WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49354) on Oct. 20, 2026, entitled "The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act." The report is written by housing policy specialists Henry G. Watson, Katie Jones and Maggie McCarty: * * * SUMMARY The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (P.L. 119-101) was enacted at a time of increasing concerns about the affordability of both rental housing and homeownership and the extent to which insufficient housing supply may be contributing to affordability press more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49354) on Oct. 20, 2026, entitled "The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * Title II: Building More in America Section 201. Increasing housing in opportunity zones The 2017 tax revision (P.L. 115-97) temporarily authorized opportunity zone tax incentives, which are provided to encourage investment in qualified opportunity zones./36 Opportunity zones are lower-income census tracts nominated by state and terri more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49354) on Oct. 20, 2026, entitled "The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act:" (Continued from Part 2 of 3) * * * Title V: Program Reform Section 501. HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Reform Act The HOME program provides formula funds to states and eligible local governments to be used for a range of affordable housing activities that benefit low-income households, including new construction, rehabilitation, and acquisition of re more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49359) on Oct. 21, 2026, entitled "College Sports Media Rights: Background and Issues for Congressional Consideration" by telecommunications policy specialist Dana A. Scherer. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a voluntary, self-governing organization of four-year colleges and universities, includes intercollegiate athletics programs organized into divisions, subdivisions, and conferences. D more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49359) on Oct. 21, 2026, entitled "College Sports Media Rights - Background and Issues for Congressional Consideration:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Conference Mergers and Acquisitions Background and Current Conference Alignments Current television rights agreements of the Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12 conferences became effective in 2024, 2025, and 2026, respectively. The years prior to the effective dates of these agreements, 2023-2025 more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48922) on Oct. 20, 2026, entitled "Comparison of Selected Versions of H.R. 6644." The report is written by housing policy specialists Henry G. Watson, Katie Jones and Maggie McCarty and financial economics specialists Andrew P. Scott and Darryl E. Getter. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 Tables Table 1. Improving Financial Literacy / Opportunities for Housing ... 3 Table 2. Building More in America ... 5 Table 3. Ma more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12752) by financial economics analyst Karl E. Schneider: * * * Congressional Considerations for Financial Institution Transaction Holds Reported losses associated with financial fraud and scams have been increasing, garnering attention from law enforcement, private industry, policymakers, and the general public. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), total losses from fraud were an estimated $262 billion in 2025. Such  more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10464) by international relations specialist Luisa Blanchfield and foreign policy legislation specialist Matthew C. Weed. Here are excerpts: * * * U.N. Issues: Congressional Representatives to the UN General Assembly The annual session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly is held at UN Headquarters in New York City. The President generally (but not always) appoints one Democrat and one Republican to serve as U.S. repres more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49505) entitled "Connecting Constituents to Federal Assistance for Law Enforcement" by senior research librarian Karma Ester: * * * SUMMARY This report provides information on selected federal agencies that provide grants, technical assistance, training or other support targeted to state and local law enforcement agencies. This report also provides information on selected grant and loan programs with broader purposes that could potentially be more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following fact sheet (No. R48174) by senior knowledge management librarian Kelly M. Hoffman: * * * Constitution Day and Citizenship Day: Fact Sheet Contents Introduction ... 1 Background ... 1 Legislation ... 2 Related CRS Products ... 2 Selected Congressional Statements and Remarks ... 3 Selected Presidential Proclamations and Remarks ... 3 Government Resources ... 4 Contacts Author Information ... 4 * * * Introduction Constitution Day and Citizenship  more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10544) by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: Department of the Army and Army Command Structure Overview Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution stipulates, "The Congress shall have Power To ... raise and support Armies ... make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces ... for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppr more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10545) by military ground forces specialist Andrew Feickert: * * * Defense Primer: U.S. Special Operations Forces Overview U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) are active duty and reserve components of the military services that are designated as SOF by the Secretary of Defense, who is using "Secretary of War" as a "secondary title" under Executive Order (EO) 14347, dated September 5, 2025. SOF are selected, organized, traine more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11449) by economic development policy analyst Julie M. Lawhorn. Here are excerpts: * * * Economic Development Revolving Loan Funds (ED-RLFs) Revolving loan funds (RLFs) are financial instruments frequently used to finance water, wastewater, infrastructure, brownfields redevelopment, disaster recovery, and community development activities. RLFs can also be used for economic development purposes. Federally funded economic develo more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48645) on Oct. 19, 2026, entitled "Establishment Clause Limits on Government Support for Religion" by legislative attorney Valerie C. Brannon: * * * SUMMARY The first two provisions of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, known as the Religion Clauses, state that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Together, the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses require the g more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48645) on Oct. 19, 2026, entitled "Establishment Clause Limits on Government Support for Religion:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Other Establishment Clause Tests In other Establishment Clause cases decided post-Kennedy, courts have followed controlling Supreme Court cases that were not decided using a historical practices or understandings test - and in some cases, courts have applied factors from the Lemon test to evaluate whether a  more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12218) by agricultural policy analyst Stephanie Rosch. Here are excerpts: * * * Farm Bill Primer: Farm Safety Net Programs The federal "farm safety net" refers to a collection of programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provide risk protection and income support to farmers in the United States in response to natural disasters, adverse growing conditions, and/or low market prices. Farm safety net  more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12753) by public finance analyst Victoria M. Martinez. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2027 Internal Revenue Service Budget Request Overview of the IRS Budget The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is responsible for collecting nearly all of the federal revenue to fund federal government agencies and programs, as well as for enforcing taxpayer compliance with federal tax laws through taxpayer assistance and audits. According to FY2025  more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12568) by defense policy analyst Anya L. Fink: * * * Golden Dome: Potential Strategic Stability Considerations for Congress The second Trump Administration has proposed to develop a "next-generation missile defense shield" against nuclear and conventional attacks that it has called a "Golden Dome for America." Since the 1950s, Members of Congress have periodically debated the costs, feasibility, scope, and sufficiency of strateg more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13343) by legislative attorney Whitney K. Novak: * * * The Hatch Act: Special Considerations for High-Level Administration Officials The Hatch Act is a federal law that regulates the partisan political activities of most executive-branch employees, excluding the President and Vice President. As amended in 1993, the Hatch Act exempts some high-level administration officials from some of its prohibitions, allowing them to engage  more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48849) on Oct. 20, 2026, entitled "Housing for the 21st Century Act." The report is written by housing policy specialists Henry G. Watson, Katie Jones and Maggie McCarty and financial economics specialists Andrew P. Scott and Darryl E. Getter: * * * SUMMARY The Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644) was passed by the House on February 9, 2026. The bill contains six titles comprising 38 sections, which address several housing policy to more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48849) on Oct. 20, 2026, entitled "Housing for the 21st Century Act:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Title III: Expanding Manufactured and Affordable Housing Finance Opportunities Section 301. Manufactured Housing Innovations Manufactured housing is a type of housing that is constructed in a factory and transported to a home site for installation. Manufactured housing typically costs less than site-built housing due to smaller home siz more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49292) on Oct. 21, 2026, entitled "Interior, Environment and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2027 Appropriations" by natural resources policy specialists Carol Hardy Vincent and Mark K. DeSantis. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill - often called the Interior bill - contains funding for about three dozen agencies and entities. They include most of the Department of the Interior more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48956) on Oct. 13, 2026, entitled "National Security, Department of State and Related Programs: FY2027 Budget and Appropriations" by foreign assistance and foreign policy specialist Emily M. McCabe and foreign affairs analyst Cory R. Gill. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Congress typically considers 12 distinct appropriations measures on an annual basis to fund federal programs and activities. Between FY2008 and FY2025, one of these measure more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49489) on Oct. 20, 2026, entitled "Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority - History and Finances:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * Natural Disasters Delay PREPA's Debt Restructuring Process A series of natural disasters, including hurricanes and earthquakes, seriously damaged Puerto Rico's electrical system beginning in 2017. The complexity of the disaster recovery process, among other factors, also has created obstacles to the rebuilding more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48732) on Oct. 20, 2026, entitled "ROAD to Housing Act of 2025." The report is written by housing policy specialists Henry G. Watson, Katie Jones, Libby Perl and Maggie McCarty and financial economics specialist Darryl E. Getter: * * * SUMMARY The Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act of 2025 (S. 2651, also known as the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025) was introduced and reported to the Senate on August 1, 2025. The bill con more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48732) on Oct. 20, 2026, entitled "ROAD to Housing Act of 2025:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Title III: Manufactured Housing for America Section 301/Section 5301. Housing Supply Expansion Act Manufactured housing is a type of housing that is constructed in a factory and transported to a home site for installation. Manufactured housing typically costs less than site-built housing due to smaller home sizes and lower costs per square fo more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11346) by international trade and finance analyst Danielle M. Trachtenberg. Here are excerpts: * * * Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 Title III of the Trade Act of 1974 (Sections 301-310, 19 U.S.C. Sec.Sec.2411-2420), titled "Relief from Unfair Trade Practices," is often collectively referred to as "Section 301." Under Section 301, Congress grants the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) a range of respo more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12754) by financial economics specialist Baird Webel. Here are excerpts: * * * Surplus Lines Insurance: An Introduction High losses in homeowners insurance have resulted in many state-licensed (or admitted) insurers pulling back from high-risk areas. Some homeowners have responded by seeking insurance from surplus lines (or nonadmitted) insurers, which may offer fewer consumer protections or less coverage. This dynamic has resu more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48948) on Oct. 13, 2026, entitled "Suspension of the Federal Gas Tax: In Brief" by transportation policy analyst Ali E. Lohman. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 The Federal Gas Tax ... 1 Composition of Fuel Prices ... 4 Highway Trust Fund Insolvency ... 4 Potential Suspension of the Federal Gas Tax ... 5 Considerations for Congress ... 5 Possible Effect on Prices at the Pump ... 6 Possible Effects on the Highway Tr more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13342) by Congress specialist Jacob R. Straus. Here are excerpts: * * * Types of Coins Produced by the U.S. Mint American coins are produced by the U.S. Mint. The U.S. Mint was established by the Coinage Act of 1792 (1 Stat. 246) to produce coins. This In Focus discusses types of coins produced by the U.S. Mint, a bureau of the Department of the Treasury. These include circulating coins, bullion coins, and numismatic coins. C more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12466) by foreign affairs analyst Cory R. Gill. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S. Passport Services Background The U.S. Department of State (DOS) defines a passport as "an internationally recognized travel document that verifies the identity and nationality of the bearer." Congress authorizes DOS to grant, issue, and verify U.S. passports. DOS's Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) issued over 5.5 million passports in FY1996. This fig more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12452) by Middle Eastern affairs specialist Clayton Thomas: * * * U.S. Sanctions on Iran: Background and Political Context Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the United States has used sanctions of various types as key tools of U.S. policy toward the government of Iran. The U.S. government uses sanctions to deter, constrain, and encourage change in the adversarial behavior of the Iranian regime, including its support for int more PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12517) by international trade and finance analyst Kyla H. Kitamura: * * * U.S.-Japan Critical Minerals Agreement In March 2023, the United States and Japan signed a critical minerals agreement (CMA) covering five key minerals related to the production of batteries for clean vehicles (also commonly referred to as electric vehicles or "EVs"). The U.S.-Japan CMA entered into force immediately upon signature, without approval by Co more PR