WASHINGTON, April 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11643) on April 13, 2026, by science and technology policy analyst Rachel Lindbergh. Here are excerpts: * * * Artemis: NASA's Program to Return Humans to the Moon Between 1969 and 1972, the Apollo program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) landed 12 American men on the Moon and returned them safely to Earth. Artemis, named for Apollo's twin sister in  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11783) on April 16, 2026, by Kelley M. Sayler, advanced technology and global security specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Biometric Technologies and Global Security Biometric technologies use unique biological or behavioral attributes - such as DNA, fingerprints, cardiac signatures, voice or gait patterns, and facial or ocular measurements - to authenticate an individual's  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13204) on April 16, 2026, by Asian trade and finance specialist Karen M. Sutter. Here are excerpts: * * * China's 15th Five-Year Plan: S&T and Economic Priorities On March 12, 2026, the legislature of the People's Republic of China (PRC or China) approved China's 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (FYP) (2025-2030) and the Outline of Long-Term Go more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11419) on April 15, 2026, by legislative attorney L. Paige Whitaker: * * * Election Law and the Supreme Court in 2026: Pending Cases on Redistricting, Campaign Finance and Mail-In Ballots As the November 2026 congressional elections approach, three cases addressing various aspects of election law are pending at the U.S. Supreme Court. In Louisiana v. Callais, the Court i more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12024) on April 13, 2026, by Megan Stubbs, agricultural conservation and natural resources policy specialist. Here are excerpts: * * * Farm Bill Primer: Conservation Title The conservation title of a farm bill generally contains reauthorizations, amendments, and new programs that encourage farmers and ranchers to voluntarily implement resource-conserving practices on private  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12255) on April 15, 2026. The white paper is written by nutrition assistance policy specialist Randy Alison Aussenberg and social policy specialists Gene Falk and Kara Clifford Billings. Here are excerpts: * * * Farm Bill Primer: SNAP and Nutrition Title Programs The Nutrition title of the farm bill typically reauthorizes a number of nutrition or domestic food assistance pro more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12888) on April 14, 2026, by natural resources policy specialists Carol Hardy Vincent and Laura B. Comay: * * * The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA): Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA)? The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA; P.L. 116-152) established in the U.S. Treasury a new fund - the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoratio more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12679) on April 13, 2026, by American national government analyst Barry J. McMillion. Here are excerpts: * * * The Length of Major Steps in the Supreme Court Appointment Process (1975-2022) This Insight provides historical data and information related to the length of time it has taken to appoint new Justices to the Supreme Court from 1975 to 2022. Specifically, for individual more PR

WASHINGTON, April 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11831) on April 14, 2026, by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * Marine Corps Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) What Is the Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV)? According to the Marine Corps, 'The Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) is a planned effort by the Marine Corps to provide a purpose-built family of vehicles, with new more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12929) on April 15, 2026, by transportation policy analyst Ali E. Lohman and legislative attorney Alexander H. Pepper: * * * New York City's Central Business District Tolling Program: Background, Federal Role, and Selected Legal Issues Congress has prohibited tolling of federal-aid highways and passed a series of exceptions to the prohibition. One such exception is the Value P more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12422) on April 13, 2026, by public finance analyst Nicholas E. Buffie. Here are excerpts: * * * Preliminary Data on the IRA Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit In August 2024, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released preliminary 2023 data on the residential clean energy credit (RCEC) and the energy efficient home improvement credit (EEHIC). The credits were scheduled  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12423) on April 13, 2026, by public finance analyst Nicholas E. Buffie. Here are excerpts: * * * Preliminary Data on the IRA Residential Clean Energy Credit In August 2024, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released preliminary 2023 data on the residential clean energy credit (RCEC) and the energy efficient home improvement credit (EEHIC). The credits were scheduled to expire more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11418) on April 15, 2026, by legislative attorneys Alexander H. Pepper and Jay B. Sykes: * * * Recent Developments in Hart-Scott-Rodino Merger Review The Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (the HSR Act) requires parties to mergers and acquisitions that exceed certain size thresholds to file a notification with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12680) on April 14, 2026, by macroeconomic policy specialist Marc Labonte and financial economics specialist Andrew P. Scott. Here are excerpts: * * * Recent Regulatory Changes to Bank Capital Requirements Capital requirements are one of the primary ways banks are regulated for safety and soundness. (For background, see CRS Report R47447, Bank Capital Requirements: A Primer an more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RL30857) on April 13, 2026, entitled "Speakers of the House: Elections, 1913-2025" by Congress and legislative process specialist Valerie Heitshusen. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Each new House elects a Speaker by roll call vote when it first convenes. Customarily, the conference of each major party nominates a candidate whose name is placed in nomination. A Member normally votes for the more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. 98-317) on April 13, 2026, entitled "Types of Committee Hearings" by Congress and legislative process specialist Valerie Heitshusen: * * * Congressional committee hearings may be broadly classified into four types: legislative, oversight, investigative, and confirmation. Hearings may be held on Capitol Hill or elsewhere (e.g., a committee member's district or state, or a site related to the su more PR

WASHINGTON, April 16 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13203) on April 15, 2026, by natural resources policy analyst Eric P. Nardi. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2027 Budget Request Introduction The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), an agency within the Department of the Interior (DOI), has a mission to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats. Congress funds F more PR

WASHINGTON, April 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12608) on April 13, 2026, 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.Sec.1401 et seq.) as an interim measure to allow the United States to proceed wit more PR