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The 1995 Japan-U.S. Auto and Parts Trade Dispute: Terms of the Settlement and Implications
On June 28, 1995, the United States and Japan reached a settlement in a long-running dispute over access to Japan's market for automobiles and parts. 100-percent tariffs by the United States on imports of luxury cars from Japan had been threatened under a Section 301 unfair trade practices case dealing with the aftermarket for autoparts in Japan. This report describes the dispute, the settlement, and questions and issues that still remain.
Aggressive Driving: Is There a Solution?
This report considers the problem of aggressive drivers on U.S. roads and highways. Moreover, the report notes that there is pending federal legislation to address this problem.
Air Quality and Motor Vehicles: An Analysis of Current and Proposed Emission Standards
The extent to which emissions from motor vehicles and the amount of sulfur in commercial gasoline should be regulated has become a controversial issue. The EPA is proposing national limits on gasoline sulfur levels which would become effective in 2004. This report provides background information on the regulation of vehicle emissions in the United States, analyzes key elements of the National Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) program and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Tier 2 proposal, summarizes major views on the proposal that have been expressed by the automobile industry, the oil refining industry, and some environmental organizations, and discusses relevant legislative activity in the 106th Congress.
Air Quality and Transportation Enhancement Provisions in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991
This report describes how the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ) and enhancement programs function, examines the policy issues surrounding them, and summarizes relevant provisions in major legislation to reauthorize ISTEA in the 105th Congress.
Air Quality and Transportation Enhancement Provisions in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991
Federal funding to assist states in addressing the environmental impacts of surface transportation is a major issue for the second session of the 105th Congress. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 (P.L. 102-240) authorized a total of $155 billion for transportation projects from FY1992 to FY1997. This report describes how the Congrestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ) and enhancement programs function, examines the policy issues surrounding them, and summarizes relevant provisions in major legislation to reauthorize ISTEA in the 105th Congress.
Air Quality and Vehicle Emission Standards: An Overview of the National Low Emission Vehicle Program and Related Issues
This report provides background information on federal emission standards for motor vehicles under the Clean Air Act and stricter standards originally developed to address the severity of air quality problems in California, explains the low emission standards and flexible compliance mechanisms to which states and manufacturers have voluntarily agreed under the National Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Program, discusses the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) estimates of the program's air quality benefits and costs, and examines regulatory issues related to its implementation including sulfur levels in gasoline and the relative stringency of emission standards for light trucks.
Amtrak and Energy Conservation: Background and Selected Public Policy Issues
A rationale for federal financial support to Amtrak has been that rail service conserves energy, compared to other forms of intercity passenger transportation. The numbers discussed in this report suggest that the rationale might not be valid with regard to autos and buses. The report discusses some public policy implications that could follow from that conclusion.
Amtrak and Energy Conservation in Intercity Passenger Transportation
A rationale for federal financial support to Amtrak has been that rail service conserves energy, compared to other forms of intercity passenger transportation. The numbers presented in this report suggest that the rationale might not be valid with regard to some alternative modes of transportation, and the report discusses some public policy implications that could follow from that conclusion.
Amtrak: Background and Selected Public Policy Issues
This report discusses the financial troubles of Amtrak, its request for federal financial operating assistance, the Amtrack Reform and Accountability Act of 1997, Amtrak's Strategic Business Plan for FY1999-2002, Amtrak's operating losses, and other rail passenger services that might emerge in the absence of Amtrak, should the company fail.
Amtrak: Federal Financial Assistance
This report discusses federal financial assistance to Amtrak, an intercity rail service created by Congress in 1971. It discusses the possibility of significantly reducing, or even eliminating, federal financial assistance to Amtrak, in an effort to reduce the federal budget deficit.
The Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997 and Related Developments
The Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997, enacted December 2, 1997, authorized appropriations to Amtrak through FY2002. This CRS report summarizes the provisions of the Act and discusses related developments.
Appalachian Development Highway Program (ADHP): An Overview
This report discusses the Appalachian Development Highway Program (ADHP). After a brief description of the ADHP system, the report describes the ADHP's operation, organization, spending history and status. It then describes changes in its funding mechanism resultant from TEA 21 and issues of interest to Congress related to the ADHP.
Appropriations for FY1998: Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
This report is the synopsis of selected DOT Programs and the House and Senate funding recommended for those programs.
Appropriations for FY1999: Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
This report is a guide to of the original (DOT and Related Agencies) appropriations bill for FY1999. The report summarizes the current legislative status of the bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related legislative activity.
