Over the last three years, Congress has sharply increased its legislative activity on defense acquisition reform, with an average of 82 new provisions in this area per year, compared to an average of 47 provisions in the previous decade. “Reform” here often means expanded authority to acquire military goods and services with increased flexibility.
A new report from the Congressional Research Service analyzes and summarizes that recent legislation, which affects contracting, auditing, major defense programs, and many other complicated but important topics. See Acquisition Reform in the FY2016-FY2018 National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs), January 4, 2018.
If the National Flood Insurance Program is not reauthorized by Congress prior to January 19, 2018, many of its key provisions will expire. See What Happens If the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Lapses?, CRS Insight, updated January 3, 2018
Other recent reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following.
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2018 Budget and Appropriations, updated January 3, 2018
Cyprus: Reunification Proving Elusive, updated January 2, 2018
Serbia: Background and U.S. Relations, updated January 4, 2018
Membership of the 115th Congress: A Profile, updated January 3, 2018
Clean Air Act Issues in the 115th Congress: In Brief, updated January 3, 2018
Military Service Records and Unit Histories: A Guide to Locating Sources, updated January 2, 2018
FAS commends the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for clearing a historic 75 pieces of legislation, including multiple crucial bills to confront the wildfire crisis.
The United States needs a strategic investment fund (SIF) to shepherd promising technologies in nationally vital sectors through the valley of death.
Standardizing support for Accessibility & Accommodations in federally funded research efforts would open opportunities for disabled scientists and their research programs.
The incoming administration must act to address bias in medical technology at the development, testing and regulation, and market-deployment and evaluation phases.