Congressional Research Service

Pages

: Overviews: budget issues; Abstract -- Newspaper Articles on the Budget. How the President's Fiscal '88 Budget Affects Programs; Education, Transportation, Housing Facing Reductions (Wall Street Journal) ; Budget Will Ask Continuing Rises for the Military (New York Times) – Editorial Section. (Baltimore) Sun [Maryland] ; Burlington Free Press [Vermont] ; Charleston Gazette [South Carolina] ; Chicago Tribune [Illinois] ; Christian Science Monitor [Massachusetts] ; (Cleveland) Plain Dealer [Ohio] ; (Columbia) State [State Carolina] ; Dallas Morning News [Texas] ; Denver Post [Colorado] ; Des Moines Register [Iowa] ; Detroit Free Press [Michigan] ; Detroit News [Michigan] ; Honolulu Star-Bulletin [Hawaii] ; (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger [Mississippi] ; Kansas City Times ; (Little Rock) Arkansas Gazette ; (Long Island) Newsday [New York] ; Los Angeles Times [California] ; (Louisville) Courier-Journal [Kentucky] ; Milwaukee Journal [Wisconsin] ; Minneapolis Star and Tribune [Minnesota] ; (Nashville) Tennessean ; (New Orleans) Times-Picayune [Louisiana] ; New York Times ; (Newark) Star-Ledger [New Jersey] ; Omaha World-Herald [Nebraska] ; Philadelphia Inquirer [Pennsylvania] ; (Portland) Oregonian ; Portland Press Herald [Maine] ; Providence Journal [Rhode Island] ; (Raleigh) News and Observer [North Carolina] ; Reno Gazette-Journal [Nevada] ; Richmond Times-Dispatch [Virginia] ; Sacramento Bee [California] ; St. Petersburg Times [Florida] ; Seattle Times [Washington] ; (Sioux Falls) Argus Leader [South Dakota] ; Tulsa Tribune [Oklahoma] ; Wall Street Journal ; Washington Times ; (Wilmington) News-Journal [Delaware] Wichita Eagle-Beacon [Kansas] – Public Opinion Polls on Budget Issues., This Overview focuses on budget issues including reaction to the proposed FY 1988 budget -- the first trillion dollar budget, deficit reduction, and the domestic spending-military spending trade-off. The Overview is divided into three sections. The first contains two newspaper articles on the proposed FY 1988 budget. The second includes editorials selected from regional and local papers from around the United States; this section is arranged by the name of the newspaper. The third part is a listing of public opinion polls on these issues., The editorial section of this Overviews was compiled by Robert Kirk, Library Services Division; the public poll section by Mark Eddy, Government Division. Ann Eschete was responsible for the production of the editorial pages; Marsha Cerny oversaw general production of this Overviews., CRS 87-174 L "February 1987." SuDoc # LC 14. 18/3

: P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act; P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, is generally regarded as a landmark in the establishment of educational equality for school-age handicapped children in the United States. This paper, written upon the 10th anniversary of the enactment of P.L. 94-142, examines the law's background, development, and implementation, and discusses issues before Congress on its future., Abstract -- The Development of P.L. 94-142. Assistance to States for the Education of the Handicapped Before P.L. 94-142 ; Influences on the Enactment of P.L. 94-142 ; The Mathias Amendment -- Legislative History of P.L. 94-142. Senate Action ; House Action ; Conference Action ; President Signs P.L. 94-142 -- Amendments to P.L. 94-142. The Asbestos School Hazard Detection and Control Act P.L. 96-270 ; Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, P.L. 97-35 ; The Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1983, P.L. 98-99 -- The Education of the Handicapped Under P.L. 94-142. Compartive Data on Implementation From Department of Education Annual Reports ; National Evaluation and Other Analyses of P.L. 94-142 -- Issues Before Congress on the Future of P.L. 94-142. Funding Levels ; Attorneys' Fees Legislation ; Other P.L. 94-142 Issues -- Appendix., Charlotte Jones Fraas, Specialist in Education, Education and Public Welfare Division., CRS 86-552 EPW, "October 25, 1985." "Updated February 10, 1986.", SuDoc# 14. 18/3

: Parking and licensing of motor vehicles used by handicapped persons; Introduction -- Comparison of PVA Model Regulations with ANSI Standards and Regulations Issued Pursuant to the Architectural Barriers Act. Definitions of Handicapped Person ; Designated Handicapped Parking Space -- Comparison of PVA Model Regulations to the State Statute. Motor Vehicle Identification ; Parking Privileges for Handicapped Persons ; Parking Privileges for Temporarily Handicapped Persons ; Rules and Regulations for Issuance ; Penalty Provisions -- Summary -- Appendix A., Nancy Lee Jones, Legislative Attorney, American Law Attorney, CRS 85-724 A, "April 5, 1985.", SuDoc# 14. 18/3

