WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12917) by health and aging policy specialist Kirsten J. Colello. 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 disabilities by offering a system for reporting and investigating abuse, more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN11790) by senior research librarian Carla Y. Davis-Castro. Here are excerpts: * * * Afro-descendants of Latin America: Selected Resources The United Nations (UN) estimates that approximately "200 million people identifying themselves as being of African descent live in the Americas." Congress has long demonstrated interest in the status of Afro-descendants abroad through its legislation and hearings (e.g., H.Con.Res. 175 [109t more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13285) by legislative attorney Amin Aminfar: * * * The Alien Terrorist Removal Court: A Brief Overview On July 16, 2026, the Alien Terrorist Removal Court of the United States (ATRC) issued its first order since it was established by Congress in 1996. The court's order indicated that the government had, the previous day, filed an application to remove an alien terrorist, the first application ever received by the ATRC. Since t more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11467) by legislative attorneys Wen W. Shen and Jennifer A. Staman: * * * Artificial Intelligence in Health: Overview of Selected State Liability Frameworks A variety of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly used for various health care or related purposes. These purposes include core clinical health care functions such as the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and the administration of health claim more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10590) by social policy specialist Emilie Stoltzfus. Here are excerpts: * * * Child Welfare: Purposes, Federal Programs, and Funding The Work of Child Welfare Agencies Children depend on adults - usually their parents - to protect and support them. The broadest mission of public child welfare agencies is to strengthen families so that children can depend on their families to provide them with a safe and loving home. Child we more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11735) on Aug. 12, 2026, by Asian trade and finance specialist Karen M. Sutter and international trade and finance analyst Michael D. Sutherland. Here are excerpts: * * * China's One Belt, One Road Initiative: Economic Issues The People's Republic of China (PRC or China) in 2013 launched an ambitious and multifaceted foreign economic policy initiative - One Belt, One Road - to expand China's global economic reach and influenc more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49059) on Aug. 3, 2026, entitled "Columbia River System Operations and the Future of the Lower Snake River Dams." The report is written by natural resources policy specialists Anna E. Normand and Pervaze A. Sheikh and research planning coordinator Erin H. Ward. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Congress has repeatedly debated how to operate and allocate resources from federal water resources projects-such as multipurpose federal dams-to se more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49059) on Aug. 3, 2026, entitled "Columbia River System Operations and the Future of the Lower Snake River Dams:" (Continued from Part 1 of 4) * * * Snake River Salmon and Steelhead Trout Populations Listed Under the ESA The ESA was enacted to conserve species identified as endangered or threatened and their habitats./52 Three species of anadromous fishes listed under the ESA are currently found in the Snake River: Chinook salmon (Oncorhyn more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49059) on Aug. 3, 2026, entitled "Columbia River System Operations and the Future of the Lower Snake River Dams:" (Continued from Part 2 of 4) * * * Conserving and Restoring Snake River Fishes Federal, state, local, and tribal stakeholders have conducted activities to conserve and restore Snake River salmon and steelhead trout. Most federal activities aimed at restoring salmon and steelhead trout in the Columbia River Basin are implemented more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49059) on Aug. 3, 2026, entitled "Columbia River System Operations and the Future of the Lower Snake River Dams:" (Continued from Part 3 of 4) * * * Litigation and Administration Actions Following the 2020 Record of Decision After the action agencies issued the 2020 ROD, NWF and the other plaintiffs in existing litigation over Columbia River System operations filed an eighth supplemental complaint in January 2021 seeking review of the 2020 more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13287) by legislative attorneys Dave S. Sidhu and Madeline W. Donley. Here are excerpts: * * * Constitutional Authority Statements and Repeal Legislation To introduce a bill or joint resolution, House Rule XII requires Members of the House to attach a statement identifying the source of Congress's constitutional authority to enact such legislation, known as a Constitutional Authority Statement (CAS). The underlying source of  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12610) by defense policy analysts Jennifer DiMascio and Hannah D. Dennis. Here are excerpts: * * * Defense Primer: U.S. Space Force The U.S. Space Force, established by Congress in 2019 (P.L. 116-92, Sec.952), is one of the six branches of the Armed Forces. According to Title 10, Section 9081, of the U.S. Code, "The Space Force shall be organized, trained, and equipped to - (1) provide freedom of operation for the United Stat more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11470) by legislative attorney Cassandra J. Barnum: * * * ESA Section 7 Consultation and Cooperative Federalism Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires federal agencies to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (together, "the Services") in advance of agency activities with the potential to impact endangered or threatened species (listed specie more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49055) on July 31, 2026, entitled "Federal Brownfields Program: Background and Issues for Congress" by environmental policy analyst Lance N. Larson. