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Clerk of the House: Legislative and Administrative Duties
This report discusses legislative and administrative duties related to Clerk of the House.
Genetic Information: Legal Issues Relating to Discrimination and Privacy
In April 2003, the sequence of the human genome was deposited into public databases. This milestone, which has been compared to the discoveries of Galileo, and other advances in genetics have created novel legal issues relating to genetic information. This report discusses current federal law, state statutes, and legislation related to these issues.
House Sergeant at Arms: Legislative and Administrative Duties
This report provides a brief overview of the legislative and administrative duties of the House Sergeant at arms.
Access to Government Information In the United States
The Constitution of the United States makes no specific allowance for any one of the co-equal branches to have access to information held by the others and contains no provision expressly establishing a procedure for, or a right of, public access to government information. Nonetheless, Congress has legislated various public access laws. These include two records access statutes — the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act — and two meetings access statutes — the Federal Advisory Committee Act and the Government in the Sunshine Act. This report provides background on the issue of government transparency and examines relevant litigation.
A Fact Sheet on the Economic Stimulus Rebate for Social Security and Veterans’ Benefit Recipients
The Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 will provide a tax rebate to taxpayers with a net federal tax liability and certain other eligible individuals and families. This report provides information for Social Security beneficiaries and Veterans' benefit recipients and their families on eligibility for the rebate, the rebate amount, and how they can receive an economic stimulus rebate.
Russia’s March 2008 Presidential Election: Outcome and Implications
This report discusses the campaign and results of Russia's March 2, 2008, presidential election and implications for Russia and U.S. interests. Popular outgoing President Vladimir Putin endorsed his First Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitriy Medvedev, who easily won an election viewed by some observers as not free and fair.
The Law of Church and State: General Principles and Current Interpretations
This report includes current interpretations of clauses and summarizes related statutes (the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act).
Voting in the Senate: Forms and Requirements
This report provides an overview of the forms and requirements needed in voting in the Senate.
Clean Water Act: A Summary of the Law
This report presents a summary of the law, describing the essence of the statute without discussing its implementation. Other CRS products do discuss implementation, including CRS Report RL33800, Water Quality Issues in the 110th Congress: Oversight and Implementation, and numerous products cited in that report.
Freedom of Speech and Press: Exceptions to the First Amendment
This report provides an overview of the major exceptions to the First Amendment.
The Congressional Research Service and the American Legislative Process
This report includes a description of the Congressional Research Service and it's benefits to the American Legislative Process
Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: An Economic Analysis
Foreign direct investment in the United States declined sharply after 2000, when a record $300 billion was invested in U.S. businesses and real estate. In 2004, according to preliminary data, foreigners invested about $100 billion. Foreign direct investments are highly sought after by State and local governments that are struggling to create additional jobs in their localities.
The America COMPETES Act and the FY2009 Budget
This report is about the America COMPETES act and the budget for the fiscal year 2009.
The Budget Reconciliation Process: The Senate’s “Byrd Rule”
This report discusses the reconciliation under the congressional budget act of 1974 by which congress implements budget resolution policies affecting mainly permanent spending and revenue programs.
Clean Water Act Section 401: Background and Issues
Report discussing specifics of the U.S. Clean Water Act. Section 401 of the Clean Water Act requires that an applicant for a federal license or permit provide a certification that any discharges from the facility will comply with the act, including water quality standard requirements. Disputes have arisen over the states' exercise of authority under Section 401. For the most part, the debate over the Section 401 certification issue has been between states and hydropower interests.
Great Lakes Water Withdrawals: Legal and Policy Issues. March 2008
This report describes the characteristics of the Great Lakes, the interests they support, and possible threats to lake levels.
Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview. March 2008
This report provides an overview of this issue and implications for U.S.-China trade relations and will be updated as events warrant.
Aviation Spending Guarantee Mechanisms
The report discusses the cap and penalty Era, Airport and airway safety and capacity expansion act of 1987, Current FAA Funding Guarantees and Funding guarantee options.
Japan’s Currency Intervention: Policy Issues. March 2008
This report provides an overview and analysis of Japan's official intervention into currency markets, reviews various studies on the probable effect of that intervention, examines the charge that Japan has manipulated its exchange rate as defined by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and reviews legislation and policy options.
Congressional Membership and Appointment Authority to Advisory Commissions, Boards, and Groups
Over the past several decades, Congress, by statute, has established a wide array of commissions, boards, and advisory bodies to provide it with assistance in meeting various legislative, investigative, and administrative responsibilities. This report contains a compilation of commissions and boards that demonstrates the range of alternative membership appointment structures.
Expiration and Extension of the Individual Income Tax Cuts Enacted in 2001 Through 2007
This report traces the legislative history of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA;P.L. 107-16) and its extensions, shows their time line, and provides general overview of their implications and revenue effects. The report focuses on the measures that extend or curtail the key tax relief provisions of EGTRRA and the follow-up legislation, rather than modify the respective parts of the tax code in some new way.