: Patterns in selected data on U.S. agricultural exports; This paper provides a series of tables on U.S. agricultural exports in terms of both value and volume since 1977. By covering a nine-year period, the tables demonstrate export growth and decline. U.S. agricultural exports in 1986 are just above 1977's, and the 1986 trade balance is the lowest in the nine-year period covered in this paper., Donna U. Vogt, Analyst, and Barry Carr, Specialist, Environmental and Natural Resources Policy Division., CRS 87-331 ENR, "April 14, 1987.", "This report updates CRS Report No. 87-98, February 10, 1987.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

: Pesticide regulation; Introduction -- Registration -- Reregistration. Data Call-In (DCI) ; HR 2482 Schedule and Fees ; Outstanding Issues -- Inert Ingredients of Pesticide Formulations. HR 2482 -- Special Review/RPAR. HR 2482 -- Removal of a Registration: Cancellation and Suspension. HR 2482 -- Tolerances for Pesticide Residues -- Federal Preemption of State and Local Jurisdictions. Pesticide Residue Tolerances ; Political Subdivisions -- Pesticides and Groundwater -- Data Compensation., CRS 86-796 ENR, "Agust 5, 1986.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

: Picking up the tab; Larry B. Parker, Analyst in Energy Policy; John E. Blodgett, Senior Analyst in Environmental Policy; and Mary E. Hofmann, Reference Assistant in Environmental Policy., CRS 84-828 ENR, "October 15, 1984.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); This bibliography presents annotated references on the incidence, effects, and management of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the environment. Health effects of PCBs, ocean dumping, incineration on land and at sea, and various technologies for PCB destruction and disposal are among the topics covered., Abstract -- Introduction -- Overviews -- Health effects of PCBs -- PCB Pollution in Aquatic Environments -- Ocean Dumping of PCBs -- Incineration of PCBs -- Ocean Incineration -- Other Technologies for PCB Disposal and Destruction -- Legislative and Regulatory Aspects., Rebecca Mazur, Library Services Division., CRS 86-753 L, "July 1, 1986.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

: Population programs of aid; The 99th Congress considered various proposals concerning U.S. aid to family planning programs abroad. Congress appropriated $239.3 million for FY 1986 (after Gramm-Rudman-Hollings sequestration) and $234.6 million for FY 1987 for AID population assistance activities. In addition Congress addressed a number of policy issues including whether the United States should cut off assistance to organizations which support voluntary abortions or abortion related activities with non-U.S. funds; whether the United States should fund international organizations operating in countries like China where there are widespread reports of coercive family planning measures; and whether AID should change its policy of informed choice in favor of a policy allowing a larger share of funds for groups that promote only natural family planning methods., CRS 86-1009 F, "November 25, 1986.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

: Pornography depicting abuse of women as a form of sex discrimination; Rita Ann Reimer, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division., CRS 84-862 A, "December 14, 1984.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

: Potential implications of funding reductions for programs administered by the department of education; This paper presents the potential implications funding reductions might have for selected programs administered by the Department of Education. Also included is data on program funding levels since FY 1980 adjusted for inflation, the estimated number of recipients, the estimated Federal share of financing the program, and the types of services provided and activities supported by these programs., Angela M. Evans, Specialist in Education, Education and Public Welfare Division., CRS 85-521 EPW, "January 14, 1985.", SuDoc# 14. 18/3

: Pre- and post- Grove City judicial interpretation of "program or activity" as used in Title IX of the 1972 Education Act; Charles V. Dale, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division., CRS 85-720 A, "April 26, 1985.", SuDoc# 14. 18/3

