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Regulating Drinking Water Contaminants: EPA PFAS Actions [Updated August 6, 2019]
From the Document: "Detections of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water supplies and uncertainty about potential health effects associated with exposure to PFAS have increased congressional attention to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) efforts to address these substances in public water supplies. Over the past decade, EPA has been evaluating several PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to determine whether national drinking water regulations may be warranted. EPA has not issued SDWA regulations for any PFAS but has taken various actions to address PFAS in drinking water."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiemann, Mary; Humphreys, Elena H.
2019-08-06
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Socioeconomic Status and Well-Being During COVID-19: A Resource-Based Examination
From the Document: "The authors assess levels and within-person changes in psychological well-being (i.e., depressive symptoms and life satisfaction) from before to during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic for individuals in the United States, in general and by socioeconomic status (SES). The data is from 2 surveys of 1,143 adults from RAND Corporation's nationally representative American Life Panel, the first administered between April-June, 2019 and the second during the initial peak of the pandemic in the United States in April,2020. Depressive symptoms during the pandemic were higher than population norms before the pandemic. Depressive symptoms increased from before to during COVID-19 and life satisfaction decreased. Individuals with higher education experienced a greater increase in depressive symptoms and a greater decrease in life satisfaction from before to during COVID-19 in comparison to those with lower education. Supplemental analysis illustrates that income had a curvilinear relationship with changes in well-being, such that individuals at the highest levels of income experienced a greater decrease in life satisfaction from before to during COVID-19 than individuals with lower levels of income. We draw on conservation of resources theory and the theory of fundamental social causes to examine four key mechanisms (perceived financial resources, perceived control, interpersonal resources, and COVID-19-related knowledge/news consumption) underlying the relationship between SES and well-being duringCOVID-19. These resources explained changes in well-being for the sample as a whole but did not provide insight into why individuals of higher education experienced a greater decline in well-being from before to during COVID-19."
American Psychological Association
Pollard, Michael S.; Wanberg, Connie R.; Csillag, Borbala . . .
2020-10-22
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Estimating Flood Magnitude and Frequency on Streams and Rivers in Connecticut, Based on Data Through Water Year 2015
From the Introduction: "Flooding in Connecticut has caused millions of dollars in damage to towns and cities and has disrupted major transportation systems [...]. Additionally, riverine infrastructure inadequately designed for flood discharges can result in a multitude of problems resulting in danger to human life, extensive loss and damage to public and private property, and damage to the environment (impaired aquatic biota and aquatic habitat). To minimize the damage from floods, protect human health and safety, and conserve wildlife habitat, reliable estimates of the magnitude and frequency of floods are essential. Federal, State, regional, and local agencies rely on accurate estimates of the magnitude and frequency of flood discharges to effectively plan and manage land use and water resources, protect lives and property, and administer flood insurance programs. Flood-frequency statistics compiled from records maintained at streamgages provide a basis for the design of infrastructure, such as roads and bridges; the management of flood risk; the protection of aquatic species; and other engineering and environmental analyses. Flood-frequency statistics can be computed directly for a particular streamgage with a suitable length of record. For short-record streamgages or ungaged sites, regression equations developed from flood-frequency statistics and basin characteristics for a regional group of streamgages can provide estimates of flood-frequency statistics."
