This paper provides a brief legislative history of the program of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), which was created by the Social Security Act of 1935. From the beginning each State has set its own benefit levels; but over the years Congress has altered many features of AFDC, including potential eligibility, treatment of earnings, and Federal share of funding. The paper traces these changes.,Vee Burke, Specialist in Social Legislation, Education and Public Welfare Division,CRS 84-546 EPW,"February 24, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program began in FY 1982, replacing the Community Services Administration (CSA), a former independent executive branch agency. CSA itself had succeeded the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), a key component of the War of Poverty in the mid-1960s. Most of the local antipoverty agencies which operated under OEO still are functioning under the Community Services Block Grant program. The 98th Congress is considering legislation to reauthorize the CSBG. This paper explains the history the antipoverty program, provides budget information and current program data, and discusses the pending legislation.,Abstract -- Introduction -- Brief History -- The Community Services Block Grant Act -- Budget -- Program Data -- Reauthorization -- Appendix: State Allotments of CSBG Funds, FYs 1983 and 1984.,CRS 84-657 EPW,"May 30, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

Many congressional offices find it occasionally useful to review the significance of foreign trade, especially exports, in the economies of their States or some region of special interest to them. This report is designed to provide an overview of what information is available, evaluate its usefulness, and explain how to obtain existing data.,CRS 84-588 E,"April 2, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

Concerns about the increasing levels of debt incurred by postsecondary education students have been expressed with growing frequency in the past several years, particularly with regard to the borrowing by graduate and professional level students. This paper reviews and assesses what has recently been reported on the levels of debt being accumulated by postsecondary students, what various analyses have concluded is the threshold for manageable debt, and what the results are when educational debt manageability thresholds are applied to current levels of student debt. nThe general findings of the paper are that: (1) the data on student borrowing are very limited; (2) the largest amounts of money are being borrowed by professional level students, particularly those in medicine and law; (3) it is not clear how burdensome these levels of debt are; and (4) the manageable debt burden thresholds have a number of serious problems and, at best, provide only crude measures of the extent to which students incur unmanageable levels of debt.,CRS 84-585 EPW,"March 19, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

The following bibliography lists important published information and opinion about the Federal regulation of trucking in the United States. The entries of the bibliography appeared in print from 1975, when the deregulation of Federal control over trucking routes, rates, entry, and exit became a prominent issue nationally, to June 1984, the date of this report.,CRS 84-665 E,"June 28, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

This annotated bibliography of books and articles covers election campaign management, political consultants, use of the media by candidates, and press coverage of election campaigns. It includes selected material dating from 1972.,CRS 84-567 L,"March 19, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

This report includes information on Federal education programs which provide educational and related services to children and youth who have a limited proficiency in the English language. Program descriptions, as well as the estimated number of program participants, grants awarded, and Federal funds used for these activities, are also included.,CRS 84-543 EPW,"February 21, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

Since 1979, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has expended considerable effort on developing an approach to protect groundwater from pollution. Because groundwater protection has traditionally been a right of the States, EPA sought to develop a groundwater protection strategy that would establish agency policy to protect groundwater under existing Federal statutes, but be sensitive to the rights and protection efforts of the States. EPA's efforts to prepare a groundwater strategy have been controversial and the strategy has been redrafted three times. This report compares and contrasts the three EPA groundwater strategies. EPA's executive summary of the proposed third version of the groundwater strategy is included in an appendix.,Abstract -- Overview of EPA's Groundwater Protection Strategy Development -- Groundwater Strategy #1. Key Concepts ; Approach -- Groundwater Strategy #2. Key Concepts ; Approach -- Groundwater Strategy #3. Key Concepts ; Approach -- Comparison of the EPA Groundwater Protection Strategies -- Appendix I: A Ground-Water Protection Strategy for the Environmental Protection Agency, January 1984, Executive Summary -- Appendix II: Letters Exchanged Between Interior Secretary James G. Watt and Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt on the EPA Groundwater Policy.,CRS 84-528 ENR,"February 8, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

This report portrays and discusses Federal spending for education programs in the context of a 26-year span: the past 20 years of actual experience (1963-1982) and the spending plan for the next six years proposed in the President's 1984 budget. In addition to the 26-year perspective, various measures such as spending in constant dollars, as a percent of the gross national product (GNP), as a percent of total Federal budget and annual and cumulative change analyses are used to help the reader gain a sense of context and perspective.,CRS 83-532 EPW,"July 14, 1983.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

David M. Ackerman, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division.,CRS 84-843 A,"October 18, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

The right of satellite dish owners to tune into cable programs being relayed by satellite signals has been the subject of extensive consideration by the 98th Congress. On October 30, 1984, enactment of Public Law No. 98-549, effective on December 29, 1984, provided a statutory right of backyard dish owners to watch cable programming being carried by the unencrypted satellite signals. However, if the owners to the rights of such programming establish a marketing system for the sale of such viewing rights, the dish owners are obligated to purchase such rights at the agreed upon price. nThe report briefly discusses the provisions and context of this new law. A more in-depth analysis of the subject area is contained in the CRS report entitled Unauthorized Reception of Communications Satellite Signals Carrying Video Programs dated August 6, 1984 (before passage of the new law).,Pages 3, 5, 7, and 9 are missing.,David R. Siddall, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division.,CRS 84-846 A,"December 14, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

