Congressional Research Service Reports - 401 Matching Results

Search Results

prev Results: 41 - 64 next
open access

Positive Train Control (PTC): Overview and Policy Issues

Description: This report gives and overview of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and discusses policy issues related to it. Congress passed the Act following several high-profile train accidents; it mandates positive train control (PTC) on many passenger and freight railroads by December 31, 2015.
Date: July 30, 2012
Creator: Peters, Jeffrey C. & Frittelli, John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Accelerated Vehicle Retirement Programs in Japan and South Korea: Background for Congress

Description: This report discusses the accelerated vehicle retirement (AVR) programs initiated in 2009 by the United States, Japan, South Korea, and other industrial nations (commonly known in the U.S. as the "cash for clunkers" program). The U.S. program began in June 2009, when President Obama signed the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) Act. The report discusses how these various AVR programs affected the automobile industries in the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, specifically. Neither Japan … more
Date: October 26, 2010
Creator: Canis, Bill; Grimmett, Jeanne J.; Platzer, Michaela D. & Yacobucci, Brent D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Federalism Issues in Surface Transportation Policy: A Historical Perspective

Description: This report provides a historical perspective on contemporary federalism issues in surface transportation policy, from the beginning of the nation through MAP-21. This analysis may prove useful as Congress debates legislation reauthorizing surface transportation programs during the 113th Congress.
Date: August 18, 2014
Creator: Dilger, Robert Jay
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The Renewable Fuel Standard: In Brief

Description: This report provides a basic description of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), including some of the widely discussed issues.
Date: November 27, 2013
Creator: Bracmort, Kelsi
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Waiver Authority Under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)

Description: This report provides a brief overview of the renewable fuel standard (RFS) program and discusses the process and criteria for EPA to approve a waiver petition. Transportation fuels are required by federal law to contain a minimum amount of renewable fuel each year. The RFS, established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct, P.L. 109-58) and amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA, P.L. 110-140), requires that 15.2 billion gallons of renewable fuels be blended into ga… more
Date: January 21, 2014
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Airport Improvement Program (AIP): Reauthorization Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the Airport Improvement Program and its complement, the passenger facility charge (PFC), within the broader context of airport capital development finance. After a brief history of federal support for airport construction and improvement, the report describes AIP funding, its source of revenues, funding distribution, and the types of projects the program funds.
Date: January 27, 2010
Creator: Kirk, Robert S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Airport Privatization: Issues and Options for Congress

Description: This report discusses airport privatization under the Airport Privatization Pilot Program (APPP) and the airports that have been involved in the program on some level. Examples of airport privatization in the United Kingdom and Canada are also discussed.
Date: August 16, 2017
Creator: Tang, Rachel Y.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Department of Transportation (DOT): Fiscal Year 2017 Appropriations

Description: This report outlines the Department of Transportation's (DOT) appropriations for fiscal year 2017 and highlights selected areas of funding such as intercity passenger rail, Highway trust funding solvency, TIGER grants, and Essential Air Service (EAS).
Date: April 4, 2017
Creator: Peterman, David Randall
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Keeping America's Pipelines Safe and Secure: Key Issues for Congress

Description: Nearly half a million miles of pipeline transporting natural gas, oil, and other hazardous liquids crisscross the United States. While an efficient and fundamentally safe means of transport, many pipelines carry materials with the potential to cause public injury and environmental damage. The nation's pipeline networks are also widespread and vulnerable to accidents and terrorist attack. As it oversees the federal pipeline safety program and the federal role in pipeline security, Congress may w… more
Date: March 13, 2012
Creator: Parfomak, Paul W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Waiver Authority Under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)

Description: This report provides a brief overview of the renewable fuel standard (RFS) program and discusses the process and criteria for EPA to approve a waiver petition. Transportation fuels are required by federal law to contain a minimum amount of renewable fuel each year. The RFS, established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct, P.L. 109-58) and amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA, P.L. 110-140), requires that 15.2 billion gallons of renewable fuels be blended into ga… more
Date: September 25, 2012
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Waiver Authority Under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)

Description: This report provides a brief overview of the renewable fuel standard (RFS) program and discusses the process and criteria for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve a waiver petition. The RFS program required that renewable fuels be blended into gasoline and other transportation fuels.
Date: August 20, 2010
Creator: Yacobucci, Brent D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Essential Air Service (EAS): Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report provides an overview of the Essential Air Service (EAS) program and discusses the changes introduced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014.
Date: February 3, 2014
Creator: Tang, Rachel Y.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program

Description: This report provides background on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program and discusses spending during FY2014 and the proposed budget for FY 2015.
Date: April 29, 2014
Creator: Gertler, Jeremiah
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Fatal Balloon Accident Highlights Disagreement Between Safety Agencies

Description: This report briefly discusses the the safety of hot-air balloons and examines the current regulatory climate. On July 30, 2016, a hot-air balloon tour flight crashed about 30 miles south of Austin, Texas, killing the pilot and all 15 passengers on board.
Date: August 4, 2016
Creator: Elias, Bart
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Trespassing: The Leading Cause of Rail-Related Fatalities

Description: This report discusses trespassing on railroad property and tracks and how it is the leading cause of train accident fatalities. Statistics on rail related fatalities and prevention strategies are discussed.
Date: February 2, 2018
Creator: Frittelli, John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Rail Safety Efforts Miss Leading Cause of Fatalities

Description: This report briefly discusses the debate over the reauthorization of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA08; P.L. 110-432). Congress is focusing on steps to prevent train derailments and collisions. Such incidents often receive extensive publicity and cause harm to bystanders, such as the residents of Mount Carbon, West Virginia, who were forced to evacuate after a train carrying crude oil derailed and burned on February 16, 2015.
Date: April 2, 2015
Creator: Frittelli, John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Deficient Bridge Count Drops Again

Description: This report briefly discusses overall decline in the number of deficient bridges in 2014 and the long-term downward trend, particularly among bridges posing structural safety concerns.
Date: March 6, 2015
Creator: Mallett, William J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Public Private Partnerships (P3s) in Transportation

Description: This report discusses the benefits and limitations of public-private partnerships (P3s) that involve long-term private financing, the experience with these types of P3s in the United States, and current federal policy. The report outlines a number of issues and policy options that Congress might consider: project evaluation and transparency, asset recycling, incentive grants, infrastructure banks, tax credits for equity and debt, Interstate highway tolling, and changes to an existing federal lo… more
Date: November 2, 2017
Creator: Mallett, William J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Pipeline Safety: Overdue Statutory Mandates

Description: This report discusses the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) failure to fulfill key mandates of the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-90) and the PIPES Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-183).
Date: July 27, 2018
Creator: Parfomak, Paul W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
Back to Top of Screen