Geological Survey (U.S.); Connecticut. Department of Transportation
Ahearn, Elizabeth A.; Hodgkins, Glenn
2020
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Regulation of Broadcast Indecency: Background and Legal Analysis [Updated June 8, 2006]
"Two prominent television events in the past two years placed increased attention on the FCC and its indecency regulations. The airing of the 2003 Golden Globe Awards and the subsequent ruling by the FCC's [Federal Communications Commission] Enforcement Bureau, coupled with the controversy surrounding the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, brought broadcast indecency to the forefront of the congressional agenda during the 108th Congress. Several bills were introduced, but not enacted, in the 108th Congress to increase the penalties imposed for broadcast indecency and to prohibit the broadcast of certain words and phrases in any grammatical form. Similar legislation aimed at increasing penalties has been introduced in the 109th Congress (H.R. 310, S. 193, S. 616). Other legislation addressing specific types of programming has also been introduced (H.R. 1420 and H.R. 1440). This report provides background on the two events in question, discusses the legal evolution of the FCC's indecency regulations, and provides an overview of how the current regulations have been applied and pending legislation. The final section of the report considers whether prohibiting the broadcast of 'indecent' words regardless of context would violate the First Amendment."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cohen, Henry, 1949-
2006-06-08
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Republic of South Sudan: Opportunities and Challenges for Africa's Newest Country [October 18, 2011]
"In January 2011, South Sudan held a referendum to decide between unity or independence from the central government of Sudan as called for by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the country's decades-long civil war in 2005. According to the South Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC), 98.8% of the votes cast were in favor of separation. In February 2011, Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir officially accepted the referendum result, as did the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the United States, and other countries. On July 9, 2011, South Sudan officially declared its independence. In July 2011, South Sudan was admitted as the 193rd member of the United Nations. […] The crisis in the disputed area of Abyei remains a contentious issue, despite a temporary agreement reached in mid-June 2011. The ongoing conflict in the border state of Southern Kordofan could lead to a major crisis if left unresolved. The parties have yet to reach agreements on border demarcation, citizenship rights, security arrangements, and use of the Sudanese port and pipeline for oil exports. South Sudan also faces various economic, government capacity, and infrastructure challenges (see 'Development Challenges'). The United States maintains a number of sanctions on the government of Sudan. Most of these sanctions have been lifted from South Sudan and other marginalized areas. However, existing sanctions on the oil sector would require waivers by the executive branch. The U.S. Congress is likely to face these issues in the coming months."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dagne, Theodore S.
2011-10-18
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Republic of South Sudan: Opportunities and Challenges for Africa's Newest Country [September 16, 2011]
"In January 2011, South Sudan held a referendum to decide between unity or independence from the central government of Sudan as called for by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the country's decades-long civil war in 2005. According to the South Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC), 98.8% of the votes cast were in favor of separation. In February 2011, Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir officially accepted the referendum result, as did the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the United States, and other countries. On July 9, 2011, South Sudan officially declared its independence. The Obama Administration welcomed the outcome of the referendum and recognized South Sudan as an independent country on July 9, 2011. The Administration sent a high-level presidential delegation led by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice to South Sudan's independence celebration on July 9, 2011. In August 2011, President Obama nominated Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Susan Page as U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan. South Sudan faces a number of challenges in the coming years. Relations between Juba, in South Sudan, and Khartoum are poor, and there are a number of unresolved issues between them. The crisis in the disputed area of Abyei remains a contentious issue, despite a temporary agreement reached in mid-June 2011. […] The United States maintains a number of sanctions on the government of Sudan. Most of these sanctions have been lifted from South Sudan and other marginalized areas. However, existing sanctions on the oil sector would require waivers by the executive branch. The U.S. Congress is likely to deal with these issues in the coming months."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dagne, Theodore S.
2011-09-16
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Russian Oil and Gas Challenges [May 16, 2007]
"Russia is a major player in world energy markets. It has more proven natural gas reserves than any other country, is among the top ten in proven oil reserves, is the largest exporter of natural gas, the second largest oil exporter, and the third largest energy consumer. Energy exports have been a major driver of Russia's economic growth over the last five years, as Russian oil production has risen strongly and world oil prices have been very high. This type of growth has made the Russian economy dependent on oil and natural gas exports and vulnerable to fluctuations in oil prices. The Russian government has moved to take control of the country's energy supplies. It broke up the previously large energy company Yukos and acquired its main oil production subsidiary. The Duma voted to give Gazprom, the statecontrolled natural gas monopoly the exclusive right to export natural gas; Russia moved to limit participation by foreign companies in oil and gas production and Gazprom gained majority control of the Sakhalin energy projects. Russia has agreed with Germany to supply Germany and, eventually, the UK by building a natural gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine and Poland. In late 2006 and early 2007, Russia cut off and/or threatened to cut off gas or oil supplies going to and/or through Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and Belarus in the context of price and/or transit negotiations -- actions that damaged its reputation as a reliable energy supplier. Russia's ability to maintain and expand its capacity to produce and to export energy faces difficulties. Russia's oil and gas fields are aging. Modern western energy technology has not been fully implemented. There is insufficient export capacity in the crude oil pipeline system controlled by Russia's state-owned pipeline monopoly, Transneft. And, there is insufficient investment capital for improving and expanding Russian oil and gas production and pipeline systems."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gelb, Bernard A.
