Advanced search Help
Clear all search criteria
Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).
-
Clean Power Plan: Legal Background and Pending Litigation in 'West Virginia v. EPA' [March 8, 2017]
"On October 23, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its final Clean Power Plan rule (Rule) to regulate emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), specifically carbon dioxide (CO2), from existing fossil fuel-fired power plants. The aim of the Rule, according to EPA, is to help protect human health and the environment from the impacts of climate change. The Clean Power Plan would require states to submit plans to achieve state-specific CO2 goals reflecting emission performance rates or emission levels for predominantly coal-and gas-fired power plants, with a series of interim goals culminating in final goals by 2030. The Clean Power Plan has been one of the more singularly controversial environmental regulations ever promulgated by EPA, and the controversy is reflected in the enormous multi-party litigation over the Rule ongoing in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit). Numerous petitions challenging the Clean Power Plan have been consolidated into one case, 'West Virginia v. EPA.' […] This report provides legal background on the Rule, its Clean Air Act (CAA) framework under Section 111, and climate-related lawsuits that have preceded the present litigation over the Clean Power Plan. It then gives an overview of the participants in the current litigation, including two groups of Members of Congress, who have offered briefs in support of both sides. This report highlights the major events in the litigation as of the date of publication, including the Supreme Court stay and oral argument, and the likely timetable of events in the near term."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tsang, Linda; Wyatt, Alexandra M.
2017-03-08
-
Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data [March 3, 2017]
"Today the federal government owns and manages roughly 640 million acres of land in the United States. Four major federal land management agencies manage 610.1 million acres of this land, or about 95% of all federal land in the United States. These agencies are as follows: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 248.3 million acres; Forest Service (FS), 192.9 million acres; Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), 89.1 million acres; and National Park Service (NPS), 79.8 million acres. Most of these lands are in the West, including Alaska. In addition, the Department of Defense (DOD) administers 11.4 million acres in the United States, about 2% of all federal land. The remaining acreage, approximately 3% of all federal land, is managed by a variety of government agencies. Ownership and use of federal lands have stirred controversy for decades. Conflicting public values concerning federal lands raise many questions and issues, including the extent to which the federal government should own land; whether to focus resources on maintenance of existing infrastructure and lands or acquisition of new areas; how to balance use and protection; and how to ensure the security of international borders along the federal lands of multiple agencies. Congress continues to examine these questions through legislative proposals, program oversight, and annual appropriations for the federal land management agencies."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hardy Vincent, Carol; Hanson, Laura A.; Argueta, Carla N.
2017-03-03
-
U.S. Secret Service: Selected Issues and Executive and Congressional Responses [March 6, 2017]
"Since 1865, the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) has investigated counterfeiting, and since 1901, at the request of congressional leadership, the Service has provided full-time presidential protection. The USSS has two primary purposes which are criminal investigations and protection. Criminal investigation activities include financial crimes, identity theft, counterfeiting, computer fraud, and computer-based attacks on the nation's financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure, among other areas. The protection mission covers the President, Vice President, their families, and candidates for those offices. The protection mission also includes the securing of the White House and the Vice President's residence, through the Service's Uniformed Division. Congress has recently increased its oversight of the USSS due to concern about terrorism threats, and several security breaches and misconduct of USSS personnel. Recent incidents include abuse of alcohol by special agents, and security breaches of the White House grounds and presidential protection. Although the USSS is not the only federal law enforcement entity with personnel accused of ethical violations or professional and personal misconduct, it should be noted that USSS security breaches and ethical violations may have greater consequences, particularly concerning presidential protection. This report provides a brief overview of the USSS's missions, structure, and staffing. It examines enacted and proposed changes and reforms stemming from a series of incidents."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Reese, Shawn
2017-03-06
-
Northern Ireland's Snap Assembly Elections: Outcome and Implications [March 7, 2017]
