Congressional Research Service Reports - 222 Matching Results
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- Medicare Payment Policies
- No Description Available.
- Actual Farm Bill Spending and Cost Estimates
- This report discusses the budget for the 2008 Farm Bill, and its reauthorization. Moreover, the report discusses the increasing level of demand for fiscal constraint and the current large budget deficits.
- Previewing Dairy Policy Options for the Next Farm Bill
- No Description Available.
- Clean Air Issues in the 111th Congress
- This report provides an overview of clean air legislative and regulatory issues. The contents include EPA'S greenhouse gas regulations, legislation on climate change, emissions from power plant information, and Air quality standards.
- The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act and Preemption: An Overview of Bruesewitz v. Wyeth
- No Description Available.
- The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): An Overview
- The Earned Income Tax Credit began in 1975 as a temporary program to return a portion of the Social Security taxes paid by lower-income taxpayers, and was made permanent in 1978. In the 1990s, the program because a major component of federal efforts to reduce poverty, and is now the largest anti-poverty entitlement program. This report contains information on eligibility for the program, credit amount, participation, interaction with other tax provisions, issues, compliance, and more as related to the Earned Income Tax Credit.
- Ozone Air Quality Standards: EPA’s Proposed Revisions
- No Description Available.
- China’s Currency: An Analysis of the Economic Issues
- This report provides an overview of the economic issues surrounding the current debate over China’s currency policy. It identifies the economic costs and benefits of China’s currency policy for both China and the United States, and possible implications if China were to allow its currency to significantly appreciate or to float freely. It also examines proposed legislation in the 111th Congress that seek to address China’s currency policy.
- Federal Programs Available to Unemployed Workers
- There are four groups of federal programs that target unemployed workers: unemployment insurance programs, health care assistance, job search assistance, and training. This report describes these programs, how they interact with each other, and their funding.
- China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress
- This report focuses on the potential implications of China’s naval modernization for future required U.S. Navy capabilities.
- A New Farm Program Option: Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE)
- Farm commodity programs over the decades have focused on protecting farmers against declines in farm prices and not declines in revenue (price times production). Traditional programs for field crops provide benefits to producers when farm prices drop below specified levels. This report discusses the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program which Congress included in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246) as a revenue based program option for farmers who enroll in traditional farm commodity programs. Unlike revenue protection provided by some crop insurance products, ACRE is designed to protect against losses from multi-year price declines.
- Impeachment: An Overview of Constitutional Provisions, Procedure, and Practice
- The American impeachment process places in the legislative branch the authority to remove the President, Vice President, and other federal civil officers in the executive and judicial branches upon a determination that such officers have engaged in treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. It is one of the checks and balances grounded in the American constitutional structure. This report summarizes impeachment proceedings in the 111th Congress, examines relevant constitutional provisions, and provides a brief historical overview.
- The State of Campaign Finance Policy: Recent Developments and Issues for Congress
- The report discusses selected litigation to demonstrate how those events have changed the campaign finance landscape and affected the policy issues that may confront Congress, but it is not a constitutional or legal analysis. Finally, campaign finance data appear throughout the report.
- Emergency Communications: Broadband and the Future of 911
- This report discusses the Summary of 911 Legislation and Policy, Funding and Grants and National Broadband Plan.
- What Is the “Farm Bill”?
- No Description Available.
- Previewing the Next Farm Bill: Unfunded and Early-Expiring Provisions
- No Description Available.
- The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: Background and Policy Issues
- This report provides an overview of CRC's background and structure and examines evolving U.S. policy toward the Convention, including past and current Administration positions and congressional perspectives.
- Membership of the 111th Congress: A Profile
- This report presents a profile of the membership of the 111th Congress. Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age and length of service, occupation, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
- Requiring Individuals to Obtain Health Insurance: A Constitutional Analysis
- This report first analyzes the authority of Congress to enact the minimum essential coverage requirement contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), as well as how a court might analyze this provision if challenged based on various provisions of the Fifth and Tenth Amendments. This report discusses whether there must be exceptions to a requirement to purchase health insurance based on First Amendment freedom of religion, and finally, discusses some of the legal challenges to this federal requirement.
- The United Arab Emirates Nuclear Program and Proposed U.S. Nuclear Cooperation
- This report provides background information on the UAE nuclear program, reviews developments to date, analyzes proposed nuclear cooperation with the United States, and discusses relevant legislative proposals and options.
- Afghanistan Casualties: Military Forces and Civilians
- This report collects statistics from a variety of sources on casualties sustained during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), which began on October 7, 2001. OEF actions took place primarily in Afghanistan; however, OEF casualties also includes American casualties in Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Guantanamo Bay (Cuba), Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Seychelles, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Yemen.
- Farm Safety Net Programs: Issues for the Next Farm Bill
- No Description Available.