Tax Provisions of the Economic Stimulus Package
This report describes the economic stimulus package, P.L. 110-185, which contained two major components: individual tax rebates costing an estimated $117 billion in FY2008 and FY2009, and depreciation provisions (bonus depreciation and small business expensing costing an estimated $46.3 billion. This report describes the stimulus package's major components and their likely impacts as an economic stimulus.
The Conservation Reserve Program: Legal Analysis of Proposed Legislation to Change the Structure and Taxation of Benefits Received
The Internal Revenue Service considers payments received under the Conservation Reserve Program self-employment income even though they are called "annual rental payments," and rental income from real property is generally excluded from self-employment income. Bills have been repeatedly introduced before Congress to statutorily exclude the Conservation Reserve Program payments from self-employment tax, but these bills generally have dies in committee. This report contains information on the background and congressional response to these issues.
Energy Tax Policy: History and Current Issues
This report discusses the history, current posture, and outlook for federal energy tax policy. It also discusses current energy tax proposals and major energy tax provisions enacted in the 109th Congress.
Financial Institutions and Markets: Major Federal Statutes
This report provides brief summaries of the major federal laws affecting financial institutions and markets.
Iraq: Oil and Gas Legislation, Revenue Sharing, and U.S. Policy
This report reviews the package of legislation currently under consideration, analyzes the positions of various Iraqi political actors, and discusses potential implications for U.S. foreign policy goals in Iraq.
The Bayh-Dole Act: Selected Issues in Patent Policy and the Commercialization of Technology
This report discusses Selected Issues in Patent Policy and the Commercialization of Technology regarding the Bayh-Dole Act.Congressional interest in facilitating U.S. technological innovation led to the passage of P.L. 96-517, Amendments to the Patent and Trademark Act(commonly reffered to ad the Bayh-Dole Act after its two main sponsor).This report discusses the rationale behind the passage of P.L. 96-517, its provsions, and Implementation of the law.
Kenya: The December 2007 Elections and the Challenges Ahead
This report discusses an overview of the December 2007 elections and the challenges of Kenya.
The Exon-Florio National Security Test for Foreign Investment
This report covers the recent background of the Exon-Florio provision with special regards to issues faced in the 112th Congress. The Exon-Florio provision grants the President the authority to block proposed or pending foreign acquisitions of "persons engaged in interstate commerce in the United States" that threaten to impair the national security.
Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements
This report describes arms control and nonproliferation efforts by presidential administration from 1979-2008. This is the revised edition from 2008.
The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape
The report discusses the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-Related Congressional Actions in the 112th Congress. The policymakers, including some in Congress, have long called for varying degrees and types of reform to the FCC. Most proposals fall into two categories: (1) procedural changes made within the FCC or through congressional action that would affect the agency's operations or (2) substantive policy changes requiring congressional action that would affect how the agency regulates different services and industry sectors.
Conservation Reserve Program Payments: Self-Employment Income, Rental Income, or Something Else?
This report outlines the history of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the changing positions of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), pertinent case law, and other provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). Several possible approaches to the taxation of CRP payments are discussed.
Committee Jurisdiction and Referral in the Senate
The legislative jurisdictions of the Senate's standing committees are established in Senate rule XXV. The committees vary in terms of jurisdictional breadth, with some responsible for a diverse array of issues and others focused more narrowly on related policies. This report contains information about the criteria for committee referral, cases of multiple referrals, and alternatives to committee action.
Congress’s Contempt Power: A Sketch
This report outlines the source of the contempt power, reviews major developments on the case law, and analyzes the procedures associated with each of the three different types of contempt proceedings. The report also discusses the recent investigation by the House Judiciary committee that has resulted in votes for criminal contempt of Congress and the filing of a civil lawsuit to enforce congressional subpoenas.
Franking Privilege: An Analysis of Member Mass Mailings in the House, 1997-2007. April 2008
This report provides an analysis of House Member mass mailings.
How Measures Are Brought to the House Floor: A Brief Introduction
This report presents a brief description of the five methods used to bring proposed legislation to the House floor for consideration. These methods allow for consideration as a privileged matter, under the limited privilege of a special calendar or day, under suspensions of the rules, under the terms of a special rule, or by unanimous consent.
Understanding Mortgage Foreclosure: Recent Events, the Process, and Costs
This report collects information from other studies to obtain an estimate of the average foreclosure costs. A brief discussion of the effect uniform foreclosure legislation may have on costs follows.
Weak and Failing States: Evolving Security Threats and U.S. Policy
This report first provides definitions of weak states and describes the links between weak states, U.S. national security, and development challenges. Second, the report surveys recent key U.S. programs and initiatives designed to address threats emanating from weak states. Finally, it highlights relevant issues about U.S. policy toward these states that Congress may consider.