Appropriations for FY1999: Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
The text of this report is a guide to of the original (Department of Transportation and Related Agencies) appropriations bill for FY1999. It is designed to supplement the information provided by the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Transportation Appropriations. It summarizes the current legislative status of the bill, its scope, major issues, funding levels, and related legislative activity. The report lists the key CRS staff relevant to the issues covered and related CRS products.
Appropriations for FY2000: Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
This report discusses Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations for FY2000.
Aviation: Direct Federal Spending, 1918-1998
The federal government has provided large financial resources in support of commercial aviation since 1918. This report details the amounts and types of federal spending that have occurred over this 80 year period. The report also discusses some of the issues that have shaped federal policy toward aviation and identifies some of the issues likely to affect federal spending in the future.
Drunk Driving: Should Each State Be Required to Enact a 0.08 Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Law?
At the 0.08 BAC level of alcohol, braking, steering, lane changing, and judgment are degraded and the driving performance of virtually all drivers is substantially impaired. During the debate on reauthorization of the federal surface transportation programs, an amendment that would require each state either to enact a 0.08 BAC law or face the loss of a portion of its Federal Highway Trust Fund monies passed the Senate and will likely be considered in the House. This proposal raises questions about the effectiveness and impacts of a 0.08 BAC law, the rights of states versus the federal government, and alternative ways to encourage the states to adopt stronger impaired driving countermeasures.
EPA's Tier 2 Proposal for Stricter Vehicle Emission Standards: A Fact Sheet
The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 established "Tier 1" standards to limit tailpipe emissions from new motor vehicles, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to determine if more stringent requirements are needed to attain or maintain National Ambient Air Quality Standards. EPA also must assess the availability and cost-effectiveness of technologies necessary to control emissions. In a report submitted to Congress in August 1998, EPA concluded that tougher standards are necessary and that essential technologies are available and cost-effective
The European Community - Japan Automobile Agreement
The European Community (EC) and Japan reached an agreement on trade in automobiles in July 1991. The agreement restricts exports of automobiles from Japan to the EC to 1.23 million cars per year until the end of 1999. The Commission of the European Communities estimates that Japanese transplant production in the EC will amount to 1.2 million cars per year in 1999. The Japanese appear to concur with this estimate but do not agree that it constitutes a cap on transplant investment or production. Whether the agreement covers the export of U.S.-built Japanese transplants to the EC is unclear. If the agreement covers, or has the effect of discouraging, such exports, it would be a cause for concern for U.S. policymakers. U.S. trade officials have reportedly discussed the issue with Japanese counterparts. It is unknown whether U.S. concerns have been addressed to European Community (EC) officials.
Forest Roads: Construction and Financing
This report gives an overview of Forest Roads construction and Financing. It discusses the current road system, statistics over the years.
Forest Roads: Construction and Financing
This report gives an overview of Forest Roads construction and Financing. It discusses the current road system, statistics over the years.
The Harbor Maintenance Tax and the 106th Congress
Prior to 1986, general funds of the U.S. treasury were used to pay 65% of the cost to operate ocean and inland ports and to maintain and deepen their channels. The other 35 percent is paid by ports, or by state or local governments. In 1986, Congress enacted the Harbor Maintenance Tax and used the revenues to provide some of the funds for what has come to be considered the federal portion of such costs
Highway Fund Sanctions for Clean Air Act Violations
This report provides information concerning the authority to impose sanctions, lists the 14 areas that have been subject to sanctions since 1990, describes their status as of October 1997, and discusses the role of sanctions and alternatives under the Act.
ISTEA Reauthorization: Highway and Transit Legislative Proposals in the 105th Congress, 2nd Session
This report discusses the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), programs which are continuing to operate on the basis of limited interim financing enacted in the closing moments of the 1st Session.
ISTEA Reauthorization: Highway Related Legislative Proposals in the 105th Congress
Authorizing legislation for federal surface transportation programs highway, highway safety, and transit expired at the end of FY1997. The federal framework for these programs was created by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-240), better known as ISTEA. ISTEA was the first major highway act of the post interstate highway construction era. As such, it is regarded as landmark legislation.
Japan-U.S. Automotive Framework Talks
The U.S.-Japan framework talks were initiated in July 1993. The automotive negotiations between Japan and the United States focused on sales of U.S. vehicles in Japan; sales of U.S.-made original equipment parts in Japan and to Japanese transplants in the United States; and deregulation of the market for replacement parts in Japan. An unresolved dispute over shock absorbers and other replacement parts resulted in the United States launching a formal investigation of Japanese market barriers to imported car parts under Section 301 on Oct. 1, 1994.
Japanese Lobbying and U.S. Automobile Policy
This report surveys U.S. automobile policy in the 1980s in order to clarify the effects of foreign lobbying. The conclusion is that the success of Japanese and other foreign lobbying on automobile policy has been mixed. Some decisions have gone their way; others have not. Their success is partly because they have aligned their efforts with those of powerful domestic interests.
