Congressional Research Service Reports - 288 Matching Results
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- The ADA Amendments Act: P.L. 110-325
- This report summarizes the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Moreover, the report specifically considers the purpose of the ADA, threshold issues, and other court decisions. The report highlights that many Supreme Court decisions and lower court decisions have interpreted the definition of disabled strictly.
- Afghanistan: Government Formation and Performance
- The central government's limited writ and perceived corruption are helping sustain a Taliban insurgency and painting President Hamid Karzai as a weak leader. However, ethnic disputes have been confined to political debate and competition, enabling Karzai to focus on reversing the security deterioration and on his re-election bid in the fall of 2009. See CRS Report RL30588, Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, by Kenneth Katzman.
- Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
- This report discusses Afghanistan's political transition, which was completed with the convening of a parliament in December 2005. Since then, insurgent threats to Afghanistan's government have escalated to the point that some experts are questioning the future of U.S. stabilization efforts.
- Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy
- This report discusses the Afghanistan's political transition, which was completed with the convening of a parliament in December 2005, but since then insurgent threats to Afghanistan's government have escalated to the point that some experts are questioning the future of U.S. stabilization efforts.
- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA): A Legal Overview
- This report provides an overview of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and discusses current legal and legislative developments.
- Air Pollution from Ships: MARPOL Annex VI and Other Control Options
- This report provides information regarding pollution from ships and port facilities; discusses some of the measures being implemented and considered by local, state, and federal regulatory agencies; discusses the efforts to ratify and to strengthen Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL); and describes legislation Congress is considering to control emissions from ships by amending the Clean Air Act (CAA).
- Air Pollution from Ships: MARPOL Annex VI and Other Control Options
- This report provides information regarding pollution from ships and port facilities; discusses some of the measures being implemented and considered by local, state, and federal regulatory agencies; discusses the efforts to ratify and to strengthen Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL); and describes legislation Congress is considering to control emissions from ships by amending the Clean Air Act (CAA).
- 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, intended to 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.
- The Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline: Status and Current Policy Issues
- This report provides a brief review of efforts to develop and construct a natural gas pipeline from Prudhoe Bay, a status report on recent efforts to proceed, and an analysis of major relevant policy issues.
- Amtrak: Budget and Reauthorization
- This report is on Amtrak: Budget and Reauthorization.
- Animal Waste and Hazardous Substances: Current Laws and Legislative Issues
- This report is about the animal sector of agriculture and rise of concerns over the management of animal wastes and potential impacts on environmental quality.
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Votes and Legislative Actions, 95th Congress to 110th Congress
- This report provides a summary of legislative attempts to address issues of energy development and preservation in the Refuge from the 95th Congress through the 110th Congress, with emphasis on the 108th through 110th Congresses.
- Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
- This report discusses the relationships between the United States and Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, as well as these three nations' political and economic conditions. It also discusses key related issues in the second session of the 111th Congress, including the question of the United States' role in the South Caucasus, the significance of regional energy resources to U.S. interests, and other pertinent issues.
- Assistance to Firefighters Program: Distribution of Fire Grant Funding
- This report discusses the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program, also known as fire grants of the FIRE Act grant program. The program provides federal grants directly to local fire departments and unaffiliated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations to help address a variety of equipment, training, and other firefighter-related and EMS needs. This report also discusses the possible reauthorization of AFG and the related Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters (SAFER) program.
- Auction-Rate Securities
- This report discusses auction-rate securities (ARSs), which most are long-term bonds, although some ARS are structured as preferred shares and so have no maturities.
- Biotechnology in Animal Agriculture: Status and Current Issues
- This report describes several scientifically-emerging animal biotechnologies that are raising a variety of questions concerning risks to humans, animals, and the environment, as well as ethical concerns. The report examines applications of the technologies and discusses major issues that may arise.
- Bisphenol A (BPA) in Plastics and Possible Human Health Effects
- This report discusses the effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) on fetal and infant development, which is used to produce certain types of plastic.
- Bisphenol A (BPA) in Plastics and Possible Human Health Effects
- Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to produce certain types of plastic. Containers made of these plastics may expose people to small amounts of BPA in food and water. Some animal experiments have found that fetal and infant development may be harmed by small amounts of BPA, but scientists disagree about the value of the animal studies for predicting harmful effects in people. This report discusses this issue and relevant legislation, as well as inquiries into studies currently underway to determine the true harm inherent in BPA and the degree to which people are regularly exposed to BPA.
