given market and place cross-ownership restrictions on these outlets and on the cross-ownership of broadcast properties and newspapers.
- Wind Energy: Offshore Permitting
- The focus of this report is the current law applicable to siting offshore wind facilities, including the relationship between state and federal jurisdictional authorities. The report also discusses the court challenges to early federal offshore wind energy permitting authorities and the effect that the Energy Policy Act of 2005 has had on the regulatory environment.
- FY2010 Supplemental Appropriations for Agriculture
- This report is categorized into two categories: (I) Agriculture in the Tax Extenders Bill (H.R. 4213) and (II) Agriculture in the Supplemental Appropriations Bill (H.R. 4899).
- U.S. Sanctions on Burma
- This report provides a brief history of U.S. policy towards Burma and the development of U.S. sanctions, a topical summary of those sanctions, and an examination of additional sanctions that have been considered, but not enacted, by Congress, or that could be imposed under existing law or executive orders. The report concludes with a discussion of options for Congress.
- Lobbying the Executive Branch: Current Practices and Options for Change
- This report outlines the development of registration requirements for lobbyists engaging executive branch officials since 1995. It also summarizes steps taken by the Obama Administration to limit and monitor lobbying of the executive branch; discusses the development and implementation of restrictions placed on lobbying for Recovery Act and EESA funds; examines the Obama Administration's decision to stop appointing lobbyists to federal advisory bodies and committees; considers third-party criticism of current executive branch lobbying policies; and provides options for possible modifications in current lobbying laws and practices.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Immigration Fees and Adjudication Costs: Proposed Adjustments and Historical Context
- This report discusses the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service's (USCIS) newly proposed fee schedule for immigration services. Issues for Congress to consider might include how USCIS fees have been computed and justified; whether anticipated revenue from revised fees will cover agency costs; how fiscal shortfalls might be funded; and what impact higher fees might have on the applicant pool.
- The National Directory of New Hires
- This report details the National Directory of New Hires - including its background, how data is managed in the directory, and concerns regarding the directory.
- Initial Final Rules Implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
- This report describes the final rules implementing PPACA that had been published in the Federal Register during the first 8 1/2 months of implementation. This report lists the 18 final rules, including a summary of their requirements and their effective dates.
- Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 111th Congress
- Report detailing issues and legislative concerns regarding immigration during the 111th Congress, with a focus on comprehensive reform.
- Telework for Executive Agency Employees: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Legislation Pending in the 111th Congress
- This report discusses legislation (S. 707 and H.R. 1722) designed to foster the development of telework in executive agencies of the federal government.
- Pay Equity Legislation
- This report begins by showing the trend in the male-female wage gap and by examining the explanations that have been offered for its enduring presence. It next discusses the major laws directed at eliminating sex-based wage discrimination as well as relevant federal court cases. The report closes with a description of pay equity legislation that has been considered by Congress in recent years, including bills introduced in the 111th Congress.
- Piracy: A Legal Definition
- Pirate attacks in the waters off the Horn of Africa, including those on U.S.-flagged vessels, have brought continued U.S. and international attention to the long-standing problem of piracy in the region. A recent development in one of the piracy trials in Norfolk, VA, has highlighted a potential limitation in the definition of piracy under the United States Code. This report first examines the historical development of the offense of piracy, as defined by Congress and codified in the United States Code. The focus then turns to how contemporary international agreements define piracy. Finally, the report highlights a recent federal district court ruling that the offense of piracy under 18 U.S.C. § 1651 requires a robbery at sea.
- Surface Transportation Funding and Finance
- This report discusses changes in funding to the national surface transportation infrastructure, especially in light of the recession that began in 2007, which led to decreases in driving and fuel use. This report focuses on possible revenue sources for surface transportation infrastructure. It begins with a brief discussion of the problems associated with the trust fund financing system and then explores possible immediate and longer-term solutions to the financing problem.
- CRS Issue Statement on NATO
- This report discusses NATO-Russia relations deteriorated in 2008 as Russia vocally opposed U.S. and alliance proposals to strengthen relations with Georgia and Ukraine and as ties in the NATO-Russia Council were suspended in the wake of the Russia-Georgia Conflict.
