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| Date Jan. 16, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10020 |
Title
Legal Sidebari UPDATED: Will the Supreme Court Address States Power to Require that Retailers Tax Internet Sales? Updated January 16, 2018 UPDATE January 16, 2018: On January 12, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court granted South Dakota's petition to hear the case South Dakota v. Wayfair. Oral arguments have not yet been scheduled. The original post from October 26, 2017, follows below. On October 2, 2017 ...
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| Date Jan. 12, 2018 |
Report No. R45077 |
Title
Animal Drug User Fee Programs Updated January 12, 2018 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R45077 Animal Drug User Fee Programs Summary The Food and Drug Administration s (FDA s) review of brand-name and generic animal drug applications is funded through a combination of annual discretionary appropriations from Congress and user fees collected from the regulated ...
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| Date Jan. 12, 2018 |
Report No. IN10621 |
Title
U.S. Postal Service Governors: And Then There Were None Updated January 12, 2018 Background: U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors The Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service (hereinafter, the Board) was created by a provision of the Postal Reorganization Act in 1970 (PRA, 39 U.S.C. 202). The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) describes the Board as comparable to a board of directors of a private ...
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| Date Jan. 12, 2018 |
Report No. RL34413 |
Title
Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) Program: In Brief Updated January 12, 2018 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL34413 Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) Program: In Brief Summary The Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) program provides three different types of benefits to public safety officers and their survivors: death, disability, and education ...
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| Date Jan. 12, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10058 |
Title
Legal Sidebari The Logan Act: An Overview of a Sometimes Forgotten 18th Century Law January 12, 2018 The Logan Act, which has been the subject of much recent debate, generally makes it illegal for U.S. citizens to engage in unauthorized diplomacy with foreign countries with intent to influence the measures or conduct of a foreign government or to defeat the measures of the United States . . . . ...
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| Date Jan. 12, 2018 |
Report No. IF10307 |
Title
Updated January 12, 2018 A U.S.-China Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT): Issues and Implications Over the past three decades, U.S.-China commercial ties have expanded significantly. In 2017, China was the United States largest trading partner (with total merchandise trade estimated at $633 billion), while the United States was China s largest trading partner. Yet the level of bilateral foreign ...
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| Date Jan. 12, 2018 |
Report No. R45076 |
Title
Trends in Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering Enforcement Jay B. Sykes Legislative Attorney January 12, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45076 Trends in Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering Enforcement Summary This report provides an overview of recent trends in the enforcement of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), the principal U.S. anti-money laundering law regulating ...
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| Date Jan. 11, 2018 |
Report No. R45074 |
Title
Mandatory Minimum Sentencing of Federal Drug Offenses Charles Doyle Senior Specialist in American Public Law January 11, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45074 Mandatory Minimum Sentencing of Federal Drug Offenses Summary As a general rule, federal judges must impose a minimum term of imprisonment upon defendants convicted of various controlled substance (drug) offenses and ...
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| Date Jan. 11, 2018 |
Report No. R44674 |
Title
Funding and Financing Highways and Public Transportation Robert S. Kirk Specialist in Transportation Policy William J. Mallett Specialist in Transportation Policy January 11, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R44674 Funding and Financing Highways and Public Transportation Summary For many years, federal surface transportation programs were funded almost entirely from taxes on ...
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| Date Jan. 11, 2018 |
Report No. IF10806 |
Title
January 11, 2018 Bureau of Reclamation Project Authorization and Financing The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), an agency within the Department of the Interior (DOI), is responsible for the construction and maintenance of the majority of the large dams and water diversion structures in the 17 conterminous U.S. states west of the Mississippi River. Along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ( ...
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| Date Jan. 11, 2018 |
Report No. R45075 |
Title
Mandatory Minimum Sentencing of Federal Drug Offenses in Short Charles Doyle Senior Specialist in American Public Law January 11, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45075 Mandatory Minimum Sentencing of Federal Drug Offenses in Short Summary As a general rule, federal judges must impose a minimum term of imprisonment upon defendants convicted of various controlled substance ( ...
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| Date Jan. 11, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10036 |
Title
Legal Sidebari UPDATE: Who s the Boss at the CFPB? Updated January 11, 2018 Update: On January 10, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied Leandra English s request for a preliminary injunction, ruling that the Federal Vacancies Reform Act (Vacancies Act) authorized the President to appoint Mick Mulvaney to serve as the Acting Director of the CFPB. Since the Sidebar below ...
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| Date Jan. 11, 2018 |
Report No. IF10446 |
Title
Updated January 11, 2018 Regulating Lead in Drinking Water: Issues and Developments Introduction The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) authorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate contaminants in public water supplies. EPA regulates lead specifically through the 1991 Lead and Copper Rule (LCR; 40 C.F.R. Part 141 Subpart I). In the wake of detections of elevated lead levels in ...
