WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IN12394) on July 25, 2024, by Brian E. Humphreys, science and technology policy analyst: * * * The 2024 National Security Memorandum on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience The White House issued a directive, "National Security Memorandum on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience" (NSM-22), on April 30, 2024. The memorandum set forth a revised framework for federal agen more PR

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10491) on July 29, 2024, by Asian affairs analyst Caitlin Campbell and section research manager Colin Willett. Here are excerpts: * * * Australia: Background and U.S. Relations Overview Australia's relationship with the United States, forged as allies in all major U.S. wars, remains close. The two countries enjoy close trade, political, cultural, intelligence, and defense relations, an more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12725) on July 31, 2024, by American national government specialist Henry B. Hogue: * * * Presidential Transitions: A Brief Summary of the Presidential Transition Act This In Focus provides a brief summary of the provisions of the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, as amended (PTA). For a discussion of the PTA and associated statutes in greater depth, see CRS Report R46602, Presidential more PR

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12347) on July 30, 2024, by Danielle M. Trachtenberg, international trade and finance analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Digital Trade and Data Policy: Key Issues Facing Congress Digital trade includes trade in all goods and services for which orders are placed digitally. E-commerce generally refers to digitally ordered goods. Services that are digitally ordered may also be delivered digi more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12727) on July 31, 2024, by financial economics analysts Paul Tierno and Karl E. Schneider. Here are excerpts: * * * Earned Wage Access Products For many people, the need for cash in between paychecks is a substantial burden. Earned wage access (EWA) products have generally been developed by technology-focused, nonbank financial technology companies (or "fintechs") to provide wages to wo more PR

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12724) on July 30, 2024, by Ben Wilhelm, government organization and management analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Orders and Presidential Transitions Since at least the Administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the concept of a President's first "100 days" has been a touchstone for evaluation of presidential effectiveness and places at least some pressure on incoming Administra more PR

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10732) on July 29, 2024, by natural resources policy specialist Anne A. Riddle: * * * Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery Wildfires are unplanned fires. Wildfires may be caused by natural phenomena (i.e., lightning strikes) or by deliberate or accidental human activities. Wildfires occur naturally, and many ecosystems evolved in the presence of wildfire, meaning wildfi more PR

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12384) on July 29, 2024, by natural resources policy specialist Anne A. Riddle. Here are excerpts: * * * Federal Interagency Wildfire Response Framework Wildfires are unplanned fires in vegetated landscapes. Where a wildfire begins determines jurisdiction for wildfire response. Because wildfires often cross jurisdictional boundaries and may impact nearby communities, there is an establi more PR

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10485) on July 30, 2024, by naval affairs specialist Ronald O'Rourke: * * * Defense Primer: Geography, Strategy and U.S. Force Design World geography is an influence on U.S. strategy, which in turn helps shape the design of U.S. military forces. World Geography and U.S. Strategy Most of the world's people, resources, and economic activity are located not in the Western Hemisphere, but more PR

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12662) on July 29, 2024, by immigration policy analyst Abigail F. Kolker and legislative attorney Hillel R. Smith: * * * Immigration: Grounds of Inadmissibility Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), aliens may be denied admission to the United States or face other adverse immigration consequences if they are inadmissible. (The INA defines an "alien" as any person not a citizen more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12587) on Aug. 1, 2024, by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Clayton Thomas. Here are excerpts: * * * Iran-Supported Groups in the Middle East and U.S. Policy Iran has long backed a network of armed groups in the Middle East to advance its regional interests. These groups, which include U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and which sometimes style themselves the "Axis  more PR

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12720) on July 30, 2024, by American national government analyst Barbara L. Schwemle: * * * Political-to-Career Conversions ("Burrowing In") Some individuals who are serving in appointed (noncareer) positions in the executive branch convert to career positions in the competitive service, the Senior Executive Service (SES), or the excepted service. This practice, commonly referred to as " more PR

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12722) on July 30, 2024, by Meghan M. Stuessy, government organization and management analyst: * * * Presidential and Federal Records: Transition Considerations At the conclusion of a presidency, both the President and the Administration have likely generated millions of government records that document the actions and decisionmaking processes of the executive branch and may be of long-te more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11400) on July 31, 2024, by Christopher A. Casey, international trade and finance analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Presidential Authority to Address Tariff Barriers in Trade Agreements The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate trade with foreign nations and to lay and collect duties. Since the 1930s, Congress has periodically authorized the President to negotiate trade more PR

