Social Security: Selected Findings of the 2025 Annual Report
According to the 2025 report of the Board of Trustees of the Social Security Trust Funds, the program’s finances are in a similar, albeit marginally worse, position in 2025 relative to what they were ...
Extreme Heat: Background, NOAA’s Role, and Issues for Congress
Higher air temperatures, including extreme heat, are associated with adverse impacts on human health, wildlife, and the built and natural environments. Experts estimate that average air temperatures i...
Proposed Elimination of the Penny: Frequently Asked Questions
The Secretary of the Treasury, through the U.S. Mint, is authorized to issue circulating coins (31 U.S.C. §5112). The smallest of these denominations is the penny, or one-cent piece. The first penny w...
Congressional Membership and Appointment Authority to Advisory Commissions, Boards, and Groups
Congress statutorily establishes a wide array of commissions, boards, and advisory bodies to provide it with assistance in meeting various legislative, investigative, and administrative responsibiliti...
Major FY2024 Federal Funding for the Bureau of Indian Education School System
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Information as of June 24, 2025. Prepared by Cassandria Dortch, Specialist in Education Policy, and Jamie Bush, Visual Information
Specialist. For more information on the programs, see CRS Report RL...
One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1): Title I, Farm Safety Net and Miscellaneous Provisions
On May 22, 2025, the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), providing for budget reconciliation pursuant to the FY2025 House budget resolution (H.Con.Res. 14). Title I (“Committee on Ag...
U.S. Grain Standards Act: Overview and Issues for Possible Reauthorization
The U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA) of 1916, as amended (P.L. 64-190; 39 Stat. 482, 7 U.S.C. §§71 et seq.), authorizes the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish official...
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in the United States
Avian influenza, sometimes referred to as “bird flu,” is a disease caused by influenza A viruses. It can be highly contagious and has a history of infecting birds, wildlife, and humans. A subtype of a...
Commercial Space Launch and Reentry Regulations: Overview and Select Issues
Private aerospace companies, such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, offer launch services, transporting humans or payloads—including satellites, spacecraft, and cargo—to space. Their customers include compan...
NICS Reporting of Veterans with Fiduciaries: Issues for Congress
Under 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(4), persons “adjudicated as a mental defective” are prohibited from legally buying, selling, or possessing a firearm. Veterans that have a fiduciary appointed to them because t...
Connecting Constituents to Federal Programs That Fund Home Repairs or Modifications
This report provides information and resources to assist congressional offices with responding to constituent questions about potential federal funding for home repairs, modifications, rehabilitation,...
Kousisis v. United States and the Reach of Federal Fraud Statutes
In May 2025, the Supreme Court held in Kousisis v. United States that the federal wire fraud statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1343, prohibits schemes to defraud even where the scheme is not intended to and does n...
The Trump Administration’s Foreign Assistance Review: Nuts and Bolts Issues and Congress’s Role
On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14169, “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,” directing a review of all U.S. foreign development assistance alon...
Supreme Court Upholds ATF “Ghost Gun” Regulation in Bondi v. VanDerStok
On March 26, 2025, the Supreme Court issued an opinion in Bondi v. VanDerStok upholding a 2022 rule promulgated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) that targeted certain ...
The Federal Communications Commission: Structure, Operations, and Budget
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent federal agency established by the Communications Act of 1934 (1934 Act, or “Communications Act”). The agency is charged with regulating in...
Sentencing Classification and Default Federal Criminal Fines by Authorized Prison Term
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Information as of June 18, 2025. Prepared by Peter G. Berris, Legislative Attorney; Cassandra J. Barnum, Legislative Attorney; and
Jamie Bush, Visual Information Specialist. Additional information a...