- Continuing Resolutions: Latest Action and Brief Overview of Recent Practices
- This report discusses most routine operations of federal departments and agencies that are funded each year through the enactment of 12 regular appropriations acts. It also points out FY2011 Continuing Resolutions.
- Water Quality Bills in the Remainder of the 111th Congress
- This report describes 10 water quality bills pending in the Senate that could be considered during the lame duck session of the 111th Congress, either individually or as a group.
- The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010: Overview and Legal Analysis of Potential Interactions
- No Description Available.
- Water Quality Bills in the Lame Duck Session of the 111th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity
- This report describes Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity. Industry Hemp is a variety of cannabis Sativa and is of the same plant marijuana. However, Hemp is genetically different and distinguished by its use and chemical makeup. Precise data are not available in the U.S market for Hemp based products.
- Animal Waste and Hazardous Substances: Current Laws and Legislative Issues
- This report is about the animal sector of agriculture and rise of concerns over the management of animal wastes and potential impacts on environmental quality.
- Title IX, Sex Discrimination, and Intercollegiate Athletics: A Legal Overview
- No Description Available.
- Federal Crop Insurance: Background and Issues
- This report provides a primer on the federal crop insurance program and discusses related issues.
- Dodd-Frank Act, Title VIII: Supervision of Payment, Clearing, and Settlement Activities
- No Description Available.
- Social Security Reform: Current Issues and Legislation
- No Description Available.
- U.S.-Vietnam Economic and Trade Relations: Issues for the 112th Congress
- No Description Available.
- China-U.S. Trade Issues
- This report is on China-U.S. Trade Issues.
- The Alternative Minimum Tax for Individuals
- This report consists of the alternative minimum tax for individuals.
- Renewable Energy Programs in the 2008 Farm Bill
- No Description Available.
- Cybercrime: A Sketch of 18 U.S.C. 1030 and Related Federal Criminal Laws
- This report shows Sketch of 18 U.S.C. 1030 and Related Federal Criminal Laws on cybercrime. The federal computer fraud and abuse statute,outlaws conduct that victimizes computer systems.
- Emergency Communications: Broadband and the Future of 911
- This report discusses the Summary of 911 Legislative and Policy, Funding and Grants and Creating the Base for Change.
- The Presidential Libraries Act and the Establishment of Presidential Libraries
- No Description Available.
- Clean Water Act: A Summary of the Law
- This report discusses the financial assistance for constructing municipal sewage treatment plants and certain other types of water quality improvement projects. It also points out Titles II and VI ---Municipal Wastewater Treatment Construction.
- International Trade and Finance: Key Policy Issues for the 112th Congress
- This report highlights major international trade and finance issues Congress may address this year and next.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements
- No Description Available.
- Initial Final Rules Implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
- This report describes the final rules implementing PPACA that had been published in the Federal Register during the first 8 1/2 months of implementation. This report lists the 18 final rules, including a summary of their requirements and their effective dates.
- Surface Transportation Program Reauthorization Issues for the 112th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress
- This report provides background information and presents potential issues (and costs) for Congress concerning the U.S. Navy's ship force-structure goals and shipbuilding plans.
- Keeping America's Pipelines Safe and Secure: Key Issues for Congress
- This report discusses new legislation being considered by the 111th Congress to improve the safety and security of the U.S. pipeline network. H.R. 6008 would require pipeline operators to provide immediate telephonic notice of a pipeline release to federal emergency response officials and would increase civil penalties for pipeline safety violations. S. 3824 would increase the number of federal pipeline safety inspectors, would require automatic shutoff valves for natural gas pipelines, and would mandate internal inspections of transmission pipelines, among other provisions
- Location-Based Preferences in Federal and Federally Funded Contracting: An Overview of the Law
- This report discusses constitutional and other legal issues related to the creation and implementation of location-based preferences in federal contracting, as well as summarizes key authorities requiring or allowing federal agencies to "favor" contractors located in specific places. The report does not address federal preferences for domestic products or provisions of federal law that could, depending upon their implementation, effectively prefer local contractors, such as project labor agreements.
- The U.S. Congress and the European Parliament: Evolving Transatlantic Legislative Cooperation
- This report provides background on the Congress-EP relationship and the role of the TLD. It also explores potential future options should an effort to strengthen ties between the two bodies gain momentum.
- The Proposed U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA): Provisions and Implications
- This report is designed to assist Members of Congress as they consider the costs and benefits of the U.S.-South Korean Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA.) It examines the provisions of the KORUS FTA in the context of the overall U.S.-South Korean economic relationship, U.S. objectives, and South Korean objectives.
- Nuclear Cooperation with Other Countries: A Primer
- This report discusses section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA), the specific requirements of which must be met in order for the United States to engage in civilian nuclear cooperation with other states. The AEA also provides for exemptions to these requirements, export control licensing procedures, and criteria for terminating cooperation.