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Does the President Have the Power to Legalize Marijuana? [Updated November 4, 2021]
From the Document: "The legal status of marijuana has been a topic of recurring interest in recent years, as states [hyperlink], federal legislators [hyperlink], and federal [hyperlink] executive agencies [hyperlink] consider how to regulate cannabis and its derivatives. What role can the President play in determining the legal status of a controlled substance such as marijuana? That question came to the forefront during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, with multiple candidates supporting legalization [hyperlink] of marijuana and several pledging to legalize the substance nationwide if elected, either indirectly through administrative proceedings [hyperlink] or directly by executive order [hyperlink]. More recently, some commentators have called on President Biden to end criminal penalties for marijuana possession and use [hyperlink] or grant clemency to federal marijuana offenders [hyperlink]. Although the President cannot directly remove marijuana from control under federal controlled substances law, he might order executive agencies to consider either altering the scheduling of marijuana or changing their enforcement approach. This Sidebar outlines the laws that apply to controlled substances like marijuana, then analyzes several approaches a president might take to change controlled substances law as written or as enforced. The Sidebar closes with a discussion of key considerations for Congress related to presidential power over controlled substances regulation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lampe, Joanna R.
2021-11-04
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Evolving Electric Power Systems and Cybersecurity [November 4, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Electric power is generated in power plants across the country, and transferred through a network of transmission lines at high voltages to distribution systems, which then bring electric power to the many residential, commercial, and industrial end-users. The 'grid' is another name for the transmission system, i.e., the interconnected group of power lines and associated equipment for moving electric energy at high voltage between points of supply and points where it is delivered to other electric systems. The U.S. grid is aging, and one of the tools for modernizing the system is the incorporation of computerized systems that allow for the rapid monitoring and control of the equipment used in the grid. Connecting these systems to the internet has increased the ability to remotely control aspects of the grid, but this has come with increasing concern for the grid's cybersecurity, as digital systems can be accessed and controlled remotely. [...] This report focuses on the current state of U.S. electric grid security, given recent cybersecurity events. How the grid is evolving with respect to the mandatory and enforceable regulations for bulk system reliability is a key area of the discussion. Some of the known cybersecurity intrusions are reviewed with respect to the grid vulnerabilities. The report identifies and summarizes several 117th Congress measures related to improving electric grid security with regard to the goal of enhancing the reliability of the U.S. electric power system."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Campbell, Richard J.
2021-11-04
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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance [Updated November 4, 2021]
From the Introduction: "The majority of funding in the United States for both pre- and post-disaster mitigation comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency [hyperlink] (FEMA), which defines mitigation [hyperlink] as 'any sustained action to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural hazards and their effects.' Mitigation actions have a long-term impact, as opposed to actions associated with immediate preparedness, response, and recovery activities [hyperlink]. Mitigation has been shown to save money. A recent study by the Multihazard Mitigation Council [hyperlink] found that society saves $6 for every dollar spent on mitigation [hyperlink] funded through major federal mitigation grants. FEMA administers three hazard mitigation grant programs, collectively referred to as Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) [hyperlink]: [1] Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) [hyperlink]; [2] Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Grant Program [hyperlink]; [3] Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) [hyperlink], which replaced the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program [hyperlink]."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Horn, Diane P.
2021-11-04
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Landsat 9 and the Future of the Sustainable Land Imaging Program [Updated November 4, 2021]
From the Introduction: "The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched Landsat 9, a remote sensing satellite NASA developed in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), on September 27, 2021. Landsat 9 is the latest in a series of Earth-observing satellites that began on July 23, 1972, with the launch of Earth Resources Technology Satellite 1, now known as Landsat 1. [...] This report describes the Sustainable Land Imaging Program, Landsat satellite instrumentation, uses of Landsat data, and aspects of Landsat's history. The report also discusses potential alternatives to the current Landsat satellite system and Sustainable Land Imaging Program, as well as possible tradeoffs among those alternatives."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Normand, Anna E.