"On March 2, 2017, voters in Northern Ireland-which is one of four component 'nations' of the United Kingdom (UK)-went to the polls in snap elections for Northern Ireland's Assembly, its regional legislature. The Assembly is a key institution in Northern Ireland's devolved government, in which specified powers have been transferred from London to Belfast, as set out in the 1998 peace agreement aimed at ending Northern Ireland's 30-year sectarian conflict (in which almost 3,500 people died). The peace accord mandated that power in the devolved government would be shared between Northern Ireland's two dominant communities: unionists, or Protestants who largely define themselves as British and support remaining part of the UK, and nationalists, or Catholics who consider themselves Irish and may desire a united Ireland. […] As a result of previously-agreed reforms, the number of Assembly seats contested in 2017 decreased from 108 to 90. Although the DUP [Democratic Unionist Party] retained the largest number of seats, Sinn Fein emerged as the biggest winner given its success in reducing the previous gap between the two parties from 10 seats to 1. A high voter turnout of almost 65%-fueled by anger over the energy scandal, a perceived lack of concern from London about Brexit's impact on Northern Ireland, and nationalists' resentment of DUP warnings likening Sinn Fein to a 'crocodile'-appears to have favored Sinn Fein and the smaller cross-community Alliance Party.[…] The 2017 election results likely will prompt renewed questions about Northern Ireland's status within the UK and could have implications for the UK government's upcoming Brexit negotiations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Archick, Kristin
2017-03-07
-
Defense Primer: A Guide for New Members [March 3, 2017]
From the Summary: "The Constitution provides Congress with broad powers over the armed forces, including the power to 'to raise and support Armies,' 'to provide and maintain a Navy,' 'to make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces' and 'to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States.' CRS [Congressional Research Service] has developed a series of short primers to give Members of Congress an overview of key aspects of the Department of Defense and how Congress exercises authority over it. A consolidated list of these primers is contained in this report, along with links to each document."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kapp, Lawrence
2017-03-03
-
Resolutions of Inquiry in the House [March 6, 2017]
"A resolution of inquiry is a simple House resolution (H.Res.) making a direct request or demand of the President or the head of an executive department to furnish the House with specific factual information in the Administration's possession. Under clause 7 of House Rule XIII, such resolutions, if properly drafted, are given a special parliamentary status. If the committee to which such a resolution is referred has not reported the measure back to the House within 14 legislative days after its introduction, a privileged and non-debatable motion to discharge the committee of further consideration of the resolution becomes available on the chamber floor. If the House agrees to such a privileged motion to discharge, the resolution of inquiry would then be pending before the House."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Davis, Christopher M., 1966-
2017-03-06
-
Brief History of Attorney General Recusal [March 8, 2017]
"The recent announcement by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions that he would recuse himself from any investigations into President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign has raised questions about how often recusals by the Attorney General have happened in the past. While there is no official compilation of recusals, it appears that Attorneys
General of the United States have recused themselves at least 15 times since 1989. The information below cites to these instances and states the causes for the recusals, if causes were provided by the utilized sources. Additionally, while this list is not definitive, it demonstrates that Attorneys General have recused themselves for a multitude of reasons over the last few decades."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
2017-03-08
-
Majority, Concurring, and Dissenting Opinions by Judge Neil M. Gorsuch [March 1, 2017]
From the Document: "On January 31, 2017, President Trump announced the nomination of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (Tenth Circuit) to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia on February 13, 2016. Judge Gorsuch has served as a judge on the Tenth Circuit since August 2006, and has also sat, by designation, on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. This report provides a tabular listing of cases in which Judge Gorsuch authored a majority, concurring, or dissenting opinion. The opinions are categorized into three tables: Table 1 identifies opinions authored by Judge Gorsuch on behalf of a unanimous panel; Table 2 contains controlling opinions authored by Judge Gorsuch in which one or more panelists wrote a separate opinion; and Table 3 lists cases where Judge Gorsuch wrote a concurring or dissenting opinion (decisions where Judge Gorsuch wrote both the majority opinion and a separate concurrence are included in this final table). Opinions are identified and briefly discussed in each table in reverse chronological order. The opinions are also categorized by their primary legal subject. While this report identifies and briefly describes judicial opinions authored by Judge Gorsuch during his time on the federal court, it does not analyze the implications of his judicial opinions or suggest how he might approach legal issues if appointed to the Supreme Court."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Garcia, Michael John; Herman, Sarah S.; Mulligan, Stephen P. . . .
2017-03-01
-
China-U.S. Trade Issues [March 6, 2017]
"U.S.-China economic ties have expanded substantially over the past three decades. Total U.S.-China merchandise trade rose from $2 billion in 1979 (when economic reforms began) to $579 billion in 2016. China is currently the United States' second-largest merchandise trading partner, its third-largest export market, and its biggest source of imports. According to one source, China is a $400 billion market for U.S. firms when U.S. services exports to China, sales by U.S. foreign affiliates in China, and re-exports of U.S. products through Hong Kong to China are factored in. Many U.S. firms view participation in China's market as critical to staying globally competitive. [...] This report provides background and analysis of U.S.-China commercial ties, including history, trends, issues, and outlook."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morrison, Wayne M.
