Congressional Research Service Reports - 38 Matching Results
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- Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2015 Appropriations
- This report discusses various policy aspects of the Agriculture appropriations bill for FY2015, which funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), except for the Forest Service.
- Agriculture in the WTO: Limits on Domestic Support
- A potential major constraint affecting U.S. agricultural policy choices is the set of commitments made as part of membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO), with its various agreements governing agriculture and trade, including dispute settlement. This report provides a brief overview of the WTO commitments most relevant for U.S. domestic farm policy. A key question that policymakers ask of virtually every new farm proposal is, how will it affect U.S. commitments under the WTO?
- Fishery, Aquaculture, and Marine Mammal Issues in the 112th Congress
- This report provides the information related to the fishery, aquaculture, and marine mammal issues in the 112th Congress
- Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2011 Appropriations
- This report considers the Agriculture and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The report compares and contrasts the Senate and House versions of the bill in terms of budgeting. Certain programs would receive 11 billion more than in FY2010.
- Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2011 Appropriations
- This report considers the Agriculture and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The report compares and contrasts the Senate and House versions of the bill in terms of budgeting. Certain programs would receive 11 billion more than in FY2010.
- Agriculture in Pending U.S. Free Trade Agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea
- This report discusses pending U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs) with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama. The bills to implement these agreements will now be debated under trade promotion authority, or fast-track rules, designed to expedite congressional consideration. The report includes an overview of agricultural issues regarding FTAs and pending FTA partners, as well as a closer breakdown of the specific issues for each of the countries.
- Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2010 Appropriations
- This report discusses various policy aspects of the Agriculture appropriations bill for FY2010, which funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), except for the Forest Service.
- Brazil's WTO Case Against the U.S. Cotton Program
- This report provides a description and status report on Brazil's challenge to certain aspects of the U.S. cotton program under the rules of the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) dispute settlement process in case DS267. The "Brazil cotton case" had its WTO origins in 2002 and has since evolved into a sprawling legal enterprise that is still ongoing as of mid-2010.
- WTO Doha Round: Implications for U.S. Agriculture
- The Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations began in November 2001. From an agricultural viewpoint, the goal of the negotiations was to make progress simultaneously across the three pillars of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) Agricultural Agreement—domestic support, market access, and export competition—by building on the specific terms and conditions established during the previous Uruguay Round of negotiations. This report reviews the current status of agricultural negotiations for domestic support, market access, and export subsidies, and their potential implications for U.S. agriculture.
- Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2010 Appropriations
- This report discusses various policy aspects of the Agriculture appropriations bill for FY2010, which funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), except for the Forest Service.
- Grazing Fees: Overview and Current Issues
- This report gives an overview and current issues related to Grazing fees.
- Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2007 Appropriations
- This report considers the Agriculture and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The report compares and contrasts the Senate and House versions of the bill in terms of budgeting. Moreover, both bills reject the termination of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.
- The “Farm Bill” in Brief
- Federal farm support, food assistance, agricultural trade, marketing, and rural development policies are governed by a variety of separate laws. Many of these laws periodically have been evaluated, revised, and renewed through an omnibus, multi-year farm bill. This report discusses the "farm bill" and it's components.
- Agriculture-Based Renewable Energy Production
- This report discusses federal programs on agriculture-based renewable energy and how people associated with agriculture have reacted. Moreover, the report discusses how this reaction has been positive and taken the form of an increase in ethanol production along with wind energy.
- Fishery, Aquaculture, and Marine Mammal Legislation in the 109th Congress
- Fish and marine mammals are important resources in open ocean and nearshore coastal areas; many federal laws and regulations guide their management. This report discusses a variety of laws and legislation pertaining to this issue.
- Air Quality Issues and Animal Agriculture: EPA’s Air Compliance Agreement
- This report discusses a plan announced by EPA in January 2005, called the Air Compliance Agreement, that would produce air quality monitoring data on animal agriculture emissions from a small number of farms, while at the same time protecting all participants (including farms where no monitoring takes place) through a “safe harbor” from liability under certain provisions of federal environmental laws.