2021-11-04
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Nicaragua in Brief: Political Developments in 2021, U.S. Policy, and Issues for Congress [Updated November 4, 2021]
From the Overview: "Increasing government crackdowns in Nicaragua against the opposition, journalists, and government critics in 2021 have elevated international concerns, including among Members of Congress, about political developments, human rights violations, and the erosion of democracy in the country, especially leading up to elections scheduled for November 7, 2021. The U.S. Department of State, the Organization of American States (OAS), and one of Nicaragua's main political opposition alliances have declared that the conditions for free and fair elections do not exist in Nicaragua. President Daniel Ortega, who was inaugurated to his third consecutive and fourth overall five-year term as president on January 10, 2017, is a polarizing figure both at home and abroad for what many characterize as his increasingly authoritarian rule and recent oppressive actions. General elections, including for the presidency and the National Assembly, are scheduled for November 7, 2021; Ortega has not carried out electoral and human rights reforms recommended by the international community, leading the domestic opposition and international community to contest their legitimacy. The elections are likely to assure Ortega and his party's continuance in power."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Taft-Morales, Maureen
2021-11-04
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Afro-descendants of Latin America: Selected Resources [November 4, 2021]
From the Document: "The United Nations (U.N.) estimates [hyperlink] that approximately '200 million people identifying themselves as being of African descent live in the Americas.' Congress has long demonstrated interest in the status of Afro-descendants abroad as seen in legislation and hearings. Since 1993, the Department of State submits an annual 'Country Reports on Human Rights Practices' that includes a section on 'National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities.' This CRS [Congressional Research Service] Insight focuses on resources that relate to the human rights of Afro-descendants of Latin America, including connections to socioeconomics, international organizations, and international declarations and conventions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Davis-Castro, Carla Y.
2021-11-04
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Evolving Cybersecurity Landscape: Industry Perspectives on Securing the Nation's Infrastructure, Incident Command System for Industrial Control Systems (ICS4ICS), Hearing Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, November 4, 2021
This is the November 4, 2021 testimony of Megan Samford on "Evolving Cybersecurity Landscape: Industry Perspectives on Securing the Nation's Infrastructure, Incident Command System for Industrial Control Systems (ICS4ICS)," held before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. From the Closing: "Poorly managed cyber-incident responses can be devastating to our national security, health and safety, and economy. Even after twenty years, many of the same response challenges that faced emergency responders on 9/11 [September 11 attacks] continue to be challenges for us now, except in cyber-incident response - lack of common response frameworks and interoperability. With so much at stake, we Internal must effectively manage cyber-incidents, together, with both the private sector and government. The Incident Command System allows us to do so. This effort is ramping up quickly and deserves a home in the United States government. On behalf of the ICS4ICS [Incident Command System for Industrial Control Systems] effort, I respectfully request your bi-partisan support for this important program in requesting the government investigate ways to expand and enhance the spirit of language captured in Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5 to encourage adoption of Incident Command System within the private sector for cyber-incident response[.]"
Schneider Electric (Firm); Incident Command System for Industrial Control Systems (ICS4ICS); ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance
Samford, Megan P.
2021-11-04
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FY2022 NDAA: Preservation of the Force and Family Program [November 4, 2021]
From the Document: "The United States Special Operations Command [hyperlink] (USSOCOM) is the Unified Combatant Command [hyperlink] (COCOM) responsible for training and equipping Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force. Since at least 2001, frequent deployments, high personnel tempo (PERSTEMPO [hyperlink]), and combat exposure have stressed [hyperlink] SOF personnel and their families. Combat exposure has been associated [hyperlink] with higher risks of negative mental and behavioral health outcomes like posttraumatic stress (PTS), suicidality, and substance misuse. There is some evidence [hyperlink] that military personnel may decline to seek treatment or support for these conditions due to perceived negative career consequences or 'stigma.' Deployments have also been found [hyperlink] to negatively impact familial relationships and well-being of military spouses and children."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kamarck, Kristy N.; Pedrigi, Robert
2021-11-04
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CBO Presentation: CBO's Budget and Economic Analysis During the Pandemic [November 3, 2021]
From the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) presentation to the Council for Affordable Health Coverage webpage: "Phillip Swagel, Director of the Congressional Budget Office, outlined the agency's budget and economic analysis during the 2020-2021 coronavirus pandemic and described some of the challenges involved in analyzing current economic policy. His remarks focused on CBO's analysis of health policy, the macroeconomic effects of the legislative response to the pandemic, and labor market issues arising from the response and recovery. He also discussed the long-term effects of the recovery on economic growth, jobs, wages, productivity, and climate change."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
Swagel, Phillip
2021-11-03
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Executive Order 14051: Designation to Exercise Authority Over the National Defense Stockpile
From the Document: "The United States needs resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains to ensure our economic prosperity, national security, and national competitiveness. In Executive Order 14017 of February 24, 2021 (America's Supply Chains), I directed a comprehensive review of America's supply chains to ensure that they are resilient in the face of a range of risks. One critical component of safeguarding supply chain resilience and industrial base health is ensuring that both the Federal Government and the private sector maintain adequate quantities of supplies, equipment, or raw materials on hand to create a buffer against potential shortages and import dependencies. Some of the Federal Government's key tools to maintain adequate quantities of supplies to guard against such shortages and dependencies are the United States national stockpiles, including the National Defense Stockpile. By strengthening the National Defense Stockpile, the Federal Government will both ensure that it is keeping adequate quantities of goods on hand and provide a model for the private sector, while recognizing that private sector stockpiles and reserves can differ from government ones. This order confers authority related to the release of strategic and critical materials from the National Defense Stockpile to improve Federal Government efforts around stockpiling for national defense purposes."