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| Date Jan. 11, 2018 |
Report No. IF10805 |
Title
Updated January 11, 2018 Countering America s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATS Act) Deadlines, Time Frames, and Start Dates The Countering America s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATS Act; P.L. 115-44, signed into law August 2, 2017) requires a number of actions or reports of the executive branch within a specific timeframe, by a deadline, or starting from a specific date. The CAATS ...
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| Date Jan. 10, 2018 |
Report No. R45072 |
Title
Venezuela s Economic Crisis: Issues for Congress Rebecca M. Nelson Specialist in International Trade and Finance January 10, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45072 Venezuela s Economic Crisis: Issues for Congress Summary Venezuela s Economic Crisis: Overview Venezuela is facing a political crisis under the authoritarian rule of President Nicol s Maduro, who appears to have ...
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| Date Jan. 10, 2018 |
Report No. IN10847 |
Title
Transatlantic Relations in 2018 January 10, 2018 As the second year of the Trump Administration begins, a degree of uncertainty lingers over transatlantic relations. The U.S.-European partnership could face challenges in 2018. Following the election of President Trump, numerous European officials and analysts expressed concern about the future trajectory of U.S.-European relations, particularly ...
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| Date Jan. 10, 2018 |
Report No. TE10022 |
Title
Statement of Nicole T. Carter Specialist in Natural Resources Policy Before Committee on Environment and Public Works U.S. Senate Hearing on Water Infrastructure Needs and Challenges January 10, 2018 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov TE10022 Congressional Research Service 1 hairman Barrasso, ranking member Carper, and members of the committee, my name is Nicole Carter. ...
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| Date Jan. 10, 2018 |
Report No. IF10804 |
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January 10, 2018 Financial Reform: Muni Bonds and the LCR This In Focus reviews legislative proposals to require regulators to allow large banks to use municipal (muni) bonds to meet the requirements of the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR). Municipal bonds are debt securities issued by state and local governments or public entities to finance government spending and public activities. Certain bank ...
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| Date Jan. 10, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10054 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Attorney General s Memorandum on Federal Marijuana Enforcement: Possible Impacts Updated January 10, 2018 On January 4, 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent a memorandum on federal marijuana enforcement policy (Sessions Memorandum) to all U.S. Attorneys that immediately rescinds guidance documents specific to marijuana enforcement that were issued under the Obama ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2018 |
Report No. RL33872 |
Title
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): An Overview Laura B. Comay Analyst in Natural Resources Policy Michael Ratner Specialist in Energy Policy R. Eliot Crafton Analyst in Natural Resources Policy January 9, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33872 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): An Overview Summary In the ongoing energy debate in Congress, one recurring issue has ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2018 |
Report No. IF10802 |
Title
January 9, 2018 Spotlight on Public Corruption in Latin America Introduction Many perceive Latin America to be in the midst of a growing corruption crisis. Transparency International s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2016 found that respondents in most Latin American countries believed corruption was increasing. This perception is fueling civil society efforts to combat corrupt behavior and ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2018 |
Report No. IF10632 |
Title
Updated January 9, 2018 Key Issues in Tax Reform: Dynamic Scoring Dynamic scoring includes, in projections of revenue effects, indirect changes in tax collections due to the overall growth effects on the economy. If the economy becomes larger due to the tax revision, tax revenues are larger because of the larger base. Brief Summary of Current Practices The estimated revenue effects (i.e., the ...
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| Date Jan. 9, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10053 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Supreme Court to Hear Voter Roll Case: What Are the Implications? January 9, 2018 In what has been called a potentially major case on voting rights, on January 10, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court is to hear oral argument in Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute. Husted involves the question of whether an Ohio process for removing or purging names from its official voter registration ...
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| Date Jan. 8, 2018 |
Report No. IN10846 |
Title
INSIGHTi P.L. 115-97: Net Operating Losses January 8, 2018 The 2017 tax revision (P.L. 115-97) enacted on December 22, 2017, made significant changes to the federal tax system, including changes to the tax treatment of business net operating losses (NOLs). This Insight provides an overview of the tax treatment of NOLs that existed before the enactment of P.L. 11597 and the treatment of losses ...
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| Date Jan. 8, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10051 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Smart Toys and the Children s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 January 8, 2018 A growing number of devices in American households, including televisions, appliances, security systems, and heating and cooling devices, rely on Internet connectivity to perform a range of functions. And the Internet of Things includes a growing number of products primarily used by children, ...
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| Date Jan. 8, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10050 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Congress Considers Reform to Queries of FISA Information as Reauthorization Deadline Approaches Updated January 8, 2018 UPDATE: The House Rules Committee has announced a meeting to consider H.R. 4478 on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 (as an amendment in the nature of a substitute to S. 139). The text of the original post follows below. Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance ...
