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Agricultural Conservation: A Guide to Programs

Description: This report provides a listing of federal agricultural conservation assistance programs. Each listing includes a brief description of the program, information on major amendments in the Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79, 2014 farm bill), national scope and availability, states with the greatest participation, the backlog of applications or other measures of continuing interest, program funding authority, FY2018 funding, FY2019 Administration budget request, statutory authority, the authoriz… more
Date: February 5, 2013
Creator: Stubbs, Megan
open access

Army Drawdown and Restructuring: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the new defense strategy, which was unveiled by senior Department of Defense (DOD) leadership based on a review of potential future security challenges, current defense strategy, and budgetary constraints. This strategy will rebalance the Army's global posture and presence, emphasizing where potential problems are likely to arise, such as the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East.
Date: March 5, 2013
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
open access

The Berne Union: An Overview

Description: This report provides background information about the Berne Union, or the International Union of Credit and Investment Insurers. It is an international organization comprised of more than 70 public and private sector members that represent both public and private segments of the export credit and investment insurance industry.
Date: April 5, 2013
Creator: Jackson, James K.
open access

Carbon Capture: A Technology Assessment

Description: This report is a brief summary of what carbon capture and storage (CCS) is, how it is supposed to work, why it has gained the interest and support of some members of Congress, and what some of the challenges are to its implementation and deployment across the United States.
Date: November 5, 2013
Creator: Folger, Peter
open access

Congressional Authority to Regulate Firearms: A Legal Overview

Description: Courts have been confronted with the question of whether federal laws can be applied to intrastate possession and intrastate transfers of firearms, or whether such application exceeds the authority of Congress. This report explores these cases and how courts have analyzed these as-applied challenges under the Supreme Court's Commerce Clause jurisprudence primarily set forth in United States v. Lopez.
Date: April 5, 2013
Creator: Chu, Vivian S.
open access

Congressional Membership and Appointment Authority to Advisory Commissions, Boards, and Groups

Description: This report contains a compilation of commissions and boards that demonstrates the range of alternative membership-appointment structures. It includes any statutorily created advisory entity (boards, advisory panels, etc.) whose membership scheme mandates the participation of members of Congress either as potential members or as participants in the process of appointing the membership. For each entity, information on the purpose, duration, appointment structure, and term of appointment is provi… more
Date: February 5, 2013
Creator: Glassman, Matthew Eric
open access

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and International Trade: Legal Issues

Description: This report examines the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) role in regulating U.S. imported and exported consumer products. It also examines some of the international obligations that the United States has undertaken with respect to the promulgation of standards-related measures, such as mandatory consumer product safety regulations.
Date: November 5, 2013
Creator: Murrill, Brandon J.
open access

Defense Authorization and Appropriations Bills: FY1970-FY2013

Description: This report is a research aid which lists the DOD authorization bills (Table 1) and appropriations bills (Table 2) for FY1970-FY2013. It includes key definitions and all the pertinent information on the passage of these bills through the legislative process: bill numbers, report numbers, dates reported and passed, recorded vote numbers and vote tallies, dates of passage of the conference reports with their numbers and votes, vetoes, substitutions, dates of final passage, and public law numbers.
Date: June 5, 2013
Creator: DeBruyne, Nese F.
open access

Earthquake Risk and U.S. Highway Infrastructure: Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report addresses frequently asked questions about the risk from earthquakes to highway systems, including bridges, tunnels, pavements, and other highway components. Particular attention is given to highway bridges, which often are the most vulnerable highway structures. The report also discusses federal and nonfederal actions to reduce seismic risk to the U.S. highway system.
Date: June 5, 2013
Creator: Mallett, William J.; Carter, Nicole T. & Folger, Peter
open access

European Union Enlargement: A Status Report on Turkey's Accession Negotiations

Description: This report provides a brief overview of the EU's accession process and Turkey's path to EU membership. The U.S. Congress has had a long-standing interest in Turkey as a NATO ally and partner in regional foreign policy and energy security issues. Although some Members of Congress have expressed continued support for Turkey's membership in the EU, congressional interest and enthusiasm seems to have diminished recently.
Date: August 5, 2013
Creator: Morelli, Vincent L.
open access

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): An Overview

Description: This report discusses the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), as amended, is intended to help employees balance work and family life. The act provides eligible employees with two types of job-protected leave: regular leave and military family leave. In turn, military family leave consists of qualifying exigency leave and military caregiver leave.
Date: August 5, 2013
Creator: Mayer, Gerald
open access

Federal Disaster Assistance after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Gustav, and Ike

Description: Report that provides information on federal financial assistance provided to the Gulf States after major disasters were declared in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas in response to the widespread destruction that resulted from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in 2005 and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008. This includes a brief summary of each hurricane and a discussion concerning federal to state cost-shares.
Date: July 5, 2013
Creator: Lindsay, Bruce R. & Nagel, Jared Conrad
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