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U.S. Immigration Policy: Chart Book of Key Trends, Ruth Ellen Wasem, Specialist in Immigration Policy, March 7, 2013 “This report is a chart book of selected immigration trends that touch on the main elements of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). Most policymakers agree that the main issues in CIR include increased border security and immigration enforcement, …
Firearm Legislation and Firearm-Related Fatalities in the United States. Eric W. Fleegler, MD, MPH; Lois K. Lee, MD, MPH; Michael C. Monuteaux, ScD; David Hemenway, PhD; Rebekah Mannix, MD, MPH “Results: Over the 4-year study period, there were 121 084 firearm fatalities. The average state-based firearm fatality rates varied from a high of 17.9 (Louisiana) …
EFF: “Last year, Maryland became the first state to explicitly prohibit employers from forcing applicants or workers to disclose their personal names or passwords as a condition of employment. California followed soon after with its own measure, which further bars private employers from even requesting access to their workers social-media accounts. According to the National …
“EPIC Appellate Advocacy Counsel Alan Butler testified before the Maryland House Judiciary Committee on H.B. 887, a location privacy bill that will establish a search warrant requirement for the collection of private location information. Mr. Butler discussed the current state of location tracking and privacy under the state and federal constitutions. The Maryland bill will …
“Sequestration, sometimes called the sequester, is a process that automatically cuts the federal budget across most departments and agencies. Congress included the threat of sequestration in the Budget Control Act of 2011 as a way to encourage compromise on deficit reduction efforts. Congress couldnt agree on a budget by the deadline set in the Budget …
CRS – Unauthorized Aliens: Policy Options for Providing Targeted Immigration Relief, Andorra Bruno, Specialist in Immigration Policy, February 13, 2013 “The 113th Congress is expected to consider comprehensive immigration reform legislation. If and when it does, a key challenge will be how to address the unauthorized alien population, estimated to number some 11 million. The …
“The history of the U.S. Congress is documented in the official records of Congress, the private and personal papers of members of Congress, and many other sources. Official records and some personal papers are located in the National Archives at the Center for Legislative Archives, but most personal papers are geographically dispersed in repositories around …
Unemployment Insurance: Legislative Issues in the 113th Congress, January 25, 2013 “The 113th Congress may face a number of issues related to currently available unemployment insurance programs: Unemployment Compensation (UC), temporary Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08), and Extended Benefits (EB). With the national unemployment rate decreasing but still high, the weekly demand for regular and extended …
Amy Ngai, Sunlight Foundation: “Do you ever find yourself looking up state legislative information? Instead of hopping from one legislative website to the next, Open States allows you to search and explore legislative data from all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico — from a single site. The free tool also lets you identify your …
News release: “Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced a final rule that will make purchasing health coverage easier for consumers. The policies outlined today will give consumers a consistent way to compare and enroll in health coverage in the individual and small group markets, while giving states and insurers …
“When you apply for a mortgage, it can sometimes be hard to understand how much of a monthly payment you can afford. That’s why the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau introduced the Ability-to-Repay rule, which requires lenders to ensure that you can pay back the loan (plus interest) over the long term.”
Taxation of Unemployment Benefits, Julie M. Whittaker, Specialist in Income Security, February 7, 2013 “Unemployment compensation (UC) benefits have been fully subject to the federal income tax since the passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-514). Under tax law, unemployment compensation is a broad category that includes regular state UC benefits, extended …
