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Attempt: An Abridged Overview of Federal Criminal Law
It is not a crime to attempt to commit most federal offenses. Unlike state law, federal law has no generally applicable of attempt. Congress, however, has outlawed the attempt to commit a substantial number of federal crimes on an individual basis. In doing so, it has proscribed the attempt, set its punishment, and left to the federal courts the task of further developing the law in the area. This is an abridged version of CRS Report R42001, Attempt: An Overview of Federal Criminal Law, by Charles Doyle, without the footnotes, attributions, citations to authority, or appendix found in the longer report.
The Islamic State’s Acolytes and the Challenges They Pose to U.S. Law Enforcement: In Brief
This report outlines the broad challenges for federal law enforcement agencies in identifying and confronting the challenges posed by the Islamic State in the United States. This report also highlights the interagency efforts taken in preempting terrorists in the screening processes, visa fraud, and stopping the radicalization of individuals.
Attempt: An Overview of Federal Criminal Law
It is not a crime to attempt to commit most federal offenses. Unlike state law, federal law has no generally applicable crime of attempt. Congress, however, has outlawed the attempt to commit a substantial number of federal crimes on an individual basis. In doing so, it has proscribed the attempt, set its punishment, and left to the federal courts the task of further developing the law in this area. This report gives a background on, defines, explores defenses of, the sentencing of, and relations of other offenses to attempts of federal crimes.
International Law and Agreements: Their Effect upon U.S. Law
This report provides an introduction to the roles that international law and agreements play in the United States. This includes the role of different branches of government play in navigating such laws.
State and Local "Sanctuary" Policies Limiting Participation in Immigration Enforcement
This report discusses legal issues related to state and local measures that limit law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The report begins by providing a brief overview of the constitutional principles informing the relationship between federal immigration authorities and state and local jurisdictions, including the federal government's power to preempt state and local activities under the Supremacy Clause, and the Tenth Amendment's proscription against Congress directly "commandeering" the states to administer a federally enacted regulatory scheme.
Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2015
This report contains information on actions taken affecting each pay year since the establishment of the Ethics Reform Act adjustment procedure. It also provides information on other floor action related to pay for Members of Congress.
Federal Employees' Retirement System: Benefits and Financing
This report discusses the retirement systems in place for federal employees including the Civil Service Retirement System (for employees hired before 1984) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (for employees hired in 1984 or later). Both programs require participants to contribute toward the cost of their pensions through a payroll tax.
Federal Mandatory Minimum Sentences: The Safety Valve and Substantial Assistance Exceptions
This report contains the safety valve and substantial assistance exceptions on the federal mandatory minimum sentences.
Allocation of Funds Under Title I-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: H.R. 5 and the State Option
This report addresses H.R 5 and the State Option regarding the Allocation of Funds Under Title I-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Amendments in the House: Types and Forms
This report addresses Types and Forms of Amendments in the House.
Income Eligibility and Rent in HUD Rental Assistance Programs: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions
This report provides answers to some of the most common questions about the income and rent policies in federal rental assistance programs, including questions about where these policies came from and how they compare to other federal assistance programs that serve the same or similar purposes or populations.
In-Country Refugee Processing: In Brief
This report provides a brief overview of the in-country refugee processing.
Public Trust and Law Enforcement--A Brief Discussion for Policy Makers
This report provides a brief overview of police-community relations and how the federal government might be able to promote more accountability and better relationships between citizens and law enforcement.
Number of African American Judges Reaches All-Time High; Do Issues Remain?
This report provides historical and statistical information related to the appointment of African Americans as U.S. circuit and district court judges. Such information addresses ongoing congressional interest in the demographic characteristics of lower federal court judges.
Insurance Regulation: Issues, Background, and Legislation in the 113th Congress
This report discusses the legislation in the 113th Congress regarding insurance regulation. Among the insurance regulatory issues addressed by legislation in the 113th Congress are the application of federal orderly liquidation authority to insurers (addressed in H.R. 605); the supervision of some insurers by the Federal Reserve (addressed in H.R. 2140, H.R. 4510, H.R. 5461, S. 2102, and S. 2270); and the licensing of insurance agents and brokers (addressed in S. 534, S. 1926, S. 2244, H.R. 1155/H.R. 1064, and H.R. 4871).
