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Energy Efficiency: Budget, Oil Conservation, and Electricity Conservation Issues: In the 108th Congress, debate over energy efficiency programs has focused on budget, oil, natural gas, and electricity issues, and provisions in the omnibus energy policy bill, S. 2095, H.R. 6, and S. 14/S. 1149. The Bush Administration’s FY2005 budget request for the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Energy Efficiency Program sought $875.9 million, including $543.9 for R&D and $332.0 million for grants. In the first session, the omnibus energy bill (H.R. 6) had several significant tax and regulatory measures for energy efficiency. It did not pass the Senate due to concerns about cost and an MTBE “safe harbor” provision.
Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act: Provisions Expiring in 2004: No Description Available.
The 2003 Tax Cut: Proposals and Issues: This report provides a brief description of each tax cut proposal, including major proposals offered by the Democrats in both the House and the Senate during 2003. It discusses the distributional affects of the proposals and potential effects on short and long term economic growth.
Criminal Charges in Corporate Scandals: Since the collapse of Enron Corp. in late 2001, there has been a series of scandals involving major U.S. corporations. Recurring elements in the scandals include improper or fraudulent accounting, self-enrichment by corporate officers, stock trading on inside information, and the destruction or falsification of business records. This report tracks post-Enron criminal charges.
Same-Sex Marriages: Legal Issues: No Description Available.
Hearings in the U.S. Senate: A Guide for Preparation and Procedure: This report contains a guide for preparation and procedure on the Hearings in the U.S. Senate.
Social Security: The Public Servant Retirement Protection Act (H.R. 4391/S. 2455): No Description Available.
Child Care Issues in the 108th Congress: This report discusses the FY2003 Appropriations, FY2004: Comparing President Bush's Budget Proposals to the final Appropriations levels, President Bush's FY2005 Budget Request and Hearings.
Brownfields and Superfund Issues in the 108th Congress: This report is the superfund program for cleaning up the nation's worst hazardous waste sites that was created by the comprehensive environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, or CERLA.
Campaign Finance: Constitutional and Legal Issues of Soft Money: Prior to enactment of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), P.L. 107-155, the term “soft money” generally referred to unregulated funds, perceived as resulting from loopholes in the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), 2 U.S.C. §§ 431 et seq. Generally, the intent of BCRA, (effective Nov. 6, 2002), which amends FECA, is to restrict the raising and spending of soft money. This Issue Brief discusses constitutional and legal issues surrounding two major types of soft money that BCRA regulates: political party soft money and soft money used for issue advocacy communications. Corporate and labor union soft money, which FECA exempts from regulation and is not addressed by BCRA, is also discussed.
Clean Water Act Issues in the 108th Congress: Prospects for legislative initiatives to comprehensively amend the Clean Water Act have stated for some time over whether and exactly how to change the law, and Congress has recently focused legislative attention on narrow bills to extend or modify selected Clean Water Act programs, rather than taking up comprehensive proposals. This report contains information on the issues and actions regarding the Clean Water Act addressed in the 108th Congress.
U.N. System Funding: Congressional Issues: This report includes information regarding congressional issues of United Nations system funding. Topics of discussion include United Nations assessed budgets, voluntary programs, and peacekeeping operations.
Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP): Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act: This report is intended to provide an overview of the Adequate Yearly Process (AYP) concept and several related issues, a description of the AYP provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, and an analysis of the implementation of these provisions by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the states. It will be updated when major administrative actions are taken by ED, or substantial new data on state implementation become available.
Exempting Food and Agriculture Products from U.S. Economic Sanctions: Status and Implementation: In approving the FY2001 agriculture appropriations act, Congress codified the lifting of unilateral sanctions on commercial sales of food, agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical products to Iran, Libya, North Korea, and Sudan, and extended this policy to Cuba (as enacted in by the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, or TSRA). Congressional opponents of TSRA's prohibitions on private U.S. financing of agricultural sales, public financing of eligible exports, and tourist travel to Cuba have introduced bills since 2000 to repeal these provisions. Though several amendments to repeal or relax TSRA provisions relative to Cuba were adopted by committees or passed during floor debate, all were dropped in conference action. Administration officials continually signal to conferees they will advise the President to veto any bill that would change TSRA's prohibitions against Cuba.
