Congressional Research Service Reports - 31 Matching Results

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Small Business Size Standards: A Historical Analysis of Contemporary Issues

Description: This report provides a historical examination of the Small Business Administration's (SBA) size standards, assesses competing views concerning how to define a small business, and discusses how various proposals to change the SBA's size standards -- including those adopted under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 -- might affect program eligibility. It also discusses H.R. 585, the Small Business Size Standard Flexibility Act of 2011, which would authorize the SBA's Office of Chief Counsel for A… more
Date: October 4, 2012
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The "8(a) Program" for Small Businesses Owned and Controlled by the Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: Legal Requirements and Issues

Description: This report provides a brief history of the 8(a) Program, summarizes key requirements, and discusses legal challenges alleging that the program's presumption that members of certain racial and ethnic groups are socially disadvantaged violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection.
Date: October 12, 2012
Creator: Manuel, Kate M. & Luckey, John R.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The 2007-2009 Recession: Similarities to and Differences from the Past

Description: According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the U.S. economy was in a recession for 18 months from December 2007 to June 2009. It was the longest and deepest recession of the post-World War II era. This report provides information on the patterns found across past recessions since World War II to gauge whether and how this recession might be different.
Date: October 6, 2010
Creator: Labonte, Marc
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Inapplicability of Limitations on Subcontracting to "Preference Contracts" for Small Businesses: Washington-Harris Group

Description: This report discusses Washington-Harris Group, a protest filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) alleging, among other things, that an agency improperly awarded a "preference contract" to a service-disabled veteran-owned small business that proposed to subcontract a greater percentage of work on the contract than allowed under the Small Business Administration's limitations on subcontracting.
Date: October 6, 2010
Creator: Manuel, Kate M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Small Business Administration HUBZone Program

Description: The Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several programs to support small businesses, including the Historically Underutilized Business Zone Empowerment Contracting (HUBZone) program. The HUBZone program is a small business federal contracting assistance program "whose primary objective is job creation and increasing capital investment in distressed communities." This report examines the arguments presented both for and against targeting assistance to geographic areas with specified… more
Date: October 15, 2010
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Legal Protections for Subcontractors on Federal Prime Contracts

Description: This report provides an overview of the payment and other protections for subcontractors on certain federal prime contracts under the Miller Act, the 1988 amendments to the Prompt Payment Act, and the Small Business Act. Congress enacted these statutes to give subcontractors rights and remedies they would not otherwise have because of legal doctrines relating to sovereign immunity, privity of contract, and freedom to contract. The report also discusses legislation introduced in the 111th Congre… more
Date: October 6, 2010
Creator: Manuel, Kate M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA): Congressional Interest and Executive Enforcement

Description: This report briefly discusses the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act of 1977 (FCPA), which was intended to prevent corporate bribery of foreign officials. Criticisms of the act's operation and scope began almost immediately after its passage and have continued. This report discusses these criticisms.
Date: October 21, 2010
Creator: Seitzinger, Michael V.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bankruptcy for Marijuana Businesses?

Description: This legal sidebar discusses recent bankruptcy court cases that suggest that one such risk may be the ultimate unavailability to both debtors and creditors of the protections, benefits, and predictability of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code when state-regulated marijuana businesses fail.
Date: October 29, 2014
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Internet Tax Freedom Act: In Brief

Description: This report discusses the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA; P.L. 105-277), which enacted in 1998, implemented a three-year moratorium preventing state and local governments from taxing Internet access, or imposing multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
Date: October 5, 2015
Creator: Stupak, Jeffrey M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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State Small Business Credit Initiative: Implementation and Funding Issues

Description: This report examines the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and its implementation, including Treasury's response to initial program audits conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Treasury's Office of Inspector General (OIG). The SSBCI provides funding, allocated by formula and distributed in one-third increments, to states, territories, and eligible municipalities (hereinafter referred to as states) to expand existing or create new state small business inve… more
Date: October 16, 2014
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Tariff Modifications: Miscellaneous Tariff Bills

Description: This report discusses the current process by which duty suspension bills and other provisions are introduced, reviewed by several government agencies and committee staff, made available for public comment, and finally included in omnibus miscellaneous trade and technical corrections bills (MTBs) legislation reported out by the committees of jurisdiction.
Date: October 20, 2010
Creator: Jones, Vivian C.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Who Earns Pass-Through Business Income? An Analysis of Individual Tax Return Data

