Congressional Research Service Reports - 6,055 Matching Results
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- Precedents of the House of Representatives in Respects to Procedure for Censure or Expulsion, 1966
- This report contains the procedure and outlines of investigating issues caused by elected officials of government.
- Conscientious Objection and the Constitution: "Welsh v. United States" and Beyond
- This report discusses the Supreme Court case "Welsh v. United States" which considered the question of what constituted a religious belief that merited recognition as a conscientious objector. A judicial history of cases related to conscientious objection, analysis of the "Welsh" case, and Congressional options for dealing with the question of conscientious objection requirements are included.
- The Social Security Number: Legal Developments Affecting Its Collection, Disclosure, and Confidentiality
- This report provides a comprehensive list of federal developments affecting use of the social security number, from 1935 to the present. This list includes federal statutes regulating the collection and disclosure of SSNs, as well as specific authorizations for the use of SSNs, confidentiality provisions, and criminal provisions relating to SSN misuse.
- Energy Policy: 113th Congress Issues
- This report discusses the energy policy in the United States that is focused on three major goals: assuring a secure supply of energy, keeping energy costs low, and protecting the environment.
- Mayo v. Prometheus: Implications for Patents, Biotechnology, and Personalized Medicine
- Report that reviews the Supreme Court's 2012 Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories decision (wherein the court held that a patent claiming a method of optimizing therapies for autoimmune disease was invalid) and briefly consider its implications for innovation and public health.
- The Workforce Investment Act and the One-Stop Delivery System
- Report that provides details of WIA Title I state formula program structure, services, allocation formulas, and performance accountability. In addition, it provides a program overview for national grant programs.
- Immigration-Related Worksite Enforcement: Performance Measures
- This report discusses the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) responsibilities in regard to immigration-related worksite enforcement, or enforcement of the prohibitions on unauthorized employment in Section 274A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The INA §274A provisions, sometimes referred to as employer sanctions, make it unlawful for an employer to knowingly hire, recruit or refer for a fee, or continue to employ an alien who is not authorized to be so employed. This report looks at enforcement measures of this act.
- The Volcker Rule: A Legal Analysis
- This report provides an introduction to the Volcker Rule, which is the regulatory regime imposed upon banking institutions and their affiliates under Section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-203).
- The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): A Legal Overview
- This report discusses the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 that guarantees parental access to student education records, while limiting the disclosure of those records to third parties.
- Water Infrastructure Financing: Proposals to Create a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program
- This report discusses the "Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act," or WIFIA, program, which is one legislative option to finance water infrastructure projects.
- Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) Status for Russia and U.S.-Russian Economic Ties
- Granting Russia permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status requires a change in law because Russia is prohibited from receiving unconditional and permanent NTR under Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974. This provision includes the so-called Jackson-Vanik amendment. Extension of PNTR has implications for Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This report examines this legislative issue in the context of Russian accession to the WTO and U.S.-Russian economic ties.
- Speed of Presidential and Senate Actions on Supreme Court Nominations, 1900 - 2009
- This report provides information on the amount of time taken to act on all Supreme Court nominations occurring between 1900 and the present. It focuses on the actual amounts of time that Presidents and the Senate have taken to act (as opposed to the elapsed time between official points in the process). This report focuses on when the Senate became aware of the President's selection (e.g., via a public announcement by the President).
- Passports: Current Regulations
- This report details changes made to travel between the United States and other countries in the Western Hemisphere, including Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean island nations. Such changes include the expansion of time necessary to get a passport, as well as additional passport and proof-of-identity documentation requirements.
- Tax Credit Bonds: Overview and Analysis
- Tax Credit Bonds (TCBs) are a type of bond that offers the holder a federal tax credit instead of interest. This report explains the tax credit mechanism and describes the market for the bonds. It also discusses related pieces of legislation and what the most common uses of the proceeds from TCBs are.
- Tax Havens: International Tax Avoidance and Evasion
- The federal government loses both individual and corporate income tax revenue from the shifting of profits and income into low-tax countries, often referred to as tax havens. The revenue losses from this tax avoidance and evasion are difficult to estimate, but some have suggested that the annual cost of offshore tax abuses may be around $100 billion per year. Recent actions by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the G-20 industrialized nations have targeted tax haven countries, focusing primarily on evasion issues. There are also a number of legislative proposals that address these issues including the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act (S. 506, H.R. 1265); draft proposals by the Senate Finance Committee; two other related bills, S. 386 and S. 569; and a proposal by President Obama. This report discusses this issue in detail.
- The Fair Labor Standards Act: Changes Made by the 101st Congress and Their Implications
- Initially, in the 101st Congress, a measure to increase federal minimum wage (and to make numerous other changes in the FLSA) was passed by both the House and the Senate but, in June 1989, it was vetoed by President Bush. An effort by the House to override the President's veto was unsuccessful. Later, new legislation was introduced and approved both by the House and the Senate. On November 17, 1989, President Bush signed the bill (P.L. 101-107).
- Who's the Boss at the CFPB?