United States. Office of the Federal Register
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.
2021-11-03
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H. Rept. 117-171, Part 1: Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility Act, Report to Accompany H.R. 3193, November 3, 2021
From the Purpose of Legislation: "The purpose of H.R. 3193 is to amend the 'Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965' to provide for a high-speed broadband deployment initiative and remove barriers to broadband deployment for rural communities."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2021-11-03
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Congressional Salaries and Allowances: In Brief [Updated November 3, 2021]
From the Summary: "This report provides basic information on congressional salaries and allowances. First, the report briefly summarizes the current salary of Members of Congress; limits or prohibitions on their outside earned income, honoraria, and tax deductions; options for life and health insurance; and retirement benefits. Second, the report provides information on allowances available to Representatives and Senators to support them in their official and representational duties. These allowances cover official office expenses, including staff, mail, travel between a Member's district or state and Washington, DC, equipment, and other goods and services. Although the House and Senate allowances are structured differently, both are determined by formulas based on variables from the district or state (e.g., distance from Washington, DC). Third, the report lists the salaries of Members, House and Senate officers and officials, and salary limits for staff of committees and Member offices."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Brudnick, Ida A.
2021-11-03
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Defense Primer: Military Health System [Updated November 3, 2021]
From the Document: "The Department of Defense (DOD) administers a statutory health entitlement (under Chapter 55 of Title 10, U.S. Code) through the Military Health System (MHS). The MHS offers health care benefits and services through its TRICARE program to approximately 9.62 million beneficiaries composed of servicemembers, military retirees, and family members. Health care services are available through DOD-operated hospitals and clinics, referred to collectively as 'military treatment facilities' (MTFs), or through civilian health care providers participating in the TRICARE program. [...] The fundamental reason for an MHS is to support medical readiness."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mendez, Bryce H. P.
2021-11-03
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Legality of DACA: Recent Litigation Developments [Updated November 3, 2021]
From the Document: "Since 2012, certain unlawfully present non-U.S. nationals (aliens, as the term is used in the Immigration and Nationality Act [hyperlink] [INA]) who entered the United States as children have been permitted to remain and work in this country for renewable two-year periods under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals [hyperlink] (DACA) initiative. During the Trump Administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sought to rescind [hyperlink] DACA on the basis that it was unlawful. Several federal district courts enjoined DHS from terminating DACA and required the agency to continue accepting DACA applications and work authorization requests from current DACA recipients. In 2020, the Supreme Court held [hyperlink] that DHS's rescission of DACA violated procedural requirements in federal law, thereby leaving DACA largely intact, without deciding on the legality of DACA itself."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Hillel R.; Harrington, Ben
2021-11-03
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Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2022 (P.L. 117-43) [November 3, 2021]
From the Summary: "This report provides an analysis of the continuing appropriations provisions included in the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2022 (Division A of P.L. 117-43). On September 30, 2021, the President signed H.R. 5305 into law as P.L. 117-43. Divisions B-D of the law provided supplemental appropriations for disaster relief and activities related to the resettlement of Afghan citizens. P.L. 117-43 also extended a temporary increase in federal funding for the U.S. territories' Medicaid programs and the authorization for several other federal programs and included provisions related the budgetary scorekeeping of those extensions. This report examines Division A, the continuing resolution (CR) portion of the act."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McNellis, Kevin P.
