Congressional Research Service Reports - 134 Matching Results
Search Results
- 2017 Disaster Supplemental Appropriations: Overview
- This report provides a detailed breakdown of the requested and enacted supplemental funding in each of the disaster relief supplemental appropriation measures for 2017 natural disasters, and provides a contact listing for CRS experts on the funded relief and recovery programs.
- S. 2155 and Enhanced Regulation for Large Banks
- This report discusses regulations for large banks under the Dodd-Frank Act and recently proposed changes to the regulations proposed in S. 2155.
- Adoption Tax Benefits: An Overview
- This report provides an overview of tax benefits for adoptive parents.
- Afghanistan: Background and U.S. Policy in Brief
- This report provides an overview of current political and military dynamics, with a focus on the Trump Administration's new strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia, the U.S.-led coalition and Afghan military operations, and recent political developments, including prospects for peace talks and elections.
- Agricultural Credit: Institutions and Issues
- This report discusses federal credit assistance for farmers and recent issues in Congress related to the programs.
- Agriculture and Related Agencies: Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations
- This report discusses the FY2018 appropriations for the Department of Agriculture and recent funding trends.
- Arming Teachers as a Response to School Shootings
- This report discusses the proposal of arming teachers in public schools that was made by President Trump in the wake of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida and arguments for and against the proposal.
- The Army;s Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV): Background and Issues for Congress
- This report discusses the Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) program and outlines its basic functions, procurement plans, and funding requests for FY2019.
- Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding
- This report discusses The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program and the distribution of grant funding as well as issues for Congress to consider regarding the program.
- ATF's Ability to Regulate "Bump Stocks"
- This report discusses whether ATF has the right to regulate "bump stocks" for rifles which allow rifles to mimic the actions of an automatic weapon and recent proposed regulatory action by ATF.
- Banking Policy Issues in the 115th Congress
- This report provides an overview of banking related issues of interest to the 115th Congress.
- Bankruptcy Basics: A Primer
- This report serves as a primer for Members and their staffs on the basics of U.S. bankruptcy law. The report provides a brief overview of the most essential concepts necessary for an informed understanding of the U.S. bankruptcy system
- A Bar Bouncer Equivalent for Planes in Flight
- This report discusses the decisions of two U.S. Appeals Courts regarding the cases of "U.S. v. Lynch" and "U.S. v. Petras" which both concerned passenger misconduct toward flight attendants.
- Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-23): Brief Summary of Division E-The Advancing Chronic Care, Extenders, and Social Services (ACCESS) Act
- This report provides a brief summary of each of the provisions included in Division E (the ACCESS Act) of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, along with the contact information for the CRS expert who can answer questions about each provision. Division E consists of 12 titles. Each title is addressed in a separate table, and the provisions are discussed in the order they appear in the law. Topics discussed in this report include Medicare, Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), public health, child and family services, foster care, social impact partnerships, child support enforcement, and prison data reporting. Subsequent CRS reports examining selected subsets of these provisions will be linked to this report as they become available.
- Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123): CHIP, Public Health, Home Visiting, and Medicaid Provisions in Division E
- This report provides information about the provisions from Division E of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA 2018) related to CHIP, certain public health programs, the MIECHV program, and the Medicaid program.
- Broadband Loan and Grant Programs in the USDA's Rural Utilities Service
- This report discusses the U.S. Department of Agruculture's (USDA) broadband loan and grant program in rural utilities areas.
- Business Tax Provisions that Expired in 2017 (Tax Extenders")
- This report discusses twelve temporary business tax extenders which expired at the end of 2017.
- Can the Government Prohibit 18-Year Olds From Purchasing Firearms?
- This report discusses whether the federal government can prevent 18 year old individuals from buying firearms. The report examines case law regarding the issue.
- Capital Gains Tax: An Overview
- This report gives a brief overview of taxes and tax law regarding capital gains.
- Child and Dependent Care Tax Benefits: How They Work and Who Receives Them
- This report discusses the workings of the child and dependent care tax benefits and who is eligible.
- The Child Tax Credit: Legislative History
- This report discusses the legislative history of the child tax credit and the most recent changes to it.
- China-U.S. Trade Issues
- This report provides background and analysis of U.S.-China commercial ties, including history, trends, issues, and outlook. It will be updated as events warrant.
- Clarifying "Gibberish": Supreme Court Holds That State Courts Can Hear Securities Act Lawsuits
- This report discusses the background of the case of "Cyan Inc. v. Beaver County Employees Retirement Fund", the Supreme Court's decision, and the decision's implications for securities litigation.
- Class Actions are Back at the Supreme Court: Statutory Time Limits and "Serial Relitigation" of Class Certification
- This report discusses the the Supreme Court case of "China Agritech v. Rush" which concerns whether a plaintiff in a failed class action suit can sue again individually even if they would have normally been barred from doing so by the statute of limitations. The report explores the history behind the existing rules that apply with respect to statutes of limitations and class actions (the American Pipe rule), before discussing the specifics of China Agritech and the importance of the case for Congress.
- Commerce Determines Steel and Aluminium Imports Threaten to Impair National Security
- This report discusses the Commerce Department's recommendations regarding actions to take to protect American industries from foreign competition in the steel and aluminium industries. Commerce recommendations on tariffs and quotas for steel and aluminium imports are included.
- The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)
- This report provides information about the structure, role, and funding of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
- Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Funding for FY2016 and FY2017
- This report provides an overview of Congressional funding for medical research programs in FY2016 and FY2017.
