Congressional Research Service Reports - 111 Matching Results

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The Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Its Rise, Fall, and Current Status

Description: This report briefly summarizes Employment Division, Oregon Department of Human Resources v. Smith, the legislative history of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), the Supreme Court's decision in City of Boerne, Texas v. Flores, and RFRA's current legal status, and notes the introduction of the Religious Liberty Protection Act (RLPA).
Date: June 25, 1998
Creator: Ackerman, David M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Religious Persecution Abroad: Congressional Concerns and Actions

Description: The 105 Congress has sought to raise the priority of combating religious persecution worldwide among U.S. foreign policy objectives. The difficulty has been in agreeing on legislation that would effectively deal with religious persecution without adversely affecting other important U.S. interests. On May 14, 1998, the House passed H.R. 2431 (the Freedom from Religious Persecution Act of 1998) establishing in the State Department a Director of the Office of Religious Persecution Monitoring who i… more
Date: June 25, 1998
Creator: Bite, Vita
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Immigration-Related Provisions of Selected Bills on Religious Persecution

Description: This report analyzes immigration-related provisions of H.R. 2431, the “Freedom from Religious Persecution Act,” as passed by the House on May 14, 1998, and S. 1868, the “International Religious Freedom Act,” as introduced in the Senate.
Date: June 4, 1998
Creator: Eig, Larry M. & Vialet, Joyce
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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House and Senate Chaplains

Description: This report discusses the two chaplains, one in the House, the other in the Senate, who are the official clergy of Congress. At the beginning of each Congress, the House chaplain is elected for a 2-year term. The Senate chaplain does not have to be reelected at the beginning of a new Congress. There have been 61 Senate chaplains and 59 House chaplains.
Date: October 9, 2001
Creator: Amer, Mildred
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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House and Senate Chaplains

Description: No Description Available.
Date: July 18, 2003
Creator: Amer, Mildred L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Legislative Prayer and School Prayer: The Constitutional Difference

Description: Congressional Research Service (CRS) report entailing the Constitutional difference between legislative prayer and school prayer. Topics include, descriptions of both types of prayer, their distinctions, and a conclusion on the matter.
Date: October 26, 1994
Creator: Ackerman, David M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Terrorists and Suicide Attacks

Description: This report analyzes the increasing global threat of suicide attacks by terrorist organizations and assesses their relevance and threat toward the interests of the United States. It focuses on several issues, such as the historical background of suicide attacks, personal and organizational motivations of suicide attacks, suicide attacks in Iraq, women and suicide attacks, how to counter attacks, and the implications for U.S. Policy
Date: August 28, 2003
Creator: Cronin, Audrey Kurth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Supreme Court: Church-State Cases, 2001-2002 Term

Description: This issue brief discusses a number of Supreme Court cases that heavily concern church and state from the 2001-2002 Term. It provides detailed summaries on two decided cases, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc v. Stratton, Ohio and Zelman v. Selmon-Harris.
Date: July 12, 2002
Creator: Ackerman, David M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Supreme Court: Church-State Cases, 2001-2002 Term

Description: This issue brief discusses a number of Supreme Court cases that heavily concern church and state from the 2001-2002 Term. It provides detailed summaries on two decided cases, Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc v. Stratton, Ohio and Zelman v. Selmon-Harris. Updated November 26, 2002.
Date: November 26, 2002
Creator: Ackerman, David M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Law of Church and State: Public Aid to Sectarian Schools

Description: One of the most difficult issues of constitutional law concerns the extent to which the establishment of religion clause of the First Amendment imposes constraints on the provision of public aid to private sectarian schools. This report gives a brief overview of the evolution of the Court’s interpretation of the establishment clause in this area and itemizes the categories of aid that have been addressed by the Court and held to be constitutionally permissible or impermissible, both at the elem… more
Date: August 1, 2000
Creator: Ackerman, David M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Russia's Religion Law: Assessments and Implications