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| Date Jan. 8, 2018 |
Report No. IF10801 |
Title
January 8, 2018 Possible Additional Sanctions on Iran Overview For nearly four decades, U.S. sanctions have constituted a key component of U.S. policy toward Iran. U.S. secondary sanctions on foreign firms that conduct transactions with Iran have been a significant feature of those sanctions since 1996. The July 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, ...
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| Date Jan. 5, 2018 |
Report No. R45069 |
Title
Drug Compounding: FDA Authority and Possible Issues for Congress Agata Dabrowska Analyst in Health Policy January 5, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45069 Drug Compounding: FDA Authority and Issues for Congress Summary Drug compounding is a process by which a pharmacist or physician combines, mixes, or alters various drug ingredients to create a drug to meet the unique ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2018 |
Report No. LSB10016 |
Title
Legal Sidebari EPA Proposes to Repeal the Clean Power Plan Updated January 4, 2018 UPDATE: On December 28, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking information on a potential replacement to the Clean Power Plan (CPP) the emissions guidelines for greenhouse gases (GHGs) from existing power plants that the agency ...
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| Date Jan. 4, 2018 |
Report No. IF10242 |
Title
Updated January 4, 2018 The European Union and Latin America Background The European Union s (EU s) interest in developing closer relations with the Latin America/Caribbean (LAC) region was formalized in 1990, when the EU held its first summit with the former Rio Group, which became the official forum for the political dialogue between the EU and Latin America (the Rio Group was founded in 1986 by ...
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| Date Jan. 3, 2018 |
Report No. R42841 |
Title
Army Corps Supplemental Appropriations: History, Trends, and Policy Issues Nicole T. Carter Specialist in Natural Resources Policy Charles V. Stern Specialist in Natural Resources Policy January 3, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R42841 Army Corps Supplemental Appropriations: History, Trends, and Policy Issues Summary Congress directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) ...
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| Date Jan. 2, 2018 |
Report No. R43458 |
Title
Child Welfare: An Overview of Federal Programs and Their Current Funding Emilie Stoltzfus Specialist in Social Policy January 2, 2018 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43458 Child Welfare: An Overview of Federal Programs and Their Current Funding Summary Child welfare services are intended to prevent the abuse or neglect of children; ensure that children have safe, permanent homes ...
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| Date Dec. 29, 2017 |
Report No. IN10845 |
Title
INSIGHTi P.L. 115-97: The Mortgage Interest Deduction December 29, 2017 P.L. 115-97, the 2017 tax revision, was enacted on December 22, 2017. The law makes significant changes to the federal tax system, including to the mortgage interest deduction. This Insight briefly explains the 2017 law governing the mortgage interest deduction and the modifications made to the deduction by P.L. 115-97. 2017 ...
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| Date Dec. 29, 2017 |
Report No. IF10800 |
Title
December 29, 2017 Agricultural Trade Balances Under NAFTA A focus on trade deficits has emerged as an important fixture of the Trump Administration s trade policy, including its ongoing review of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Merchandise trade deficits (or surpluses) refer to an accounting of the net balance of exports and imports of goods. In agricultural trade, the U.S. ...
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| Date Dec. 26, 2017 |
Report No. R45053 |
Title
The Federal Tax System for the 2017 Tax Year Molly F. Sherlock Specialist in Public Finance Donald J. Marples Specialist in Public Finance December 26, 2017 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45053 The Federal Tax System for the 2017 Tax Year Summary The 115th Congress has passed legislation that substantially changes the U.S. federal tax system (H.R. 1). This report describes the ...
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| Date Dec. 22, 2017 |
Report No. IN10768 |
Title
Floodplain Management and Flood Resilience: Current Policy and Considerations for Congress Updated December 22, 2017 An issue for Congress is how federal floodplain policy shapes implementation of federal projects and programs. Floodplain policy has particular relevance for federal disaster recovery assistance and infrastructure support. President Trump and, earlier, Presidents Obama and Carter ...
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| Date Dec. 22, 2017 |
Report No. IN10844 |
Title
Policy Options to Increase Physician Training Education in Proper Opioid Prescribing December 22, 2017 Among the recommendations of the President s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis (President s Commission) is to mandate medical education and prescriber education initiatives in proper opioid prescribing and risks of developing an SUD [Substance Use Disorder]. This ...
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| Date Dec. 22, 2017 |
Report No. IF10796 |
Title
December 22, 2017 Comparing Key Elements of H.R. 1 to 2017 Tax Law H.R. 1 was passed in both the House and the Senate on December 20, 2017 (before the final version was passed, this bill was called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act). The act substantively changes the federal tax system. This In Focus compares selected key elements of the act, as passed on December 20, 2017, to current law as of 2017. It ...