2021-11-03
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Federal Firearms Law: Selected Developments in the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches [November 3, 2021]
From the Summary: "Firearm regulation in the United States is an area of shared authority between the federal, state, and local governments. At the federal level, firearm commerce, possession, and transfers are governed largely by two statutory regimes: the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA). The NFA imposes stringent taxation and registration requirements for a specific set of statutorily defined 'firearms' deemed to be especially dangerous, such as machineguns and short-barreled rifles. The GCA, which is more broadly applicable to most kinds of commonly available firearms, regulates the manufacture, transfer, and possession of firearms in multiple ways. Among other things, the GCA prohibits certain categories of persons from possessing or receiving firearms and requires individuals or entities 'engaged in the business' of manufacturing or selling firearms to be federally licensed (referred to as FFLs). The GCA also obligates FFLs that manufacture firearms to identify each one by means of a serial number and requires FFLs that transfer firearms to conduct background checks on each prospective transferee. Current federal law does 'not' require unlicensed persons who wish to make or assemble a firearm for personal use to stamp it with an identifying serial number, nor must such persons who wish to transfer a firearm from a personal collection or as a hobby conduct a background check on the person to whom the firearm is to be transferred."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Foster, Michael A. (Legislative attorney)
2021-11-03
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Elections Grant Programs: Policy Options [November 3, 2021]
From the Document: "Recent congressional activity on elections issues has often featured grant programs. Congress responded to foreign interference in the 2016 elections and the effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on administration of the 2020 elections, in part, with funding for a grant program established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA; P.L. 107-252). Multiple bills introduced in the 117th Congress--from the Freedom to Vote Act (S. 2747) to the Protecting the Right to Organized, Transparent Elections through a Constitutionally Trustworthy Electoral College (PROTECT Electoral College) Act (H.R. 4789/S. 519) to the House-reported Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill (H.R. 4345)--would authorize, fund, or set conditions for elections grant programs. This In Focus explores some issues that may be of interest to Members who are considering offering, supporting, opposing, or amending proposals to authorize, fund, or set conditions for elections grant programs. It starts by summarizing some general arguments for and against federal elections grant programs then introduces some considerations that might be relevant for development or assessment of particular programs or proposals."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Shanton, Karen L.
2021-11-03
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Air Force F-15EX Eagle II Fighter Program [Updated November 3, 2021]
From the Summary: "On March 11, 2021, the U.S. Air Force took delivery of its first F-15EX Eagle II fighter. The Eagle II program is intended to deliver 144 aircraft to replace aging F-15Cs, most of which are in the Air National Guard. The Trump Administration's FY2020 budget proposal included a request for $1.1 billion to buy 8 F-15EX aircraft, the first procurement toward a planned initial buy of 144. This proposal represented a change from previous Air Force plans to procure only stealthy 'fifth-generation' fighter aircraft. The subsequent FY2021 defense budget proposal requested about $1.27 billion in procurement funding for 12 Eagle IIs and $133.5 million in advance procurement for future aircraft. The proposed budget also requested about $159.8 million for F15EX research and development."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gertler, Jeremiah
2021-11-03
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Elections Grant Programs: Authorizations and Appropriations [November 3, 2021]
From the Document: "Congress first authorized major federal grant programs for elections in the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA; P.L. 107-252). HAVA was enacted in response to issues with the conduct of the 2000 elections. Like previous federal elections statutes, it set requirements for the administration of federal elections. Unlike previous elections statutes, it also provided for grant programs to help states meet those requirements and identify and implement other improvements to election administration. No new federal elections grant programs on the scale of HAVA's have been authorized as of this writing. Grant programs have been established for certain more limited purposes, however, such as conducting pilot projects to improve the collection of election data. Congress has also provided further appropriations under HAVA's grant programs, such as funding for FY2020 to help states address effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on administration of the 2020 elections. This In Focus provides an overview of the elections-specific grant programs Congress has established and funded to date. It also briefly discusses non-elections-specific grant programs that have been used to support elections-related activities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Shanton, Karen L.