Description: This report analyzes individual tax return data to determine who earns pass-through business income which is from sole proprietorships, partnerships, and S corporations. The analysis finds that in 2011 over 82% of net pass-through income was earned by individuals with an adjusted gross income (AGI) over $100,000, although these taxpayers accounted for just 23% of individual returns with pass-through income. Who earns pass-through income may have important implications for tax reform.
Date: October 24, 2017
Creator: Keightley, Mark P.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Responsibility Determinations Under the Federal Acquisition Regulation: Legal Standards and Procedures

Description: This report discusses the standards and procedures that federal agencies use in making responsibility determinations under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). It discusses (1) how responsibility determinations relate to other mechanisms that the government relies upon to ensure that contractors are responsible and otherwise eligible for federal contracts; (2) the performance-related and collateral standards used in making responsibility determinations; (3) the procedures for making respon… more
Date: October 1, 2010
Creator: Manuel, Kate M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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SBA Veterans Assistance Programs: An Analysis of Contemporary Issues

Description: This report provides an overview of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) programs to provide training and other assistants to veterans seeking civilian employment. It includes sections discussing SBA programs, an economic profile of veteran-owned businesses, veterans' employment and business development programs, veterans' access to capital, federal contracting goals for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and the military reservist economic injury disaster loan program.
Date: October 10, 2018
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay & Lowry, Sean
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)

Description: This report discusses the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) which is a presidential advisory body consisting of nine cabinet members, two ex officio members, and other members appointed by the President to oversee direct investments by foreign countries in the United States. The President has the power to block a direct investment by another country if such an acquisition would pose a threat to U.S. national security. The basics of the committee's operations and laws … more
Date: October 11, 2017
Creator: Jackson, James K.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Small Business Lending Fund

Description: This report discusses on the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF). It begins with a discussion of the supply and demand for small business loans. The SBLF's advocates argued that the fund was an important part of a larger effort to enhance the supply of small business loans. After describing the program's structure, the report then examines other arguments that were presented both for and against the program's enactment. Advocates claimed the SBLF would increase lending to small businesses and, i… more
Date: October 27, 2017
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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SBA Veterans Assistance Programs: An Analysis of Contemporary Issues

Description: This report opens with an examination of the current economic circumstances of veteran-owned businesses drawn from the Bureau of the Census 2007 Survey of Business Owners, which was administered in 2008 and 2009, and released on May 17, 2011. It also provides a brief overview of veteran employment experiences, describes the employment assistance programs offered by several federal agencies to assist veterans in their transition from the military to the civilian labor force, and examines related… more
Date: October 23, 2014
Creator: Dilger, Robert J. & Lowry, Sean
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program: An Overview

Description: This report provides a brief overview of The Hollings Manufacturing Partnership (MEP), which is a program of regional centers set up to assist small and medium-sized manufacturing companies use knowledge and technologies developed under the auspices of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Date: October 3, 2012
Creator: Schacht, Wendy H.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Biomass Feedstocks for Biopower: Background and Selected Issues

Description: The production of bioenergy - renewable energy derived from biomass - could potentially increase national energy security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to rural economic growth. This report provides analyses of commonly discussed biomass feedstocks and their relative potential for power generation. Additional biopower issues - feedstock accessibility, the biomass power plant carbon-neutrality debate, and unintended consequences of legislative activities to promote bioenergy -… more
Date: October 6, 2010
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016: Background and Key Provisions

Description: This report discuses Federal real property holdings and the disposition process for unneeded space. A new law called the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 (FASTA) now governs the process of disposal through a newly created Public Buildings Reform Board that reviews requests and provides funding for needed repairs before sale or lease of property. Various challenges addressed by the new system and those that remain are discussed.
Date: October 31, 2017
Creator: Hatch, Garrett
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Contract Types: An Overview of the Legal Requirements and Issues

Description: This report provides an overview of the various contract types (e.g., fixed-price, cost-reimbursement) used in federal procurement and the legal requirements and issues pertaining to each. Current congressional and public interest in contract types is, in part, an outgrowth of the reported increase in the use of cost-reimbursement contracts during the George W. Bush Administration1 and the Obama Administration's proposal to reduce by at least 10% the funds obligated in FY2010 by "high risk-cont… more
Date: October 1, 2010
Creator: Manuel, Kate M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Job Growth During the Recovery

Description: This report analyzes employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from December 2007 to September 2012, including characteristics of job loss and gain within several industries.
Date: October 16, 2012
Creator: Levine, Linda
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases

Description: This report discusses how the total debt of the federal government can increase, an historical overview of debt limits, and how the current economic slowdown has led to higher deficits and thereby a series of debt limit increases, as well as legislation related to these increases.
Date: October 15, 2013
Creator: Austin, D. Andrew & Levit, Mindy R.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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