- The Constitutionality of Censuring the President
- This report discusses whether Congressional censure of the President is constitutional and provides examples of past Congressional censures of presidents.
- Cybersecurity: Selected Issues for the 115th Congress
- This report covers a variety of topics related to cybersecurity in order to provide context and a framework for further discussion on selected policy areas. These topics include cybersecurity incidents, major federal agency roles and responsibilities, recent policy actions by Congress and the White House, and descriptions of policy issues that may be of interest for the 115th Congress.
- The Debt Limit Since 2011
- This report discusses the federal debt limit and its suspensions and resets since 2011.
- Defense Primer: A Guide for New Members
- This report provides a brief description of Congress and the executive branches' relations with the military and defense department and a brief overview of the structure, roles, and needs of the military and defense communities.
- Defense Primer: Defense Working Capital Funds
- This report describes how Defense Working Capital Funds (DWCF) work and lists the major DWCF's that are currently in operation.
- Defense Primer: Military Retirement
- This report provides a brief overview and guide to military retirement plans and funding methods.
- Defense Primer: U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM)
- This report describes the U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) duties, departments, and assets as well as issues for Congress to consider.
- Department of Health and Human Services: Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request
- This report discusses the FY2019 appropriations request for the Department of Health and Human Services. The report begins by reviewing the department's mission and structure. Next, the report offers a brief explanation of the conventions used for the FY2018 estimates and FY2019 request levels in the budget documents released by the HHS and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The report also discusses the concept of the HHS budget as a whole, in comparison to how funding is provided to HHS through the annual appropriations process. The report concludes with a breakdown of the HHS request by agency, along with additional HHS resources that provide further information on the request. A table of CRS key policy staff is included at the end of the report.
- Department of Veterans Affairs Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations
- This report discusses the Department of Veterans Affairs FY2018 appropriation and the legislative budget process.
- District Court Enjoins DACA Phase-out: Explanation and Takeaways
- This report is an update of a previous report regarding DACA's phase-out and discusses court injunctions preventing the the phase-out of DACA benefits for those already enrolled and a decision by a Maryland federal court which prevents the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using personal information found in DACA applications for law enforcement purposes except by permission of the court in uses needed for national security, public safety, or the public interest.
- DOD's Troops to Teachers Program (TTT)
- This report describes the U.S. Department of Defense's Troops to Teachers (TTT) program which provides assistance to veterans pursuing careers in education.
- Does Executive Privilege Apply to the Communications of a President-elect?
- This report discusses the concept of executive privilege and whether the communications of a president-elect are protected by executive privilege.
- Domestic Food Assistance: Summary of Programs
- This report discusses food assistance programs which are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) programs as well as nutrition programs administered by the Administration on Aging (AOA), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Community Living (HHS-ACL).
- The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): A Brief Legislative History
- This report provides a general overview of the current earned income tax credit (EITC). The report summarizes the key legislative changes to the credit and provides analysis of some of the congressional intentions behind these changes. An overview of the current structure of the EITC can be found in Appendix A at the end of this report.
- Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155) and House Legislation: Common Issue Areas
- This report discusses the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155) and compares its provisions with sections of bills passed in the House that proposed similar or identical changes to the law.
- Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155) and Selected Policy Issues
- This report discusses the provisions of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155) and some related policy issues.
- Eight Mechanisms to Enact Procedural Change in the U.S. Senate
- This report highlights eight parliamentary mechanisms that might be used to implement procedural change in the Senate and links to additional reading material on the subject.
- Election in Italy
- This report discusses the results of the Italian Parliamentary election on March 4, 2018 which ended with no party gaining a majority making a coalition necessary. Populist parties gained a significant number of seats and implications of their rise to power for Italy, the EU, NATO, and the U.S. are discussed.
- Energy Tax Provisions That Expired in 2017 (Tax Extenders)
- This report discusses energy tax provisions or "tax extenders" which expired at the end of 2017 and their economic impact.
- EPA's Wood Stove/Wood Heater Regulations: Frequently Asked Questions
- This report presents some of the most frequent questions raised concerning the EPA's new wood heater emissions rule, so as to provide basic background information about the final wood heater rule, its potential impacts, and stakeholder reactions to it.
- Error and Fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- This report seeks to define terms related to errors and fraud; identify problems and describe what is known of their extent; summarize current policy and practice; and share recommendations, proposals, and pilots that have come up in recent years. The report answers several questions around four main types of inaccuracy and misconduct: trafficking SNAP benefits (by retailers and by recipients); retailer application fraud; errors and fraud in SNAP household applications; and errors and fraud committed by state agencies (including a discussion of states' recent Quality Control (QC) misconduct). The report then discusses challenges to combating errors and fraud--across the four areas--and potential strategies for addressing those challenges.
- Fannie and Freddie Investors Turn to Congress After the Supreme Court Declines to Resurrect Their Legal Claims
- This report discusses the Supreme Court's decision to decline to review the case of "Perry Capital LLC. v. Murchin" which denied the claims of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shareholders against the federal government. It also discusses some of the plaintiffs desire to seek legislative reform from Congress to change the law governing profit transfers from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
- FDA Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS): Description and Effect on Generic Drug Development
- This report provides a brief history of FDA drug regulation, describes FDA's early risk management programs, and focuses on the agency's current risk management authorities, specifically risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS). The report also discusses issues that have arisen as a result of REMS, particularly the impact on generic drug competition. While this report generally focuses on REMS in the context of generic drug development, the issues discussed are also relevant to biological and biosimilar product development.