WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12917) on Feb. 20, 2025, Kirsten J. Colello, health and aging policy specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Adult Protective Services: Background and Funding Background All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories provide Adult Protective Services (APS) to address abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults. APS programs serve seniors and adults with disabil more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11845) on Feb. 19, 2025, American national government analyst Taylor R. Knoedl: * * * The Census Bureau Director Introduction On February 14, 2025, Director of the Census (informally known as the Census Bureau director) Robert Santos resigned from his position as director. Santos was nominated by then-President Joe Biden, confirmed by the Senate on November 4, 2021, and sworn i more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12915) on Feb. 20, 2025, Congress and legislative process specialists Elizabeth Rybicki and Michael Greene: * * * Discharging a Senate Committee from Consideration of a Nomination A routine part of the confirmation process for most nominations submitted by the President to the Senate involves consideration by committee. Under Senate Rule 31, nominations are referred to committee more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12919) on Feb. 21, 2025, legislative attorney Milan N. Ball: * * * The Evolution of P.L. 86-272's State Income Tax Immunity for Income Derived from Interstate Commerce Enacted in 1959, P.L. 86-272, 73 Stat. 555 (codified at 15 U.S.C. Sec.Sec. 381-384), limits the power of states to impose a net income tax on out-of-state sellers who have limited business activities within the st more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12914) on Feb. 20, 2025, legislative attorney Peter G. Berris: * * * Federal Criminal Theft Laws Stealing property likely violates numerous state laws criminalizing theft in various forms, and, depending on the circumstances, it may also run afoul of federal criminal law. Some of these federal laws are limited to specific contexts, such as theft by bank examiners, while others m more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10636) on Feb. 19, 2025, by international trade and finance specialists Shayerah I. Akhtar and Finance Cathleen D. Cimino-Isaacs. Here are excerpts: * * * Foreign Direct Investment: Background and Issues Both outward and inward foreign direct investment (FDI) are significant to the U.S. economy, international trade, and global supply chains. The United States is the world's la more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12911) on Feb. 18, 2025, American national government specialist R. Eric Petersen: * * * John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: Recent Events and Background Recent Events On February 7, 2025, the President announced through social media his intention to terminate an unspecified number of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Kennedy Center) Board of Trust more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11697) on Feb. 21, 2025, defense policy analyst Anya L. Fink: * * * Defense Primer: Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) The Department of Defense (DOD) is replacing many elements of the U.S. nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) architecture as part of the United States' ongoing efforts to recapitalize its nuclear forces. This architecture - composed o more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10250) on Feb. 14, 2025, by foreign affairs analyst William Piekos and Asian affairs specialist Ben Dolven. Here are excerpts: * * * The Philippines Overview and Recent Developments The United States and the Republic of the Philippines maintain a relationship that includes a bilateral security alliance, extensive military cooperation, close people-to-people ties, and many shar more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12918) on Feb. 20, 2025, American national government analyst Taylor R. Knoedl. Here are excerpts: * * * The Post-Enumeration Survey of the Decennial Census Every 10 years the U.S. Census Bureau conducts the decennial census of population and housing. The primary purpose of the constitutionally mandated decennial census is determining the apportionment of seats in the House of R more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12502) on Feb. 18, 2025, public finance analyst Nicholas E. Buffie. Here are excerpts: * * * The Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit P.L. 117-169, commonly known as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), added the clean fuel production credit (CFPC) to Section 45Z of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). The credit may be claimed by taxpayers producing and selling qualifying transp more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10158) on Feb. 19, 2025, by education policy analyst Rita R. Zota. Here are excerpts: * * * A Snapshot of Federal Student Loan Debt After years of increasing, growth in the number of federal student loan borrowers, average annual amounts borrowed, and average cumulative debt owed appears to be moderating, and among some measures, even decreasing. Generally, though, more student more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10830) on Feb. 19, 2025, health care financing analyst Ryan J. Rosso and research assistant Sylvia L. Bryan. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Health Care Coverage and Spending In 2023, the United States had an estimated population of 330 million individuals. Most of those individuals had private health insurance or were covered under a federal program (such as Medicare or Medicaid more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12489) on Feb. 18, 2025, by senior research librarian Ben Leubsdorf: * * * Congressional District Geography Workbook (119th Congress): An Interactive Tool for Congressional Users This Insight accompanies the Congressional District Geography Workbook, a Microsoft Excel file that congressional users can download from CRS.gov. The workbook provides information about U.S. House distr more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12510) on Feb. 20, 2025, foreign affairs analyst Leticia Chacon. Here are excerpts: * * * El Salvador's State of Exception and U.S. Interests Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele (2019-present) has implemented tougher security policies in El Salvador since 2022 in response to gang violence. The security policy that has garnered the most attention from observers is the state of exce more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11982) on Feb. 18, 2025, natural