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12721) on July 30, 2024, by American national government specialist Henry B. Hogue: * * * Presidential Transitions: Executive Branch Political Appointment Status The status of incumbent political appointees during presidential transitions has often been of interest to Congress. In some instances, appointees of an outgoing President have continued to serve into a new Administration. These more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12726) on July 31, 2024, by American national government specialist Garrett Hatch. Here are excerpts: * * * Presidential Transitions: Executive Clemency In Section 2 of the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 (as amended; 3 U.S.C. 102 note), Congress declared that "[t]he national interest requires that [presidential] transitions ... be accomplished so as to assure continuity in the faith more PR

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12723) on July 30, 2024, by Maeve P. Carey, government organization and management specialist: * * * Presidential Transitions: Midnight Rulemaking Midnight Rulemaking Overview During the final months of presidential Administrations, federal agencies have often increased the pace of their regulatory activities. This phenomenon is often referred to as "midnight rulemaking." Because it can more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12435) on Aug. 1, 2024, by aviation policy specialist Bart Elias: * * * Secondary Cockpit Barriers for Airline Aircraft For the past two decades, there has been continuing policy interest in enhancing airline in-flight security with secondary cockpit barriers. A secondary cockpit barrier, also known as an installed physical secondary barrier (IPSB), typically consists of a lockable gate c more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12728) on July 31, 2024, by public finance analyst Brendan McDermott: * * * Taxation of Tip Income Federal law generally requires workers to pay individual income taxes and the payroll taxes on their tip income, as on other compensation. Lawmakers have introduced several bills in the 118th Congress to exclude tip income from the individual income tax, and in some cases, from payroll taxes more PR

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10320) on July 26, 2024, by Asian affairs specialist Ben Dolven. Here are excerpts: * * * Timor-Leste: Background and U.S. Relations Overview Timor-Leste (also known as East Timor), is one of the world's youngest nation-states, having gained its independence from Indonesia on May 20, 2002. The United States and the U.S. Congress have lent significant support to the new nation's efforts more PR

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12394) on July 24, 2024, by Ben Wilhelm, government organization and management analyst: * * * 2024 Paris Games: Anti-Doping Policies and Testing The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) were responsible for establishing anti-doping policies and testing regimes for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. As they did for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, IOC more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12399) on Aug. 1, 2024, by Kyla H. Kitamura and Danielle M. Trachtenberg, international trade and finance analysts: * * * Canada's Digital Services Tax Act: Issues Facing Congress In June 2024, the Canadian government enacted Bill C-59, which included a 3% digital services tax (DST) - retroactive to January 1, 2022 - on certain revenue of large digital services providers active in, for exa more PR

WASHINGTON, July 31 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12397) on July 30, 2024, by defense infrastructure policy analyst Alexandra G. Neenan. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2025 NDAA: Department of Defense Acquisition Policy The Defense Acquisition System (DAS) develops and maintains the process through which the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) develops and buys goods and services from contractors. The process is based on statute and regulation more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12398) on July 31, 2024, by Middle Eastern affairs specialists Jim Zanotti and Clayton Thomas: * * * Israel, Iran, Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah: Various Strikes amid Regional Turmoil Since the October 7, 2023, attacks led by Hamas (a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, or FTO), conflicts between Israel and Iran and/or its allies have spread across the Middle East. More than thr more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12398) on Aug. 1, 2024, by Middle Eastern affairs specialists Jim Zanotti and Clayton Thomas. Here are excerpts: * * * Israel, Iran, Hamas, and Lebanese Hezbollah: Various Strikes amid Regional Turmoil Since the October 7, 2023, attacks led by Hamas (a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, or FTO), conflicts between Israel and Iran and/or its allies have spread across the Middle more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12396) on Aug. 1, 2024, by American national government specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Recent Developments in the Democratic Presidential Nominating Process On July 21, 2024, President Joseph Biden announced that he would no longer seek the Democratic presidential nomination. This CRS Insight discusses selected issues that could be of interest to Congress as the party's nominating p more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12400) on Aug. 1, 2024, by Bryce H. P. Mendez, defense health care policy specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2025 NDAA: Reproductive Health Care Provisions Background The Department of Defense (DOD) administers a health entitlement (under Title 10, Chapter 55, of the U.S. Code) through the Military Health System (MHS). The MHS offers health benefits and services through its TRICARE p more PR