- Boumediene v. Bush: Guantanamo Detainees' Right to Habeas Corpus
- This report summarizes the Boumediene decision and analyzes several of its major implications for the U.S. detention of alien enemy combatants and legislation that limits detainees' access to judicial review.
- Brazil-U.S. Relations
- This report analyzes Brazil's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect its role in the region and its relationship with the United States. It then discusses a number of key issues in Brazil-U.S. relations.
- The Budget for Fiscal Year 2009
- This report details the information related to the budget for Fiscal Year 2009, budget totals, budget action, outlays, actions, receipts, etc.
- Bush Administration Policy Regarding Congressionally Originated Earmarks: An Overview
- This report focuses on Bush Administration policy regarding earmarks originated by Congress and related issues. Specific definitions for the term earmark (and related terms, like congressional earmark, presidential earmark, and others) vary considerably and are controversial.
- Child Pornography: Constitutional Principles and Federal Statutes
- This report discusses Constitutional Principles and Federal Statutes of Child Pornography.
- China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities--Background and Issues for Congress
- This report focuses on the implications that certain elements of China's military modernization may have for future required U.S. Navy capabilities. This report is based on unclassified open-source information.
- China's Economic Conditions
- This report provides an overview of China's economic development, challenges China faces to maintain growth, and the implications of China's rise as a major economic power for the United States.
- China's Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Mitigation Policies
- This report discusses China's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as the policies and programs that they have put in place to mitigate them. These issues affect how Congress considers envionmental policies and relations with China.
- China’s Sovereign Wealth Fund
- This report discusses the China Investment Corporation (C.I.C.) and the interest in the agency by the U.S. government.
- China's Space Program: Options for U.S.-China Cooperation
- This report outlines recent activities and future plans in China's civilian space sector. It also discusses benefits and trade-offs of possible U.S.-China collaboration in space, as well as several options to improve space relations, including information exchange, policy dialogue, and joint activities. The report also includes discussion of China's controversial January 2007 testing of antisatellite weapons.
- Clean Water Act: Legislation Concerning Discharges from Recreational Boats
- This report discusses background of the Clean Water Act; bills introduced in response, two of which were passed by Congress on July 22 (S. 2766 and S. 3298); and draft permits proposed by EPA on June 17.
- Clean Water Act: Legislation Concerning Discharges from Recreational Boats
- The Environmental Protection Agency is attempting to develop a regulatory response to a 2006 federal court ruling that vacated a long-standing rule that exempts discharges associated with the normal operation of vessels from permit requirements of the Clean Water Act. Concern that this ruling could require millions of recreational boaters to obtain permits has led to the introduction of legislation to exempt these and other types of vessels from water quality regulation. This report discusses background to the issue; bills introduced in response, two of which were passed by Congress on July 22; and draft permits proposed by EPA on June 17.
- Coal Excise Tax Refunds: United States v. Clintwood Elkhorn Mining Co.
- This report is on Coal Excise Tax Refunds: United States v. Clintwood Elkhorn Mining Co.
- Coal Mine Safety and Health
- This report begins by reviewing the record of working conditions in the coal mining industry. It then describes the regulatory regime and recent funding of the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration. The report closes with an analysis of current regulatory and legislative initiatives.
- Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
- This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the modernization of the Coast Guard's polar icebreaker fleet, which performs a variety of missions supporting U.S. interests in polar regions.
- Colombia: Issues for Congress
- This report provides an overview of recent political developments in Colombia, including the administration of President Uribe (2002-2010), continuing into the election of President Juan Manuel Santos. It discusses the political issues including Colombia's longstanding conflict with internal armed groups and ongoing challenges such as human rights, demobilization and displacement, drug trends, and Colombia's regional relations.
- Communications Act Revisions: Selected Issues for Consideration
- This report provides an overview of selected topics which the 109th Congress may address in its examination of telecommunication issue.
- Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments
- This report discusses national positions on nuclear testing and the comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty (CTBT), as well as addressing nuclear weapon issues in the annual National Defense Authorization Act and the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act. Congress is considering the Stockpile Stewardship Program (listed as Weapons Activities), which seeks to maintain nuclear weapons without testing.