2017-03-06
-
Anti-Money Laundering: An Overview for Congress [March 1, 2017]
"Anti-money laundering (AML) refers to efforts to prevent criminal exploitation of financial systems to conceal the location, ownership, source, nature, or control of illicit proceeds. Despite the existence of longstanding domestic regulatory and enforcement mechanisms, as well as international commitments and guidance on best practices, policymakers remain challenged to identify and address policy gaps and new laundering methods that criminals exploit. According to United Nations estimates recognized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, criminals in the United States generate some $300 billion in illicit proceeds that might involve money laundering. Rough International Monetary Fund estimates also indicate that the global volume of money laundering could amount to as much as 2.7% of the world's gross domestic product, or $1.6 trillion annually. Money laundering is broadly recognized to have potentially significant economic and political consequences at both national and international levels. Despite robust AML efforts in the United States, the ability to counter money laundering effectively remains challenged by a variety of factors. These include: the scale of global money laundering; the diversity of illicit methods to move and store ill-gotten proceeds through the international financial system; the introduction of new and emerging threats (e.g., cyber-related financial crimes); the ongoing use of old methods (e.g., bulk cash smuggling); gaps in legal, regulatory, and enforcement regimes, including uneven availability of international training and technical assistance for AML purposes; and
the costs associated with financial institution compliance with global AML guidance and national laws."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Miller, Rena S.; Rosen, Liana W.
2017-03-01
-
U.S.-Mexico Water Sharing: Background and Recent Developments [March 2, 2017]
"How to share water has long been a complex issue for the U.S.-Mexican border region, and it has
been the cause of both tension and cooperation in the broader U.S.-Mexican relationship. The
two countries share a nearly 2,000-mile border. Multiple rivers cross or form the border at various
points. The principal shared river basins are the Colorado River and the Rio Grande. This report
is a primer on U.S. and Mexican water sharing. It focuses on the sharing of surface waters.
After presenting an introduction to U.S.-Mexican water sharing, this report describes the legal
obligations and processes under the treaty on Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana
Rivers and of the Rio Grande (hereinafter Treaty or 1944 Water Treaty). It then describes
developments in the Colorado River and Rio Grande basins."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Carter, Nicole T.; Mulligan, Stephen P.; Seelke, Clare Ribando
2017-03-02
-
WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement [March 3, 2017]
"The Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), finalized in December 2013, is the newest international trade agreement in the World Trade Organization (WTO), having entered into force on February 22, 2017, when two-thirds of WTO members, including the United States, ratified the multilateral agreement. Congress has an interest in the TFA since it may affect U.S. trade flows, the U.S. economy, and international capacity building efforts. Trade facilitation measures aim to simplify and streamline international trade procedures to allow the easier flow of trade across borders and thereby reduce the costs of trade. There is no precise definition of trade facilitation, even in the WTO agreements. Trade facilitation can be defined narrowly as improving administrative procedures at the border or more broadly to also encompass behind-the-border measures and regulations. The TFA aims to address multiple trade barriers confronted by exporters and importers, whether small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in e-commerce or large multinational firms managing complex global supply chains. These barriers include the lack of transparency on process and documentation requirements for exporting to a given country. […] This report provides an overview of the TFA, its provisions, and the United States' implementation and role in capacity building, and provides options for Congress to consider in relation to the TFA."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Fefer, Rachel F.; Jones, Vivian Catherine
2017-03-03
-
China-U.S. Trade Issues [March 14, 2018]
"Economic and trade reforms begun in 1979 have helped transform China into one of the world's biggest and fastest-growing economies. China's economic growth and trade liberalization, including comprehensive trade commitments made upon its entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, have led to a sharp expansion in U.S.-China commercial ties. Yet, bilateral trade relations have become increasingly strained in recent years over a number of issues, including China's: mixed record on implementing its WTO obligations; infringement of U.S. intellectual property (such as through cyber theft of U.S. trade secrets and forced technology requirements placed on foreign firms); increased use of industrial policies to promote and protect domestic Chinese firms; extensive trade and foreign investment restrictions; lack of transparency in trade rules and regulations; distortionary economic policies that have led to overcapacity in several industries; and its large merchandise trade surplus with the United States. China's economic and trade conditions, policies, and acts have a significant impact on the U.S. economy as whole as well as specific U.S. sectors and thus are of concern to Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Morrison, Wayne M.