2007-05-16
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Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): A Summary of the Act and Its Major Requirements [October 25, 2012]
"This report summarizes the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and its major programs and regulatory requirements. It excerpts, with several additions, the SDWA chapter of CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RL30798, 'Environmental Laws: Summaries of Major Statutes Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency', which provides summaries of the principal environmental statutes administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This report includes the drinking water security provisions added to the SDWA by the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-188). The SDWA, Title XIV of the Public Health Service Act, is the key federal law for protecting public water supplies from harmful contaminants. First enacted in 1974 and substantially amended in 1986 and 1996, the act is administered through programs that establish standards and treatment requirements for public water supplies, control underground injection of wastes, finance infrastructure projects, and protect sources of drinking water. The 1974 law established the current federal-state arrangement in which states may be delegated primary implementation and enforcement authority for the drinking water program. The state-administered Public Water Supply Supervision (PWSS) Program remains the basic program for regulating the nation's public water systems, and 49 states have assumed this authority."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiemann, Mary
2012-10-25
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Role of TARP Assistance in the Restructuring of General Motors [January 3, 2013]
"General Motors Corporation (Old GM) was a publicly traded company from 1916 until its bankruptcy in 2009. As part of restructuring, Old GM and its successor General Motors Company (New GM) together received over $50 billion in federal assistance through the U.S. government's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). In exchange for this financial support, the U.S. Treasury received 60.8% of the new company, with the rest of New GM held by the United Auto Workers (UAW) retiree health care trust fund, the governments of Canada and Ontario, and holders of Old GM's bonds. In its restructuring, GM closed plants, cut its hourly and salaried workforce, shed three brands, reduced debt, introduced popular new vehicles, and implemented changes to reduce retiree legacy costs, which had been a major financial drain. The federal government has sold its shares in General Motors Co. in two ways. In November 2010, New GM conducted an initial public offering (IPO) of stock to investors, once again becoming a publicly traded company, although the post-bankruptcy owners, including the U.S. government, continued to hold significant stakes in the company. Of the 550 million shares sold in the IPO, the U.S. Treasury sold approximately 412 million, for which it received $13.5 billion. This sale left the U.S. Treasury owning 32% of the company's common shares. The only capital New GM itself raised through the IPO was $4.9 billion from the simultaneous sale of preferred stock."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Canis, Bill; Webel, Baird
2013-01-03
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Role of TARP Assistance in the Restructuring of General Motors [September 7, 2012]
"General Motors Corporation (Old GM) was a publicly traded company from 1916 until its bankruptcy in 2009. As part of restructuring, Old GM and its successor General Motors Company (New GM) together received over $50 billion in federal assistance through the U.S. government's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). In exchange for this financial support, the U.S. Treasury received 60.8% of the new company, with the rest of New GM held by the United Auto Workers (UAW) retiree health care trust fund, the governments of Canada and Ontario, and holders of Old GM's bonds. In its restructuring, GM closed plants, cut its hourly and salaried workforce, shed three brands, reduced debt, introduced popular new vehicles, and implemented changes in retiree legacy costs that had been a major financial drain."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Canis, Bill; Webel, Baird
2012-09-07
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Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff [August 31, 2012]
"This report is designed to introduce congressional staff to selected governmental and nongovernmental sources that are useful in tracking and obtaining information federal legislation and regulations. It includes governmental sources such as the Legislative Information System (LIS), THOMAS, the Government Printing Office's Federal Digital System (FDsys), and U.S. Senate and House websites. Nongovernmental or commercial sources include resources such as HeinOnline and the Congressional Quarterly (CQ) websites. It also highlights classes offered by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and the Library of Congress Law Library. This report will be updated as new information is available."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mansfield, Jerry W.
2012-08-31
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Regular Vetoes and Pocket Vetoes: An Overview [April 22, 2013]
"The veto power vested in the President by Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution has proven to be an effective tool for the chief executive in his dealings with Congress. Since the founding of the federal government in 1789, 37 of 44 Presidents have exercised their veto authority a total of 2,564 times. Congress has overridden these vetoes on 110 occasions (4.3%). Presidents have vetoed 83 appropriations bills, and Congress has overridden 12 (14.5%) of these vetoes. During the 111th Congress, President Barack H. Obama vetoed two bills, H.J.Res. 64, an FY2010 appropriations measure, and H.R. 3808, the Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010. He has not vetoed any legislation since then. This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kosar, Kevin R.