- Congressional Franking Privilege: Background and Current Legislation
- The Congressional franking privilege, which dates from 1775, allows Members of Congress to transmit mail matter under their signature without postage. Congress, through legislative branch appropriations, reimburses the U.S. Postal Service for the franked mail it handles. This report contains information on member mail allowances, regulations, and legislation in the 110th Congress as related to Congressional franking.
- Congressional Oversight of Intelligence: Current Structure and Alternatives
- This report first describes the current select committees on intelligence and then the former Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, often cited as a model for a counterpart on intelligence. The study also sets forth proposed characteristics for a joint committee on intelligence, differences among these, and their pros and cons. The report examines other actions and alternatives affecting congressional oversight in the field.
- Congressional Review Act: Disapproval of Rules in a Subsequent Session of Congress
- This report addresses some of the implications of the CRA with regard to agency rulemaking in the final months of a presidential administration. It first notes the practice of increased rulemaking activity during this period, and describes how this practice has been addressed by two White House memoranda issued during the current Bush Administration. The report then briefly identifies key elements of the complex set of time periods established by the CRA — elements that define points during the disapproval process at which various actions may occur. This discussion focuses on the CRA provisions for carrying over the disapproval process into a subsequent session of Congress, and indicates how rules submitted at the end of a Congress may be affected by these provisions. Then, the report identifies the dates in previous sessions of Congress after which rules have (since the enactment of the CRA) been subject to these carryover provisions, and identifies some of the rules that may be issued in the final months of the current Bush Administration.
- Conservation Reserve Program: Status and Current Issues
- This report discusses the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enacted in 1985, which 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.
- Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008: P.L. 110-314
- This report provides an overview of the prior authority of the CPSC to establish consumer product safety standards and to inspect and recall unsafe consumer products, and discussing P.L. 110-314, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, reforming the CPSC and strengthening enforcement of consumer product safety standards.
- The Cost of Government Financial Interventions, Past and Present
- In response to ongoing financial turmoil that began in the subprime mortgage-backed securities market, the federal government has intervened with private corporations on a large scale and in an ad hoc manner three times from the beginning of 2008 through September 19, 2008. These interventions have prompted questions regarding the taxpayer costs and the sources of funding. The federal government may or may not end up seeing a positive fiscal contribution from the recent interventions. The results of previous government financial interventions are summarized in this report.
- Country-of-Origin Labeling for Foods
- This report discusses the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171) as amended by the 2008 farm bill (P.L. 110-246), which states that many U.S. retailers must begin providing country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for fresh produce, red meats, peanuts, chicken, ginseng, pecans, and macadamia nuts.
- Credit Default Swaps: Frequently Asked Questions
- Credit default swaps are contracts that provide protection against default by third parties, similar to insurance. These financial derivatives are used by banks and other financial institutions to manage risk. This report defines credit default swaps, explains their use by banks for risk management, and discusses the potential for systemic risk.
- Cuba: Issues for the 110th Congress
- This report discusses the current political conditions of Cuba as well as its relationship with the United States. In particular, the report focuses on U.S. policy regarding how to best support political and economic change in one of the world's remaining communist nations, in the context of Fidel Castro's departure from heading the government because of poor health.
- Cuba: U.S. Restrictions on Travel and Remittances
- The first half of this report looks at the background of U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba over the last 40 years. The second half of this report looks at several initiatives from the 110th Congress that would ease U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba.
- The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases
- This report contains a brief overview of the debt limit history, including the conference report on the FY2008 budget resolution.
- The Defense Base Act (DBA): The Federally Mandated Workers' Compensation System for Overseas Government Contractors
- This report provides an overview of the Defense Base Act (DBA) and the systems used to provide DBA insurance at the Department of State (DOS), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Also included are criticisms of the current DOD DBA policy raised by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Army auditors as well as responses to those criticisms by DOD and USACE. The report concludes with a discussion of several DBA reform options suggested by the House of Representatives in recent legislation.
- Defense: FY2009 Authorization and Appropriations
- This report is a guide to one of the regular appropriations bills that Congress considers each year. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Defense. For both defense authorization and appropriations, this report summarizes the status of the bills, their scope, major issues, funding levels, and related congressional activity.
- The Department of Defense, Science and Technology Program: An Analysis, FY1998-FY2007
- The purpose of this report is to help understand how the budget increases of the last ten years have been allocated.