- Agriculture and FY2006 Budget Reconciliation
- On April 29, 2005, Congress completed action on the FY2006 budget resolution (H.Con.Res. 95, H.Rept. 109-62). This measure contains reconciliation instructions that require authorizing committees to report legislation to reduce spending on mandatory programs within each committee’s jurisdiction. To reduce spending in mandatory U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs, conferees instructed the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to reduce mandatory spending by $173 million in FY2006 and $3.0 billion over five years (FY2006-FY2010). The Bush Administration earlier proposed changes to several mandatory USDA programs, which it said would save $5.7 billion over five years (and which the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) subsequently scored at $9.4 billion in reductions). The agriculture committees must determine how to divide the cuts among the various programs under their jurisdiction by September 16, 2005.
- Agroterrorism: Threats and Preparedness
- The potential of terrorist attacks against agricultural targets (agroterrorism) is increasingly recognized as a national security threat, especially after the events of September 11, 2001. In this context, agroterrorism is defined as the deliberate introduction of an animal or plant disease with the goal of generating fear, causing economic losses, and/or undermining stability. This report addresses the use of biological weapons against agriculture, rather than the threat of terrorists using agricultural inputs for other purposes. It also focuses more on agricultural production than food processing and distribution.
- Conservation Reserve Program: Status and Current Issues
- The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), enacted in 1985, provides payments to farmers to take highly erodible or environmentally sensitive cropland out of production for ten years or more to conserve soil and water resources. It is the federal government’s largest private land retirement program. The program is administered by the Farm Service Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), with technical assistance provided by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
- Soil and Water Conservation Issues
- No Description Available.
- Agriculture-Based Renewable Energy Production
- Since the late 1970s, U.S. policy makers at both the federal and state levels have enacted a variety of incentives, regulations, and programs to encourage the production and use of agriculture-based renewable energy. Motivations cited for these legislative initiatives include energy security concerns, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and raising domestic demand for U.S.-produced farm products. This report provides background information on farm-based energy production and how this fits into the national energy-use picture. It briefly reviews the primary agriculture-based renewable energy types and issues of concern associated with their production, particularly their economic and energy efficiencies and long-run supply. Finally, this report examines the major legislation related to farm-based energy production and use.
- Agricultural Biotechnology: Overview and Selected Issues
- This report considers the issues surrounding genetically engineered (GE) crops or GMO's (genetically modified organisms). Moreover, the report debates the consequences of GE crops on the environment, food safety, and labeling. The report also debates the merits of regulation on the market the crops have entered.
- Dairy Policy Issues
- This report gives an overview of Dairy policy issues and the contents include Dairy forward pricing pilot program, Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) payments, Milk protein concentrate trade issues, and dairy price support program
- Appropriations for FY2003: U.S. Department of Agriculture and Related Agencies
- Appropriations are one part of a complex federal budget process that includes budget resolutions, appropriations (regular, supplemental, and continuing) bills, rescissions, and budget reconciliation bills. This report is a guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress considers each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture.
- Appropriations for FY2003: U.S. Department of Agriculture and Related Agencies
- Appropriations are one part of a complex federal budget process that includes budget resolutions, appropriations (regular, supplemental, and continuing) bills, rescissions, and budget reconciliation bills. This report is a guide to one of the 13 regular appropriations bills that Congress considers each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture.
- Pesticide Residue Regulation: Analysis of Food Quality Protection Act Implementation
- This report discusses the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA) which amened the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), governing U.S. registration, sale, and use of pesticide products, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) under which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets allowable pesticide residue levels for food (tolerances).
- Fruits and Vegetables: Issues for Congress
- This report gives an overview of the issues related to fruits and vegetables. The contents include federal activities and programs, farm bill issues, trade issues.