WASHINGTON, July 30 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11211) on July 29, 2024, by legislative attorney Karen Sokol: * * * Arms Transfers and International Law The ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas have prompted questions about the international legal obligations of states that provide arms to parties to a conflict. Several cases, for example, have been brought in international and domestic court more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11214) on July 31, 2024, by deputy assistant Director Michael John Garcia: * * * Congressional Court Watcher: Circuit Splits from July 2024 The U.S. Courts of Appeals for the thirteen "circuits" issue thousands of precedential decisions each year. Because relatively few of these decisions are ultimately reviewed by the Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals are often the last wor more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11213) on Aug. 1, 2024, by legislative attorney Joanna R. Lampe: * * * Removal to Federal Court of Cases Against Federal Officials and Agents In the United States, the federal government and the states each have their own sets of laws and their own court systems. Federal and state courts generally operate separately, but there is not an absolute division between the federal and stat more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48146) on July 31, 2024, entitled "Biodiversity and Conservation in Tanzania" by African affairs specialist Nicolas Cook and natural resources policy specialist Pervaze A. Sheikh. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Tanzania is rich in biodiversity and is home to several iconic species, including elephants, lions, black rhinoceros, and giraffes. Tanzania hosts 6 of 25 globally designated biodiver more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48147) on Aug. 1, 2024, entitled "Chief Information Officers: Agency Roles and Responsibilities" by Meghan M. Stuessy and Dominick A. Fiorentino, government organization and management analysts. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY In the course of fulfilling their missions, federal agencies constantly consume, create, use, and store information from a variety of sources, media formats, and techno more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48147) on Aug. 1, 2024, entitled "Chief Information Officers - Agency Roles and Responsibilities:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * CIO Institutional Relationships/71 In general, statutorily established agency CIO positions operate within complex ecosystems of agency officials and organizations. These institutional relationships usually involve a need for collaboration and division of labor more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RS22907) on July 31, 2024, entitled "Cluster Munitions: Background and Issues for Congress" by nonproliferation specialist Paul K. Kerr and military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert: * * * Summary Cluster munitions are air-dropped or ground-launched weapons that release a number of smaller submunitions intended to kill enemy personnel or destroy vehicles. Cluster munitions were developed more PR

WASHINGTON, July 30 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45154) on July 29, 2024, entitled "Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2022, 74th-117th Congresses" by Jane A. Hudiburg, Congress and legislative process analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary A "lame duck" session of Congress occurs whenever one Congress meets after its successor is elected but before the end of its own constitutional term. Under present conditions, any meeting of Congre more PR

WASHINGTON, July 30 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45154) on July 29, 2024, entitled "Lame Duck Sessions of Congress, 1935-2022, 74th-117th Congresses:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Comparing the Post-1935 Periods Comparing the two time periods reveals both similarities and differences between the 20th and 21st century lame duck sessions. Table 5 displays data on average calendar length of election breaks and lame duck sessions and num more PR

WASHINGTON, July 31 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48145) on July 30, 2024, entitled "Legislative Branch: FY2025 Appropriations" by Congress specialist Ida A. Brudnick. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The legislative branch appropriations bill provides funding for the Senate; House of Representatives; Joint Items; Capitol Police; Office of Congressional Workplace Rights; Congressional Budget Office (CBO); Architect of the Capitol (AOC); Libr more PR

WASHINGTON, July 31 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48145) on July 30, 2024, entitled "Legislative Branch - FY2025 Appropriations:" by Congress specialist Ida A. Brudnick. (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * FY2025 Legislative Branch Funding Issues The following sections discuss the various legislative branch accounts. During consideration of the legislative branch bills, the House and Senate conform to a "longstanding practice under which ea more PR

WASHINGTON, July 30 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48143) on July 29, 2024, entitled "Ownership of Retirement Accounts in 2022: Amounts in Defined Contribution Plans and Individual Retirement Accounts" by income security analyst Elizabeth A. Myers. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 Household Ownership of Defined Contribution and Individual Retirement Accounts ... 3 Figures Figure 1. U.S. Retirement Income Sources ... 2 more PR

WASHINGTON, July 30 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R44370) on July 26, 2024, entitled "Smithsonian Institution Museums: Selected Issues for Congress" by American national government specialist R. Eric Petersen. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Smithsonian Institution is arguably best known for its museums along the National Mall in Washington, DC. In 2023, Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo received approximately 17.7 million visits. more PR

WASHINGTON, July 30 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47595) on July 29, 2024, entitled "State Laws Restricting or Prohibiting Abortion" by law librarian Laura Deal. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY State Laws Restricting or Prohibiting Abortion This report provides an overview of existing or recently passed state laws prohibiting or limiting abortion prior to 24 weeks' gestational age. It also identifies "trigger laws" that generally prohibit a more PR