2013-04-22
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Regular Vetoes and Pocket Vetoes: An Overview [Updated June 18, 2007]
"The veto power vested in the President by Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution has proven to be an effective tool for the chief executive in his dealings with Congress. Since the founding of the federal government in 1789, 36 of 43 Presidents have exercised their veto authority a total of 2,552 times. Congress has overridden these vetoes on 106 occasions (4.2%). Presidents have vetoed 81 appropriations bills, and Congress has overridden 12 (14.8%) of these vetoes. This report will be updated at the beginning of each new Congress or after a veto."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kosar, Kevin R.
2007-06-18
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Same-Sex Marriages: Legal Issues [May 14, 2013]
"The recognition of same-sex marriages generates debate on both the federal and state levels. Either legislatively or judicially, same-sex marriage is legal in 12 states. Other states allow civil unions or domestic partnerships, which may provide similar state-level rights and/or benefits. Many states have statutes or constitutional amendments limiting marriage to one man and one woman. These state-level variations raise questions about the validity of such unions outside the contracted jurisdiction and have bearing on the distribution of federal benefits. The U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to address the constitutionality of state and federal laws that limit the definition of 'marriage' to heterosexual couples. The first case, 'United States v. Windsor', involves questions regarding Section 3 of The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), P.L. [Public Law] 104-199, which created a federal definition of 'marriage' as the union of one man and one woman. The second case, 'Hollingsworth v. Perry', presents a similar challenge to California's Proposition 8, which limited the validity and recognition of 'marriages' to heterosexual couples. (For a detailed analysis of these cases, see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report R42976, 'Same-Sex Marriage and the Supreme Court: United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry', by Jody Feder and Alissa M. Dolan.) In both cases, the plaintiffs allege that the relevant laws violate the Constitution's equal protection clauses. This report discusses DOMA and legal challenges to it. It reviews legal principles applied to determine the validity of a marriage contracted in another state and surveys the various approaches employed by states to address same-sex marriage. It also examines previous Congressional resolutions proposing a constitutional amendment and limiting federal courts' jurisdiction to hear or determine any question pertaining to the interpretation of DOMA."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Alison M., 1962-
2013-05-14
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Same-Sex Marriages: Legal Issues [November 5, 2012]
"The recognition of same-sex marriages generates debate on both the federal and state levels. Either legislatively or judicially, same-sex marriage is legal in seven states. Other states allow civil unions or domestic partnerships, which grant all or part of state-level rights, benefits, and/or responsibilities of marriage. Some states have statutes or constitutional amendments limiting marriage to one man and one woman. These variations raise questions about the validity of such unions outside the contracted jurisdiction and have bearing on the distribution of federal benefits. […] The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), P.L. 104-199, prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriages and allows individual states to refuse to recognize such marriages performed in other states. Section 3 of DOMA requires that marriage, for purposes of federal benefit programs, be defined as the union of one man and one woman. […] This report discusses DOMA and legal challenges to it. It reviews legal principles applied to determine the validity of a marriage contracted in another state and surveys the various approaches employed by states to enable or to prevent same-sex marriage. The report also examines House and Senate resolutions introduced in previous Congresses proposing a constitutional amendment and limiting federal courts' jurisdiction to hear or determine any question pertaining to the interpretation of DOMA."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Alison M., 1962-
2012-11-05
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Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): A Summary of the Act and Its Major Requirements [February 5, 2014]
"This report summarizes the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and its major programs and regulatory requirements. It excerpts, with several additions, the SDWA chapter of CRS Report RL30798, 'Environmental Laws: Summaries of Major Statutes Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency', which provides summaries of the principal environmental statutes administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This report includes the drinking water security provisions added to the SDWA by the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-188), and lead reduction provisions as amended by P.L. 111-380. It also outlines amendments made in December 2013 by P.L. 113-64 (H.R. 3588) to explicitly exempt fire hydrants from coverage under the act's lead plumbing restrictions. The SDWA, Title XIV of the Public Health Service Act, is the key federal law for protecting public water supplies from harmful contaminants. First enacted in 1974 and substantially amended in 1986 and 1996, the act is administered through programs that establish standards and treatment requirements for public water supplies, control underground injection of wastes, finance infrastructure projects, and protect sources of drinking water. The 1974 law established the current federal-state arrangement in which states may be delegated primary implementation and enforcement authority for the drinking water program. The state-administered Public Water Supply Supervision (PWSS) Program remains the basic program for regulating the nation's public water systems, and 49 states have assumed this authority."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tiemann, Mary