: Preservation of food by irradiation; Abstract -- Introduction -- Scientific and Technical Aspects of Food Irradiation. The Irradiation Process ; Radiolytic Products -- Food Irradiation Research Programs. Department of Defense (DOD) ; Department of Energy (DOE) ; Department of Agriculture (USDA) ; Department of Commerce (DOC) -- International Programs and Regulations. Joint FAO/IAEA/WHO Activities ; Codex Alimentarius Commission ; Other International Activities ; Commercial Experience in Other Countries. U.S. Legislative and Regulatory Activities. Current Regulatory Approvals ; Legislative Activities -- Potential Applications and Uses. Costs of Using Food Irridation ; Control of Insect Infestation ; Other Potential Uses of Low Dose Irradiation -- Risks/Benefits/Safety. Environmental Hazards Associated with Irradiation ; Radioactivity ; Irradiation as a Replacement for Fumigation ; Reduction of Microbiological Load ; Nutritional Aspects ; Toxicological Effects -- Barriers and Problems Related to Acceptance of Irradiated Foods., The phrase "irradiation of food" refers to the treatment of food with one of several types of radiation processes. This report focuses on only one type of food irradiation -- the process of using ionizing radiation to preserve food. The paper includes a discussion of the technical aspects of irradiation, the potential uses of irradiation for food preservation, and the issues of food safety, wholesomeness and labeling of irradiated foods., Donna V. Porter, Specialist in Life Sciences, Science Policy Research Division, CRS 86-1046 SPR "Updated December 1, 1986." SuDoc # LC 14. 18/3

: Private pension plan standards; Protection and guarantees for employees covered by private pension and welfare benefit plans are provided in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). This report summarizes the provisions of ERISA and pertinent provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended through the Single-Employer Pension Plan Amendments Act of 1986., CRS 86-106 EPW "January 2, 1985." “Update May 15, 1986.” SuDoc #: LC 14. 18/3

: Private pension plans; Ray Schmitt, Specialist in Social Legislation, Education and Public Welfare Division, CRS 85-692 EPW, "April 15, 1985.", SuDoc# 14. 18/3

: Private school enrollments; This paper provides a brief overview of selected data on the following aspects of private elementary and secondary school enrollment: numbers of students, enrollment of minority (blacks and Spanish origin) students, enrollment in religiously affiliated private schools, and enrollment of students from families with different levels of annual income. Where appropriate, comparisons are made to enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools., James B. Stedman, Specialist in Education, Education and Public Welfare Division., CRS 85-578 EPW, "February 22, 1985.", SuDoc# 14. 18/3

: Private support for public elementary and secondary education; Citizens, business leaders, and school officials are promoting increased private sector support for public elementary and secondary schools. Current efforts include volunteer programs, education foundations, donation of equipment, and joint staffing. These efforts serve to supplement tax funds for schools rather than provide a substitute for adequate financing of schools., Abstract -- Background -- Volunteer Programs in Public Schools -- Adopt-A-School Programs -- Local School Foundations -- Statewide Foundations -- Donation of Equipment -- Joint Employment of Teachers -- Use of Non-School Employees as Teachers -- Observations -- Pros and Cons -- Federal Responses., K. Forbis Jordan, Senior Specialist in Education, Office of Senior Specialists., CRS 83-626 S, "December 2, 1983.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

: Proposed coverage of handicapped persons by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act; Introduction and Background -- Summary and Comparison of H.R. 370 and H.R. 1294. H.R. 370 ; H.R. 1294 ; Comparison of H.R. 370 and H.R. 1294 -- Comparison of Coverage of Title VII and Section 504. Title VII ; Section 504 ; Comparison of Coverage. Implications of Enactment of Amendments to Title VII to Prohibit Employment Discrimination on the Basis of Handicap. Introduction ; Arguments Advanced in Favor of Amending Title VII to Prohibit Discrimination Against Handicapped Persons ; Arguments Advanced Against Expanding Title VII to Include Prohibitions of Employment Discrimination Against Handicapped Individuals ; Application of Arguments Advanced For and Against Amending Title VII to H.R. 1294 -- Summary., Nancy Lee Jones, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division., CRS 85-804 A "May 14, 1985." SuDoc # 14. 18/3

: Proposed federal linked deposit program to assist small businesses; It has been suggested that a Federal program of credit assistance, modeled after Ohio's Linked Deposit Program, be established to assist small businesses. This report describes the operation of the Ohio Linked Deposit Program, presents cases for and against the proposal, and provides an overall evaluation of the proposal., James M. Bickley, Analyst in Public Finance, Economics Division., CRS 85-748 E, "May 16, 1985.", SuDoc# Lc 14. 18/3

: Proposed sports relocation legislation; CRS 85-773 A, "May 24, 1985.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