- This report discusses an ongoing dispute over who the new acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is following the resignation of the past director on Nov. 24., 2017. President Trump appointed Mick Mulvaney as the acting director, but the past director had already appointed Leandra English who has filed a lawsuit and asked for a temporary restraining order preventing Mulvaney from performing the duties of director. This report outlines the merits of the case and the President's power to fill vacancies under the Vacancies Act.
- An Overview of U.S. Immigration Laws Regulating the Admission and Exclusion of Aliens at the Border
- This report discusses U.S. immigration law as it relates to the Trump Administration's zero tolerance policy to criminally prosecute migrants who unlawfully enter the United States at the southern border; a policy which has led to the separation of children from parents awaiting prosecution for unlawful entry.
- Drug Offenses: Maximum Fines and Terms of Imprisonment for Violation of the Federal Controlled Substances Act and Related Laws
- This is a chart of the maximum fines and terms of imprisonment that may be imposed as a consequence of conviction for violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and other drug supply and drug demand related laws. It lists the penalties for: heroin, cocaine, crack, PCP, LSD, marihuana (marijuana), amphetamine, methamphetamine, listed (precursor) chemicals, paraphernalia, date rape drugs, rave drugs, designer drugs, ecstasy, drug kingpins, as well as the other substances including narcotics and opiates assigned to Schedule I, Schedule II, Schedule III, Schedule IV, and Schedule V of the Controlled Substances Act and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act (Title II and Title III of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse and Control Act).
- Great Lakes Water Withdrawals: Legal and Policy Issues
- This report describes the characteristics of the Great Lakes, the interests they support, and possible threats to lake levels. It analyzes the federal laws and policies that regulate the diversion, withdrawal, and consumptive use of water from the Great Lakes. Also included is a discussion of the final Compact and Agreement and some of the issues raised by various interest groups. This report concludes with a general discussion on the relationship between compacts, federal law, and the Congress.
- Offshore Oil and Gas Development: Legal Framework
- This report explains the nature of U.S. authority over offshore areas pursuant to international and domestic law. It also describes the laws, at both the state and federal levels, governing the development of offshore oil and gas and the litigation that has flowed from development under the current legal regimes. Also included is an outline of the recent changes to the authorities regulating offshore development wrought by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and subsequent legislation enacted by the 109th Congress prior to adjournment. Finally, this report discusses legislation under consideration by the 110th Congress that might also amend existing law in this area.
- Unauthorized Aliens Residing in the United States: Estimates Since 1986
- This report discusses a rise in the unauthorized resident ("illegal") alien population from 1986 to 2010. It looks at reasons that illegal aliens stay resort to breaking the law and how illegal aliens affect the workforce in certain industries.
- The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA): Implementation and New Challenges
- This report provides an overview of basic Toxic Supstances Control Act (TSCA) provisions, briefly examines the history of TSCA implementation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and describes the legal, scientific, and technological developments that are being used to provide support to calls for TSCA reform.
- Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) Drought: Federal Water Management Issues
- This report provides an introductory analysis of federal water management issues in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF), particularly during drought. The report underscores that decision makers are faced with the tradeoff of the current harm that reduced flows may cause aquatic species against the benefits of maintaining water in storage for future multipurpose use later. The first section briefly introduces the basin's water resources and related federal issues. The second section summarizes current federal reservoir operations. The third section discusses how the municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses of ACF waters affect federal reservoir management. The fourth section covers how species protections affect Corps operations and how Corps operations may affect protected species. The fifth section briefly discusses legislation in the 110th Congress related to the ACF and water supply and management issues in the Southeast. The report concludes with comments about the ACF in the broader context of federal CRS-2 water policies and projects.
- Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSR): Program Overview and Issues
- This report discusses the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments of 1996, which authorized a drinking water state revolving loan fund (DWSRF) program. The program was intended to help public water systems finance infrastructure projects that were needed to comply with federal drinking water regulations and to meet the Act's health objectives. It includes an overview of funding, allotments and set-asides, drinking water infrastructure needs, program issues, and legislative activity.
- EPA Regulations: Too Much, Too Little, or On Track?
- This report provides background information on recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rulemaking to help address dissenting concerns from critics and the EPA. It examines 43 major or controversial regulatory actions taken by or under development at EPA since January 2009. The report also discusses factors that affect the timeframe in which regulations take effect.
- Venezuela: Political and Economic Crisis and U.S. Policy
- This report discusses the ongoing political, economic, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela under President Nicolás Maduro and U.S. responses.
- Economic Development Administration: A Review of Elements of Its Statutory History
- This report discusses about Precursors to the Creation of EDA and Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965: Building on Past Lessons. It further discusses about Area Redevelopment Act.
- Electronic Voting System in the House of Representatives: History and Usage
- This report examines the legislative history of electronic voting in the House of Representative, discusses the design and initial use of the electronic voting system, and examines the day-to-day operations of the system, including the process for conducing a vote electronically.
- The Federal Excise Tax on Gasoline and the Highway Trust Fund: A Short History
- This report discusses Excise taxes that have been long a part of our country's revenue history. It also discusses about the Highway Revenue Act of 1956 that establishes the federal Highway Trust Fund for the direct purpose of funding the construction of an interstate highway system.
