WASHINGTON, March 11 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper on the armed drones - evolution as a counterterrorism tool (No. IF12342) on March 10, 2023, by John W. Rollins, terrorism and national security specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Armed Drones: Evolution as a Counterterrorism Tool Armed drones (also commonly called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs) are unmanned aircraft designed to identify, surveil, and engage ground-based targets - rangi more PR

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper on the Bureau of Land Management's Fiscal 2023 Appropriations (No. IF12187) on March 3, 2023, by natural resources policy specialist Carol Hardy Vincent. Here are excerpts: * * * Bureau of Land Management: FY2023 Appropriations The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in the Department of the Interior (DOI), manages 244 million acres of federal land, nearly all in the West. Under its multiple-use  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper on the calculation and use of the disaster relief allowable adjustment (No. IF10720) on March 6, 2023, by Taylor N. Riccard, government organization and management analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Calculation and Use of the Disaster Relief Allowable Adjustment The Budget Control Act (P.L. 112-25, hereinafter the BCA) established mechanisms to limit federal spending, as well as ways to adjust more PR

WASHINGTON, March 8 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper on the copyright law (No. IF12339) on March 7, 2023, by legislative attorney Kevin J. Hickey: * * * Copyright Law: An Introduction and Issues for Congress Copyright law grants the authors of original creative works a set of exclusive rights in their creations, including the right to prevent others from copying or selling the work without the copyright holder's permission. The U.S. Constitution more PR

WASHINGTON, March 8 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper on the duplicate Congressional Gold Medals (No. IF10934) on March 7, 2023, by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus. Here are excerpts: * * * Duplicate Congressional Gold Medals: Frequently Asked Questions Congressional Gold Medals (CGMs) are awarded by acts of Congress to express public gratitude for distinguished contributions, dramatize the virtues of patriotism, and perpetuate the remembranc more PR

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper on the federal regional commissions and authorities (No. IF11140) on March 6, 2023, by economic development policy analyst Julie M. Lawhorn. Here are excerpts: * * * Federal Regional Commissions and Authorities: Overview of Structure and Activities Federal regional commissions and authorities address perceived regional economic underdevelopment. These organizations generally accommodate multil more PR

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper on the FEMA assistance - Limited English Proficiency and equity (No. IF12263) on March 6, 2023. The white paper was written by Erica A. Lee and Elizabeth M. Webster, emergency management and disaster recovery analysts, Meghan M. Stuessy, government organization and management analyst, and Jill C. Gallagher, telecommunications policy analyst: * * * FEMA Assistance: Limited English Proficiency an more PR

WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper on the Foreign Agents Registration Act (No. IF11439) on March 9, 2023, by legislative attorney Whitney K. Novak: * * * Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA): A Legal Overview In 1938, Congress enacted the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to reduce the influence of foreign propaganda circulating in the United States. Anticipating that greater transparency could help achieve these ends,  more PR

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper on forming a funded Federal Regional Commission (No. IF12263) on March 6, 2023, by economic development policy analyst Julie M. Lawhorn. Here are excerpts: * * * Forming a Funded Federal Regional Commission During the 117th Congress, the Senate confirmed the nominations of the federal co-chairs for the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC) and the Southwest Border Regional Commission ( more PR

WASHINGTON, March 8 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper on Libya and U.S. Policy (No. IF11556) on March 7, 2023, by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Christopher M. Blanchard: Here are excerpts: * * * Libya and U.S. Policy Twelve years after a 2011 uprising that toppled longtime authoritarian leader Muammar al Qadhafi, Libya has yet to make a transition to stable governing arrangements. Elections and diplomacy have produced a series of interim gove more PR

WASHINGTON, March 9 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper on the limiting lead in public water supplies (No. IF12341) on March 8, 2023, by environmental policy analyst Elena H. Humphreys: * * * Limiting Lead in Public Water Supplies: An Overview of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Regulatory Actions Exposure to lead can be harmful to human health, particularly children's health, even at low levels. Lead's adverse health effects have resulte more PR

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper on the sovereign debt concerns in developing countries (No. IF11880) on March 6, 2023, by Martin A. Weiss, international trade and finance specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Sovereign Debt Concerns in Developing Countries The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and Russia's war on Ukraine has had significant economic and financial consequence for low-income countries. The World Bank more PR

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper on the Congressional disapproval of District of Columbia Acts (No. IN12122) on March 6, 2023. The white paper was written by economic development policy analyst Joseph V. Jaroscak, Congress and legislative process analyst Christopher M. Davis and research librarian Ben Leubsdorf. Here are excerpts: * * * Congressional Disapproval of District of Columbia Acts: Overview of Selected Resolutions T more PR

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper on the education requirements and skills-based assessments in federal hiring (No. IN12121) on March 6, 2023, by Taylor N. Riccard, government organization and management analyst: * * * Education Requirements and Skills-Based Assessments in Federal Hiring Background College degrees are required as a minimum qualification for some federal jobs. Recently, Congress, the Biden Administration, and th more PR

WASHINGTON, March 9 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper on the introduction to financial services - 118th Congress (No. IN11016) on March 8, 2023, by macroeconomic policy specialist Marc Labonte and financial economics analyst Raj Gnanarajah. Here are excerpts: * * * CRS Series: Introduction to Financial Services - 118th Congress The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has created a series providing an introduction to various financial services iss more PR

WASHINGTON, March 10 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper on the CFPB's funding authority is unconstitutional (No. LSB10891) on March 9, 2023, by legislative attorneys Sean M. Stiff and David H. Carpenter: * * * Fifth Circuit: CFPB's Funding Authority is Unconstitutional In 2010, Congress established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the CFPB or Bureau) as an independent bureau within the Federal Reserve System. As with other financial r more PR

WASHINGTON, March 7 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper on whether the U.S. can prosecute a foreign-state-owned bank (No. LSB10927) on March 6, 2023, by legislative attorney Stephen P. Mulligan: * * * Supreme Court Considers Whether the United States Can Prosecute a Foreign-State-Owned Bank The Supreme Court may soon decide whether the United States can prosecute foreign countries and their agencies and instrumentalities in U.S. courts. The Uni more PR

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47245) on March 1, 2023, entitled "SBA Disaster Loan Limits: Policy Options and Considerations" by Bruce R. Lindsay, American national government specialist, and R. Corinne Blackford, small business and economic development policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Program provides disaster loans to eligible households and businesses to help more PR