LIHEAP: Program and Funding
This report discusses LIHEAP program rules and benefits, including household eligibility and how funds may be used, and presents the most recent data available from HHS regarding household characteristics and benefit levels.
The Affordable Care Act’s Contraceptive Coverage Requirement: History of Regulations for Religious Objections
This report summarizes the issues involved with the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) requirement in group health plans for contraceptive coverage. Moreover, the report covers the history of how religious objections to this provision of the ACA have been handled. Specifically, the report discuses this topic in relation to employers providing health insurance for employees.
Federal Power over Local Law Enforcement Reform: Legal Issues
This report will examine several constitutional principles relevant to this issue and apply them to the various legislative proposals.
Flow of Business: A Typical Day on the Senate Floorr
This report discusses procedures that usually occur every session day and notes certain business items that occur less frequently.
House Office of Congressional Ethics: History, Authority, and Procedures
This report describes the history and rationale behind the creation of the OCE, its operations, and its relationship with the House Committee on Ethics, and options potentially available for Congress if further amendments to the House ethics process are desired.
House Committee Funding: Description of Process and Analysis of Disbursements
This report provides an overview of the committee funding process in the House and analyzes funding levels since 1996.
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.
House Rules and Precedents Affecting Committee Markup Procedures
This report briefly discusses these procedures as they relate to legislative business conducted on the floor and in committee.
Vulnerable Youth: Background and Policies
This report first provides an overview of the youth population and the increasing complexity of transitioning to adulthood for all adolescents. It also provides a separate discussion of the concept of "disconnectedness," as well as the protective factors youth can develop during childhood and adolescence that can mitigate poor outcomes. Further, the report describes the evolution of federal youth policy, focusing on three time periods, and provides a brief overview of current federal programs targeted at vulnerable youth. The report then discusses the challenges of coordinating federal programs for youth, as well as federal legislation and initiatives that promote coordination among federal agencies and support programs with a positive youth development focus.
U.S. International Family Planning Programs: Issues for Congress
This report provides the issues for Congress on U.S. international family planning programs.
Statutory Interpretation: Theories, Tools, and Trends
This report begins by discussing the general goals of statutory interpretation, reviewing a variety of contemporary as well as historical approaches. The report then briefly describes the two primary theories of interpretation employed today, before examining the main types of tools that courts use to determine statutory meaning. The report concludes by exploring developing issues in statutory interpretation.
Multilateral Development Banks: U.S. Contributions FY2000-FY2015
This report shows in tabular form how much the Administration requested and how much Congress appropriated for U.S. payments to the multilateral development banks (MDBs) since 2000. It also provides a brief description of the MDBs and the ways they fund their operations.
Terminating Contracts for the Government's Convenience: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
This report provides answers to 12 questions regarding termination for convenience -- the exercise of the government's right to bring to an end the performance of all or part of the work provided for under a contract prior to the expiration of the contract "when it is in the Government's interest" to do so -- frequently asked by congressional committees and staff. These questions and their answers address everything from the contractual and other bases for the government's right to terminate to posttermination settlements between the government and the contractor. They also address differences between termination for convenience and termination for default, cancellation, and certain other actions that the government may take (e.g., "de-scoping" pursuant to a Changes clause).
Body Armor for Law Enforcement Officers: In Brief
This report contains an overview of the Matching Grant Program for Law Enforcement Armor Vests (BPV program). It also provides a discussion of data on law enforcement agencies that require their officers to wear armor vests while on duty, research on why officers may choose to wear armor vests, research on the life cycle for armor vests, data on the use of body armor by law enforcement officers who were killed with a firearm, and research on the effectiveness of armor vests.
Many Aspects of the Affordable Care Act Would Not Be Affected by King v. Burwell
This report briefly discusses the possible effects of the King v. Burwell case on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) law. The case examines whether or not the ACA allows the IRS to make premium tax credits available to residents of states that decline to establish health insurance exchanges.