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.
The Position of Director of National Intelligence: Issues for Congress: This report discusses arguments surrounding the proposed position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI), a replacement for the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), who would oversee the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S. Intelligence Community.
Proposals for Intelligence Reorganization, 1949-2004: No Description Available.
Copyright Law: Digital Rights Management Legislation: Digital Rights Management (DRM) refers to the technology that copyright owners use to protect digital media. This report surveys several of the DRM bills that were introduced in the 107th Congress and those that are pending in the 108th Congress. Generally, the bills are directed at two separate goals. One goal is to increase access to digitally-protected media for lawful purposes. The other attempts to thwart digital piracy and would do so by enhancing civil and criminal sanctions for digital (and traditional) copyright infringement and educating the public about the rights of copyright holders.
Country-of-Origin Labeling for Foods: The 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171) as modified by the FY2004 USDA appropriation (P.L. 108-199) requires country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for fresh produce, red meats, and peanuts starting September 30, 2006, and for seafood starting September 30, 2004. The House Agriculture Committee approved on July 21, 2004, a bill (H.R. 4576) to make COOL voluntary. Some lawmakers still support a mandatory program, especially after recent discoveries of “mad cow” disease in a Canadian and a U.S. cow (the latter from Canada). Others counter that COOL is a marketing, not an animal or human health, issue and should be voluntary.
FBI Intelligence Reform Since September 11, 2001: Issues and Options for Congress: This report identifies five options for Congress to consider, including the creation of a domestic intelligence agency like Great Britain’s MI-5.
Visa Issuances: Policy, Issues, and Legislation: This report opens with an overview of visa issuances, with sections on procedures for aliens coming to live in the United States permanently and on procedures for aliens admitted for temporary stays.3 It includes a discussion of visa screening policies, including inadmissibility, databases, an analysis of visa refusals, biometric visas and other major visa policy procedures. Summaries of key laws revising visa policy enacted in the 107th Congress follows. The final section analyzes selected issues in the 108th Congress, notably the 9/11 Commission recommendations, visa revocation and removal, new technologies, potential impact on business, and other security concerns.
Intelligence Community Reorganization: Potential Effects on DOD Intelligence Agencies: This report discusses arguments surrounding intelligence reform legislation passed by Congress in December 2004 in response to the September 11th Terrorist Attacks and the legislation's potential impacts on the Department of Defense intelligence agencies, such as the National Security Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
The Endangered Species Act (ESA), Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), and Department of Defense (DOD) Readiness Activities: Background and Current Law: This report provides a brief overview of how the Endangered Species Act (ESA)1 and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA)2 and their relevant regulations may apply to military training and readiness activities of the Department of Defense (DOD). Military activities may “take” protected creatures directly (e.g,. killing with ordnance during rifle, gunnery or assault drills), or might destroy habitat (e.g., artillery or bombing practices), even if these results are not the purpose of the activities. The applicability of the MBTA and ESA to military readiness activities has been controversial recently and legislation has been enacted in both the 107th and 108th Congresses on these topics.
Proposed Change to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) under S. 113: This report discusses S. 113, a bill to extend the coverage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ("FISA") to non-U.S. persons who engage in international terrorism or activities in preparation for terrorist acts, without a showing of membership in or affiliation with an international terrorist group.
Student Loan Forgiveness Programs: No Description Available.
Forestry Assistance Programs: This report describes the current forestry assistance programs funded through the State and Private Forestry (S&PF) branch of the Forest Service. Following a brief overview, the report presents basic information on the programs to assist forestry practices, forest protection, and rural economies — purposes of the programs, types of activities funded, eligibility requirements, and authorized program duration and funding level, with recent program appropriations.
Electronic Voting Systems (DREs): Legislation in the 108th Congress: Several bills have been introduced in the 108th Congress to address issues that have been raised about the security of direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machines. Touchscreen and other DREs using computer-style displays are arguably the most versatile and voter-friendly of any current voting system. The popularity of DREs, particularly the touchscreen variety, has grown in recent years. In addition, the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA, P.L. 107 — 252), while not requiring or prohibiting the use of any specific kind of voting system, does promote the use of DREs through some of its provisions.