resources policy specialist Charles V. Stern. Here are excerpts: * * * Responding to Drought in the Colorado River Basin The Colorado River Basin covers more than 246,000 square miles in seven U.S. states and Mexico. Basin waters are governed by multiple documents, known collectively as the Law of the River. The Colorado River Compact of 1922 est more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11271) on Feb. 20, 2025, legislative attorney Joanna R. Lampe: * * * Enforcement of Court Orders Against the Executive Branch Weeks into the second Trump Administration, a number of executive branch policies have been challenged in court, and several federal district courts have enjoined enforcement of some of the challenged policies. On January 31, 2025, a judge on the U. more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48423) on Feb. 12, 2025, entitled "Access to Agency Data and Information Technology - Frequently Asked Questions" by cybersecurity policy specialist Chris Jaikaran and government organization and management analysts Dominick A. Fiorentino, Natalie R. Ortiz and Meghan M. Stuessy: * * * SUMMARY Congressional interest in the information technology (IT) that generates, stores, manipulates, transmi more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48423) on Feb. 12, 2025, entitled "Access to Agency Data and Information Technology - Frequently Asked Questions:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Federal Data Integration Computers and information technologies have increased the amount of data that can be collected, stored, and processed. Computers make it easier to exchange, share, and match data on individuals across programmatic and ag more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48430) on Feb. 20, 2025, entitled "Banking and Cryptocurrency: Policy Issues." The report is written by financial economics specialists Paul Tierno and Andrew P. Scott and macroeconomic policy specialist Marc Labonte. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The rapid growth in value of cryptocurrencies and digital assets (hereinafter, crypto) has led to growing banking needs for the crypto industr more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48430) on Feb. 20, 2025, entitled "Banking and Cryptocurrency - Policy Issues:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * Regulation of Bank Activities Involving Crypto To date, there is no overarching framework for bank participation in crypto, nor is there an explicit regulatory framework for crypto markets more generally. To date, the bank regulators have not promulgated any rules through the not more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48430) on Feb. 20, 2025, entitled "Banking and Cryptocurrency - Policy Issues:" (Continued from Part 2 of 3) * * * Policy Issues Legislation or Deference to Regulators? Bank regulators can dictate - and have dictated - the permitted level of bank involvement in crypto markets under their existing statutory authority. If Congress believes this authority is sufficiently flexible, it may wish t more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47982) on Feb. 21, 2025, entitled "Critical Mineral Resources: National Policy and Critical Minerals List" by Linda R. Rowan, natural resources and earth sciences analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY According to a National Research Council report, a critical mineral is a nonfuel mineral that is essential for use and faces considerable supply chain vulnerabilities. For example, silicon i more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47982) on Feb. 21, 2025, entitled "Critical Mineral Resources: National Policy and Critical Minerals List" by Linda R. Rowan, natural resources and earth sciences analyst. (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Definition of Critical Mineral Sections 7002(a) and (c) of the Energy Act of 2020 defined critical mineral as any mineral, element, substance, or material designated as critical by the Sec more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48423) on Feb. 13, 2025, entitled "Energy and Water Development Appropriations for Nuclear Weapons Activities: In Brief" by Defense Policy analyst Anya L. Fink. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 NNSA's Weapons Activities Account ... 1 Selected Major Programs ... 2 Stockpile Management ... 4 Production Modernization ... 6 Stockpile Research, Technology, and Enginee more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48428) on Feb. 20, 2025, entitled "Inflation Reduction Act Wage and Apprenticeship Requirements: Effect on Tax Credit Values" by public finance analyst Nicholas E. Buffie. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Wage and Apprenticeship Requirements: Effect on Tax Credit Values The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-169; IRA) created or modified 21 tax provisions  more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. 98-438) on Feb. 20, 2025, entitled "The Senate's Executive Calendar" by Elizabeth Rybicki, Congress and legislative process specialist: * * * Treaties and nominations constitute the executive business of the Senate and are the subjects of the Senate's Executive Calendar. When a Senate committee reports a treaty or nomination, it is said to be placed "on the calendar" and is available for floor c more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R41268) on Feb. 14, 2025, entitled "Small Business Administration HUBZone Program" by R. Corinne Blackford, small business and economic development policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Summary The Historically Underutilized Business (HUBZone) program provides certified small businesses located in areas with low income, high poverty, or high unemployment with contracting opportunities in th more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R41268) on Feb. 14, 2025, entitled "Small Business Administration HUBZone Program:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * HUBZone Business Requirements Only firms certified by the SBA may participate in the HUBZone program. Table 1 indicates the number of HUBZone-certified small businesses listed in the SBA's Dynamic Small Business Search database for selected dates. The SBA's database contains  more PR

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RS21048) on Feb. 18, 2025, entitled "U.S. Special Operations Forces: Background and Considerations for Congress" by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert: * * * Summary Special Operations Forces (SOF) play a significant role in U.S. military operations. In 1986, Congress, concerned about the status of SOF within overall U.S. defense planning, passed legislation (P.L. 99-661) to stre more PR