- Biochar: Examination of an Emerging Concept to Mitigate Climate Change
- This report briefly describes biochar, its potential advantages and disadvantages, legislative support, and research and development activities underway in the united states and abroad.
- Federalism Issues in Surface Transportation Policy: Past and Present
- This report provides a historical perspective on contemporary federalism issues in surface transportation policy that are likely to be addressed by Congress during the 111th Congress, including possible devolution of programmatic responsibility to states and proposals to change state maintenance-of-effort requirements and state cost matching requirements.
- Telework for Executive Agency Employees: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Legislation Pending in the 111th Congress
- The 111th Congress is considering legislation (S. 707 and H.R. 1722) to foster the development of telework in executive agencies of the federal government. Legislation to augment telework in executive agencies of the federal government is currently pending in the 111th Congress. S. 707, the Telework Enhancement Act of 2009, and H.R. 1722, the Telework Improvements Act of 2010, were introduced on March 25, 2009, by Senator Daniel Akaka and Representative John Sarbanes, respectively. This report presents a side-by-side comparison of the provisions of S. 707, as reported, and H.R. 1722, as ordered to be reported.
- Telework for Executive Agency Employees: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Legislation Pending in the 111th Congress
- The 111th Congress is considering legislation (S. 707 and H.R. 1722) to foster the development of telework in executive agencies of the federal government. Legislation to augment telework in executive agencies of the federal government is currently pending in the 111th Congress. S. 707, the Telework Enhancement Act of 2009, and H.R. 1722, the Telework Improvements Act of 2010, were introduced on March 25, 2009, by Senator Daniel Akaka and Representative John Sarbanes, respectively. This report presents a side-by-side comparison of the provisions of S. 707, as reported, and H.R. 1722, as ordered to be reported.
- Pipeline Safety and Security: Federal Programs
- This report discusses congressional interest in securing the nation's pipelines. Nearly half a million miles of oil and natural gas transmission pipeline crisscross the United States. While an efficient and fundamentally safe means of transport, many pipelines carry hazardous materials with the potential to cause public injury and environmental damage.
- Legislative Approaches to Defining "Waters of the United States"
- This report seeks to clarify the scope of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in the wake of Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006 that interpreted the law's jurisdiction more narrowly than prior case law.
- The 2010 Oil Spill: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
- This report will review environmental procedures after an exploratory oil well in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, killing 11 people and causing an oil spill.
- State Efforts to Deter Unauthorized Aliens: Legal Analysis of Arizona's S.B. 1070
- This report discusses the major provisions of S.B.1070, as modified by H.B. 2162, and the legal and constitutional considerations possibly implicated by their implementation. The report focuses primarily on those provisions that require state enforcement of federal immigration law and impose criminal penalties for immigration-related conduct, and discusses preemption issues that might be raised by these measures.
- Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (USTs): Prevention and Cleanup
- This report addresses a nationwide water pollution problem caused by leaking underground storage tanks (USTs). The report discusses key issue that state resources have not met the demands of administering the underground storage tanks (UST) leak prevention program.
- Environmental Considerations in Federal Procurement: An Overview of the Legal Authorities and Their Implementation
- This report discusses issues about the role of environmental considerations in federal procurement. These include: to what extent do agencies consider environmental factors when procuring goods or services? What legal authorities presently require or allow agencies to take environmental factors into account when acquiring goods or services?
- Federalism Issues in Surface Transportation Policy: Past and Present
- This report provides a historical perspective on contemporary federalism issues in surface transportation policy that are likely to be addressed by Congress during the 111th Congress, including possible devolution of programmatic responsibility to states and proposals to change state maintenance-of-effort requirements and state cost matching requirements.
- Permissible Securities Activities of Commercial Banks Under the Glass-Steagall Act (GSA) and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)
- This report explains the extent to which commercial banks, their subsidiaries, and affiliates were able to engage in securities activities, including securities underwriting, dealing, and brokerage, under the authorities of the Glass-Steagall Act (GSA) and other pre-GLBA (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act) banking laws, most notably the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (BHCA; 70 Stat. 133). It also discusses how the volume and scope of these securities activities expanded over time, and how the GLBA changed the GSA construct by facilitating affiliations among commercial banks and securities firms..