2018-03-14
-
Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies [March 20, 2018]
"Successive Administrations have identified Iran as a key national security challenge, citing Iran's nuclear and missile programs as well as its long-standing attempts to counter many U.S. objectives in the region. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, in his February 13, 2018, annual worldwide threat assessment testimony before Congress, assessed that 'Iran will seek to expand its influence in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, where it sees conflicts generally trending in Tehran's favor...' and 'Iran will develop military capabilities that threaten U.S. forces and allies in the region...' Successive National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) require an annual report on Iran's military power, which has in recent years contained assessments of Iran similar to those presented by the intelligence community."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2018-03-20
-
Bankruptcy Basics: A Primer [March 22, 2018]
"U.S. bankruptcy law has two central aims. First, bankruptcy law seeks to relieve debtors of certain obligations they are unable to repay by providing them with a 'fresh start' from financial difficulties. At the same time, bankruptcy law attempts to preserve the countervailing interests of creditors and other stakeholders by maximizing total creditor return in an orderly and efficient fashion. Congress and the courts have established a complex system of statutes, procedural rules, and judicial precedents intended to balance these competing interests."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lewis, Kevin M.
2018-03-22
-
NERC Standards for Bulk Power Physical Security: Is the Grid More Secure? [March 19, 2018]
"A 2013 rifle attack on a critical electric power substation in Metcalf, CA, marked a turning point for the U.S. electric power sector. The attack prompted utilities across the country to reevaluate and restructure their physical security programs. It also set in motion proceedings in Congress and at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) which resulted in a new mandatory 'Physical Security Reliability Standard' (CIP-014) for bulk power asset owners promulgated by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) in 2015. In the three years since FERC approved this new standard, security risks to the power grid have become an even greater concern in the electric utility industry. Reflecting these ongoing security concerns, legislative proposals in the 115th Congress include provisions directed at power grid physical security. Congress also continues its oversight of grid security and implementation of NERC's security standards."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Parfomak, Paul W.
2018-03-19
-
Turkey: Background and U.S. Relations In Brief [March 23, 2018]
"Turkey, a NATO ally since 1952, is significant for U.S. interests. It is a constitutional republic with a large, diversified economy and a Muslim-majority population that straddles Europe and the Middle East. The history of the U.S.-Turkey relationship is complicated. Although the United States and Turkey support each other's interests in some vital ways (see 'U.S./NATO Cooperation with Turkey'), harmonizing priorities can be difficult. These priorities sometimes diverge irrespective of who leads the two countries, based on U.S.-Turkey contrasts in geography, threat perceptions, and regional roles."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Zanotti, Jim; Thomas, Clayton (Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs)
2018-03-23
-
It Belongs in a Museum: Sovereign Immunity Shields Iranian Antiquities Even When it Does Not Protect Iran [March 22, 2018]
"Foreign sovereign immunity may protect property owned by nations designated as state sponsors of terrorism, even when it does not shield the nations themselves, the Supreme Court held in 'Rubin v. Islamic Republic of Iran.' In an 8-0 opinion delivered by Justice Sotomayor (with Justice Kagan recused), the Court ruled that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) did not permit U.S. victims of Iran-sponsored terrorist attacks to seize a collection of Persian antiquities on loan from Iran to a museum at the University of Chicago. 'Rubin' underscores a common side effect of the FSIA's terrorism-related exceptions to sovereign immunity: although victims of terror attacks may be able to obtain judgments against state sponsors of terrorism--currently, Iran, Sudan, Syria, and North Korea--they often have little chance of seizing covered states' property when seeking to collect their financial awards."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mulligan, Stephen P.
