WASHINGTON, May 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RL31572) on March 18, 2025, entitled "Appropriations Subcommittee Structure: History of Changes from 1920 to 2025" by James V. Saturno, Congress and legislative process specialist: * * * SUMMARY This report details the evolution of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees' subcommittee structure from the 1920s to the present. In 1920, the House adopted a change in its rules to consolidate jurisdict more PR

WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10675) on May 13, 2025, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert: * * * Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) What Is Security Force Assistance (SFA)? Security Force Assistance (SFA) is defined as "unified action to generate, employ, and sustain local, host-nation, or regional security forces in support of a legitimate authority." By definition "security f more PR

WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11859) on May 13, 2025, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * The Army's M-10 Booker (Formerly Known as Mobile Protected Firepower [MPF]) System What Is the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) System? The Army's MPF system is intended to address an operational shortfall in infantry units: 'Currently the Army's Infantry Brigade Combat Team more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48302) on May 14, 2025, entitled "Critical Minerals on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's Role and Issues for Congress" by natural resources policy specialists Caitlin Keating-Bitonti and Laura B. Comay Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The first and second Trump Administrations and the Biden Administration have issued executive orders announcing U.S. pol more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48302) on May 14, 2025, entitled "Critical Minerals on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf - The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's Role and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Issues for Congress As the United States works to strengthen its domestic critical mineral supply chain, Congress may consider BOEM's role in evaluating areas of the OCS and leasing submerged lands  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11623) on May 15, 2025. The white paper is written by advanced technology and global security specialist Kelley M. Sayler and defense policy analysts Jennifer DiMascio and Hannah D. Dennis. Here are excerpts: * * * Burkina Faso: Conflict and Military Rule The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Space Development Agency (SDA) are currently developing elements of a missile defense more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RS22380) on March 18, 2025, entitled "Child Support Services: Program Basics" by social policy specialist Jessica Tollestrup. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Child Support program was enacted in 1975 as a federal-state program (Title IV-D of the Social Security Act). It was originally referred to as the Child Support Enforcement program and was recently renamed by the U.S. Department of Health and  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RS22753) on March 18, 2025, entitled "Child Support Services Annual User Fee: In Brief" by social policy specialist Jessica Tollestrup. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Background ... 1 Annual CSS User Fee ... 3 Overview of Requirements ... 3 Policy Debate ... 4 Implementation Prior to Fee Increase ... 5 Tables Table 1. Method by Which CSS Annual User Fee Is Imposed ... 6 Contact more PR

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R44606) on May 15, 2025, entitled "The Commodity Credit Corporation" by Megan Stubbs, agricultural conservation and natural resources policy specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) has served as a mandatory funding mechanism for agricultural programs since 1933. The CCC Charter Act enables the CCC to broadly support the U.S. agriculture industry for more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12997) on May 12, 2025, by senior research librarian Keigh E. Hammond and Congress and legislative process analyst Christopher M. Davis. Here are excerpts: * * * The United States was a key architect of the multilateral trading system, as a founding member of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1947 and its successor, the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995. The United more PR

WASHINGTON, May 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. IF12608) on May 16, 2025, entitled "The Development of Federal Recommendations and Regulations for Fluoride in Drinking Water." The report is written by environmental policy analysts Elena H. Humphreys and Jerry H. Yen, health policy analyst Alexandria K. Mickler and legislative attorney Jason O. Heflin. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral present at s more PR

WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12998) on May 13, 2025, by telecommunications policy analyst Amanda H. Peskin. Here are excerpts: * * * The Emergency Alert System: Status of Current Funding for Improvements Emergency Alerts: Background and Distribution Methods Responsive and effective emergency alerts can increase the likelihood that people will take protective action to mitigate risk of harm during an emerg more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46736) on May 12, 2025, entitled "Stepping In: The FCC's Authority to Preempt State Laws Under the Communications Act" by legislative attorney Chris D. Linebaugh and attorney-adviser Eric N. Holmes: * * * SUMMARY The line between federal and state authority plays a central role in modern communications law. Rather than fully displacing state law, the Communications Act of 1934 (Communications Act) sets  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46736) on May 12, 2025, entitled "Stepping In - The FCC's Authority to Preempt State Laws Under the Communications Act:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * Current Issues (2025) The FCC's ability to preempt state laws has been at the heart of many of its regulatory initiatives in recent years. In particular, preemption has been at the forefront of the Commission's stated efforts to (1) establish a der more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46736) on May 12, 2025, entitled "Stepping In - The FCC's Authority to Preempt State Laws Under the Communications Act:" (Continued from Part 2 of 3) * * * Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Similar to its approach to internet access itself, the FCC has taken a hands-off approach to regulating internet enabled communications - most notably VoIP, which enables users to make voice calls using the inter more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45160) on May 12, 2025, entitled "Federal Election Commission: Membership and Policymaking Quorum, In Brief" by American national government specialist R. Sam Garrett. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the nation's civil campaign finance regulator. The agency ensures that campaign fundraising and spending is publicly reported; that those covered by the Federal El more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48533) on May 9, 2025, entitled "H.Con.Res. 14: The Budget Resolution for FY2025" by law librarian Christopher R. Jester: * * * SUMMARY This report provides an overview of federal legislative history research, the legislative process, and where to find congressional documents. The report also summarizes some of the reasons researchers are interested in legislative history, briefly describes the actions  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10613) on May 13, 2025, by Liana W. Rosen, international sanctions and financial crimes specialist and Shelby B. Senger, foreign affairs analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * The Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) List Congress has shown recurring interest in the administration of the State Department's list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) - one of several terrorism-rel more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12402) on May 12, 2025, by Cameron M. Keys, defense logistics and resource management policy analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Congress enacted FY2025 appropriations for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) through two short-term continuing resolutions (CRs; P.L. 118-83; P.L. 118-158) and one full-year CR (Title IV of the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025; H.R. 1 more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48532) on May 9, 2025, entitled "H.Con.Res. 14: The Budget Resolution for FY2025" by Drew C. Aherne and Megan S. Lynch, Congress and legislative process specialists. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY In April 2025, the House and Senate adopted H.Con.Res. 14, a budget resolution for FY2025. The budget resolution generally represents an agreement between the House and Senate on a budgetary plan for the up more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48472) on May 14, 2025, entitled "The Highway Trust Fund's Highway Account" by transportation policy analyst Ali E. Lohman. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Highway Trust Fund is a federal accounting mechanism that receives revenue mainly from transportation-related excise taxes and provides a dedicated source of funding for surface transportation. The Highway Trust Fund has two accounts: more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48472) on May 14, 2025, entitled "The Highway Trust Fund's Highway Account:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Issues for Congress Congress has many options for addressing the disparity between highway account revenue and expenditures. Below are among the available options, and these options could be implemented separately or in combination. The House Committee on Transportation and Infrast more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12996) on May 12, 2025. The white paper is written by income security specialist Katelin P. Isaacs, health care financing analyst Ryan J. Rosso and legislative attorneys Jon O. Shimabukuro and Jimmy Balser: * * * On April 30, 2025, HOGR held a markup in response to the reconciliation directives included in H.Con.Res. 14, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for FY2025. Specifically, Se more PR

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11623) on May 15, 2025. The white paper is written by advanced technology and global security specialist Kelley M. Sayler and defense policy analysts Jennifer DiMascio and Hannah D. Dennis. Here are excerpts: * * * Hypersonic Missile Defense: Issues for Congress The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Space Development Agency (SDA) are currently developing elements of a missile  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12995) on May 12, 2025. The white paper is written by legislative attorney Christopher T. Zirpoli and international trade and finance specialists Cathleen D. Cimino-Isaacs and Christopher A. Casey: * * * The United States is a party to several trade agreements that obligate member countries not to impose or increase certain tariffs and other trade barriers, with some exceptions. Recent U more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11729) on May 12, 2025, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * Background The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Family of Vehicles (FoV) is an Army-led, joint-service program designed to replace a portion of each service's light tactical wheeled vehicle fleets. The JLTV FoV consists of two variants: the four-seat Combat Tactical Vehicle (CTV) (Fi more PR

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11729) on May 15, 2025, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Background The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Family of Vehicles (FoV) is an Army-led, joint-service program designed to replace a portion of each service's light tactical wheeled vehicle fleets. The JLTV FoV consists of two variants: more PR

WASHINGTON, May 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12984) on May 16, 2025, by financial economics analyst Paul Tierno and macroeconomic policy specialist Marc Labonte: * * * Key Issues in Stablecoin Legislation in the 119th Congress A stablecoin is a digital asset that aims to maintain a stable price (e.g., a 1:1 peg) with a reference asset, such as the U.S. dollar. In the 119th Congress, legislation to regulate payment stableco more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12978) on May 14, 2025, by education policy specialist Rebecca R. Skinner and research assistant Isobel Sorenson: * * * Late Liquidation Period for Elementary and Secondary Education Funds Provided During COVID-19 Pandemic In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress enacted several programs that provided federal funds "to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus" in e more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12999) on May 14, 2025, by financial economics specialist Eva Su. Here are excerpts: * * * Legislative Proposals Affecting Capital Markets Funding Capital markets - the marketplace where securities such as stocks and bonds are issued and traded - provide major sources of funding for U.S. business operations. This In Focus summarizes selected legislative proposals aiming to expa more PR

WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11881) on May 13, 2025, by Air Force fellow Robert Switzer and defense health care policy specialist Bryce H. P. Mendez. Here are excerpts: * * * Management of Sleep and Fatigue in Military Aviation Over the past decade, Congress has expressed interest in the effects of sleep deprivation on servicemember health and military readiness, as well as its impact on military aviation  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48536) on May 14, 2025, entitled "Medicaid: Selected Resources for National, State and Local Enrollment Data" by research librarians Sarah K. Braun and Angela Napili: * * * Contents Purpose and Scope ... 1 Federal Data Sources ... 2 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): National and State Data ... 2 Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC): National and State Da more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R46740) on March 17, 2025, entitled "Naming Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities" by health policy analyst Jared S. Sussman and research librarian Tamar B. Breslauer: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 Authority for Naming Facilities ... 1 Transferring Facility Names ... 2 Veterans' Affairs Committee Rules on Facility Naming ... 2 Recent Examples of Legislation ... 3 118th Congress ... 4  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10713) on May 12, 2025, by education policy specialist Rebecca R. Skinner and research assistant Isobel Sorenson: * * * School choice generally refers to the opportunity for parents to select an elementary or secondary school for their child that differs from the assigned school that the child would otherwise attend based on where the family lives. School choice programs are often divided  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12980) on May 14, 2025, by Karen M. Sutter, Asian trade and finance specialist and Michael D. Sutherland, international trade and finance analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Permanent Normal Trade Relations and U.S.-China Tariffs The 119th Congress is considering legislation that would revoke the People's Republic of China's (PRC or China) permanent normal trade relations (PNTR)  more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R45327) on March 18, 2025, entitled "Public Safety Officers' Benefits and Public Safety Officers' Educational Assistance Programs" by disability policy analyst Scott D. Szymendera: * * * SUMMARY The Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program provides cash benefits to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers; firefighters; employees of emergency management agencies; and members of emergency more PR

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12551) on May 15, 2025, by financial economics specialists Karl E. Schneider and Baird Webel. Here are excerpts: * * * Reconciliation Provisions Submitted by the House Financial Services Committee Related to CFPB Funding On April 30, 2025, the House Committee on Financial Services voted to submit to the House Budget Committee a committee print providing for reconciliation pursua more PR

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12552) on May 15, 2025. The white paper is written by financial economics analysts Karl E. Schneider and Raj Gnanarajah, macroeconomic policy specialist Marc Labonte and housing policy specialist Maggie McCarty: * * * Reconciliation Provisions Submitted by the House Financial Services Committee On April 30, 2025, the House Committee on Financial Services voted to submit to the H more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12545) on May 14, 2025, by Kyla H. Kitamura, international trade and finance analyst. Here are excerpts: * * * Section 232 Automotive Tariffs: Issues for Congress On March 26, 2025, President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on U.S. imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. Sec.1862, as amended). Tariffs more PR

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11313) on May 12, 2025, by Legislative Attorney Joanna R. Lampe: * * * On May 15, 2025, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral argument in Trump v. CASA, Inc., Trump v. Washington, and Trump v. New Jersey, a trio of cases involving nationwide injunctions against the federal government. The substantive legal issue in these cases concerns the validity of Executive Order No. 14,160 more PR

WASHINGTON, May 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10051) on May 16, 2025, by senior research librarian Angela Napili and health policy analyst Alexa C. DeBoth. Here are excerpts: * * * Title X Family Planning Program Introduction The Title X Family Planning Program (Title X) was enacted in 1970 as Title X of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA, codified at 42 U.S.C. Sec.Sec.300 to 300a-6). Title X provides grants to public an more PR

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48456) on March 18, 2025, entitled "Traditional, Roth and Rollover Individual Retirement Account Ownership in 2022" by income security analyst Elizabeth A. Myers. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 Traditional and Roth IRAs ... 2 Inflows to Traditional and Roth IRAs ... 3 Assets in IRAs ... 5 Household Ownership of Individual Retirement Accounts in 2022 ... 6 Figures Figure more PR

WASHINGTON, May 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12608) on May 16, 2025, by natural resources policy specialist Caitlin Keating-Bitonti: * * * U.S. Interest in Seabed Mining in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: Brief Background and Recent Developments In 1980, Congress passed the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA; 30 U.S.C. Sec.1401 et seq.) as an interim measure to allow the United States to proceed with seabed more PR

WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12990) on May 14, 2025, by Karen M. Sutter, Asian trade and finance specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S.-China Tariff Actions Since 2018 Since 2018, the U.S. government has imposed a series of tariffs on imports from the People's Republic of China (PRC, or China) with the stated intention of addressing U.S. concerns about PRC trade practices and foreign policies. Since Jan more PR

WASHINGTON, May 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12816) on May 16, 2025, by African affairs specialist Lauren Ploch Blanchard. Here are excerpts: * * * The War and Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan The conflict in Sudan that began in 2023 between rival elements of its security forces has fueled the world's largest humanitarian crisis. More than 15 million people are displaced, including over 11 million internally, and 17 million c more PR