- CRS Issue Statement on Agricultural Trade and Development
- This report discusses about the agricultural exports that are imported both U.S. farmers and to the U.S. economy. It further discusses about expanding market opportunities for U.S. farm products through bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade negotiations that has been a long-standing aim of U.S. trade policy.
- CRS Issue Statement on Intellectual Property Rights
- This report contains intellectual property rights and different law such as: Patent Law, copyright law, and International IPR Protection.
- Biochar: Examination of an Emerging Concept to Mitigate Climate Change
- This report briefly describes biochar, its potential advantages and disadvantages, legislative support, and research and development activities underway in the united states abroad.
- Temporary Protected Status: Current Immigration Policy and Issues
- This report contains the immigration policy and issues of the temporary protected status.
- State Efforts to Deter Unauthorized Aliens: Legal Analysis of Arizona's S.B. 1070
- This report discusses S.B. 1070 and some of the notable preemption issues raised by some of its provisions. Where relevant, it examines the district court's ruling that the federal government is likely to succeed on the merits of its arguments that certain sections of S.B. 1070 are preempted by federal law. It also discusses other preemption issues potentially raised by S.B. 1070 or similar legislation, including some issues that were not expressly addressed by the district court in its preliminary ruling.
- Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): A Summary of the Act and Its Major Requirements
- This report summarizes the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and its major programs and regulatory requirements. The SDWA, Title XIV of the Public Health Service Act, is the key federal law for protecting public water supplies from harmful contaminants. First enacted in 1974 and substantially amended in 1986 and 1996, the act is administered through programs that establish standards and treatment requirements for public water supplies, control underground injection of wastes, finance infrastructure projects, and protect sources of drinking water.
- Telework for Executive Agency Employees: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Legislation Pending in the 111th Congress
- This report discusses legislation (S. 707 and H.R. 1722) designed to foster the development of telework in executive agencies of the federal government.
- Legislative Approaches to Defining "Waters of the United States"
- This report seeks to clarify the scope of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in the wake of Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006 that interpreted the law's jurisdiction more narrowly than prior case law.
- International Population Assistance and Family Planning Programs: Issues for Congress
- This report provides the issues for congress on the international population assistance and family planning programs.
- Individual Development Accounts (IDAs): Background and Current Legislation for Federal Grant Programs to Help Low-Income Families Save
- This report describes IDA programs funded by two major federal grants: the Assets for Independence (AFI) Act of 1998 and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program created in the 1996 welfare reform law.
- Armed Career Criminal Act (18 U.S.C. 924(e)): An Overview
- This report briefly explores the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA), 18 U.S.C. 924(e), which requires imposition of a minimum 15-year term of imprisonment for recidivists convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm under 18 U.S.C. 922(g). Section 924(e) applies only to those defendants who have three prior state or federal convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses. The report includes descriptions of constitutional challenges to the application of section 924(e), which have been generally unsuccessful.
- CRS Issue Statement on Surface Transportation
- This report discusses about Highway and transit program finance, transportation demand, system congestion, the physical condition of the nation's surface transportation infrastructure and highway safety.
- Green Procurement: Overview and Issues for Congress
- This report discusses about Green Procurement, Federal Green Purchasing Initiatives and Issues for congress. It also discusses about Market-Focused Programs and Agency-Focused Initiatives.
- Broadband Infrastructure Programs in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
- This report discusses the Implementation and issues related to Broadband Infrastructure Programs in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
- CRS Issue Statement on Canada
- This report discusses about the CRS Issue on Canada. It points out about U.S. and Canada's cooperation in international security and Political Issue, both bilaterally and through numerous international organizations.
- CRS Issue Statement on Southeast Asia, Australasia, and the Pacific Islands
- This report discusses significant policy challenges that congress faces in the region including assessing and responding to China's growing influence, promoting democracy and human rights, fighting terrorism and promoting trade.