The Department of Labor’s 2024 Final Rule on Investment Advice in Private Sector Pension Plans and Individual Retirement Accounts
On April 25, 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final regulation to redefine investment advice within private sector pension and retirement plans, which replaced regulations issued in 1975 (...
National Level Exercises: History, Authorities, and Congressional Considerations
Every two years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conducts a National Level Exercise (NLE) to evaluate the nation’s progress toward preparedness for catastrophic events. These exercises ...
Hemp Provisions in the House Farm Bill and FY2025 Agriculture Appropriations Bill
Recent action by the House Agriculture Committee on the next farm bill (Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024; H.R. 8467, as amended) and the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee on t...
Automobiles, Air Pollution, and Climate Change
On August 5, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14037, “Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks” (86 FR 43583). The order required, among other items, executive agencies t...
Medicaid Coverage for Former Foster Youth Up to Age 26
Children are removed from families and placed into foster care due to incidents of abuse, neglect, or other family crisis. During FY2022, nearly 570,000 children spent at least a day in foster care. O...
Foreign Ownership, Control, and Influence (FOCI) Risks in the Food and Agriculture Sector
In recent years, congressional concerns over potential risks to domestic food security posed by foreign ownership, control, and influence (FOCI) of critical infrastructure in the U.S. food and agricul...
The Biden Administration’s June 2024 Proclamation and Rule, Securing the Border
On June 3, 2024, President Biden—pursuant to statutory authorities under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(f), 8 U.S.C. § 1185(a), and 3 U.S.C. § 301—signed a proclamation, “Securing the Border” (Proclamation), that te...
Connecting Constituents with Federal Programs for Public Parks
Congress has established programs to assist constituents—including individuals, organizations, tribes, and local governments—with projects to establish or upgrade public parks and related outdoor recr...
Forest Service: FY2024 Appropriations
The Forest Service (FS) is responsible for managing 193 million acres of land in the National Forest System (NFS), conducting forestry research, and providing assistance to state, local, private, and ...
Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy of Electric Vehicles: In Brief
In March 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a final rule (“Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculation,” 89 Federal Register 22041, March 29, 2024) to revise its regulations for cal...
Political Status of Puerto Rico: Brief Background and Recent Developments for Congress
Puerto Rico lies approximately 1,000 miles southeast of Miami and 1,500 miles from Washington, DC. Despite being far outside the continental United States, the island has played a significant role in ...
Mexico’s 2024 Elections
On June 2, 2024, Mexico, a top U.S. trade and strategic partner, convened elections for federal, state, and local offices, including the presidency, both chambers of congress, and nine governorships. ...
Section 1071: Small Business Lending Data Collection and Reporting
Small businesses are owned by and employ a wide variety of entrepreneurs—skilled trade technicians, farmers, medical professionals, financial consultants, technology innovators, and restauranteurs, am...