Congressional Research Service Reports - 128 Matching Results
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- The No Child Left Behind Act: An Overview of Reauthorization Issues for the 111th Congress
- This report provides an overview of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and discusses the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act.
- NASA: Issues for Authorization, Appropriations, and Oversight in the 114th Congress
- Spaceflight fascinates and inspires many Americans, but in a time of constrained federal budgets, it must compete with a multitude of other national priorities. As the 114th Congress conducts oversight and considers authorization and appropriations legislation for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), an overarching question will be how NASA should move forward within budget constraints. This report discusses a number of issues that arise within the framework of that question. This report begins with some context: a brief survey of NASA’s organization and programs, a summary of recent NASA authorization legislation, and an overview of NASA’s budget.
- International Trade and Finance: Key Policy Issues for the 114th Congress
- This report covers policy issues in areas such as: U.S. trade negotiations; U.S. trade and economic relations with regions and countries; international trade institutions; tariff and nontariff barriers; worker dislocation from trade liberalization; trade remedy laws; import and export policies; international investment; economic sanctions; and trade policy functions of the federal government.
- Energy Policy: 114th Congress Issues
- No Description Available.
- Terrorism Risk Insurance Legislation in the 114th Congress: Issue Summary and Side-by- Side Analysis
- This report briefly outlines the issues involved with terrorism insurance, summarizes extension legislation, and includes a side-by-side comparison of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA) and the bills introduced in the 114th and 113th Congresses.
- Terrorism Risk Insurance Legislation in the 114th Congress: Issue Summary and Side-by-Side Analysis
- This report briefly outlines the issues involved with terrorism insurance, summarizes extension legislation, and includes a side-by-side comparison of Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA; P.L. 107-297) law and the bills introduced in the 114th and 113th Congresses.
- Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline
- This report provides roll call vote data related to the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline that would transport oil sands crude from Canada and shale oil produced in North Dakota and Montana to a market hub in Nebraska for further delivery to Gulf Coast refineries. Voting information is listed chronologically and broken down by chamber, Congress, and type of legislation.
- Energy Tax Policy: Issues in the 114th Congress
- This report begins by providing background on the economic rationale for energy market interventions, highlighting various market failures. After identifying possible market failures in the production and consumption of energy, possible interventions are discussed. The report concludes with an analysis of the current status of energy tax policy.
- Membership of the 114th Congress: A Profile
- This report presents a profile of the membership of the 114th Congress (2015-2016). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
- Water Resource Issues in the 114th Congress
- This report discusses recent congressional activity and possible topics for the 114th Congress. It provides an overview of the federal role in water resources development, management, and protection, with a focus on projects of the two major federal water resources agencies--Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps--and related legislation.
- Congressional Roll Call Votes on the Keystone XL Pipeline
- This report provides roll call vote data related to the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline that would transport oil sands crude from Canada and shale oil produced in North Dakota and Montana to a market hub in Nebraska for further delivery to Gulf Coast refineries. Voting information is listed chronologically and broken down by chamber, Congress, and type of legislation.
- The Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation Expensing Allowances: Current Law and Issues for the 114th Congress
- This report examines the current status, legislative history, and main economic effects (including their efficacy as an economic stimulus tool) of the Section 179 and bonus depreciation allowances. It concludes with a discussion of the key policy issues facing the 114th Congress as it considers what to do with the allowances that expired at the end of 2014.
- Food Safety Issues for the 114th Congress
- This report discusses pertinent issues for Congress in regards to food safety legislation.
- Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress
- This report discusses domestic human trafficking-related issues that have received legislative action or are of significant interest in the 114th Congress.
- Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress
- This report discusses domestic human trafficking-related issues that have received legislative action or are of significant interest in the 114th Congress.
- ESEA Reauthorization Proposals in the 114th Congress: Selected Key Issues
- This report examines major features of H.R. 5 with respect to current law. It begins by discussing the approach that H.R. 5 takes toward reshaping the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in key areas. Next, the report considers the ESEA by title and part to examine how the ESEA would be reconfigured under H.R. 5, followed by an examination of proposed program authorizations included in H.R. 5.
- Freedom of Information Act Legislation in the 114th Congress: Issue Summary and Side-by- Side Analysis
- This report provides an overview of two The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) bills in the 114th Congress, S. 337 and H.R. 653, and provides analysis of certain FOIA-related provisions within each.
