The Opioid Epidemic: Supply Control and Criminal Justice Policy—Frequently Asked Questions
Over the last several years, lawmakers in the United States have responded to rising drug overdose deaths, which increased four-fold from 1999 to 2017, with a variety of legislation, hearings, and ove...
House Rules Changes Affecting Floor Proceedings in the 116th Congress (2019-2020)
As agreed to in the House, H.Res. 6, a resolution adopting the rules of the House of Representatives, provided amendments to the rules, as well as separate orders, that affect floor procedure in the 1...
Land and Water Conservation Fund: Overview, Funding History, and Issues
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act of 1965 was enacted to help preserve, develop, and ensure access to outdoor recreation facilities to strengthen the health of U.S. citizens. The law cre...
Advance Appropriations, Forward Funding, and Advance Funding: Concepts, Practice, and Budget Process Considerations
Funding in annual appropriations acts is for a designated fiscal year unless otherwise specified. Federal agencies that receive funds in those acts may obligate the funds during a period that starts a...
The Economic Effects of the 2017 Tax Revision: Preliminary Observations
The 2017 tax revision, P.L. 115-97, often referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and referred to subsequently as the Act, substantially revised the U.S. tax system. The Act permanently reduced the ...
FY2019 Supplemental Appropriations for Agriculture
On June 3, 2019, Congress passed H.R. 2157 (FY2019 supplemental), which authorized supplemental appropriations for new and existing agricultural programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), ...
Broadband Deployment: Status and Federal Programs
Broadband—whether delivered via fiber, cable modem, mobile or fixed wireless, copper wire, or satellite—is increasingly the technology underlying telecommunications services such as voice, video, and ...
Biologics and Biosimilars: Background and Key Issues
A biological product, or biologic, is a preparation, such as a drug or a vaccine, that is made from living organisms. Compared with conventional chemical drugs, biologics are relatively large and comp...
Vehicle Electrification: Federal and State Issues Affecting Deployment
Most of the 270 million cars, trucks, and buses on U.S. highways are powered by internal combustion engines using gasoline or diesel fuel. However, improvements in technology have led to the emergence...
Waiver of Congressional Notification Period in the Arms Export Control Act
The Trump Administration’s notification to Congress on May 24, 2019 regarding the sales of arms to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan as an emergency measure, avoiding the statutorily ...
USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2019 Appropriations
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 116-6) was enacted on February 15, 2019. This omnibus bill included appropriations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), of which USDA’s domest...
House Rules Changes Affecting Committee Procedure in the 116th Congress (2019-2020)
As agreed to in the House, H.Res. 6, a resolution adopting the rules of the House of Representatives, provided amendments to the rules, as well as separate orders, that affect committee procedure in t...