Congressional Research Service Reports - 563 Matching Results

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State-by-State Comparison of Selected Electricity Restructuring Provisions

Description: Since 1996, twenty-one states have restructured their electricity markets. While the extent of this restructuring varies by state, four issues have generally been considered by all state legislatures: stranded costs, aggregation, universal service, and public benefits. This report compares the treatment of these issues in the restructuring legislation of the twenty-one states. Using information collected directly from the relevant state laws and the rules promulgated by state public utility com… more
Date: January 13, 2000
Creator: Abel, Amy & Shimabukuro, Jon O.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Education Vouchers: Constitutional Issues and Cases

Description: This report details the constitutional standards that currently apply to indirect aid programs and summarizes all of the pertinent state and federal court decisions, including the Ohio case that will be heard by the Supreme Court. On September 25, 2001, the Supreme Court agreed to review a case raising the controversial issue of the constitutionality of education vouchers. In Zelman v. Simmons-Harris the Sixth Circuit held Ohio’s Pilot Scholarship Program, which provided up to $2500 to help low… more
Date: December 19, 2000
Creator: Ackerman, David M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
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.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Prayer and Religion in the Public Schools: What Is, and Is Not, Permitted

Description: This report summarizes each of the Supreme Courts decisions in regard to instances of prayer and religion in public schools. The report gives a detailed overview of what has been held to be constitutionally permissible and constitutionally forbidden, and describes two issues as yet unsettled.
Date: August 18, 2000
Creator: Ackerman, David M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The First Day of a New Congress: A Guide to Proceedings on the House Floor

Description: The House of Representatives follows a well established routine on the opening day of a new Congress. The proceedings include election of the Speaker, swearing in its members, election of administrative officers, and adoption of rules of procedure. Also, resolutions assigning its members to committees may be adopted. The House must take these actions at the beginning of each new Congress because it is not a continuing body. Article 1, Section 2 of Constitution sets terms for Members of the Hous… more
Date: November 1, 2000
Creator: Amer, Mildred L.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The First Day of a New Congress: A Guide to Proceedings on the Senate Floor

Description: The Senate follows a well-established routine on the opening day of a new Congress. The proceedings include swearing in new members, administrative business, and the election of the president pro tempore, the constitutionally mandated officer elected to preside over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. This report contains information on what is contained in the well-established routine.
Date: November 1, 2000
Creator: Amer, Mildred L.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Going to Conference in the Senate

Description: This report discusses the steps that the Senate must take, and one more step that it may take, as it arranges to send a bill to conference committee.
Date: February 1, 2000
Creator: Bach, Stanley
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Authority of a President to Modify or Eliminate a National Monument

Description: President Clinton created a number of new national monuments, using authority given the President under the Antiquities Act of 1906. Many of the designations were controversial and renewed discussion of that Act and whether a President can modify or eliminate a Presidentially created national monument. This report examines that question.
Date: August 3, 2000
Creator: Baldwin, Pamela
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Grazing Regulations: Public Lands Council v. Babbitt

Description: This report discusses new regulations on livestock grazing on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management became effective August 21, 1995. Many aspects of the new regulations were challenged in Public Lands Council v. Babbitt. A federal district court upheld many of the regulations, but struck down four of them and enjoined their implementation. At the appellate level, only the new regulation allowing conservation use to the exclusion of livestock grazing for the full term of a permit was h… more
Date: February 1, 2000
Creator: Baldwin, Pamela
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Overview of NEPA Requirements

Description: The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) establishes national environmental policies that apply to the federal government and also prescribes certain procedural requirements for federal agency actions. Except as otherwise provided by Congress, NEPA applies to all federal agency actions, although its requirements may vary depending on the nature of the action involved. This report provides an overview of NEPA's requirements. It is not anticipated that this report will be updated.
Date: July 6, 2000
Creator: Baldwin, Pamela
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Presidential Authority to Create a National Monument on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Description: In the Antiquities Act, Congress authorized the President to create National Monuments. Recently, there has been discussion of a possible monument designation involving the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Several issues surround that possibility, including the potential size of such a monument and whether provisions of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act might preclude the designation. In addition, that Act provides for the termination of certain … more
Date: June 19, 2000
Creator: Baldwin, Pamela
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Coping with High Oil Prices: A Summary of Options

Description: A near tripling in the price of crude oil from March 1999 to the first months of 2000, coupled with other developments, initially brought about sharp increases in the price of home heating oil and diesel fuel, which are essentially the same product. Gasoline prices then increased. These developments brought about discussion of what might be done to mitigate price increases and possible spot shortages, and what might be done to prevent a similar situation in the future.
Date: April 19, 2000
Creator: Bamberger, Robert L.; Kumins, Lawrence C. & Lazzari, Salvatore
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Disaster Mitigation Assistance Bills in the 106th Congress: Comparison of Provisions

Description: The Administration initiative to shift federal emergency management policy away from a "response and recovery" emphasis has generated little congressional controversy, although some have raised concerns about the cost effectiveness of implementing a mitigation strategy. Greater attention, it is generally argued, should be given to mitigation (loss reduction) efforts before disasters occur in order to reduce future losses. Legislation (H.R. 707, S. 1691) pending before the 106th Congress would a… more
Date: May 5, 2000
Creator: Bea, Keith
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Defense Cleanup and Environmental Programs: Authorization and Appropriations for FY2001

Description: The Department of Defense operates six environmental programs: cleanup of past contamination at military facilities, acceleration of cleanup at military bases designated for closure, compliance with environmental laws and regulations that apply to ongoing military operations, pollution prevention, natural resource conservation, and environmental technology. In addition to these activities, the Department of Energy is responsible for managing defense nuclear waste and remediating contaminated si… more
Date: August 21, 2000
Creator: Bearden, David M.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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