Congressional Research Service Reports - 34 Matching Results

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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits

Description: This report focuses on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and the form and function of benefits. SNAP, formerly called the Food Stamp Program, is designed primarily to increase the food purchasing power of eligible low-income households to help them buy a nutritionally adequate low-cost diet.
Date: December 29, 2014
Creator: Aussenberg, Randy A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits

Description: This report focuses on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and the form and function of benefits. SNAP, formerly called the Food Stamp Program, is designed primarily to increase the food purchasing power of eligible low-income households to help them buy a nutritionally adequate low-cost diet.
Date: October 20, 2014
Creator: Aussenberg, Randy A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Child Welfare: Health Care Needs of Children in Foster Care and Related Federal Issues

Description: The report begins with a discussion of major findings. It then briefly describes the foster care population and their unique health-related issues. Next is an overview of the federal programs and policies in three areas--child welfare, Medicaid, and private health insurance--that directly or indirectly address some of the health care needs of such children and young adults. The report concludes with a discussion of issues pertaining to these federal policies.
Date: July 24, 2014
Creator: Baumrucker, Evelyne P.; Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L.; Stoltzfus, Emilie & Fernandez, Bernadette
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): An Overview

Description: This report discusses the earned income tax credit (EITC), established in the tax code in 1975, which offers cash aid to working parents with relatively low incomes who care for dependent children.
Date: October 22, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Low-Income Assistance Programs: Trends in Federal Spending

Description: This report examines the spending trends of 10 major need-tested benefit programs or groups of programs: (1) health care from Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); (2) the refundable portion of the health insurance tax credit enacted in the 2010 health care reform law; (3) the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); (4) assisted housing; (5) financial assistance for post-secondary students (Pell Grants); (6) compensatory education grants to school districts; (7)… more
Date: May 7, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant: An Overview

Description: This report provides a nontechnical introduction to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. The report briefly describes the history of cash assistance and how the "welfare reform" debates led to the creation of TANF; TANF financing; the TANF cash welfare programs and; other TANF benefits, services, and activities.
Date: November 5, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: A Primer on TANF Financing and Federal Requirements

Description: This report provides an overview of TANF financing and rules for state programs, describing federal TANF grants and state funds under a "maintenance-of-effort" (MOE) requirement; how states may use federal TANF and state MOE funds to help achieve the purpose and goals of the TANF block grant; rules that apply to states when they use TANF or MOE funds to provide cash welfare to needy families with children; rules that apply to states when they use TANF or MOE funds for benefits and services othe… more
Date: January 27, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report provides responses to frequently asked questions about the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. It is intended to serve as a quick reference to provide easy access to information and data. This report does not provide information on TANF program rules.
Date: September 23, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Eligibility and Benefit Amounts in State TANF Cash Assistance Programs

Description: This report describes state the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) financial eligibility rules and maximum benefit amounts. The report discusses cash assistance benefit amounts for needy families that are not automatically adjusted for inflation by the states, and have lost considerable value in terms of their purchasing power over time.
Date: July 22, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): An Overview

Description: The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit available to eligible workers earning relatively low wages. This report provides an overview of the EITC, first discussing eligibility requirements for the credit, followed by how the credit is computed and paid. The report then provides data on the growth of the EITC since it was first enacted in 1975. Finally the report concludes with data on the EITC claimed on 2012 tax returns, examining EITC claims by number of qualifying child… more
Date: December 3, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene & Crandall-Hollick, Margot L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Poverty: Major Themes in Past Debates and Current Proposals

Description: This report begins with an overview of trends affecting both the incidence of poverty and characteristics of the population, and highlights changing perceptions of the poor and causes of poverty. The report then provides a short history of key federal policies enacted over the past century to address poverty. To provide a framework for analyzing current and future proposals, the report then presents several overarching themes that have recurred in poverty policy debates over the course of this … more
Date: September 18, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene & Spar, Karen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Welfare, Work, and Poverty Status of Female- Headed Families with Children: 1987-2013

Description: The report focuses on welfare dependency and work engagement among single mothers, a major dynamic that welfare reform and accompanying policy changes have attempted to affect. It also examines the role of programs other than Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in providing support to single female-headed families with children.
Date: November 21, 2014
Creator: Gabe, Thomas
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

An Introduction to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

Description: This report discusses the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program, which is one of the federal government’s primary policy tools for encouraging the development and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing. These non-refundable federal housing tax credits are awarded to developers of qualified rental projects via a competitive application process administered by state housing finance authorities.
Date: November 7, 2014
Creator: Keightley, Mark P. & Stupak, Jeffrey M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Child Care and Development Block Grant: Background and Funding

Description: This report discusses the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which provides subsidies to assist low-income families in obtaining child care so that parents can work or participate in education or training activities.
Date: September 17, 2014
Creator: Lynch, Karen E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Overview of Federal Housing Assistance Programs and Policy

Description: This report provides an overview of the history and evolution of federal housing assistance policy, a description of today's major federal housing assistance programs, and a discussion of issues and trends in federal housing assistance policy.
Date: April 15, 2014
Creator: McCarty, Maggie; Perl, Libby & Jones, Katie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The ACA Medicaid Expansion

Description: This report provides an overview of the ACA Medicaid expansion, and the impact of the Supreme Court decision on the ACA Medicaid expansion. Then, the report describes who is covered under the expansion, the expansion rules, and how the expansion is financed. In addition, enrollment and expenditure estimates for the ACA Medicaid expansion are provided. Finally, the report reviews state decisions whether or not to implement the ACA Medicaid expansion, and the implications of those decisions on ce… more
Date: December 30, 2014
Creator: Mitchell, Alison
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Spectrum Policy: Provisions in the 2012 Spectrum Act

Description: This report discusses the Spectrum Act, a provision of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. It includes an overview of the Spectrum Act, the specific policy revisions (deficit reduction, directed auctions, incentive auctions, federal spectrum use and reallocation, and unlicensed spectrum) and a conclusion discussing geographic coverage of spectrum licenses, spectrum caps, and planning for future needs.
Date: May 22, 2014
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Spectrum Policy: Provisions in the 2012 Spectrum Act

Description: This report discusses the Spectrum Act, a provision of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. It includes an overview of the Spectrum Act, the specific policy revisions (deficit reduction, directed auctions, incentive auctions, federal spectrum use and reallocation, and unlicensed spectrum) and a conclusion discussing geographic coverage of spectrum licenses, spectrum caps, and planning for future needs.
Date: August 7, 2014
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Spectrum Policy: Provisions in the 2012 Spectrum Act

Description: This report discusses the Spectrum Act, a provision of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. It includes an overview of the Spectrum Act, the specific policy revisions (deficit reduction, directed auctions, incentive auctions, federal spectrum use and reallocation, and unlicensed spectrum) and a conclusion discussing geographic coverage of spectrum licenses, spectrum caps, and planning for future needs.
Date: March 12, 2014
Creator: Moore, Linda K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The LIHEAP Formula

Description: This report discusses two types of formulas used to allocate funding to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through regular and contingency funding.
Date: May 21, 2014
Creator: Perl, Libby
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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