- Appropriations for FY2000: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
- This report is a guide to appropriations of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for FY2000.
- Congress’s Contempt Power: A Sketch
- This report outlines the source of the contempt power, reviews major developments on the case law, and analyzes the procedures associated with each of the three different types of contempt proceedings. The report also discusses the recent investigation by the House Judiciary committee that has resulted in votes for criminal contempt of Congress and the filing of a civil lawsuit to enforce congressional subpoenas.
- Beginning and End of the Terms of United States Senators Chosen to Fill Senate Vacancies
- Under the Constitution, the Rules of the Senate, statutory law, and consistent Senate practices, an individual elected to the United States Senate during a session of Congress to succeed an appointed Senator may begin his or her term of office upon receipt by the Senate of "credentials" in proper form from the state, and by taking the constitutionally required oath of office in open Senate session. The appointed Senator who is being succeeded remains in the office until the new "Senator-elect" is qualified (i.e. is sworn in and seated as a "Senator" by the Senate). This report details the formal and informal rules in such cases.
- Appropriations for FY2000: Energy and Water Development
- This report summarizes the current legislative status of the bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related legislative activity.
- Brownfield Issues in the 110th Congress
- The Brownfields Act authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants for the assessment and cleanup of sites that pose a less serious threat to human health and the environment than sites addressed by the Superfund program. The authorization expired on September 30, 2006. In the 109th Congress, a reauthorization bill, H.B. 5810, was reported from the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on July 28, 2006, but went no further. This report contains information on the EPA's involvement in the program, EPA appropriations, Housing and Urban Development's involvement in the program and appropriations, other federal Brownfield programs, and Congressional actions of the 109th and 110th Congresses as related to the programs.
- Former Speakers of the House: Office Allowances, Franking Privileges, and Staff Assistance
- This report is categorized into six categories: (I) Allowances Made Available in 1959, (II) Allowances Made Available in 1970, (III) Allowances Made Available in 1974, (IV) Changes in Allowances, 1974-Present ,(V) Allowances Currently Available to Former Speakers, (VI) Restrictions on Use of Allowances by Former Speakers.
- Florida Everglades Restoration: Background on Implementation and Early Lessons. October 2002
- This report provides a description of each policy component as well as an analysis of its potential benefits and disadvantages in the restoration process.
- Israel and the Palestinians: Prospects for a Two-State Solution. January 2010
- This report reviews the prospects of a two-state solution in the context of possible signs of progress and doubts raised in U.S., Israeli, Palestinian, and international circles.
- Freedom of Speech and Press: Exceptions to the First Amendment
- This report provides an overview of the major exceptions to the First Amendment -- of the ways that the Supreme Court has interpreted the guarantee of freedom of speech and press to provide no protection or only limited protection for some types of speech.
- Appropriations for FY2004: Transportation, Treasury, Postal Service, Executive Office of the President, General Government, and Related Agencies
- This report provides appropriations of Transportation, Treasury, Postal Service, Executive Office of the President, General Government, and Related Agencies for FY2004
- Freedom of Speech and Press: Exceptions to the First Amendment
- This report provides an overview of the major exceptions to the First Amendment — of the ways that the Supreme Court has interpreted the guarantee of freedom of speech and press to provide no protection or only limited protection for some types of speech.
- Iran Sanctions. May 2015
- This report analyzes U.S. and international sanctions against Iran and, in so doing, provides examples, based on a wide range of open source reporting, of companies and countries that conduct business with Iran.
- Background and Issues for Congressional Oversight of ARRA Broadband Awards
- This report discusses the background and issues for congressional oversight of ARRA Broadband Awards.
- Calling Up Measures on the Senate Floor
- Set from rules and customs, the Senate takes up ways to give more flexibility to the floor agenda.
- Corporate Tax Reform: Issues for Congress
- This report discusses the arguments for lowering the corporate tax rate that includes the traditional concerns about economic distortions arising from the corporate tax and newer concerns arising from the increasingly global nature of the economy.
- Clean Air Issues in the 113th Congress: An Overview
- This report discusses EPA's most recent GHG actions that have involved fossil-fueled power plants, which EPA refers to as electric generating units. It also contains the information on how EPA is reviewing ambient air quality standards for ozone.
- Hate Crime Legislation
- This report discusses about historical Evolution of Hate Crime Policy and Legislation, Hate Crime and Current Law, Federal Hate Crime Statistics etc.
- Background and Issues for Congressional Oversight of ARRA Broadband Awards
- This report discusses the background and issues for congressional oversight of ARRA Broadband Awards.
- Generalized System of Preferences
- This report provides information about the Generalized System of Preferences which provides duty-free treatment for products that are imported from some designated countries. The main purpose is to promote economic growth.
- Foreign Aid Reform: Issues for Congress and Policy Options
- This report provides background information on foreign aid rationales and funding trends. It outlines issues Congress may consider in any reform effort and it lays out options for reform.