2018-03-22
-
Net Neutrality: Will the FTC Have Authority Over Broadband Service Providers? [March 20, 2018]
"The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ninth Circuit), sitting en banc, recently decided 'FTC v. AT&T Mobility,' which may affect the ability of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to police certain broadband Internet access service (BIAS) providers in the near future. Specifically, the court held that although common carrier services (e.g., landline and wireless telephone services) are generally exempted from FTC oversight, if an entity provides 'both' common carrier and non-common-carrier services, the FTC is not precluded from regulating that entity's non-common-carrier services."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ruane, Kathleen Ann
2018-03-20
-
Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariffs: Potential Economic Implications [March 19, 2018]
"Effective March 23, President Trump will apply 25% and 10% tariffs, respectively, on certain steel and aluminum imports, from all countries, excluding Canada and Mexico at least at this time. These tariffs will affect various stakeholders in the U.S. economy, prompting reactions from several Members of Congress, some in support and others voicing concerns. In general, the tariffs would be expected to benefit the domestic steel and aluminum industries, leading to potential expansion in production in those sectors, while potentially negatively affecting consumers and downstream domestic industries (e.g., manufacturing and construction) through higher costs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jackson, James K., 1949-
2018-03-19
-
ATF's Ability to Regulate 'Bump Stocks' [March 22, 2018]
"Congressional interest in the legal framework for regulating 'bump stock' devices abounded after authorities discovered that the perpetrator of the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, had attached to his semiautomatic firearms an accessory that allowed his rifles to effectively mimic the firing capabilities of a fully automatic weapon. (These firearm accessories are commonly called 'bump-fire,' 'slide-fire,' or 'bump-stock' devices, and more information on how they function can be found in this CRS Insight by William J. Krouse.) One pertinent question involves the degree to which the Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) may regulate, and potentially proscribe, the sale and possession of such devices under existing law. The answer to this question largely depends on whether a bump-stock device reasonably can be construed as falling under the federal statutory definition of a 'machinegun.'"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Peck, Sarah Herman
2018-03-22
-
Eight Mechanisms to Enact Procedural Change in the U.S. Senate [March 20, 2018]
"The work of the U.S. Senate is regulated not just by its 44 standing rules but by multiple, sometimes overlapping, procedural authorities. At any given time, unanimous consent agreements, standing orders, statute, precedent, and provisions of the U.S. Constitution may also regulate the Senate as it processes its legislative and executive business. It is perhaps natural for those seeking changes to Senate procedures to think in terms of 'amending Senate rules,' but directly amending the standing rules of the Senate is only one way to affect chamber procedures. Because some Senate actions are, or may be, controlled by multiple authorities, it is sometimes possible to achieve the same procedural outcome using more than one parliamentary mechanism. While each mechanism may achieve identical ends, each may also have procedural advantages and disadvantages that make it a more or less desirable path for action in a given instance."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Davis, Christopher M., 1966-
2018-03-20
-
Statutory Interpretation: Theories, Tools, and Trends [April 5, 2018]
"Regardless of their interpretive theory, judges use many of the same tools to gather evidence of statutory meaning. First, judges often begin by looking to the ordinary meaning of the statutory text. Second, courts interpret specific provisions by looking to the broader statutory context. Third, judges may turn to the canons of construction, which are presumptions about how courts ordinarily read statutes. Fourth, courts may look to the legislative history of a provision. Finally, a judge might consider how a statute has been--or will be--implemented. Although both purposivists and textualists may use any of these tools, a judge's theory of statutory interpretation may influence the order in which these tools are applied and how much weight is given to each tool. This report begins by discussing the general goals of statutory interpretation, reviewing a variety of contemporary as well as historical approaches. The report then briefly describes the two primary theories of interpretation employed today, before examining the main types of tools that courts use to determine statutory meaning. The report concludes by exploring developing issues in statutory interpretation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Brannon, Valerie C.
2018-04-05
-
Errors and Fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) [March 30, 2018]
"The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation's largest domestic food assistance program, serving about 42.2 million recipients in an average month at a federal cost of over $68 billion in FY2017. It is jointly administered by the federal government and the states and provides means-tested benefits to recipients who are deemed eligible. These benefits may be used only for eligible foods at any of the approximately 260,000 authorized retailers, which range from independent corner stores to national chain supermarkets. In a program that operates with so many different stakeholders, detecting, preventing, and addressing errors and fraud is a complex undertaking. Among the complexities are the monitoring of retailer acceptance and recipient use of benefits, the accuracy of information provided by applicant households, and states' performance administering the program. Many governmental entities--federal and state agencies, including both human services and law enforcement--play a role in efforts to detect, prevent, and punish fraudulent SNAP activities and to reduce inadvertent errors."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cline, Daniel R.; Aussenberg, Randy Alison
2018-03-30
-
Sexual Harassment and Title VII: Selected Legal Issues [April 9, 2018]
"This report addresses various legal issues related to sexual harassment and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), the federal statute that generally prohibits discrimination in the workplace, including discrimination based on sex. As the statute contains neither an express prohibition against harassment nor a definition of harassment, this report examines (1) how the Supreme Court and federal appellate courts have mapped out the scope of protection that Title VII provides employees against sexual harassment, including the Supreme Court's 'severe or pervasive' standard that harassment victims must meet to show a Title VII violation (which applies to most Title VII sexual harassment claims); (2) limits on employer liability for harassment; and (3) retaliation for reporting harassment, among other issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Back, Christine J.; Freeman, Wilson C.