The Conservation Reserve Program: Legal Analysis of Proposed Legislation to Change the Structure and Taxation of Benefits Received
The Internal Revenue Service considers payments received under the Conservation Reserve Program self-employment income even though they are called "annual rental payments," and rental income from real property is generally excluded from self-employment income. Bills have been repeatedly introduced before Congress to statutorily exclude the Conservation Reserve Program payments from self-employment tax, but these bills generally have dies in committee. This report contains information on the background and congressional response to these issues.
Conservation Security Program: Implementation and Current Issues
The Conservation Security Program, authorized in the 2002 farm bill, is a voluntary program providing financial and technical assistance for within selected watersheds. This report contains information on the background of the program and related issues for congress.
H.R. 3185: The 401(k) Fair Disclosure for Retirement Security Act of 2007
This report provides information on the kinds of fees that are charged in 401(k) plans and details the provisions of H.R. 3185, the 401(k) Fair Disclosure for Retirement Security Act as introduced on July 14, 2007.
Federal White-Collar Pay: FY2009 Salary Adjustments
This report provides the details related to Salary adjustments of Federal white-collar employees for the Fiscal Year 2009
Foreign Students in the United States: Policies and Legislation
This report examines various issues pertaining to foreign students in the United States. Since the Immigration Act of 1924, the United States has expressly permitted foreign students to study in U.S. institutions. Most foreign students are at least 18 years old and are enrolled in higher education programs. Foreign students are generally considered to enrich cultural diversity of the educational experience for U.S. residents as well as enhance the reputation of U.S. universities as world-class institutions. Concerns have arisen in recent years that have caused Congress to take a new look at the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provisions that govern their admission.
Genetic Information: Legal Issues Relating to Discrimination and Privacy
In April 2003, the sequence of the human genome was deposited into public databases. This milestone, which has been compared to the discoveries of Galileo, and other advances in genetics have created novel legal issues relating to genetic information. This report discusses current federal law, state statutes, and legislation related to these issues.
Wildfire Funding
This report briefly describes the three categories of federal programs for wildfire protection: [1] protection of the federal lands managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (FS), and by the U.S. Department of the Interior, whose wildfire programs are coordinated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM); [2] assistance for state and local governments and communities in protecting nonfederal lands; [3] support for fire research, fire facilities, and improvements in forest health. The last section of this report discusses the impact of high and rising wildfire costs.
Lawsuits Against State Supporters of Terrorism: An Overview
A 1996 amendment to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) enables American victims of international terrorist acts supported by certain States designated by the State Department as supporters of terrorism -- Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, and previously Iraq and Libya -- to bring suit in U.S. courts to seek monetary damages. Despite congressional efforts to make blocked (of "frozen) assets of such States available for attachment by judgment creditors in such cases, plaintiffs encountered difficulties in enforcing the awards. This report provides an overview of these issues and relevant legislation.
The Bureau of Reclamation’s Aging Infrastructure
This report describes Reclamation's approach to managing aging infrastructure as well as that of two other agencies--- the Army Corps of Engineers and the natural Resources Conservative Service--- involved with significant portfolios of dams and related infrastructures.
Mining on Federal Lands: Hardrock Minerals
This report discusses the mining of hardrock minerals on fedearl lands, which is governed by the claim-patent system under the General Mining Law of 1872. It gives an overview the issues involved with the current system, such as competing land uses, and discusses proposed legislation meant to reform the claim-patent system.
Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) Drought: Federal Water Management Issues
This report provides an introductory analysis of federal water management issues in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF), particularly during drought. The report underscores that decision makers are faced with the tradeoff of the current harm that reduced flows may cause aquatic species against the benefits of maintaining water in storage for future multipurpose use later. The first section briefly introduces the basin's water resources and related federal issues. The second section summarizes current federal reservoir operations. The third section discusses how the municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses of ACF waters affect federal reservoir management. The fourth section covers how species protections affect Corps operations and how Corps operations may affect protected species. The fifth section briefly discusses legislation in the 110th Congress related to the ACF and water supply and management issues in the Southeast. The report concludes with comments about the ACF in the broader context of federal CRS-2 water policies and projects.
Exemptions from Environmental Law for the Department of Defense
Whether broader expansions from federal environmental laws are needed to preserve military readiness has been an issue. Questions have been raised as to whether environmental requirements have limited military training activities to the point that readiness would be compromised. The potential impacts of broader exemptions on environmental quality have raised additional questions. Although certain exemptions the Department of Defense (DOD) first requested in FY2003 have been enacted into law, Congress has opposed others. From FY2003 to FY2008, DOD requested exemptions from the Clean Air Act, Solid Waste Disposal Act, and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. To date, Congress has not enacted these three latter exceptions. The Administration's FY2009 defense authorization bill does not include these exemptions.
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