The Position of Director of National Intelligence: Issues for Congress: This report discusses arguments surrounding the proposed position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI), a replacement for the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), who would oversee the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S. Intelligence Community. Updated August 12, 2004.
FY2003 and FY2004 State Allocations for Selected Homeland Security Assistance Programs: This report shows the state allocations for DHS and HHS homeland security assistance programs, as reported by theur department documents or press reeases.
The Information Quality Act: OMB's Guidance and Initial Implementation: No Description Available.
The Law of the Sea Convention and U.S. Policy: This report includes information regarding the Law of the Sea Convention. The convention and U.S. interests, Part XI, and the 1994 Agreement are among topics discussed in this report.
The U.N. Law of the Sea Convention and the United States: Developments Since October 2003: No Description Available.
FCC Media Ownership Rules: Current Status and Issues for Congress: The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or “Commission”) adopted an order on June 2, 2003 that modified five of its media ownership rules and retained two others. The new rules have never gone into effect. Congress passed the FY2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 108-199), Sec. 629 of which instructs the FCC to modify one of the rules — the National Television Ownership rule. This report examines these rules and relevant policy issues.
Environmental Protection Agency: Appropriations for FY2005: The House Appropriations Committee, as the of August 2004 congressional recess, has marked up the Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies appropriations bill for FY 2004, which includes funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, but not filed its report on the bill. The current draft markup of the bill would provide $7.75 billion for the EPA in FY2005, $36 million less than the Administration's request, and $613 million less than FY2004. This report contains information on the specifics of the appropriations.
Health Care Spending: Context and Policy: The United States spends a large and growing share of national income on health care. In 2004, health spending is expected to approach $1.8 trillion and account for more than 16% of gross domestic product. This report contains information on the background of the healthcare industry in the United States, key issues for Congress in this policy area, and three policy directions to consider: changing health care, changing federal programs, and changing tax policy.
Project BioShield: Legislative History and Side-by-Side Comparison of H.R. 2122, S. 15, and S. 1504: Few effective countermeasures currently exist to deal with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear terror agents. In early 2003, the Bush administration proposed Project BioShield to stimulate the development of such countermeasures and to procure them for the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). Congress considered three bills that incorporated much of the administration’s proposal: S. 15 (Gregg), H.R. 2122 (Tauzin), and S. 1504 (Gregg). H.R. 2122 passed the House on July 16, 2003. S. 15 passed the Senate on May 25, 2004, in an amended form similar to H.R. 2122. This version of S. 15 passed the House on July 14, 2004. President Bush signed S. 15 into law as the Project BioShield Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-276) on July 21, 2004.
The Role of Designation of Critical Habitat under the Endangered Species Act (ESA): This report " provides background for considering the regulatory posture and current legislative proposals on Critical Habitat (CH), and may be updated as circumstances warrant " (p.1).
Health Insurance Coverage of Children, 2003: In 2003, 9.1 million children went without health insurance in the U.S. This was not significantly different than in 2002. However, for the third year in a row, the number of children covered by employment-based health insurance dropped but was more than offset by the increase in public coverage. This report provides an overview of the health insurance coverage of children in 2003.
Flag Protection: A Brief History and Summary of Recent Supreme Court Decisions and Proposed Constitutional Amendment: The first part of the report gives a brief history of the flag protection issue, from the enactment of the flag protection act in 1968 through consideration of a constitutional amendment. The second part briefly summarizes the two decisions of the United States Supreme court.
Flag Protection: A Brief History and Summary of Recent Supreme Court Decisions and Proposed Constitutional Amendment: This report is divided into two parts. The first gives a brief history of the flag protection issue, from the enactment of the Flag Protection Act in 1968 through current consideration of a constitutional amendment. The second part briefly summarizes the two decisions of the United States Supreme Court, Texas v. Johnson and United States v. Eichman, that struck down the state and federal flag protection statutes as applied in the context punishing expressive conduct.
