Climate Change Risk Disclosures and the Securities and Exchange Commission
Potential risks to the U.S. financial system from climate change have attracted growing attention in government, academia, and media, raising questions about the roles of financial regulators in addre...
Federal Pay: General Schedule (GS) Pay Adjustment Process, Amounts Provided Since 2010, and Issues for Congress
The General Schedule (GS) is the basic pay schedule for federal civilian white-collar employees. The GS governs the establishment and adjustment of salaries for a workforce representing professional, ...
The House Appropriations Process: Opportunities for Member Participation
Each year, Congress produces appropriations legislation that provides discretionary funding for a broad range of government activities related to defense, transportation, education, the environment, h...
Stalking Concerns Raised by Bluetooth Tracking Technologies: In Brief
Recent media reports have raised concerns about the use of Bluetooth tracking technologies (e.g., Apple AirTags, Tile trackers; hereinafter, e-trackers) to facilitate crimes such as motor vehicle thef...
National Spectrum Policy: Interference Issues in the 5G Context
Radio Spectrum as a National Resource
Most wireless technologies, including mobile communications, radionavigation systems (e.g., the Global Positioning System, GPS), radar systems, satellites, and ra...
Reforming the U.S. Postal Service: Background and Issues for Congress
This report provides background information on the financial condition of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). It provides information on mail revenue, volume, and service performance. Additionally, it cov...
The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA)
During the Cold War, thousands of Americans worked in the development and testing of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile. Some of these workers were exposed to radiation, beryllium, silica, and oth...
FEMA’s Role in the COVID-19 Federal Pandemic Response
On March 13, 2020, President Donald J. Trump declared a nationwide emergency under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford Act, P.L. 93-288 as amended), autho...
Passenger Rail Expansion in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
On November 15, 2021, the President signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58). The law contains a five-year reauthorization of surface transportation programs, inc...
Afghanistan: Humanitarian Crisis, Economic Collapse, and U.S. Sanctions
Humanitarian and economic conditions in Afghanistan, long one of the world’s poorest and most aid-dependent countries, have deteriorated significantly since the Taliban’s August 2021 takeover, creatin...
U.S. Nuclear Plant Shutdowns, State Interventions, and Policy Concerns
The United States has the largest nuclear power plant fleet in the world, with 93 reactors that can generate approximately 95,522 megawatts (MW) of electricity. Nuclear power has accounted for about 2...
Extreme Weather and Lifeline Infrastructure Resilience: Provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
On December 10, 2021, deadly tornadoes struck Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, and Illinois, killing nearly 90 people and causing widespread damage to lifeline infrastructure in the transporta...
ACA Connects v. Bonta: Ninth Circuit Upholds California’s Net Neutrality Law in Preemption Challenge
On January 28, 2022, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held in ACA Connects v. Bonta that California’s net neutrality law, SB-822, is not preempted by federal law....
Immunization Information Systems: Overview and Current Issues
As defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Immunization Information Systems (IIS) are “confidential, population-based, computerized databases that record all immunization dose...
Supreme Court Rules on Retirement Plan Fiduciary Duty in Hughes v. Northwestern University
Among Congress’s policy priorities is safeguarding retirement income security for working Americans, retirees, and their families. In January 2022, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Hughes v. N...
The Broadband Digital Divide: What Comes Next for Congress?
As classrooms, workplaces, and social activities migrated online during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the digital divide—the gap between those who have access to broadband internet...
Decommissioning 3G Networks: Impact on Consumer Devices
Background
About every 10 years, a new generation of wireless technologies emerges, offering greater capacity, higher speeds, and new features. Private telecommunications providers invest billions int...