- Research Tax Credit: Current Law and Policy Issues for the 114th Congress
- This report describes the current status of the research tax credit, summarizes its legislative history, discusses policy issues it raises, and describes legislation to modify and extend it.
- Homeland Security Appropriations: FY2015 Action in the 114th Congress
- This report provides a brief outline of the FY2015 annual appropriations measure for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its enactment by the 114th Congress.
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): A Primer for the 114th Congress
- This report discusses the history of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the basic issues in the debate over wilderness versus development, the Native interests, and the energy and biological resources at stake.
- Human Rights in China and U.S. Policy: Issues for the 114th Congress. March 2015
- This report examines human rights issues in the People's Republic of China (PRC), including recent developments, ongoing rights abuses, and legal reforms.
- Health Care-Related Expiring Provisions, First Session of the 114th Congress
- This report provides a list of selected health-related programs and activities under specified titles of the Social Security Act (SSA).
- Federal Lands and Natural Resources: Overview and Selected Issues for the 114th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Food Safety Issues for the 114th Congress
- This report discusses food safety legislation passed by Congress in December 2010 (FDA Food Safety Modernization Act [FSMA], P.L. 111-353).
- Domestic Human Trafficking Legislation in the 114th Congress
- This report discusses domestic human trafficking-related issues that have received legislative action or are of significant interest in the 114th Congress.
- House Committee Funding Requests and Authorizations, 104th-114th Congresses
- This report provides committee funding requests and authorizations as adopted pursuant to primary expense authorizations for House committees in the 104th through 114th Congresses.
- Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers: Reauthorization Proposals in the 114th Congress, In Brief
- This report is designed to provide assistance in considering Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Workers reauthorization efforts in the 114th Congress. It begins with background information on TAA and a summary of recent legislation. It then presents a table that compares a recent reauthorization proposal with provisions in current and prior law.
- Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Legislation in the 114th Congress
- This report discusses legislation proposals in the 114th Congress that reflect various positions and stances on mandatory minimum sentences for Federal crimes. Federal crimes are usually punishable by a statutory maximum term of imprisonment--for example, "imprisoned for not more than 5 years."1 A surprising number also have statutory minimum terms of imprisonment--for example, "imprisonment which may not be less than 10 years or for life."
- Sex Trafficking: Proposals in the 114th Congress to Amend Federal Criminal Law
- This report discusses proposed legislation that would amend federal substantive law in three areas: commercial sex trafficking (18 U.S.C. 1591); the Mann Act, which outlaws transportation and travel for unlawful sexual purposes; and federal tax crimes.
- Clean Air Issues in the 114th Congress: An Overview
- This report discusses regulatory actions that have recently received attention in the 114th Congress including EPA's proposed regulations on the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from power plants, and a proposed revision of the ambient air quality standard for ozone.
- Proposed Amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in the 114th Congress: S. 697, S. 725, and a House Discussion Draft
- This report tracks the legislative status in the 114th Congress of proposals to amend Title I of the Toxic Substances Control Act and includes a discussion of selected issues that have received more attention. This report does not present a comprehensive analysis of all provisions of relevant legislation, nor is this report intended to provide a detailed analysis of precise language and its legal or regulatory interpretation.
- Pakistan-U.S. Relations: Issues for the 114th Congress
- This report discusses key U.S. interests regarding Pakistan, especially as related to counterterrorism and U.S. foreign assistance.
- "Regulatory Relief" for Banking: Selected Legislation in the 114th Congress
- This report discusses regulatory relief legislation for banks in the 114th Congress that, at the time this report was published, has seen floor action or has been ordered to be reported by a committee.
- Selected Issues in Homeland Security Policy for the 114th Congress
- This report outlines an array of homeland security issues that may come before the 114th Congress. After a brief discussion of the definitions of homeland security, the homeland security budget, and the role of homeland security actors in the intelligence community, the report divides the specific issues into four broad categories: Counterterrorism and Security Management, Border Security and Trade, Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, and DHS Management Issues.
- Transportation Security: Issues for the 114th Congress
- This report discusses aviation security, transit and passenger security, port and maritime security.