Campaign Finance: Constitutional and Legal Issues of Soft Money: Prior to enactment of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), P.L. 107-155, the term “soft money” generally referred to unregulated funds, perceived as resulting from loopholes in the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), 2 U.S.C. §§ 431 et seq. Generally, the intent of BCRA, (effective Nov. 6, 2002), which amends FECA, is to restrict the raising and spending of soft money. This Issue Brief discusses constitutional and legal issues surrounding two major types of soft money that BCRA regulates: political party soft money and soft money used for issue advocacy communications. Corporate and labor union soft money, which FECA exempts from regulation and is not addressed by BCRA, is also discussed.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve: No Description Available.
Survey of Federal Laws and Regulations Mandating Affirmative Action Goals, Set-asides, or Other Preference Based on Race, Gender, or Ethnicity: This report provides a broad but by no means an exhaustive, survey of federal statutes and regulations that specifically refer to race, gender, or ethnicity as factors to be considered in the administration of any federal program. Such measures may include, but are not limited to, goals, timetables, set-asides, and quotas, as those terms are generally (however imperfectly) understood. Based on several searches of LEXIS/NEXIS and WESTLAW legal databases, and a variety of search strategies, the compilation seeks to be as comprehensive as possible. With certain noted exceptions, the report collectively describes those statutes, regulations, or executive orders uncovered by our research which appear, in any manner, to prefer or consider race, gender, or ethnicity as affirmative factors in federal employment, in the allocation of federal contracts, or in granting any federal benefit to individuals or institutions. Several laws and regulations directed to “socially and economically disadvantaged” individuals and institutions are included because, as more fully explained by the report, that term has been defined administratively and by statute to presumptively apply to specific racial and ethnic minorities.
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act: Reauthorization Issues: No Description Available.
HIV/AIDS International Programs: Appropriations, FY2003-FY2005: The Administration's FY2005 request for international HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programs totals about $2.8 billion, as compared with $2.4 billion appropriated for FY2004. The FY2005 request includes a large increase for the bilateral Global AIDS Initiative, headquartered at the Department of State, while the request for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria is $200 million, compared with $546.7 million appropriated in FY2004.
Paleontological Resources Preservation Act: Proposal for the Management and Protection of Fossil Resources Located on Federal Lands: Report on a preservation act designed to manage and preserve fossils on federal land, including background issues, reports from the secretary of the interior, case laws, pending legislation, and more.
Accounting Reform After Enron: Issues in the 108th Congress: This report discusses the anxieties within Congress in the wake of the Enron scandal. Moreover, the report notes that the 108th Congress is not likely to pass legislative reform as extreme as the 107th Congress, but will still confront issues of accounting reform. The report also highlights what the 108th Congress plans to reform.
“Good Samaritan” Tort Reform: Three House Bills: This report discusses three 108th Congress tort reform bills: the Volunteer Pilot Organization Protection Act (H.R. 1084), the Good Samaritan Firefighter Assistance Act of 2003 (H.R. 1787), and the Nonprofit Athletic Organization Protection Act of 2003 (H.R. 3369).
Exempting Food and Agriculture Products from U.S. Economic Sanctions: Status and Implementation: Falling agricultural exports and declining commodity prices led farm groups and agribusiness firms to urge the 106th Congress to pass legislation exempting foods and agricultural commodities from U.S. economic sanctions against certain countries. In completing action on the FY2001 agriculture appropriations bill, Congress codified the lifting of unilateral sanctions on commercial sales of food, agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical products to Iran, Libya, North Korea, and Sudan, and extended this policy to apply to Cuba (Title IX of H.R. 5426, as enacted by P.L. 106-387; Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000). Related provisions place financing and licensing conditions on sales to these countries. Those that apply to Cuba, though, are permanent and more restrictive than for the other countries. Other provisions give Congress the authority in the future to veto a President's proposal to impose a sanction on the sale of agricultural or medical products.
"Spam": An Overview of Issues Concerning Commercial Electronic Mail: Spam, also called unsolicited commercial email (UCE) or “junk email,” aggravates many computer users. Not only can spam be a nuisance, but its cost may be passed on to consumers through higher charges from Internet service providers who must upgrade their systems to handle the traffic. Also, some spam involves fraud, or includes adult-oriented material that offends recipients or that parents want to protect their children from seeing. Proponents of UCE insist it is a legitimate marketing technique that is protected by the First Amendment, and that some consumers want to receive such solicitations. This report discusses this issue in detail, as well as related legislation.

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