Congressional Research Service Reports - 41 Matching Results
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- Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy
- This report discusses the debate over government policy regarding industrial competitiveness and technological advancement. Background, legislative initiatives, and different approaches are among topics discussed in this report.
- The Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Act of 2003 (H.R. 3214): A Section-by-Section Analysis
- This report summarizes the Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Act (H.R. 3214). Additionally, the report covers each title of the act such as title one expanding the ability to qualify for the DNA Backlog Grant Program.
- Selected Environmental Provisions in the Energy Bill (H.R. 6/S. 2095)
- This report provides a short discussion of selected environmental provisions involving limits on the use of MTBE; a renewable fuel mandate for gasoline; stricter regulation of underground storage tanks; Clean Water Act requirements for oil and gas exploration; incentives and R&D funding for alternative fuels and vehicles; energy efficiency and conservation incentives; hydroelectric relicensing; ozone compliance deadlines; use of mining wastes; and hydraulic fracturing.
- Energy Efficiency: Budget, Oil Conservation, and Electricity Conservation Issues
- This report includes information related to energy efficiency, including history, various bills and budgets, and conservation. Climate change and energy security related to energy efficiency are also discussed in this report.
- Alternative Fuel Vehicle Tax Incentives and the CLEAR ACT
- This report addresses Alternative Fuel Vehicle Tax Incentives and the CLEAR ACT.
- Dual-Use Biological Equipment: Difficulties in Domestic Regulation
- A question in the current debate over chemical and biological terrorism is: how well do current United States policies limit opportunities to terrorist groups for acquisition of such weapons? The domestic purchase and use of “dual-use” biological equipment, such as fermenters, centrifuges, and other equipment, is one area suggested as potentially providing opportunities for terrorist, biological weapons development. Dual-use equipment has both legitimate civilian and military use. Regulating international sale of dual-use equipment is used as a nonproliferation policy tool. Similar regulation of domestic sales has not been employed. This report will discuss the difficulties of applying domestic controls on dual-use biological equipment and the potential advantages and disadvantages of doing so.
- Internet: An Overview of Key Technology Policy Issues Affecting Its Use and Growth
- This report summarizes several key technology policy issues such as Internet privacy, broadband internet access, electronic commerce, spam, internet's domain name system, and e-government.
- Internet: An Overview of Key Technology Policy Issues Affecting Its Use and Growth
- This report summarizes several key technology policy issues such as Internet privacy, computer and internet security, broadband internet access, electronic commerce, spam, internet's domain name system, and e-government.
- Visibility, Regional Haze, and the Clean Air Act: Status of Implementation
- This report provides an overview of the status of implementation of the visibility, regional haze, and clean air act.
- Advanced Vehicle Technologies: Energy, Environment, and Development Issues
- This report discusses four major vehicle technologies — electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles — as well as advanced component technologies. Each technology is discussed in terms of cost, fueling and maintenance infrastructure, and performance.
- Science and Technology Policy: Issues for the 108th Congress, 2nd Session
- This report summarizes the results of the debates from the 2nd hearing for the 108th Congress. It discusses federal funding, science and technology policy issues, the development of new technologies, and the role of the government in the pharmaceutical industry.
- Broadband Internet Access: Background and Issues
- From a public policy perspective, the goals are to ensure that broadband deployment is timely, that industry competes fairly, and that service is provided to all sectors and geographical locations of American society. The federal government -- through Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) -- is seeking to ensure fair competition among the players so that broadband will be available and affordable in a timely manner to all Americans who want it. While the FCC's position is not to intervene at this time, some assert that legislation is necessary to ensure fair competition and timely broadband deployment. One proposal would ease certain legal restrictions and requirements, imposed by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, on incumbent telephone companies who provide high speed data (broadband) access. Another proposal would compel cable companies to provide "open access" to competing Internet service providers.
- Weapons of Mass Destruction: Trade Between North Korea and Pakistan
- In October 2002, the United States confronted North Korea about its alleged clandestine uranium enrichment program. Soon after, the Agreed Framework collapsed, North Korea expelled international inspectors, and withdrew from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). U.S. intelligence officials claimed Pakistan was a key supplier of uranium enrichment technology to North Korea, and some media reports suggested that Pakistan had exchanged centrifuge enrichment technology for North Korean help in developing longer range missiles.
- The Multi-State Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange (MATRIX) Pilot Project
- No Description Available.
- Network Centric Warfare: Background and Oversight Issues for Congress
- No Description Available.
- Computer Security: A Summary of Selected Federal Laws, Executive Orders, and Presidential Directives
- This report provides a short summary of selected federal laws, executive orders, and presidential directives, currently in force, that govern computer security. The report focuses on the major roles and responsibilities assigned various federal agencies in the area of computer security.
- "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.
- "Junk E-mail": An Overview of Issues and Legislation Concerning Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Mail ("Spam")
- Unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE), also called “spam” or “junk e-mail,” 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. On December 16, President Bush signed into law S. 877, the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act. The law, P.L. 108-187, went into effect on January 1, 2004.
