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CRS Legislative Subject Terms Used in THOMAS

Beginning with the 111th Congress, all legislative measures are assigned at least one Subject term drawn from a new list of terms presented on this page. The Subject terms are designed to better group legislation, to improve consistency, and to shorten the time it takes to add Subject terms to bills. Subject terms can also be assigned from a large list of terms corresponding to geographic areas (foreign and domestic), U.S. government entities, and congressional committees. See the CRS Named-Entity Subject Terms for a complete list of those terms. Subject term assignment is cumulative; that is, it is added to in order to reflect revisions (if any) made to the measure as it moves through the legislative process.

When looking at the Subject terms assigned to a bill or resolution, you will notice that the first term on the list appears out of alphabetical order. This is the Top Term for the measure, and it corresponds to the broad category that best describes the concerns of the measure's text. Top Terms are represented by the bold "umbrella" terms on the list below.

Terms assigned to legislation from the 110th and earlier Congresses came from a list that was based upon a thesaurus known as the Legislative Indexing Vocabulary (LIV).  CRS plans to convert the LIV terms assigned to bills from the 93rd through the 110th Congresses to the new Subject terms as time and resources permit.  The conversion will be gradual and will be completed over the coming months.

All terms that have been assigned to bills in the Bill Summary and Status files may be located by clicking on the Subject Terms Browse Page, an alphabetical list of terms used to date that shows their frequency of assignment.

Agriculture and Food
Agricultural conservation and pollution
Agricultural education
Agricultural insurance
Agricultural labor
Agricultural marketing and promotion
Agricultural pests
Agricultural practices and innovations
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Agricultural research
Agricultural trade
Animal and plant health
Aquaculture
Farmland
Food industry and services
Food assistance and relief
Food supply, safety, and labeling
Fruit and vegetables
General agriculture matters
Grain
Horticulture and plants
Meat

Animals
Animal protection and human-animal relationships
Birds
Endangered and threatened species
Fishes
Livestock
Mammals
Reptiles
Veterinary medicine and animal diseases
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Armed Forces and National Security
Defense spending
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
Military assistance and sales, agreements, alliances
Military civil functions
Military command and structure
Military facilities and property
Military history
Military law
Military operations and strategy
Military personnel and dependents
Military procurement, research, weapons development
Military readiness
National Guard and reserves
Nuclear weapons
Strategic materials and reserves
Subversive activities
Veterans' medical care
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs
Veterans' pensions and compensation
War and emergency powers

Arts, Culture, Religion
Art, artists, authorship
Books and print media
Cultural exchanges and relations
Digital media
Historical and cultural resources
Humanities programs funding
Language and bilingual programs
Libraries and archives
Literature
Museums, exhibitions, cultural centers
Music
Performing arts
Religion
Sound recording
Television and film

Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Abortion
Age discrimination
Detention of persons
Disability and health-based discrimination
Due process and equal protection
Employment discrimination
Ethnic studies
First Amendment rights
Freedom of information
Pornography
Property rights
Protest and dissent
Racial and ethnic relations
Right of privacy
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Voting rights

Commerce
Business ethics
Business investment and capital
Business records
Competition and antitrust
Consumer affairs
Corporate finance and management
Gambling
General business and commerce matters
Industrial facilities
Industrial policy and productivity
Intellectual property
Manufacturing
Marketing and advertising
Minority and disadvantaged businesses
Product development and innovation
Product safety and quality
Retail and wholesale trades
Small business
Trade secrets and economic espionage
Women in business

Congress
Congressional agencies
Congressional committees
Congressional elections
Congressional leadership
Congressional officers and employees
Congressional operations and organization
Congressional oversight
House of Representatives
Legislative rules and procedure
Members of Congress
Senate
U.S. Capitol

Crime and Law Enforcement
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Crime prevention
Crimes against animals and natural resources
Crimes against children
Crimes against property
Crimes against women
Criminal justice information and records
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Firearms
Fraud offenses
Hate crimes
Computer crimes and identity theft
Investigation, prosecution, interrogation methods
Juvenile crime and gang violence
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Organized crime
Smuggling and trafficking
Terrorism
Violent crime
White-collar crime

Economics and Public Finance
Appropriations
Budget deficits and national debt
Budget process
Economic development
Economic performance and conditions
Economic theory
Government trust funds
Inflation, prices, interest rates
Monetary policy
State and local finance
User charges and fees

Education
Academic performance and assessments
Adult education and literacy
Area studies and international education
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Educational facilities and institutions
Educational technology and distance education
Elementary and secondary education
Foreign language
General education matters
Higher education
Minority education
Preschool education
Literacy and language arts
Special education
Student aid and college costs
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Vocational education
Women's education

Emergency Management
Accidents
Civil disturbances
Disaster relief and insurance
Emergency communications systems
Emergency planning and evacuation
Fires
Homeland security
Natural disasters

Energy
Alternative and renewable resources
Coal
Electric power generation and transmission
Energy assistance for the poor and aged
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy prices
Energy research
Energy revenues and royalties
Energy storage, supplies, demand
General energy matters
Hybrid, electric, and advanced technology vehicles
Lighting and heating
Motor fuels
Nuclear power
Oil and gas
Public utilities and utility rates

Environmental Protection
Air quality
Climate change
Coastal and marine pollution
Ecology
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Environmental regulatory procedures
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Noise pollution
Pollution liability
Radioactive wastes and releases
Soil pollution
Solid waste and recycling
Water quality

Families
Adoption and foster care
Adult day care
Child care
Child safety and welfare
Domestic violence and child abuse
Family planning and birth control
Family relationships
Marriage and family status
Separation, divorce, custody, support
Teenage pregnancy