This report describes the technical, environmental and economic considerations that shape the potential for methanol-powered vehicles to displace conventionally-powered cars and buses. It also identifies Federal policies which affect methanol vehicle development, fuel use and fuel production. The major proposals to encourage methanol vehicle use, including H.R. 4855 (Sharp) and H.R. 5075 (Broyhill), are examined; and their policy options are discussed.,Abstract -- Introduction -- Background. Current Use of Methanol for Transportation ; Potential for Methanol Vehicles; Experience with Methanol Cars ; Environmental Advantages ; Environmental Disadvantages ; Sources of Methanol Fuel Production ; Methanol Fuel Industry ; Economics of Fuel Use Production ; Consumer Fuel Costs ; Costs of Producing Methanol from Coal ; Employment Impact of Coal-to-Methanol Plants ; Methanol Imports May Compete with Methanol From Domestic Coal ; Other Alternatives to Gasoline-Powered Vehicles ; Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) ; Synthetic Gasoline ; Ethanol ; Electric Cars -- Federal Program and Policies. Methaol Vehicle and Fuel Use Policy; Department of Transportation ; Environmental Protection Agency ; White House Methanol Policy Group; Methanol Fuel Production Policy -- Barriers to Commercialization -- Summary and Analysis of Policy Options for Congressional Action. (1) Federal Passenger Car Pilot Program ; (2) Federal Bus Pilot Program ; (3) Executive Agency Car Acquisition Program ; (4) State and Local Bus Purchases with Federal Funds ; (5) Passenger Car Tax Credits ; (6) Interagency Methanol Commission ; (7) Methanol Energy Equivalency ; (8) Methanol Fuel Tax Exemption for Natural Gas ; (9) Allocation of Highway Revenue ; (10) Emission Test Procedures ; (11) Turbine and Boiler Studies and Demonstrations ; (12) Pipeline Transport Study -- Concluding Observations,CRS 84-621 SPR,"May 1, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

David M. Ackerman, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division,CRS 84-842 A,"September 26, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

This paper provides background information and a discussion of issues related to: (1) trends in achievement test scores in elementary and secondary education; (2) trends in Federal aid to education at that level; and (3) possible direct and indirect relationships between the achievement test score trends and Federal programs.,Introduction -- Recent Trends in Achievement Test Scores -- Trends in Funding for, and Participation in, Federal Programs of Aid for Elementary and Secondary Education -- Discussion of the Direct Impact of Federal Aid to Elementary and Secondary Education: Relationships of Achievement Test Scores and Federal Program Participation -- Discussion of Possible Indirect Effects of Federal Assistance on Achievement in Elementary and Secondary Education,CRS 84-627 EPW,"May 3, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

Rita Ann Reimer, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division.,CRS 84-862 A,"December 14, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

Robert Meltz, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division.,CRS 85-976 A,"September 3, 1985.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

Under the Tax Reform Act of 1986 (H.R. 3838) there would be only two statutory marginal tax rates for individuals, 15 and 28 percent. In addition to reducing statutory marginal tax rates, H.R. 3838 would phase out certain tax provisions over various income ranges. These phaseout provisions would produce an effective marginal tax rate schedule considerably different from the statutory schedule. This paper describes the phaseout provisions contained in H.R. 3838 and analyzes their effects on marginal tax rates.,Abstract -- Phaseout of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) -- Phaseout of Deductible IRA Contributions -- Phaseout of the 15 Percent Tax Rate Bracket -- Phaseout of Losses from Passive Activities -- Phaseout of the Personal Exemption -- Summary.,CRS 86-912 E,"September 26, 1986.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

This document provides (1) background information on hospice care and a summary of current law provisions authorizing coverage for hospice care under Medicare; (2) information on the National Hospice Study; (3) information on the implementation of the hospice benefit; and (4) a discussion of hospice issues.,Richard J. Price, Specialist in Social Legislation, Education and Public Welfare Division.,CRS 84-756,"September 19, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

This Editorial Commentary includes editorials on the problem of drunk driving in the United States selected from 100 newspapers monitored by the Congressional Research Service. The Commentary is divided into four sections focusing on different aspects of the problem. The first section concentrates on general commentary on drunk driving, the second laws and legislative efforts, the third roadblocks and their legality, and the final one the elimination of "happy hours" at bars. The editorials are arranged chronologically within each section.,Abstract -- Contents -- General -- Laws and Legislative Efforts -- Roadblocks -- Bars and "Happy Hours.",Marsha K. Cerny, Senior Bibliographer, Education and Public Welfare, Library Services Division,CRS 84-830 L,"December 21, 1984.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3

Rita Ann Reimer, Legislative Attorney, American Law Division.,CRS 85-890 A,"July 19, 1985.",SuDoc# LC 14. 18/3