Description: This short report provides an overview and assessment of Russian religion law. On September 26, 1997, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the religion bill into law, and implementing regulations were promulgated in early 1998. The Administration and Congress have raised concerns that the law may restrict religion and have urged Russia to uphold its international commitments to religious freedom. The FY1998 Foreign Aid Appropriations Act (P.L. 105-118) prohibits the Freedom Support Act aid to… more
Date: May 29, 1998
Creator: Nichol, Jim
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Campaign Activity by Churches: Legal Analysis of Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act, H.R. 235 (108th Congress)

Description: Churches and other Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations can lose their tax-exempt status if they participate in a political campaign. The Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act, H.R. 235 (108th Congress) would permit churches to engage in limited types of political campaign activity, in unlimited amounts, without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status. This report provides an overview of current tax and campaign finance law relevant to this legislation, a … more
Date: June 16, 2003
Creator: Morris, Marie B. & Whitaker, L. Paige
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Islamic Religious Schools,

Description: Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the Islamic religious schools known as madrasas (or madrassahs) in the Middle East, Central, and Southeast Asia have been of increasing interest to U.S. foreign policy makers. This report provides an overview of madrasas, of their role in the Muslim world and issues related to their alleged financing by Saudi Arabia and other external donors.
Date: October 29, 2003
Creator: Armanios, Febe
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Islamic Religious Schools,

Description: This report provides an overview of madrasas, their role in the Muslim world, and issues related to their alleged financing by Saudi Arabia and other donors. The report also addresses the findings of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the “9/11 Commission”) and issues relevant to the 109th Congress.
Date: February 10, 2005
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Islamic Traditions of Wahhabism and Salafiyya

Description: The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and subsequent investigations of these attacks have called attention to Islamic puritanical movements known as Wahhabism and Salafiyya. This report provides a background on Wahhabi Islam and its association to militant fundamentalist groups; it will also summarize recent charges against Wahhabism and responses.
Date: December 22, 2003
Creator: Armanios, Febe
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Islamic Traditions of Wahhabism and Salafiyya

Description: This report provides a background on Wahhabi Islam and its association to militant fundamentalist groups; it also summarizes recent charges against Wahhabism and responses, including the findings of the final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (“The 9/11 Commission”) and bills relevant to this issue in the 109th Congress.
Date: February 10, 2005
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Islam: Sunnis and Shiites

Description: The majority of the world’s Muslim population follows the Sunni branch of Islam, and approximately 10-15% of all Muslims follow the Shiite (Shi‘ite, Shi‘a, Shia) branch. This report includes a historical background of the Sunni-Shiite split and the differences in religious beliefs and practices between and within each Islamic sect as well as their similarities.
Date: February 23, 2004
Creator: Armanios, Febe
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Constitutionality of Including the Phrase "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance

Description: On October 14, 2003, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in the appeal regarding the California statute, and on June 14, 2004, the Court reversed the Ninth Circuit’s decision finding that Newdow lacked standing to challenge the school district’s policy in federal court. This report summarizes the facts of the case, the opinions that have been rendered, congressional action, and the appeal to the Supreme Court. It will be updated as circumstances warrant.
Date: June 18, 2004
Creator: Welborn, Angie A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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House and Senate Chaplains

Description: The official clergy of Congress are the two chaplains — one in the House, the other in the Senate. They are among the elected officers of their respective houses. At the beginning of each Congress, the House chaplain is elected for a two-year term. The Senate chaplain does not have to be reelected at the beginning of a new Congress. This fact sheet is one of a series on the legislative process. For more information on the legislative process.
Date: May 20, 2005
Creator: Amer, Mildred L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Islam: A Primer

Description: This report provides descriptions of the historical background, the tenets of Islam, jihad, the status of women in Islam, as well as other aspects concerning the religion.
Date: February 19, 2003
Creator: Mark, Clyde R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Gonzales vs. Oregon

Description: No Description Available.
Date: October 18, 2005
Creator: Yeh, Brian T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Law of Church and State: Selected Opinions of Justice O'Connor

Description: This report offers an examination of Justice O’Connor’s opinions interpreting the Establishment Clause reveals that she employed different tests depending on the type of government activity at issue. The decisions show that O’Connor believed that these cases should all be examined carefully with particular attention given to the facts of each, and that the Court should refrain from tying itself to a single test for evaluating Establishment Clause cases.
Date: July 20, 2005
Creator: Welborn, Angie A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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