- Fruits and Vegetables: Issues for Congress
- This report discusses the Issues for Congress on Fruits and Vegetables.The primary law that exclusively serves the produce industry is the perishable agriculture commodities act in the 1930(PACA).
- Fishery, Aquaculture, and Marine Mammal Legislation in the 107th Congress
- This report presents the information related to the fishery, aquaculture, and marine mammal legislation enacted by the 107th congress
- The WTO Doha Ministerial: Results and Agenda for a New Round of Negotiations
- Trade ministers from 142 member countries of the World Trade Organizations met in Doha, Qatar, issuing a ministerial declaration, along with two statements on developing country concerns.
- Emergency Farm Assistance in FY2000: Description and State Distribution
- No Description Available.
- Grazing Fees and Rangeland Management
- The Bureau of Land Management (BLM, Department of the Interior) and the Forest Service (Department of Agriculture) manage approximately 70% of the 650 million acres of land owned by the federal government and many of these lands are classified as rangeland. Both agencies have well-established programs permitting private livestock grazing. The Administration issued new, controversial BLM rangeland management rules effective in August 1995. Supporters contended that the Administration's new rules were a step forward in sound resource management, but some believed they did not go far enough to protect rangelands and riparian areas. Many in the ranching community opposed the new rules, believing that they would ultimately reduce private livestock activity on federal lands, and increase operating costs. This report examines the debate over federal grazing management.
- Farm Disaster Assistance: USDA Programs and Recent Legislative Action
- Several regions of the country have experienced natural disasters this year that have significantly reduced farm income for affected producers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers three major, permanently authorized programs to help mitigate the financial effects of natural disasters -- federal crop insurance, emergency disaster loans, and a noninsured assistance program. Some disaster programs are also available to help livestock producers rebuild herds or purchase feed when a disaster strikes
- Tobacco Advertising: The Constitutionality of Limiting its Tax Deductibility
- No Description Available.
- Agricultural Research, Education, Extension and Economics Programs: A Primer
- The 105th Congress is undertaking a thorough review of federal laws and policies affecting the nationwide system of federal and state agricultural research laboratories and agencies, the land grant Colleges of Agriculture and related schools of forestry and veterinary medicine, and the continuing education programs of the Cooperative Extension System. In preparation for hearings and subsequent debate on these subjects, this report provides an overview of all the components of the system, its major programs, and its funding.
- Pesticide Policy Issues
- On August 3, 1996, President Clinton signed P.L. 104-170, which contains significant amendments to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). Although it does not repeal the Delaney Clause, the new law removes pesticide residues from its purview. It requires EPA to set "safe" tolerances for residues of pesticides on both raw and processed food to provide "a reasonable certainty of no harm" from exposure to the pesticide residue, other dietary residues, and non-food sources. It also will expedite pesticide registration under FIFRA for minor uses; improve data collection on the effect of pesticides in children's diets; and prohibit states from regulating food based on pesticide residue concentrations below recently established federal tolerances.
- The 1996 Farm Bill: Comparisons of Selected Provisions with Previous Law
- Final congressional approval was given to H.R. 2854, the Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act, otherwise known as the "1996 farm bill," on March 28, 1996. President Clinton signed the bill into law on April 4, 1996 (P.L. 104-127). In tabular format, this CRS report lays out in descriptive, rather than legislative language, the major provisions of the new farm bill in contrast to preceding law.
- Predator Control and Compound 1080
- This reports explains how Compound 1080 was used before 1972, to kill coyotes which hunt on sheep. But this also killed many other non-targeted wildlife. So, the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) cancelled the registration predator toxicants which led to even more sheep deaths. During 97th Congress, EPA decided to reevaluate the sue of Compound 1080 with a possibility of re-registering it for the usage. A judge suggested them for the suspension of this poison, and it's finally approved by the EPA on October 31, 1983.