The arrival of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes and their subsequent damage to city water supplies and electric utilities has focused significant attention on ballast water discharge by cargo ships as a high-risk mechanism for species invasion. New management efforts attempt to address this concern. Congress is considering legislative proposals to amend and reauthorize the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act, including specific provisions that would modify how ballast water is managed. This report provides background on various approaches to ballast water management and reviews current ballast water management laws and programs.

Aquaculture — the farming of fish, shellfish, and other aquatic animals and plants in a controlled environment — is expanding rapidly abroad, with more modest advances in the United States. This report discusses the federal laws and regulations that guide the management of resources in open ocean and near-shore coastal areas.

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This report discusses the concept of prevailing party, the equal access to justice act, Awards of Attorneys' fees in Civil Right Cases and Awards of attorneys' fees in Tax cases.

This report begins with a discussion of the foster care system and the Social Security benefits available to eligible children, including those in foster care. It then describes the role of representative payees and their responsibilities. The report provides data on the use of Social Security benefits to reimburse states for child welfare, and includes a discussion of the Keffeler decision. Finally, the report concludes with proposals supported by some advocates to change the current practice of using SSI and other Social Security benefits to fund foster care, as well as with a discussion of state initiatives to screen all foster children for Social Security and to pass along some benefits to eligible children.

This report discusses the continued debate amongst congressional policymakers regarding telecommunications reform. A major point of the ongoing discussion is whether action is needed to ensure unfettered access to the Internet.

This report is categorized into two categories: (I) Formulation of the Budget Resolution and (II) Content of the Budget Resolution.

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This report discusses the FDA approval of Plan B as a prescription drug, as well as the more recent and controversial FDA approval of Plan B as an OTC drug. Legal issues regarding the recent FDA decision are also discussed as well as various state policies that affect access to emergency contraceptives. In addition, the report discusses the Department of Justice guidelines for the treatment of sexual assault victims, which have been criticized by numerous organizations because they do not mention offering emergency contraception to female rape victims. The DOJ guidelines were the focus of legislation introduced in the 109th Congress. Lastly, this report discusses the likely impact of the FDA Plan B OTC decision.

This report discusses the trade in agricultural products, which is one of the difficult issues negotiators face in concluding free trade agreements (FTAs). The report also deals with food safety and animal/plant health matters.

In September 2005, periodic sampling of groundwater was initiated by the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) in the vicinity of a grain storage facility formerly operated by the CCC/USDA at Centralia, Kansas. The sampling at Centralia is being performed on behalf of the CCC/USDA by Argonne National Laboratory, in accord with a monitoring program approved by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The objective is to monitor levels of carbon tetrachloride contamination identified in the groundwater at Centralia (Argonne 2003, 2004, 2005a). Under the KDHE-approved Monitoring Plan (Argonne 2005b), the groundwater is being sampled twice yearly (for a recommended period of two years) for analyses for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as measurement of selected geochemical parameters to aid in the evaluation of possible natural contaminant degradation (reductive dechlorination) processes in the subsurface environment. The sampling is presently conducted in a network of 11 monitoring wells and 5 piezometers (Figure 1.1), at locations approved by the KDHE (Argonne 2006a). The results of groundwater sampling and VOCs analyses in September-October 2005, March 2006, and September 2006 were documented previously (Argonne 2006a,b). The results have demonstrated the presence of carbon tetrachloride contamination, at levels …

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This report reviews the nature of California's, EPA's, and other states' authority to regulate emissions from mobile sources, discusses the applicability of that authority to GHGs, and provides analysis of issues related to the California waiver request.

This report examines Spectrum use in the United States and the transition to digital TV. Like most of the world, The United States, is moving to replace current television technology with a new, technically superior format generally referred to as digital television (DTV). As part of this transition, Congress has acted to move television broadcasters out of radio spectrum currently used for the old, analog technology. The vacated radio frequencies are now scheduled for release in accordance with provisions of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-171), which sets a February 2009 date for the release of the spectrum.

This report examines housing-related issues that have become prominent in the 110th Congress. Possibly the most visible issue is the prevalence of subprime loans and growing mortgage default and foreclosure rates. Congress has responded with numerous hearings and legislative proposals both to change the way in which the lending and home-buying industry is regulated and to assist borrowers who are facing default and foreclosure.

This report provides an overview of state laws on identity theft. It discusses state laws that penalize identity theft, as well as state laws that assist identity theft victims, including those that permit consumers to block unauthorized persons from obtaining their credit information, known as “security freezes.” The report also includes a survey of state “credit freeze” statutes. The report concludes with summaries of federal identity theft legislation pending in the 110th Congress.

This report outlines the source of the contempt power, reviews major developments in the case law, and analyzes the procedures associated with each of the three different types of contempt proceedings.

This report provides a summary of major legislative proposals for change in the farm bill energy title (Title IX) and compares current law with energy provisions from the recently approved House 2007 farm bill.

This report is about federal funds may be used to conduct research on human embryonic stem cells.

This report reviews the status of energy efficiency and renewable energy legislation introduced during the 110th Congress. Action has focused on legislation to increase funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

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This report describes the broad framework of U.S. assistance programs and policies in the former Soviet Union and then focuses on the foreign operations FREEDOM Support Act (FSA) account which, encompassing all U.S. objectives in the region, has often been the means by which Congress has expressed its views and sought to influence policy.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the Texas Department of Criminal Justice may adopt a rule or policy requiring mandatory testing of incoming offenders for human immunodeficiency virus (RQ-0518-GA)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a county may improve a subdivision road under the authority of a statute other than Transportation Code chapter 253 (RQ-0521-GA)