2021-11-03
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Relationship Between School Closures and Female Labor Force Participation During the Pandemic
From the Document: "Public K-12 schools are open now for the academic year, and instruction has returned to full-time in person, despite some disruptions due to outbreaks of the highly contagious COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] delta variant (Burbio School Opening Tracker [hyperlink]). The anticipation has been that with schools reopening, women with young children--who have disproportionately dropped out of and remained out of the labor force since the start of the pandemic--will return to the labor force. However, the small bit of evidence provided by the labor market data in September [hyperlink] suggests that this is not the case, as the aggregate labor force participation rate roughly moved sideways and the rate for women ticked down. In this post, we speak to this question by examining the extent to which the switch to all-virtual and hybrid schooling during the pandemic impacted the labor force participation of women with young children. We find that increases in the share of children in virtual or hybrid schooling in a given state are associated with decreases in labor force participation among women with young children in that state. However, the effects are modest. Moreover, in our data, remote schooling also depresses the participation of men with young children, all else equal, so it cannot entirely explain the relatively low participation of women with young children since the start of the pandemic. From a policy perspective these findings indicate that the reopening of schools will not be enough to return mothers' labor force participation back to its pre-pandemic levels. Indeed, mothers, like women more generally, have faced many challenges since the onset of the pandemic. In particular, they were over-represented hyperlink] in the service occupations that were hardest hit when the economy shut down at the start of the pandemic, and as such, conditions related to the progress of the pandemic and the reopening of the economy will also play an important role in increasing their participation. More generally concerns about the progress of the pandemic are likely to be a continuing factor in labor force decisions, especially for parents with young children who cannot be vaccinated."
Brookings Institution
Aaronson, Stephanie; Alba, Francisca
2021-11-03
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Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
From the Overview: "The impact of cybersecurity intrusions that leverage vulnerabilities in information technology and operational technology products threaten the public sector, the private sector, and ultimately the American people's security and privacy. In 2020, industry partners identified a total of 18,358 new cybersecurity vulnerabilities, or Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). Of these, 10,342--an average of 28 per day--are classified 'critical' or 'high severity' vulnerabilities. Organizations across both public and private sectors struggle to find time to test and implement remediations to these vulnerabilities--such as patches and updates--across complex infrastructures. Additionally, the effort and subject matter expertise required to research the degree of risk posed by a given vulnerability makes prioritizing CVEs a challenge. In response to these challenges, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), via Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 22-01, 'Reducing the Significant Risk of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities' [hyperlink], has created--and published on CISA.gov [hyperlink]--a living catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities that carry significant risk; 182 vulnerabilities from 2017-2020 and 108 from 2021 make up the initial publication. CISA will regularly update the catalog with new known exploited vulnerabilities that meet specified thresholds [hyperlink]."
United States. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
2021-11-03
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: Reconciliation Recommendations of the House Committee on the Judiciary
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported on September 13, 2021. From the Document: "S. Con. Res. 14, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2022, instructed some committees of the House of Representatives to recommend legislative changes that would increase deficits up to a specified amount over the 2022-2031 period. As part of the reconciliation process, the House Committee on the Judiciary approved legislation on September 13, 2021, with provisions that would increase deficits. The legislation would increase unified budget deficits by $123.9 billion over the 2022-2031 period (as reflected in the table above), by $565.4 billion over the 2032-2041 period, and by larger amounts after that."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-11-02
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Reducing Military and Veteran Suicide: Advancing a Comprehensive, Cross-Sector, Evidence-Informed Public Health Strategy
From the Introduction: "Suicide among service members [hyperlink], veterans [hyperlink], and their families [hyperlink] is a public health and national security crisis. In 2019 alone, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported that 6,261 veterans died by suicide. The Department of Defense reported 580 suicide deaths among Active Components, Reserve, and National Guard service members in 2020; and 202 suicide deaths among military family members in 2019. While suicide in the general population has been increasing, the rate among service members and veterans remains too high despite ongoing effort to reduce suicide through the implementation of federal policies, programs, and practices. [...] In this document, we outline a series of priority goals and executive actions that the Biden-Harris Administration will pursue to reduce and prevent suicide within the military and veteran population. Our effort builds upon an existing foundation of government programs and public-private partnerships, and it serves to accelerate across the interagency efforts."
United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary
2021-11-02?
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2348, Advancing Conservation and Education Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Natural Resources on May 5, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 2348 would authorize 13 western states to exchange state land located in eligible areas for federal land managed by the Department of the Interior (DOI). The bill would direct DOI to establish a process by which states can request an exchange. Any conveyances would be subject to valid existing rights."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-11-02
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 1951, Increase Federal Disaster Cost Share Act of 2021
This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on March 24, 2021. From the Document: "H.R. 1951 would increase the federal share of costs to 90 percent for any disasters that were declared by the President in calendar year 2020. Under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, the federal government typically pays 75 percent of total recovery costs unless the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) agrees to pay a higher share; state governments pay the rest. [...] For this estimate, CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted by the end of calendar year 2021 and that outlays will follow historical spending patterns for the affected programs."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-11-02
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Inter-Korean Solidarity Around COVID-19, Under the Northeast Asian Public Health Initiative (NEAPHI), as a Contribution to Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR+)
From the Introduction: "In this essay, Shin Young-jeon assesses the potential for the Northeast Asian Public Health Initiative (NEAPHI) to contribute to Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR+) given the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] situation in the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] and the operational status, limitations, and future challenges that NEAPHI must address."
