Congressional Research Service Reports - 54 Matching Results

Search Results

Results: 1 - 24 next
open access

Federal Aid for Reconstruction of Houses of Worship: A Legal Analysis

Description: This report examines the constitutional rules governing federal funding for religious buildings and analyzes the Court's previous decisions on this issue. It also analyzes more recent lower court and administrative opinions that have distinguished the Court's decisions and allowed public funds to be awarded to houses of worship.
Date: October 19, 2015
Creator: Brown, Cynthia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Emergency Relief for Disaster-Damaged Roads and Transit Systems: In Brief

Description: This report describes Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) assistance for the repair and reconstruction of highways and bridges damaged by disasters (such as Hurricane Sandy in 2012) or catastrophic failures (such as the collapse of the Skagit River Bridge in Washington State in 2013).
Date: October 2, 2015
Creator: Kirk, Robert S.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Green Infrastructure and Issues in Managing Urban Stormwater

Description: Managing stormwater is one of the biggest and most expensive problems facing cities across the United States. This report discusses legislation that has been introduced to support research and implementation of green/innovative stormwater infrastructure. Overall, many in Congress remain concerned about how municipalities will pay for needed investments in water infrastructure projects generally—not limited to green infrastructure—and what role the federal government can and should play in those… more
Date: September 15, 2015
Creator: Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

DHS Appropriations FY2016: Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

Description: This report is part of a suite of reports that discuss appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY2016. It specifically discusses appropriations for the components of DHS included in the third title of the homeland security appropriations bill--the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), the Office of Health Affairs (OHA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Collectively, Congress has labeled these components in the appropriations act in rece… more
Date: September 8, 2015
Creator: Painter, William L.; Moteff, John D.; Lister, Sarah A.; Lindsay, Bruce R.; McCarthy, Francis X. & Kruger, Lennard G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Drought Legislation: Comparison of Selected Provisions in H.R. 2898 and S. 1894

Description: This report summarizes the provisions of S. 1894, as introduced, and H.R. 2898, as passed by the House for conservation of fish species and their habitats in drought-stricken areas. It identifies comparable provisions between the two bills and discusses some of the ways in which those provisions overlap or differ. It also summarizes selected other major provisions in each bill.
Date: September 4, 2015
Creator: Stern, Charles V.; Sheikh, Pervaze A.; Cody, Betsy A.; Carter, Nicole T. & Copeland, Claudia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

California Drought: Hydrological and Regulatory Water Supply Issues

Description: This report provides a summary of California's 2012-2015 drought including: comparisons, where applicable, to previous droughts; a summary of the key regulatory requirements that at certain times limit water deliveries (or exports) from the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers' Delta; and a brief discussion of California water rights with their relation to different types of federal contracts and their associated water allocations.
Date: August 14, 2015
Creator: Cody, Betsy A.; Folger, Peter & Brown, Cynthia
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Stafford Act Declarations 1953-2014: Trends, Analyses, and Implications for Congress

Description: This report discusses the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, which authorizes the President to issue declarations that provide states and localities with a range of federal assistance in response to natural and man-made incidents.
Date: July 14, 2015
Creator: Lindsay, Bruce R. & McCarthy, Francis X.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Federal Disaster Assistance Response and Recovery Programs: Brief Summaries

Description: This report is designed to assist Members of Congress and their staff as they address the needs of their states, communities, and constituents after a disaster. It includes a summary of federal programs that provide federal disaster assistance to individual survivors, states, territories, local governments, and nongovernmental entities following a natural or man-made disaster.
Date: July 9, 2015
Creator: Torsell, Carolyn V. & Nagel, Jared C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Wildfire Spending: Background, Issues, and Legislation in the 114th Congress

Description: This report provides background information and analysis of funding for federal wildfire suppression operations. It concludes by summarizing relevant legislative proposals introduced in the 114th Congress and discussing their possible implications.
Date: June 26, 2015
Creator: Hoover, Katie; Lindsay, Bruce R.; McCarthy, Francis X. & Tollestrup, Jessica
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

Description: This report contains information on how to ascertain if an individual is eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits.
Date: June 23, 2015
Creator: Whittaker, Julie M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Congressional Primer on Responding to Major Disasters and Emergencies

Description: This report provides information that can aid policy makers as they navigate through the many levels of responsibility of dealing with emergencies, and numerous policy pressure points, by having an understanding of the laws and administrative policies governing the disaster response and recovery process. The report also reviews the legislative framework that exists for providing federal assistance.
Date: May 19, 2015
Creator: McCarthy, Francis X. & Brown, Jared T.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

FEMA's Public Assistance Grant Program: Background and Considerations for Congress

Description: This report provides background on key elements of the FEMA's Public Assistance Program, such as the eligibility of applicants, the types of assistance available, and the methods FEMA uses for awarding grant assistance. The PA Program provides financial grant assistance to states, tribes, and local communities both in the response to and recovery from significant disasters.
Date: April 16, 2015
Creator: Brown, Jared T. & Richardson, Daniel J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The U.S. Tsunami Program: A Brief Overview

Description: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Weather Service (NWS) manages two tsunami warning centers that monitor, detect, and issue warnings for tsunamis. This report discusses these centers, which monitor and evaluate data from seismic networks and determine if a tsunami is likely based on the location, magnitude, and depth of an earthquake.
Date: March 18, 2015
Creator: Folger, Peter
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

United States Fire Administration: An Overview

Description: This report discusses the United States Fire Administration (USFA), which aims to significantly reduce the nation's loss of life from fire, while also achieving a reduction in property loss and non-fatal injury due to fire.
Date: March 11, 2015
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

United States Fire Administration: An Overview

Description: This report discusses the United States Fire Administration (USFA), which aims to significantly reduce the nation's loss of life from fire, while also achieving a reduction in property loss and non-fatal injury due to fire.
Date: March 11, 2015
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding

Description: This report discusses the firefighting activities that are traditionally the responsibility of states and local communities. It also talks about funding for firefighters, which is provided mostly by state and local governments. However, during the 106th Congress, many in the fire community asserted that local fire departments require and deserve greater support from the federal government.
Date: March 10, 2015
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response: The SAFER Grant Program

Description: This report discusses the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Act, which authorizes grants to career, volunteer, and combination local fire departments for the purpose of increasing the number of firefighters to help communities meet industry-minimum standards and attain 24-hour staffing to provide adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.
Date: March 10, 2015
Creator: Kruger, Lennard G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

The U.S. Tsunami Program: A Brief Overview

Description: This report provides an introduction to U.S. Tsunami warning centers and discusses the national Tsunami hazard mitigation program.
Date: February 20, 2015
Creator: Folger, Peter
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

Major Disaster Assistance from the Disaster Relief Fund: State Profiles

Description: This report outlines the trend in Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) obligations for both the national and state level for the period FY2000 through FY2013. It also includes individual profiles for each state and additional resources and key policy staff that can provide more information on the programs that are discussed.
Date: January 29, 2015
Creator: Richardson, Daniel J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
Back to Top of Screen