2014-02-05
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Same-Sex Marriages: Legal Issues [December 5, 2005]
"Massachusetts became the first state to legalize marriage between same-sex couples on May 17, 2004, as a result of a November 2003 decision by the state's highest court that denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry violated the state's constitution. Currently, federal law does not recognize same-sex marriages. This report discusses the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), P.L. 104-199, which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriages and allows individual states to refuse to recognize such marriages performed in other states, and discusses the potential legal challenges to DOMA. Moreover, this report summarizes the legal principles applied in determining the validity of a marriage contracted in another state, surveys the various approaches employed by states to prevent same-sex marriage, and examines the recent House and Senate resolutions introduced in the 109th Congress proposing a constitutional amendment (H.J.Res. 39, S.J.Res. 1, and S.J.Res. 13) and limiting federal courts' jurisdiction to hear or determine any question pertaining to the interpretation of DOMA (H.R. 1100)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Alison M., 1962-
2005-12-05
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S. 1961 and H.R. 4024: Legislative Responses to a Chemical Storage Facility Spill [March 26, 2014]
"In January 2014, an estimated 10,000 gallons of the chemical 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM), mixed with a small amount of glycol ethers, leaked from a 46,000-gallon aboveground storage tank at a chemical storage facility owned by Freedom Industries located 1.5 miles upstream from the intake pipes of a water treatment facility serving the area of Charleston, WV. A significant amount of the chemical entered the river and reached the public water system, prompting state and federal emergency declarations and causing the local water utility to issue a 'do not use' order to more than 300,000 commercial and residential customers and others in nine counties of West Virginia. The chemical storage tank at the center of the West Virginia incident appears to not have been subject to regulation under various federal or state laws aimed at protecting water resources from chemical releases. Oversight hearings by House and Senate committees began within a month to review the event, and to identify policy issues regarding the federal and state roles in regulating chemical facilities and whether legislation might be warranted. In further response to the spill, S. 1961, the Chemical Safety and Preparedness Act, was introduced on January 27, 2014, and H.R. 4024, the Ensuring Access to Clean Water Act of 2014, was introduced on February 10, 2014. This report describes and analyzes these two bills."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Copeland, Claudia; Tiemann, Mary
2014-03-26
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Role of TARP Assistance in the Restructuring of General Motors [January 16, 2014]
"In 2008 and 2009, collapsing world credit markets and a slowing global economy combined to create the worst market in decades for production and sale of motor vehicles in the United States and other industrial countries. […] Ultimately, General Motors Corporation (Old GM) and its successor General Motors Company (New GM) together received more than $50 billion in federal assistance through the U.S. government's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). In exchange for this financial support, the U.S. Treasury received 60.8% of the new company, with the rest of New GM held by the United Auto Workers (UAW) retiree health care trust fund, the governments of Canada and Ontario, and holders of Old GM's bonds. […]The government's sales of its shares in GM, ending December 2013, realized $10.4 billion less than the amount of its assistance for General Motors. For the U.S. government to have fully recouped the nominal value of its $50.2 billion assistance, the government would have had to receive an average price of more than $45 per share for its holdings. In reality, the government received between $27.50 and $38.32 per share as it sold stock between December 2010 and December 2013. GM stock reached its highest point since the 2010 IPO [Initial Public Offering], nearly $42 a share, after the government finished selling its GM stock in December 2013."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Webel, Baird; Canis, Bill
2014-01-16
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Same-Sex Marriage: A Legal Background After 'United States v. Windsor' [April 17, 2014]
