This report summarizes and compares the 11 substitute amendments to campaign finance reform bills that have passed the House and Senate.

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This report covers proposed and enacted legislative initiatives to change child nutrition programs (including the WIC program) during 1997 and 1998.

This report reviews major banking and finance issues that are receiving congressional attention in the 2nd session of the 105th Congress.

The 105 Congress has been active on issues involving China. This report, which will be updated as developments occur, tracks pending human rights legislation, including bills concerning: prison conditions and prison labor exports; coercive abortion practices; China’s policies toward religion; and more general human rights issues.

This report is about the consumer proposal in the bankruptcy reform act of 1998

This report examines several proposals for consumer bankruptcy reform which have been introduced in the 105th Congress.

This report summarizes the funding and re-authorization in the 105th congress on arts and humanities.

This report summarizes proposed and enacted legislative initiatives to change child nutrition programs (including WIC program) during 1997 and 1998.

This report focus on the job training provisions of the House and Senate-passed versions of H.R. 1385.

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This report provides a brief summary of education issues anticipated for the 2nd Session, as well as a synopsis of education activity during the 1st Session.

This report summarizes current programs for adult education and literacy, provides a funding history, and analyzes major provisions of the legislative proposals being considered by the 105th Congress for amending adult education and literacy programs. Specifically, the report examines the provisions of H.R. 1385, the Employment, Training, and Literacy Enhancement Act of 1997, as passed by the House, and H.R. 1385, the Workforce Investment Partnership Act of 1998, as amended by the Senate (originally considered as S. 1186). Key issues include state and local administration issues, comprehensive state plan requirements, integration with other federal training and employment programs, and program performance standards. The report will be updated as legislative action occurs.

This report is about the Finance reform in May 1998 in the 105th congress.

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United States Statutes at Large include the text of various legislation passed by Congress such as private and public laws, concurrent resolutions, and Constitutional amendments as well as proclamations, changes to the structure of government departments, etc. Part One indexes start on page a1 after page 1106. Part Two indexes start on page a1 after page 2114. Part Three indexes start on page a1 after page 3010.

The 105th Congress has debated the decennial census sampling issue mainly in the appropriations process, beginning with FY 1997 supplemental appropriations legislation for disaster relief. In Fy 1998, appropriation for Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies, the Senate instructed the Bureau of the Census not to make "irreversible" Census 2000 sampling plans, while the House sought a moratorium on these plans, pending expedited judicial review of their constitutionally and legality. This report contains information on FY 1997 and 1998 appropriations and related Congressional actions

The 105th Congress adjourned without passing any legislation affecting solid waste management. Changes to the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) cleanup program and bills to exempt from hazardous waste management requirements certain wastes generated by remediation of old waste sites had been considered possible until late in the second session. The House passed changes to the LUST program (H.R. 688) on April 23, 1997. A comparable Senate bill (S. 555) was ordered reported, amended, September 23, 1998; but it never came to the floor.

The public agricultural research, education, and extension system is comprised of a nationwide network of federal and state agricultural research laboratories and departments, land grant Colleges of Agriculture, colleges of forestry and veterinary medicine, and the nationwide Cooperative Extension System. Although the basic authority to conduct agricultural research and extension programs is permanent, Congress since 1977 has provided funding authority and policy guidance for USDA's in-house research programs, and for federal support for cooperative research, higher education, and extension programs in the states, through a title contained in omnibus farm legislation. This report discusses specific pieces of such legislation and details certain agricultural and food-related appropriations.

In the 105th Congress, legislation to reauthorize the Clean Water Act was not been introduced, and no major House or Senate committee activity occurred. EPA and states' water quality inventories have identified wet weather flows (including agricultural runoff, urban storm water, and sewer overflows) as the largest remaining threat to water quality. EPA's clean water programs are now focusing to a large extent on solving wet weather pollution problems. These issues may be addressed legislatively, as well. At issue is whether and how to detail wet weather programs in the Act versus allowing flexibility that recognizes the site-specific nature of intermittent wet weather pollution.

The 105th Congress enacted tax provisions relating to Superfund brownfields sites, transportation- and defense-related environmental provisions, a border smog bill, EPA funding as well as reinstating the tax that supports the Leaking Underground Storage Trust Fund. There were various actions on regulatory reform, the budget resolution, appropriations, highway- and defense-related environmental provisions, Superfund reform bills and underground storage tanks. It is too early to tell if these will be issues for the 106th Congress.

This report reviews major banking and finance issues that are receiving congressional attention in the 2nd session of the 105th Congress. It will be updated periodically to reflect legislative developments. Relevant CRS products are referenced.

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