Japan's Sea Shipment of Plutonium
Japan's sea shipment of a ton of plutonium from France to Japan on Nov. 7, 1992, faced strong public opposition, as did a previous one in 1984, from various public interest groups, independent analysts, and Members of Congress. The shipment arrived safely in Tokyo Jan. 4, 1993. Several more shipments at intervals of about 3 years are expected. While the plutonium is owned by Japanese utilities, it was produced from uranium enriched in the United States and supplied under a U.S.-Japan agreement for nuclear cooperation, revised in 1988. Although the agreement ties some strings to what Japan can do with nuclear imports from the United States, it also in effect gives to Japan a 30-year advance consent to ship plutonium subject to informing the United States.
Maritime Economic Deregulation: Background and Selected Public Policy Issues
The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998 ("the Act") (P.L. 105-258, October 14, 1998) takes effect May 1, 1999. The Act requires the Federal Maritime Commission to have implementing regulations in place by January 1, 1999.
The Maritime Security Program (MSP) in an International Commercial Context: A Discussion
"This report discusses the [Maritime Security Program] in an international commercial context", including a discussion of maritime policies of other nations.
The Passenger Service Act, Domestic Ocean Passenger Services, and the 106th Congress
The Passenger Service Act (PSA) requires that domestic ocean passenger transportation be provided only by ships that are U.S.-owned, U.S.-built and operated by U.S. crews. Proposed legislation to relax some PSA restrictions was introduced during the 105th Congress. Both the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee and the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, have made recent public statements indicating their strong interets enacting changes to the passenger Service Act during the 106th Congress. This report will be updated as developments warrant.
Salvage Timber Sales and Forest Health
Interest in salvaging timber has increased markedly since extensive forest fires in 1994. The focus is to use the dead and dying timber before it goes to waste and to increase the supply of Federal timber available to the wood products industry. Supporters also note that salvage sales are one tool that can be used to improve forest health. Critics counter that some dead and dying trees are necessary for healthy ecosystems, and that salvage sales are costly to the U.S. Treasury and to the environment. This report describes the concerns over forest health, and then examines the benefits, costs, and financial consequences of salvage timber sales.
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) Reauthorization and the 106th Congress
Authorization of the Surface Transportation Board (Board or STB), successor agency to the Interstate Commerce Commission, ended September 30, 1998. The FY2000 budget request is $16 million, $2.6 million of which could be offset by user fees which would become available at the beginning of FY2001. The Senate Commerce Committee scheduled a hearing for March 3, 1999, to consider S. 90, a bill to reauthorize the STB. The CRS report discusses the Board and selected public policy issues associated with its authority, activities, and reauthorization.
Transportation and the FY1997 Budget
The President signed P.L. 104-205, the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997, (FY1997 Act) on September 30, 1996. This action completes work on Department of Transportation (DOT) and related agencies appropriations for the year.
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (P.L. 105-178): An Overview of Environmental Protection Provisions
On June 9, 1998, President Clinton signed into law the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21, P.L. 105-178). The law authorizes a total of $218 billion for federal highway and mass transit programs from FY1998 to FY2003 and sets aside roughly $12.4 billion for several environmental programs. It authorizes a total of $8.1 billion from FY1998 to FY2003
The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA21) and the Federal Budget
No Description Available.
Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel
No Description Available.
Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel
No Description Available.
Transportation Trust Funds: Budgetary Treatment
Report on the use of transportation trust funds used to fund federal programs, including a discussion of the issues, an explanation of trust fund balances, and more.
Transportation Trust Funds: Budgetary Treatment
No Description Available.
Y2K Challenges and Transportation: Risks and Solutions
Many companies or governmental entities provide or use transportation systems that are heavily dependent on computers, software, and other technologies that do not have Y2K problems, e.g., they are Y2K compliant or ready. Some transportation systems, however, still use technologies with Y2K problems, which if left uncorrected, could pose safety risks or efficiency concerns on or after January 1, 2000. The extent and nature of those impacts are expected to vary among the modes of transportation and among various providers or users. In addition, Y2K-related problems occurring in the communications and energy industries could reduce the safety and efficiency of some transportation systems in early January 2000. Operations at some foreign ports and international air traffic control systems with Y2K problems also could adversely affect shipments and flights into and out of the United States. The total amount that has been spent to assess and fix Y2K problems affecting transportation is not known, but estimates suggest that at least $1 billion of private sector, transit authority, and federal funds have been or will soon be allocated for that purpose.
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