"The issue of same-sex marriage generates debate on both the federal and state levels. Either legislatively or judicially, same-sex marriage is legal in more than a dozen states. Conversely, many states have statutes and/or constitutional amendments limiting marriage to the union of one man and one woman. These state-level variations raise questions about the validity of such unions outside the contracted jurisdiction and have bearing on the distribution of state and/or federal benefits. As federal agencies grappled with the interplay of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the distribution of federal marriage-based benefits, questions arose regarding DOMA's constitutionality and the appropriate standard (strict, intermediate, or rational basis) of review to apply to the statute. In 'United States v. Windsor,' a closely divided U.S. Supreme Court held that Section 3 of DOMA, which prohibited federal recognition of same-sex marriage, violated due process and equal protection principles. As such, federal statutes that refer to a marriage and/or spouse for federal purposes should be interpreted as applying equally to legally married same-sex couples recognized by the state. However, the Court left unanswered questions such as (1) whether samesex couples have a fundamental right to marry and (2) whether state bans on same-sex marriage are constitutional. In the aftermath of the 'Windsor' decision, lower courts have begun to address the constitutionality of state statutory and constitutional bans on same-sex marriage. To date, federal district courts in Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, Michigan, and Texas have broadly interpreted 'Windsor' and struck down provisions which prohibit same-sex marriages within their borders."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Alison M., 1962-
2014-04-17
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Researching Current Federal Legislation and Regulations: A Guide to Resources for Congressional Staff [February 19, 2014]
"This report is designed to introduce congressional staff to selected governmental and nongovernmental sources that are useful in tracking and obtaining information on federal legislation and regulations. It includes governmental sources, such as the Legislative Information System (LIS), THOMAS, the Government Printing Office's Federal Digital System (FDsys), and U.S. Senate and House websites. Nongovernmental or commercial sources include resources such as HeinOnline and the Congressional Quarterly (CQ) websites. It also highlights classes offered by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and the Law Library of Congress. This report will be updated as new information is available."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mansfield, Jerry W.
2014-02-19
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Research Tax Credit: Current Law and Policy Issues for the 113th Congress [May 2, 2014]
"Technological innovation is a primary engine of long-term economic growth, and research and development (R&D) serves as the lifeblood of innovation. The federal government encourages businesses to invest more in R&D than they otherwise would in several ways, including a tax credit for increases in spending on qualified research above a base amount. This report describes the current status of the credit, summarizes its legislative history, discusses policy issues it raises, and describes legislation to modify and extend it. The report will be updated as warranted by legislative activity or other developments affecting the credit. The research credit (also known as the research and experimentation (R&E) tax credit) has never been permanent. It expired at the end of 2011 and was retroactively extended by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (P.L. [Public Law] 112-240) through the end of 2013. Since its enactment in mid- 1981, the credit has been extended 15 times and significantly modified 5 times. While the credit is usually assumed to be a single credit, it actually consists of four discrete credits: (1) a regular credit, (2) an alternative simplified credit (ASC), (3) a basic research credit, and (4) an energy research credit. A taxpayer may claim one of the first two and each of the other two, provided it meets the requirements for each."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Guenther, Gary L.
2014-05-02
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Research Tax Credit: Current Law, Legislation in the 113th Congress, and Policy Issues [February 1, 2013]
"Technological innovation is a primary engine of long-term economic growth, and research and development (R&D) serves as the lifeblood of innovation. The federal government encourages businesses to invest more in R&D in several ways, including a tax credit for increases in spending on qualified research above a base amount. This report describes the current status of the credit, summarizes its legislative history, discusses policy issues it raises, and describes legislation in the 113th Congress to modify or extend it. The report will be updated as warranted by legislative activity and other developments affecting the credit. The research credit (also known as the research and experimentation (R&E) tax credit) has never been a permanent provision of the federal tax code. It expired at the end of 2011 and was retroactively extended in early 2013 through the end of that year. Since its enactment in mid- 1981, the credit has been extended 15 times and significantly modified five times. While the credit is usually assumed to be a single credit, it actually consists of four discrete credits: (1) a regular credit, (2) an alternative simplified credit (ASC), (3) a basic research credit, and (4) an energy research credit. A taxpayer may claim one of the first two and each of the other two, provided it meets the requirements for each."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Guenther, Gary L.