2018-04-09
-
Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2016 (74th-114th Congresses) [April 6, 2018]
"A 'lame duck' session of Congress is one that takes place after the election for the next Congress has been held but before the current Congress has reached the end of its constitutional term. Since 1935, the constitutional term of a Congress has begun on January 3 of each odd-numbered year and has ended on January 3 of the next odd-numbered year. As a result, any meeting of Congress that occurs between the congressional election in November of an even-numbered year and the following January 3 is a lame duck session. The significant characteristic of a lame duck session is that its participants are the sitting Members of the existing Congress, not those who will be entitled to sit in the new Congress. For the purposes of this study, a lame duck session commences on the first day of consecutive sessions following an election. It ends on the day of final sine die adjournment."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hudiburg, Jane A.
2018-04-06
-
Navy Frigate (FFG[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress [April 6, 2018]
"This report provides background information and discusses potential issues for Congress regarding the Navy's FFG(X) program, a program to procure a new class of 20 guided-missile frigates (FFGs). The Navy wants to procure the first FFG(X) in FY2020. The Navy's proposed FY2019 budget requests $134.8 million in research and development funding for the program. The FFG(X) program presents several potential oversight issues for Congress. Congress's decisions on the program could affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the shipbuilding industrial base. This report focuses on the FFG(X) program. A related Navy shipbuilding program, the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, is covered in a separate CRS report. Other CRS reports discuss the strategic context within which the FFG(X) program and other Navy acquisition programs may be considered."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2018-04-06
-
Smart Grid: Status and Outlook [April 10, 2018]
"The electrical grid in the United States comprises all of the power plants generating electricity, together with the transmission and distribution lines and systems that bring power to end-use customers. The 'grid' also connects the many publicly and privately owned electric utility and power companies in different states and regions of the United States. However, with changes in federal law, regulatory changes, and the aging of the electric power infrastructure as drivers, the grid is changing from a largely patchwork system built to serve the needs of individual electric utility companies to essentially a national interconnected system, accommodating massive transfers of electrical energy among regions of the United States. The modernization of the grid to accommodate today's power flows, serve reliability needs, and meet future projected uses is leading to the incorporation of electronic intelligence capabilities for power control purposes and operations monitoring. The 'Smart Grid' is the name given to this evolving intelligent electric power network, with digital technologies increasingly replacing analog devices, thus enabling Smart Grid hardware and software functions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Campbell, Richard J.
2018-04-10
-
Federal Requirements on Private Health Insurance Plans [March 29, 2018]
"A majority of Americans have health insurance from the private health insurance (PHI) market. Health plans sold in the PHI market must comply with requirements at both the state and federal levels; such requirements often are referred to as market reforms. The first part of this report provides background information about health plans sold in the PHI market and briefly describes state and federal regulation of private plans. The second part summarizes selected federal requirements and indicates each requirement's applicability to one or more of the following types of private health plans: individual, small group, large group, and self-insured. The selected market reforms are grouped under the following categories: obtaining coverage, keeping coverage, developing health insurance premiums, covered services, cost-sharing limits, consumer assistance and other patient protections, and plan requirements related to health care providers. Many of the federal requirements described in this report were established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA; P.L. 111-148, as amended); however, some were established under federal laws enacted prior to the ACA."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mach, Annie L.; Fernandez, Bernadette
2018-03-29
-
Tax Incentives for Opportunity Zones: In Brief [April 5, 2018]
"The 2017 tax revision (P.L. 115-97) temporarily authorized Opportunity Zone (OZ) tax incentives for investments held by Qualified Opportunity Funds (QOFs) in qualified OZs. The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund (hereinafter, the 'Fund'), organized under the Department of the Treasury, will designate qualified census tracts that are eligible for OZ tax incentives. The Fund will also certify QOFs that are eligible to claim tax incentives for eligible activities within an OZ. Qualified OZ designations are in effect for 10 years. The tax benefits for these investments include a temporary tax deferral for capital gains reinvested in a QOF, a step-up in basis for any investment in a QOF held for at least five years (10% basis increase) or seven years (15% basis increase), and a permanent exclusion of capital gains from the sale or exchange of an investment in a QOF held for at least 10 years. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that the provision will cost $1.6 billion over 10 years. This report briefly describes what census tracts are eligible to be nominated as an OZ by the 'chief executive officer' (typically, the governor) of each state or territory, what types of entities can be certified as QOFs, and the tax benefits of investments in QOFs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lowry, Sean; Marples, Donald J.
2018-04-05
