U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions in the Electricity Sector: Factors, Trends, and Projections
International negotiations and domestic policy developments continue to generate congressional interest in current and projected U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels. In December 2015, delegation...
Federal Support for Graduate Medical Education: An Overview
Access to health care is, in part, determined by the availability of physicians, a function of the physician supply. Policymakers have demonstrated a long-standing interest in access to care, both in ...
Drug Shortages: Causes, FDA Authority, and Policy Options
Drug shortages have remained a serious and persistent public health concern, despite the prevention and mitigation efforts of Congress, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and health care provider...
Introduction to Bank Regulation: Supervision
To identity and mitigate risks, bank regulators have the authority to monitor bank activities and, if necessary, direct a bank to change its behavior. Bank supervision creates certain benefits (e.g., ...
Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act: Bureau of Reclamation and California Water Provisions
Most of the provisions in the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act; P.L. 114-322), enacted on December 16, 2016, relate to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. However, the WIIN...
USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2018 Appropriations
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141) was enacted on March 23, 2018. This omnibus bill included appropriations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), of which USDA’s domesti...
Shutdown of the Federal Government: Causes, Processes, and Effects
When federal agencies and programs lack funding after the expiration of full-year or interim appropriations, the agencies and programs experience a funding gap. If funding does not resume in time to c...
Public Health and Other Related Provisions in P.L 115-271, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act
On October 24, 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed into law H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (P.L. 115-271;...
Commercial Space: Federal Regulation, Oversight, and Utilization
U.S. companies have always been involved in spaceflight as contractors to government agencies. Increasingly, though, space is becoming commercial. A majority of U.S. satellites are now commercially ow...
Icebreaker Acquisition and the Need for a National Maritime Strategy
Coast Guard, merchant marine, polar, Great Lakes, icebreaker, cutter, ship, shipbuilding, procurement, acquisition, recapitalization, sealift, maritime strategy
Medicaid Alternative Benefit Plan Coverage: Frequently Asked Questions
Medicaid is a federal-state program that finances the delivery of primary and acute medical services, as well as long-term services and supports, to a diverse low-income population, including children...
Teacher Preparation Policies and Issues in the Higher Education Act
Approximately 26,000 state-approved teacher preparation programs are in operation across the United States. Among these, about 70% are traditional teacher preparation programs—that is, they are contai...