Finance and Financial Sector
Accounting and auditing
Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Bankruptcy
Commodities markets
Consumer credit
Financial crises and failures
Financial literacy
Financial services and investments
Insurance industry and regulation
Interest and interest rates
Real estate business
Securities

Foreign Trade and International Finance
Buy American requirements
Competitiveness, trade promotion, trade deficits
Foreign and international corporations
Foreign loans and debt
Free trade and trade barriers
Foreign and international banking
International monetary system and foreign exchange
Normal trade relations, most-favored-nation treatment
Tariffs
Trade adjustment assistance
Trade agreements and negotiations
Trade restrictions
U.S. and foreign investments

Government Operations and Politics
Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Census and government statistics
Claims and government liability
Commemorations, monuments, memorials
Community life and organization
Congressional-executive branch relations
Currency
District of Columbia affairs
Elections, voting, political campaign regulation
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal preemption
Federally chartered organizations
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government corporations and government-sponsored enterprises
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Government investigations
Holidays and commemorations
Intergovernmental relations
National symbols
Performance measurement
Political parties and affiliation
Political representation
Postal service
Presidents and presidential powers
Public contracts and procurement
Public participation and lobbying
State and local government operations
U.S. territories and protectorates

Health
Aging
Allergies
Allied health services
Alternative treatments
Birth control
Birth defects
Blood and blood diseases
Cancer
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Child health
Comprehensive health care
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Drug and radiation therapy
Dental care
Digestive and metabolic diseases
Disability and paralysis
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
Embryology
Emergency medical services
Environmental health
General health and health care finance matters
Genetics
Geriatrics and gerontology
Health care costs and insurance
Health personnel
Health care quality
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health promotion and preventive care
Health programs administration and funding
Health technology, devices, supplies
Hearing, speech, and vision care
Hereditary and development disorders
HIV/AIDS
Home and outpatient care
Hospital care
Immunology
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Medicaid
Medical education
Medical ethics
Medical research
Medicare
Mental health
Minority health
Musculoskeletal and skin diseases
Neurological disorders
Nursing
Nutrition and diet
Organ and tissue donation and transplantation
Physical fitness and lifestyle
Prescription drugs
Sex and reproductive health
Sexually transmitted diseases
Surgery and anesthesia
Women's health
World health

Housing and Community Development
Cooperative and condominium housing
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Housing and community development funding
Housing finance and home ownership
Housing for the elderly and disabled
Housing industry, construction, standards
Housing supply and affordability
Low- and moderate-income housing
Public housing
Residential rehabilitation and home repair
Rural conditions and development
Small towns
Urban and suburban affairs and development

Immigration
Border security and unlawful immigration
Citizenship and naturalization
Foreign labor
Human trafficking
Immigrant health and welfare
Immigration status and procedures
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Visas and passports

International Affairs
Arab-Israeli relations
Arms control and nonproliferation
Collective security
Conflicts and wars
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Foreign aid and international relief
General foreign operations matters
Human rights
International exchange and broadcasting
International finance and foreign exchange
International law and treaties
International organizations and cooperation
Militias and paramilitary groups
Multilateral development programs
Reconstruction and stabilization
Rule of law and government transparency
Sanctions
Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status

Labor and Employment
Employee benefits and pensions
Employment and training programs
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Employee leave
Labor standards
Labor-management relations
Migrant, seasonal, agricultural labor
Unemployment
Women's employment
Worker safety and health
Youth employment and child labor

Law
Administrative remedies
Civil actions and liability
Constitution and constitutional amendments
Contracts and agency
Judicial procedure and administration
Evidence and witnesses
Federal appellate courts
Federal district courts
Judicial review and appeals
Jurisdiction and venue
Lawyers and legal services
Specialized courts
State and local courts
Supreme Court

Native Americans
Alaska Natives and Hawaiians
Federal-Indian relations
General Native American affairs matters
Indian claims
Indian lands and resources rights
Indian social and development programs

Public Lands and Natural Resources
Earth sciences and observation
Forests
General public lands matters
Historic sites and heritage areas
Land transfers
Land use and conservation
Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
Metals
Mining
Monuments and memorials
Parks, recreation areas, trails
Polar regions
Seashores and lakeshores
Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats

Science, Technology, Communications
Advanced technology and technological innovations
Astronomy
Atmospheric science and weather
Broadcasting, cable, digital media
Computers and information technology
General science and technology matters
International scientific cooperation
Internet and video services
Photography and imaging
Political advertising
Research administration and funding
Research and development
Research ethics
Science and engineering education
Spacecraft and satellites
Space flight and exploration
Technology transfer and commercialization
Telecommunication rates and fees
Telephone and wireless communication
Time and calendar

Social Sciences and History
Archaeology and anthropology
Behavioral sciences
Policy sciences
Military history
Presidential administrations
U.S. history
World history

Social Welfare
Disability assistance
National and community service
Poverty and welfare assistance
Social security and elderly assistance
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Sports and Recreation
Athletes
Games and hobbies
Olympic games
Outdoor recreation
Professional sports
School athletics
Sports and recreation facilities

Taxation
Employment taxes
General taxation matters
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Income tax deferral
Income tax exclusion
Income tax rates
Sales and excise taxes
State and local taxation
Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Tax reform and tax simplification
Tax-exempt organizations
Taxation of foreign income
Transfer and inheritance taxes

Transportation and Public Works
Aviation and airports
Coast guard
Infrastructure development
Marine and inland water transportation
Motor carriers
Motor vehicles
Navigation, waterways, harbors
Pedestrians and bicycling
Pipelines
Public transit
Railroads
Roads and highways
Transportation employees
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security
Travel and tourism

Water Resources Development
Aquatic ecology
Dams and canals
Floods and storm protection
Hydrology and hydrography
Lakes and rivers
Water storage
Water use and supply
Watersheds
Wetlands