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA; 42 U.S.C. Sec.Sec.9601 et seq.) provides the federal framework for the cleanup of contaminated sites for which the federal government is liable for cleanup and nonfederal sites el more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49055) on July 31, 2026, entitled "Federal Brownfields Program - Background and Issues for Congress:" (Continued from part 1 of 2) * * * History of Brownfields Appropriations This section provides a history of annual appropriations for the federal Brownfields program beginning in the early years of the pilot initiative in FY1993 through FY2002 and continuing as a codified program in CERCLA from FY2003 through FY2026. In addition, this sect more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12824) by housing policy specialist Maggie McCarty. Here are excerpts: * * * Federal Rental Assistance and Affordability Housing is generally considered affordable if it costs a household no more than 30% of their income; households who pay more are considered cost-burdened. About half of U.S. renters are cost-burdened and the lowest-income renters have the highest cost burdens. To address high cost-burdens for lower-income f more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12728) on Aug. 12, 2026, by defense policy analyst Nicholas M. Munves. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2027 NDAA: Active Component End-Strength Background In accordance with 10 U.S.C. Sec.115(a), Congress sets the maximum size of the active component of the Armed Forces annually, typically in a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The active component comprises the full-time personnel of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air For more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12727) on Aug. 12, 2026, by defense policy analyst Nicholas M. Munves. Here are excerpts: * * * FY2027 NDAA: Reserve Component End-Strength Background In accordance with 10 U.S.C. Sec.115(a), Congress sets the maximum size (i.e., end-strength) of the active and reserve components of the Armed Forces annually, typically in a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Congress also appropriates funds for the pay and benefits of more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12709) by housing policy specialist Libby Perl: * * * HUD's FY2026 Continuum of Care Program Competition The Continuum of Care (CoC) program, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), funds housing and services to assist people experiencing homelessness. CoC funds are awarded through a competitive process announced in annual Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs). CoC NOFOs set priorities that, more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47884) on July 28, 2026, entitled "Identifying Minors Online" by Clare Y. Cho, industrial organization and business policy specialist: * * * SUMMARY Concerns about potential harms to minors on the internet, particularly on social media platforms, have grown in recent years. Dating to the 1990s, policymakers have enacted legislation seeking to protect minors online, some of which create requirements for entities that provide websites, mobile  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R47884) on July 28, 2026, entitled "Identifying Minors Online:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Policy Considerations for Legislation Multiple bills introduced in the 119th Congress seek to increase protections for minors online by creating new or amending existing requirements for website operators. Some of these bills would require certain operators to implement age verification methods. For example, the SCREEN Act (H.R. 1623, Title I  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12729) by natural resources policy specialists Laura B. Comay and Carol Hardy Vincent: * * * Legacy Restoration Fund for Deferred Maintenance: 119th Congress Reauthorization Bills The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA; P.L. 116-152) established the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF; 54 U.S.C. Chapter 2004), with dedicated funding to address deferred maintenance (DM) of five agencies: the Bureau of Indi more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12972) on Aug. 12, 2026, by defense policy analyst Daniel M. Gettinger. Here are excerpts: * * * MQ-25 Stingray: Background and Issues for Congress Introduction The U.S. Navy is developing a carrier-based uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) to perform aerial refueling and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The MQ-25 Stingray, if the system is fielded as planned, would be the U.S. Department of Defense' more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF13285). The white paper is written by legislative attorney Wen W. Shen, health care financing specialist Ryan J. Rosso and health policy specialist Amanda K. Sarata: * * * The Office of Personnel Management's Request to Collect Claims Data from Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Carriers On December 12, 2025, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a notice to solicit public comments on an information collect more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12352) by health policy analyst Nora Wells: * * * Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Information technology (IT), or the use of devices such as computers to handle electronic data, has existed for decades, but it has only recently become accessible to many Americans in a health care context. The federal government has tasked the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information T more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49056) on July 31, 2026, entitled "Reserve Component Duty Statuses: Background and Issues for Congress" by defense policy analyst Nicholas M. Munves. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Reserve Components (RCs) of the Armed Forces (the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve) largely consist of personnel who hold full-time civilian positions and a more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12726) on Aug. 12, 2026, by economic development policy analyst Adam G. Levin: * * * Small Business Administration's (SBA's) Manufacturing in America E2G Grant Initiative In May, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a new round of funding for the Manufacturing in America E2G Grant Initiative (MAGI). The 2026 round expands a program introduced in 2025 and appears to be part of the Administration's increased foc more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11108) by legislative attorney Dave S. Sidhu: * * * The Second Amendment at the Supreme Court: Challenges to Federal Gun Laws Ratified in 1791, the Second Amendment provides, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." For over two hundred years, the Supreme Court remained largely silent on the scope and meaning of the more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IF12809) by public finance analyst Nicholas E. Buffie: * * * The Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit P.L. 117-169, commonly known as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), enacted a tax credit for the production of component parts and critical minerals used in clean energy equipment. The credit is referred to as the Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit or the 45X credit based on its Internal Revenue Code  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49047) on July 28, 2026, entitled "The Social Security Administration's (SSA's) FY2027 Annual LAE Appropriation: In Brief" by income security specialist, William R. Morton. Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Introduction ... 1 Background on SSA ... 1 Overview of the Annual LAE Appropriation ... 1 FY2027 Budget Requests for the Annual LAE ... 2 Commissioner of Social Security ... 2 President ... 2 FY2027 Congressional Proposals for the  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49058) on July 31, 2026, entitled "The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 - Background, Impact, and Issues" by social policy analyst Zhe Li. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 (SSFA; P.L. 118-273), signed into law on January 5, 2025, repealed two provisions in the Social Security Act: the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). The changes applied to monthly bene more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R49058) on July 31, 2026, entitled "The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 - Background, Impact, and Issues:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Impact This section discusses the impact of the SSFA on existing and prospective beneficiaries who would otherwise have been affected by the GPO or WEP, as well as its effects on the solvency and administration of Social Security, railroad retirement, and related programs. Beneficiaries Affected more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Legal Sidebar white paper (No. LSB11469) by legislative attorney Andreas Kuersten: * * * Supreme Court Says Negligence Suits Against Military Contractor Operating in a Combat Zone Are Not Preempted On April 22, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the case Hencely v. Fluor Corp. This case involves a former servicemember (Winston Tyler Hencely) who sued a military contractor (Fluor) under South Carolina law for injuries he suffered on a U.S. military base more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12371) on Aug. 12, 2026, by Asian affairs specialist Susan V. Lawrence. Here are excerpts: * * * Taiwan Presidents' U.S. Transit Visits Introduction Since 1994, five sitting presidents of self-governing Taiwan, which also calls itself the Republic of China (ROC), have undertaken a combined 30 trips abroad that have included transit stops in the United States. U.S. policy has been to permit the most senior Taiwan officials to more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12990) by Asian trade and finance specialist Karen M. Sutter. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S.-China Tariff Actions Since 2018: An Overview 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 2025, the Trump Administration's trade policy and tariff  more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11175) by international trade and finance analyst Danielle M. Trachtenberg. Here are excerpts: * * * U.S.-Mexico Trade Relations The 119th Congress is engaged in a range of legislative and oversight activities related to trade policy toward Mexico, which in 2025 was the largest U.S. trading partner in total trade (exports plus imports) of goods and services. Mexico's proximity to the United States and the extensive bilateral more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF11308) by international trade and finance specialists Cathleen D. Cimino-Isaacs and Danielle M. Trachtenberg: * * * USMCA: Labor Provisions The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) entered into force in 2020 (P.L. 116-113), replacing the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Concerns among some Members of Congress about the protection of worker rights and enforceability were prominent issues in the NAFTA negotiatio more PR

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12730) by natural resources policy analyst Alicyn R. Gitlin and environmental policy analyst Omar M. Hammad: * * * Wildland Fire Smoke, Air Quality and Health Wildland fire smoke is a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced by burning materials during wildland fire events that temporarily degrades air quality over long distances, creating health concerns and decreasing visibility. Wildland fire smoke affects the pu more PR