2013-02-01
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Same-Sex Marriages: Legal Issues [November 19, 2012]
"The recognition of same-sex marriages generates debate on both the federal and state levels. Either legislatively or judicially, same-sex marriage is legal in seven states. Other states allow civil unions or domestic partnerships, which may provide similar state-level rights and/or benefits. Many states have statutes or constitutional amendments limiting marriage to one man and one woman. These state-level variations raise questions about the validity of such unions outside the contracted jurisdiction and have bearing on the distribution of federal benefits. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), P.L. [Public Law] 104-199, prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriages and allows individual states to refuse to recognize such marriages performed in other states. Section 3 of DOMA requires that for purposes of federal benefit programs, marriage is defined as the union of one man and one woman. Lower courts have started addressing DOMA's constitutionality. […] This report discusses DOMA and legal challenges to it. It reviews legal principles applied to determine the validity of a marriage contracted in another state and surveys the various approaches employed by states to address same-sex marriage. It also examines previous Congressional resolutions proposing a constitutional amendment and limiting federal courts' jurisdiction to hear or determine any question pertaining to the interpretation of DOMA."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Alison M., 1962-
2012-11-19
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S. 1961 and H.R. 4024: Legislative Responses to a Chemical Storage Facility Spill [August 12, 2014]
"In January 2014, an estimated 10,000 gallons of 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) and other chemicals leaked from a bulk aboveground storage tank at a chemical storage facility located upstream from the intake pipes of the water treatment plant serving Charleston, WV, and nearby counties. In the wake of the resulting contamination of this large public water supply, Congress has undertaken oversight and is considering legislative options. The chemical storage tank at the center of the West Virginia incident appears to not have been subject to regulation under various federal or state laws aimed at protecting water resources from chemical releases. Oversight hearings by House and Senate committees began within a month to review the event, and to identify policy issues regarding the federal and state roles in regulating chemical facilities and whether legislation might be warranted. In further response to the spill, S. 1961, the Chemical Safety and Preparedness Act, was introduced on January 27, 2014, and H.R. 4024, the Ensuring Access to Clean Water Act of 2014, was introduced on February 10, 2014. This report describes and analyzes H.R. 4024 and S. 1961, as reported. The bills share a number of broadly similar provisions--both would direct states or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish programs to prevent and respond to releases from chemical storage facilities (H.R. 4024) or tanks (S. 1961) located near drinking water sources--but they take different approaches to doing so: S. 1961 would make programmatic changes by amending the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), while H.R. 4024 would amend the Clean Water Act (CWA)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Copeland, Claudia; Tiemann, Mary
2014-08-01
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S. 1961 and H.R. 4024: Legislative Responses to a Chemical Storage Facility Spill [May 2, 2014]
"In January 2014, an estimated 10,000 gallons of 4-methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) and other chemicals leaked from a bulk aboveground storage tank at a chemical storage facility located upstream from the intake pipes of the water treatment plant serving Charleston, WV, and nearby counties. In the wake of the resulting contamination of this large public water supply, Congress has undertaken oversight and is considering legislative options. The chemical storage tank at the center of the West Virginia incident appears to not have been subject to regulation under various federal or state laws aimed at protecting water resources from chemical releases. Oversight hearings by House and Senate committees began within a month to review the event, and to identify policy issues regarding the federal and state roles in regulating chemical facilities and whether legislation might be warranted. In further response to the spill, S. 1961, the Chemical Safety and Preparedness Act, was introduced on January 27, 2014, and H.R. 4024, the Ensuring Access to Clean Water Act of 2014, was introduced on February 10, 2014. This report describes and analyzes H.R. 4024 and S. 1961, as ordered reported. The bills share a number of broadly similar provisions--both would direct states or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish programs to prevent and respond to releases from chemical storage facilities (H.R. 4024) or tanks (S. 1961) located near drinking water sources--but they take different approaches to doing so: S. 1961 would make programmatic changes by amending the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), while H.R. 4024 would amend the Clean Water Act (CWA)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Copeland, Claudia; Tiemann, Mary
2014-05-02
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Same-Sex Marriage: A Legal Background After United States v. Windsor [September 11, 2014]