: Protecting visibility under the Clean Air Act; The Clean Air Act prevents visibility impairment - changes in visual range, contrast, and coloration caused by human activities - in three distinct programs: (1) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), (2) prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) in areas cleaner than the national standards, and (3) visibility protection in pristine areas such as National Parks. The 1970 amendments to the Act authorized the first program; the 1977 amendments made the second an express statutory requirement and authorized the third program. Since the Clean Air Act drew attention to visual air quality, researchers have defined the various aspects of visibility, determined visibility trends in different regions of the country, described its value, identified regions where visibility has special significance and thus where it must receive immediate regulatory attention. Regulators, moreover, have initiated the first phase of what will be a comprehensive visibility protection program for pristine parts of the country, mandatory Class I areas. This program extends some of the features found in the NAAQS and PSD programs and may have implications for visibility protection nationwide., Joan Rae Hartmann, Analyst in Environmental Policy, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division and Alison Holt, Intern, Environment and Natural Resources Policy Division., CRS 85-736 ENR, May 8, 1985.", SuDoc# 14. 18/3

: Provisions of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 affecting pay and benefits for federal workers and retirees; This paper describes the provisions of P.L. 99-177 ("Gramm-Rudman-Hollings") that pertain to Federal civil service employees and retirees., Carolyn Merck, Specialist in Social Legislation, Education and Public Welfare Division, CRS 86-502 EPW, "January 2, 1986.", SuDoc# 14. 18/3

: Provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 pertaining to education; Abstract -- Introduction -- Revised Tax Rates -- Personal Exemptions -- Standard Deducation -- Trusts for Children -- Scholarships and Fellowships -- Tuition Reduction -- Retirement Annuities -- Employer Educational Assistance -- Cafeteria Plans -- Faculty Housing -- Targeted Jobs Credit -- State and Local Tax Expenses -- Interest Expense -- Professional Expenses -- Charitable Contributions -- Research and Development Credit -- Tax-Exempt Bonds., The Tax Reform Act of 1986, P.L. 99-514, contains a number of provisions pertaining to education. Some of these provisions refer explicitly to schools, teachers, students, and so on, while several others without such direct references also are significant. This report provides a short summary of both kinds of provisions and an explanation, where necessary, of why they are relevant., Robert Lyke, Specialist in Education, Education and Public Welfare Division, CRS 87-67 EPW "January 28, 1987" SuDoc # LC 14. 18/3

: Public secondary education systems in England, France, Japan, the Soviet Union, the United States, and West Germany; Issues regarding the quality and structure of public secondary education have recently attracted substantial public and legislative attention in the U.S. as well as several foreign nations. This paper provides an overview of the secondary education structure in the U.S., England, France, Japan, the Soviet Union, and West Germany, with a discussion of major issues and recent developments., Introduction -- Overview (including Discussion of the United States' System) -- England -- France -- Japan. Formation of Ad Hoc Advisory Council on Education Reform -- Soviet Union. Recently-adopted School Reform Plan -- West Germany -- Concluding Discussion. Comparative System Chart -- References., Wayne Riddle, Education and Public Welfare Division., CRS 84-770, "October 9, 1984.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

: Public welfare; The microthesaurus identifies terms on public welfare in the Legislative Indexing Vocabulary. Some terms for various social services also appear. These terms may be used in searching the CRS Bibliographic Data Base, the Bill Digest files, and the Major Issues System on SCORPIO., CRS 87-390 L, "May 1, 1987.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

: Rate of increase of selected public and private wages and public pensions compared with change in consumer price index, 1969-1987; This report compares CPI increase with the rate of pay increase for Members of Congress, General Schedule Federal employees, the military, blue collar workers, white collar workers, and civil service and military pension recipients for the period of 1969-1987., CRS 86-1004 GOV, "Revised by Paul Dwyer.", "March 23, 1984.", Revised "November 20, 1986.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

: Real earnings in America; This report presents estimates of real earnings (i.e., earnings adjusted for inflation) from 1947 to 1985. While average real earnings increased by 60.6 percent between 1947 and 1972, average real earnings decreased by 13.5 percent between 1972 and 1985. This report also presents estimates of real spendable earnings (i.e., earnings adjusted for inflation, Federal tax payments, and social security contributions) and the changes in these earnings., Abstract -- Introduction and Major Findings -- Real Earnings -- Real Spendable Earnings -- A Long Run View -- Appendix: Estimates., Richard S. Belous, Analyst in Labor Economics, Economics Division., CRS 86-615 E, "April 15, 1986.", SuDoc# 14. 18/3

: Recent cases concerning congressional standing to sue; Jay R. Shampansky, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division., CRS 85-893 A, "September 25, 1984.", "Updated July 22, 1985.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

: Recent judicial expansions of tort law in the area of environmental pollution; This report assesses whether increased losses of liability insurers may be due in part to expanded tort-law interpretations in the field of environmental pollution. It concludes that there has indeed been such an expansion in recent decades, but numerous other factors may also be contributing to the claimed liability insurance crisis., CRS 86-1003 A, "November 13, 1986.", SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

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