- Research Tax Credit: Current Law and Policy Issues for the 114th Congress
- Technological innovation is a primary engine of long-term economic growth, and research and development (R&D) serves as the lifeblood of innovation. The federal government encourages businesses to invest more in R&D than they otherwise would in several ways, including a tax credit for increases in spending on qualified research above a base amount. This report describes the current status of the credit, summarizes its legislative history, discusses policy issues it raises, and describes legislation to modify and extend it.
- Insurance Regulation: Background, Overview, and Legislation in the 114th Congress
- This report discusses insurance regulatory issues addressed by legislation in the 114th Congress including the degree of the authority of the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) over insurers (H.R. 1478/S. 798), international insurance standards (S. 1086 and H.R. 2141), and the licensing of insurance agents and brokers (H.R. 26/P.L. 114-1).
- EPA and the Army Corps’ “Waters of the United States” Rule: Congressional Response and Options
- This report discusses several options that congress could consider and that are reflected in bills in the 114th Congress.
- Membership of the 114th Congress: A Profile
- This report presents a profile of the membership of the 114th Congress (2015-2016). Statistical information is included on selected characteristics of Members, including data on party affiliation, average age, occupation, education, length of congressional service, religious affiliation, gender, ethnicity, foreign births, and military service.
- Cybersecurity and Information Sharing: Comparison of Legislative Proposals in the 114th Congress
- This report compares two House bills and one Senate bill that address information sharing and related activities in cybersecurity. It also discusses some of the issues that those and other bills address.
- Cybersecurity and Information Sharing: Comparison of Legislative Proposals in the 114th Congress
- This report compares two House bills and one Senate bill that address information sharing and related activities in cybersecurity. The report consists of an overview of those and other legislative proposals on information sharing, along with selected associated issues, followed by a side-by-side analysis of the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015 (NCPAA), the Protecting Cyber Networks Act (PCNA), and the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA).
- Wildfire Spending: Background, Issues, and Legislation in the 114th Congress
- This report provides background information and analysis of funding for federal wildfire suppression operations. It concludes by summarizing relevant legislative proposals introduced in the 114th Congress and discussing their possible implications.
- District of Columbia: Issues in the 114th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Tax Reform in the 114th Congress: An Overview of Proposals
- This report provides background information regarding tax reform and discusses ways to make the U.S. tax system simpler, fairer, and more efficient.
- The Voting Rights Act of 1965: Background and Overview
- This report provides background information on the historical circumstances that led to the adoption of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), a summary of its major provisions, and a brief discussion of the U.S. Supreme Court decision and related legislation in the 113th and 114th Congresses. Two identical bills--H.R. 3899 and S. 1945--were introduced in the 113th Congress that would have amended the VRA to add a new coverage formula, among other provisions.
- U.S. Agricultural Trade with Cuba: Current Limitations and Future Prospects
- This report reviews the current state of agricultural trade between the United States and Cuba. It identifies key impediments to expanding bilateral trade in agricultural products and key provisions in the law to which these obstacles are anchored, and also considers the potential consequences for trade in agricultural goods if bilateral trade were returned to a more normal footing. It also summarizes several of the bills introduced in the 114th Congress that propose to remove specific restrictions that impede trade in agricultural goods or that seek to lift the embargo on Cuba entirely.
- The European Union: Questions and Answers
- This report serves as a primer on the European Union (EU) and provides a brief description of U.S.-EU relations that may be of interest in the 114th Congress. The EU is a political and economic partnership that represents a unique form of cooperation among sovereign countries, comprising 28 member states, including most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe; the group has helped to promote peace, stability, and economic prosperity throughout the European continent.
- Cybersecurity: Legislation, Hearings, and Executive Branch Documents
- This report provides links to cybersecurity committee hearings and legislation from the 112th, 113th, and 114th Congresses, as well as a list of executive orders and presidential directives pertaining to information and computer security. Summaries of activities and findings are included as a series of tables.
- The Future of Internet Governance: Should the U.S. Relinquish Its Authority Over ICANN?
- This report discusses legislation over the future of Internet government that has been introduced in the 113th and 114th Congresses which would prevent, delay, or impose conditions or additional scrutiny on the transition.
- Automatic Continuing Resolutions: Background and Overview of Recent Proposals
- This report provides background on the historical frequency of federal funding gaps and shutdowns. It also discusses features of Automatic Continuing Resolutions (ACRs), arguments for and against ACRs, relevant Congressional actions, and proposals in the 112th through 114th Congresses.