- Internet Taxation: Issues and Legislation in the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Internet Taxation: Issues and Legislation in the 108th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Data Mining: An Overview
- Data mining is emerging as one of the key features of many homeland security initiatives. Often used as a means for detecting fraud, assessing risk, and product retailing, data mining involves the use of data analysis tools to discover previously unknown, valid patterns and relationships in large data sets. This report discusses the data mining uses (i.e. Terrorism Information Awareness (TIA) Program) and issues (i.e. data quality, interoperability, privacy), as well as the limitations of data mining.
- Data Mining: An Overview
- Data mining is emerging as one of the key features of many homeland security initiatives. Often used as a means for detecting fraud, assessing risk, and product retailing, data mining involves the use of data analysis tools to discover previously unknown, valid patterns and relationships in large data sets. This report discusses the data mining uses (i.e. Terrorism Information Awareness (TIA) Program) and issues (i.e. data quality, interoperability, privacy), as well as the limitations of data mining.
- Information Warfare and Cyberwar: Capabilities and Related Policy Issues
- No Description Available.
- Internet Privacy: Overview and Pending Legislation
- No Description Available.
- Internet Privacy: Overview and Pending Legislation
- No Description Available.
- Internet Privacy: Overview and Pending Legislation
- No Description Available.
- Internet Privacy: Overview and Pending Legislation
- No Description Available.
- Broadband Internet Access and the Digital Divide: Federal Assistance Programs
- Some policymakers, believing that disparities in broadband access across American society could have adverse economic and social consequences on those left behind, assert that the federal government should play a more active role to avoid a “digital divide” in broadband access. One approach is for the federal government to provide financial assistance to support broadband deployment in underserved areas. Others, however, believe that federal assistance for broadband deployment is not appropriate. Some opponents question the reality of the “digital divide,” and argue that federal intervention in the broadband marketplace would be premature and, in some cases, counterproductive.
- The Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program: Funding Issues and Activities
- This report presents funding issues and activities of the federal networking and information technology research and development program.
- Broadband Internet Access: Background and Issues
- From a public policy perspective, the goals are to ensure that broadband deployment is timely, that industry competes fairly, and that service is provided to all sectors and geographical locations of American society. The federal government -- through Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) -- is seeking to ensure fair competition among the players so that broadband will be available and affordable in a timely manner to all Americans who want it. While the FCC's position is not to intervene at this time, some assert that legislation is necessary to ensure fair competition and timely broadband deployment. One proposal would ease certain legal restrictions and requirements, imposed by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, on incumbent telephone companies who provide high speed data (broadband) access. Another proposal would compel cable companies to provide "open access" to competing Internet service providers.
- Broadband Internet Access: Background and Issues
- From a public policy perspective, the goals are to ensure that broadband deployment is timely, that industry competes fairly, and that service is provided to all sectors and geographical locations of American society. The federal government -- through Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) -- is seeking to ensure fair competition among the players so that broadband will be available and affordable in a timely manner to all Americans who want it. While the FCC's position is not to intervene at this time, some assert that legislation is necessary to ensure fair competition and timely broadband deployment. One proposal would ease certain legal restrictions and requirements, imposed by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, on incumbent telephone companies who provide high speed data (broadband) access. Another proposal would compel cable companies to provide "open access" to competing Internet service providers.
- Internet: An Overview of Key Technology Policy Issues Affecting Its Use and Growth
- This report gives an overview of key technology policy issues of internet affecting its use and growth.
- Science and Technology Policy: Issues for the 108th Congress, 2nd Session
- No Description Available.
- Intellectual Property, Computer Software and the Open Source Movement
- No Description Available.
- Safe Harbor for Service Providers Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
- No Description Available.
- Immigration: A Guide to Internet Sources
- No Description Available.
- Legal Issues Related to Prescription Drug Sales on the Internet
- No Description Available.
- Prescription Drug Importation and Internet Sales: A Legal Overview
- No Description Available.
- State Sales Taxation of Internet Transactions
- No Description Available.
- Internet Commerce and State Sales and Use Taxes
- State governments rely on sales and use taxes for approximately one-third (33.6%) of their total tax revenue - or approximately $179 billion in FY2002 .' Local governments derived 12.4% of their tax revenue or $44 .1 billion from local sales and use taxes in FY20012 Both state and local sales taxes are collected by vendors at the time of transaction and are levied at a percentage of a product's retail price. Alternatively, use taxes are not collected by the vendor if the vendor does not have nexus (loosely defined as a physical presence) in the consumer's state . Consumers are required to remit use taxes to their taxing jurisdiction . However, compliance with this requirement is quite low. Because of the low compliance, many observers suggest that the expansion of the internet as a means of transacting business across state lines, both from business to consumer (B to C) and from business to business (B to B), threatens to diminish the ability of state and local governments to collect sales and use taxes . Congress has a role in this issue because commerce between parties in different states conducted over the Internet falls under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution.' Congress can either take an active or passive role in the "Internet tax" debate. This report intends to clarify important issues in the Internet tax debate .
- Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy
- This updated report summarizes the debate on the government policy regarding industrial competitiveness and technological advancement and its influence on the U.S. economy. It discusses the most recent developments, dives into the background and analysis of the topic, and talks about Congress' plans and approach.