"The issue of same-sex marriage generates debate on both the federal and state levels. Either legislatively or judicially, same-sex marriage is legal in more than a dozen states. Conversely, many states have statutes and/or constitutional amendments limiting marriage to the union of one man and one woman. These state-level variations raise questions about the validity of such unions outside the contracted jurisdiction and have bearing on the distribution of state and/or federal benefits. As federal agencies grappled with the interplay of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the distribution of federal marriage-based benefits, questions arose regarding DOMA's constitutionality and the appropriate standard (strict, intermediate, or rational basis) of review to apply to the statute. In 'United States v. Windsor', a closely divided U.S. Supreme Court held that Section 3 of DOMA, which prohibited federal recognition of same-sex marriage, violated due process and equal protection principles. As such, federal statutes that refer to a marriage and/or spouse for federal purposes should be interpreted as applying equally to legally married same-sex couples recognized by the state. However, the Court left unanswered questions such as (1) whether same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry and (2) whether state bans on same-sex marriage are constitutionally permissible."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Alison M., 1962-
2014-09-11
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Same-Sex Marriage: A Legal Background After 'United States v. Windsor' [August 15, 2014]
"The issue of same-sex marriage generates debate on both the federal and state levels. Either legislatively or judicially, same-sex marriage is legal in more than a dozen states. Conversely, many states have statutes and/or constitutional amendments limiting marriage to the union of one man and one woman. These state-level variations raise questions about the validity of such unions outside the contracted jurisdiction and have bearing on the distribution of state and/or federal benefits. As federal agencies grappled with the interplay of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the distribution of federal marriage-based benefits, questions arose regarding DOMA's constitutionality and the appropriate standard (strict, intermediate, or rational basis) of review to apply to the statute. In 'United States v. Windsor', a closely divided U.S. Supreme Court held that Section 3 of DOMA, which prohibited federal recognition of same-sex marriage, violated due process and equal protection principles. As such, federal statutes that refer to a marriage and/or spouse for federal purposes should be interpreted as applying equally to legally married same-sex couples recognized by the state. However, the Court left unanswered questions such as (1) whether samesex couples have a fundamental right to marry and (2) whether state bans on same-sex marriage are constitutionally permissible."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Alison M., 1962-
2014-08-15
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Regular Vetoes and Pocket Vetoes: An Overview [June 18, 2014]
"The veto power vested in the President by Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution has proven to be an effective tool for the chief executive in his dealings with Congress. Since the founding of the federal government in 1789, 37 of 44 Presidents have exercised their veto authority a total of 2,564 times. Congress has overridden these vetoes on 110 occasions (4.3%). Presidents have vetoed 83 appropriations bills, and Congress has overridden 12 (14.5%) of these vetoes. President Barack H. Obama has vetoed two bills since taking office in 2009: H.J.Res. 64, an FY2010 appropriations measure, and H.R. 3808, the Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010. These vetoes occurred during the 111th Congress. President Obama has not vetoed any legislation since then. This report will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kosar, Kevin R.
2014-06-18
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Regulatory Reform Legislation in the 112th Congress [August 31, 2011]
"Regulations generally start with an act of Congress and are the means by which statutes are implemented and specific requirements are established. Federal agencies usually issue more than 3,000 final rules each year on topics ranging from the timing of bridge openings to the permissible levels of arsenic and other contaminants in drinking water. During the past 65 years, Congress and various Presidents have developed an elaborate set of procedures and requirements to guide the federal rulemaking process, often with the implicit or explicit goal of reducing the amount of regulatory burden placed on the public. These cross-cutting statutory and executive order rulemaking requirements often require some type of analysis or disclosure on the part of the rulemaking agency before issuing a covered rule, but also often give agencies substantial discretion regarding whether the requirements are applicable. In the 112th Congress, at least 22 bills have been introduced that would, if enacted, change many of the current requirements in the federal rulemaking process. This report will describe many of those bills, note whether similar legislation has been introduced or acted upon in the past, summarize the comments of those supporting and opposing the proposed legislation, and provide other relevant information. The report ends with some concluding observations, noting similarities, differences, and broad themes in the legislative proposals. To put the regulatory reform bills in context, however, the report first summarizes the current rulemaking requirements (primarily statutes and executive orders) that the proposed legislation would amend, codify, or otherwise affect."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Copeland, Curtis W.
2011-08-31