Impact Aid, Title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: A Primer
This report begins with a general overview of the various payments made under the Impact Aid program, followed by a detailed discussion of each section of Title VIII. This discussion is followed by information about recent appropriations for Impact Aid. The report concludes with an overview of programs administered by the U.S. Departments of Defense (DOD) that are often referred to as the "DOD Impact Aid" programs.
“Amazon Laws” and Taxation of Internet Sales: Constitutional Analysis
The report is a Constitutional Analysis of “Amazon Laws” and Taxation of Internet Sales: Constitutional Analysis.
Multilateral Development Banks: U.S. Contributions FY2000-FY2015
This report shows in tabular form how much the Administration requested and how much Congress appropriated for U.S. payments to the multilateral development banks (MDBs) since 2000. It also provides a brief description of the MDBs and the ways they fund their operations.
“Fast Track” Legislative Procedures Governing Congressional Consideration of a Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC) Commission Report
This report describes these expedited parliamentary procedures abd explains how they differ from the regular legislative processes of Congress.
Agricultural Disaster Assistance
This report briefly discusses the federal grand jury, which exists to investigate crimes against the United States and to secure the constitutional right of grand jury indictment.
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).
The Obama Administration's November 20, 2014, Actions as to Immigration: Pending Legal Challenges One Year Later
This legal sidebar discusses the Obama Administration announcement regarding a number of actions to "fix" what the President has repeatedly described as a "broken" immigration system.
Cuba Sanctions: Legislative Restrictions Limiting the Normalization of Relations
This report provides information on legislative provisions restricting relations with Cuba. It lists the various provisions of law comprising economic sanctions on Cuba, including key laws that are the statutory basis of the embargo, and provides information on the authority to lift or waive these restrictions.
The President's Immigration Accountability Executive Action of November 20, 2014: Overview and Issues
This report discusses President Obama's Immigration Accountability Executive Action which revises some U.S. immigration policies and initiates several programs, including a revised border security policy for the Southwest border.
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.
The President's Immigration Accountability Executive Action of November 20, 2014: Overview and Issues
This report discusses President Obama's Immigration Accountability Executive Action which revises some U.S. immigration policies and initiates several programs, including a revised border security policy for the Southwest border.
The European Union and Latin America
This report includes information regarding the background, political and parliamentary dimensions, and trade development dimensions between the European Union and Latin America
Immigration-Related Worksite Enforcement: Performance Measures
This report provides an overview of the performance measures of the immigration-related worksite enforcement.
Invasive Species: Issues in Brief
This report discusses issues for congress regarding whether new legislative authorities and funding are needed to address issues related to invasive species and their increasing economic and ecological impacts on such disparate matters as power plant operations, grazing lands, and coral reef fishes.
The Federal Grand Jury
This report discusses the federal grand jury, which exists to investigate crimes against the United States and to secure the constitutional right of grand jury indictment.
Senate Rule XIV Procedure for Placing Measures Directly on the Senate Calendar
This report discusses the provisions use of Senate Rule XIV, which is used to bypass referral of a bill or joint resolution to a Senate committee, and have the measure placed directly on the Senate Calendar of Business.
Crime Victims’ Rights Act: A Sketch of 18 U.S.C. §3771
This report is an abridged form of a longer report, without quotation marks, footnotes, appendixes, and most of the citations to authority found in the longer version, which is available as CRS Report RL33679, Crime Victim's Rights Act: A summary and Legal Analysis of 18 U.S.C. 3771, by Charles Doyle.
Chronic Homelessness: Background, Research, and Outcomes
This report is categorized into different categories such as what is chronic homelessness?, Evolution of the Permanent Supportive Housing Strategy, Policy Implication etc.
Alien Removals and Returns: Overview and Trends
This report provides an overview of the statutory framework for alien removal and briefly describes the standard removal process. It also describes several streamlined forms of removal, and two alternative forms of removal (often referred to as returns) that exempt aliens from certain penalties associated with formal removal: voluntary departure and withdrawal of petition for admission. In addition, the report discusses recent trends in removals and returns, and concludes with a summary of potential avenues for relief from removal.
Water Quality Issues in the 113th Congress: An Overview
This report discusses the legislative and oversight issues regarding water quality, as well as wastewater treatment funding issues.
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