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| Date Dec. 21, 2017 |
Report No. R45051 |
Title
Tailoring Bank Regulations: Differences in Bank Size, Activities, and Capital Levels David W. Perkins Analyst in Macroeconomic Policy December 21, 2017 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45051 Tailoring Bank Regulations: Differences in Bank Size, Activities, and Capital Levels Summary Banking organizations differ across a multitude of characteristics. The amount of assets they hold ...
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| Date Dec. 21, 2017 |
Report No. LSB10048 |
Title
Legal Sidebari Supreme Court Declines to Review Ninth Circuit Decision Applying Federal Reserved Water Rights Doctrine to Groundwater Alexandra M. Wyatt Legislative Attorney December 21, 2017 The 2012-2016 drought in California and parts of other western states may have ended, but availability of water will continue to present issues for Congress to consider. While state, rather than federal, law ...
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| Date Dec. 19, 2017 |
Report No. R44341 |
Title
EPA s Clean Power Plan for Existing Power Plants: Frequently Asked Questions James E. McCarthy Specialist in Environmental Policy Jonathan L. Ramseur Specialist in Environmental Policy Jane A. Leggett Specialist in Energy and Environmental Policy Linda Tsang Legislative Attorney Kate C. Shouse Analyst in Environmental Policy December 19, 2017 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov ...
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| Date Dec. 19, 2017 |
Report No. R45012 |
Title
Division A of H.R. 3922: The CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act Elayne J. Heisler, Coordinator Specialist in Health Services Adrienne L. Fernandes-Alcantara Specialist in Social Policy Bernadette Fernandez Specialist in Health Care Financing Sarah A. Lister Specialist in Public Health and Epidemiology December 19, 2017 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45012 Division A of H.R. 3922: The ...
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| Date Dec. 19, 2017 |
Report No. R45049 |
Title
Educational Assessment and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Rebecca R. Skinner Specialist in Education Policy December 19, 2017 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45049 Educational Assessment and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Summary The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; P.L. 114-95), specifies ...
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| Date Dec. 19, 2017 |
Report No. IN10021 |
Title
The Deduction for Out-of-Pocket Teacher Expenses Updated December 19, 2017 While both the House and Senate tax reform proposals proposed changing the above-the-line deduction for out-of-pocket teacher expenses, the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1 ultimately retains the current law deduction. The House proposal, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1), would have repealed the deduction. In ...
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| Date Dec. 19, 2017 |
Report No. IN10831 |
Title
INSIGHTi Contested Elections in Honduras Updated December 19, 2017 Honduras has descended into political crisis in the aftermath of disputed elections held on November 26, 2017. On election night, with 57% of the vote counted, Salvador Nasralla, a television personality and sports commentator backed by the left-leaning Opposition Alliance Against the Dictatorship, held a fivepoint lead over ...
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| Date Dec. 19, 2017 |
Report No. IN10842 |
Title
The 2017 National Security Strategy: Issues for Congress December 19, 2017 On December 18, 2017, the Trump Administration released its first National Security Strategy (NSS). The document maintains that, in addition to the threats posed to the United States by rogue regimes and violent extremist organizations that have been a central focus of national security policy since the end of the Cold War, ...
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| Date Dec. 19, 2017 |
Report No. R45048 |
Title
Basic Concepts and Technical Considerations in Educational Assessment: A Primer Rebecca R. Skinner Specialist in Education Policy December 19, 2017 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R45048 Basic Concepts and Technical Considerations in Educational Assessment: A Primer Summary Federal education legislation continues to emphasize the role of assessment in elementary and secondary ...
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| Date Dec. 19, 2017 |
Report No. LSB10047 |
Title
Legal Sidebari What Happens if H.R. 1 Conflicts with U.S. Tax Treaties? December 19, 2017 When a provision in the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) conflicts with a U.S. tax treaty, which takes precedence over the other? This question may be of interest to Congress as it considers the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1), amid reports discussing whether certain provisions in the bill may be inconsistent with ...
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| Date Dec. 19, 2017 |
Report No. IF10793 |
Title
December 19, 2017 The Child Tax Credit and the Conference Report to H.R. 1 The Credit for 2017 In 2017, the child tax credit (CTC) allows taxpayers to reduce their federal income tax liability by up to $1,000 per qualifying child. A family with four qualifying children, for example, is eligible for a credit of up to $4,000. If the value of the credit exceeds the amount of tax a family owes, the ...
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| Date Dec. 19, 2017 |
Report No. IF10792 |
Title
December 19, 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1): Conference Agreement The Tax Cut and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) was released by the conference committee on December 15, 2017. The bill contains some elements of the House tax reform blueprint, the Better Way, released in 2016. Individual Tax Revisions The bill would replace the current seven rate brackets (10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33%, 35%, and 39.6%) with tax ...
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