Nautilus Institute
Yeong-jeon, Shin
2021-11-02
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Military Criminal Justice System [November 2, 2021]
From the Document: "Military law comprises federal law, constitutional authority, and inherent command authority. It is meant to promote justice, efficiency, and discipline in the armed services. Jurisdiction under military law is based on the U.S. Constitution and relevant aspects of international law. Military law jurisdiction is exercised through four distinct forums: (1) courts-martial, (2) courts of inquiry, (3) military commissions, and (4) nonjudicial punishment proceedings [...]. Throughout the 1940s, Congress received evidence of military justice maladministration. The primary concerns were the system's lack of due process and independence. Congress responded to these concerns by enacting the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) in 1950, which applies to each armed service and replaced the prior military justice system. The punitive articles in the UCMJ are military law offenses [...]. Many of the punitive articles are criminal conduct offenses that have a referent offense in modern penal codes or historical common law (e.g., rape, murder, robbery). Other punitive articles are military misconduct offenses that have a referent offense in medieval chivalric codes or Roman military practices (e.g., mutiny, desertion, cowardice)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ott, Alan
2021-11-02
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Reserve Component Personnel Issues: Questions and Answers [Updated November 2, 2021]
From the Document: "The term 'Reserve Component' (RC) refers collectively to the seven individual reserve components of the Armed Forces: the Army National Guard of the United States, the Army Reserve, the Navy Reserve, the Marine Corps Reserve, the Air National Guard of the United States, the Air Force Reserve, and the Coast Guard Reserve. The purpose of these seven reserve components, as codified in law, is to 'provide trained units and qualified persons available for active duty in the armed forces, in time of war or national emergency, and at such other times as the national security may require, to fill the needs of the armed forces whenever more units and persons are needed than are in the regular components.' The Army National Guard and the Air National Guard also have a state role: operating under the control of their governor, they respond to various domestic emergencies, such as disasters and civil disorders"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kapp, Lawrence; Torreon, Barbara Salazar
2021-11-02
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National Flood Insurance Program: The Current Rating Structure and Risk Rating 2.0 [Updated November 2, 2021]
From the Introduction: "The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the primary source of flood insurance coverage for residential properties in the United States, with more than 5 million policies in 22,500 communities in 56 states and jurisdictions. The program collects about $4.6 billion in annual revenue from policyholders' premiums, fees and surcharges and provides over $1.3 trillion in coverage. The NFIP was established by the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968. The general purpose of the NFIP is both to offer primary flood insurance to properties with significant flood risk, and to reduce flood risk through the adoption of floodplain management standards. A longer-term objective of the NFIP is to reduce federal expenditure on disaster assistance after floods. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which administers the NFIP, is planning to introduce Risk Rating 2.0, which represents the biggest change to the way the NFIP calculates flood insurance premiums since its inception. The new premium rates went into effect on October 1, 2021, for new NFIP policies only. The new rates for existing NFIP policyholders are to take effect on April 1, 2022."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Horn, Diane P.
2021-11-02
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Clean Energy Standards: Selected Issues for the 117th Congress [Updated November 2, 2021]
From the Summary: "For many years, policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been of interest to Congress. Congressional and constituent interest continues in the 117th Congress. One option to reduce GHG emissions from electricity generation is a clean energy standard. A clean energy standard (CES), sometimes called a clean electricity standard, is a policy that requires a minimum share of electricity to be generated from eligible 'clean' sources. No universal definition of clean energy exists, and proposals differ in what technologies are included. Some proposals, usually referred to as a renewable portfolio standard (RPS), include only certain renewable energy sources (e.g., solar), while other proposals also include nuclear power, fossil fuels equipped with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, certain natural gas technologies, or other energy sources. As of 2020, thirty states and the District of Columbia have implemented a CES, including 10 jurisdictions that will ultimately require 100% of covered electricity sales to come from eligible clean energy sources. In addition, eight states have nonbinding goals of carbon-free electricity, and many utilities have committed to reducing their GHG emissions to varying degrees and over different time frames. State targets and utility goals cover 77% of total U.S. electricity sales, with 69% of total sales covered by a carbon-free target or goal."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lawson, Ashley J.
2021-11-02
