Congressional Research Service Reports - 6 Matching Results
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- Year 2000 Computer Problem: State Government Issues
- The federal government sends and receives data from the states in support of many social service programs. Examples of such programs are: Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, Food Stamps, and Unemployment Insurance. The federal government will not be able to deliver critical social services if data exchanges with state governments are not Y2K- compliant, yet there is no complete picture of their readiness.
- Preemption Language in Federal Environmental Statutes
- This report compiles the provisions in federal environmental statutes that explicitly state whether Congress intended to preempt state law.
- Right to a Clean Environment Provisions in State Constitutions, and Arguments as to a Federal Counterpart
- The issue arises occasionally whether it might be desirable to amend the U.S. Constitution to add an environmental provision - such as one declaring an individual right to a clean environment. Some attention was given this issue during the 1970s, when over a dozen states adopted clean environment or other environmentally oriented provisions in their constitutions. Our focus here is solely personal right to a clean environment provisions and the questions they raise. Are they self-executing, or dependent instead on implementing legislation? Do they create private rights of action? If so, on whose behalf, for what remedies, and against what categories of defendants? What is the standard to be enforced, and the level of proof needed to show injury? And so on. All these issues would arise as well were a federal-right-to-a-clean-environment provision to be proposed. In addition, a federal provision would implicate federalism concerns if its scope exceeded that of the Commerce Clause.
- Mandates Information Act: Action in the 106th Congress
- No Description Available.
- Electric Utility Restructuring: Overview of Basic Policy Questions
- Proposals to increase competition in the electric utility industry involve segmenting electric functions (generation, transmission, distribution) that are currently integrated (or bundled) in most cases (both in terms of corporate and rate structures). This report identifies five basic issues this effort raises for the Congress to consider as the debate on restructuring proceeds.
- Managing Regional Growth: Is There a Role for Congress?
- Regional growth management is largely addressed at he local and state levels, driven by a myriad of concerns. Many of these concerns re driven by the concept of sprawl, and pit expansion of suburban development against protection of open space, agricultural activities, and amenity values. Local and state policies to these concerns are also diverse.