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Category Archives: Legislation

Congressionally Mandated Reports: Overview and Considerations for Congress

LC CRS Reports – Congressionally Mandated Reports: Overview and Considerations for Congress, May 14, 2020: “Congress frequently requires the President, departments, agencies, and other entities of the federal government to transmit reports, notifications, studies, and other information on a specified timeline. Reporting requirements may direct agency officials to notify Congress or its committees of forthcoming… Continue Reading

Here’s Who Just Voted to Let the FBI Seize Your Online Search History Without a Warrant

Gizmodo – “A bipartisan amendment that would have prohibited law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, from obtaining the web browsing and internet search histories of Americans without a warrant failed to pass in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday by a single vote. Twenty-seven Republicans and 10 Democrats voted against the amendment to H.R. 6172,… Continue Reading

COVID-19 and China: A Chronology of Events December 2019-January 2020

LC CRS Reports – COVID-19 and China: A Chronology of Events (December 2019-January 2020), May 12, 2020: I”n Congress, multiple bills and resolutions have been introduced related to China’s handling of a novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China,that expanded to become the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. This report provides a timeline of key… Continue Reading

The Four Men Responsible For America’s COVID-19 Test Disaster

Rolling Stone – “The White House’s inability to track the disease as it spread across the nation crippled the government’s response and led to the worst disaster this country has faced in nearly a century – Despite months of alarms that the coronavirus was lurking at our doorstep, the Trump administration failed to mount an… Continue Reading

States Are Suspending Public Records Access Due to COVID-19

The Markup – There is little precedent for such action, even in an emergency: “…Hawaii is among several jurisdictions around the country that have amended or suspended access to public records as the coronavirus spreads. Governors are taking emergency action in some states, ordering changes to public records compliance during the crisis. Other states and… Continue Reading

FHFA Announces Tools to Help Renters Find Out if They are Protected from Eviction

“To help renters find out if they are protected from evictions during the COVID-19 national health emergency, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced today that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) have created online multifamily property lookup tools.  The property lookup tools allow renters to find out if the multifamily property where they reside… Continue Reading

New Search Engine for State Legislation

“BillTrack50 offers both a free and a paid service. Our genuinely free service allows citizens to search by keyword or bill number to discover and review an unlimited number of state and federal bills. Unlimited free access to bill data is fundamental to the working of our sharing tools and is fundamental to our mission.… Continue Reading

Covid Stimulus Watch

New Website Documents Accountability Track Records of CARES Act Recipients: “The 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (or CARES Act) provides hundreds of billions of dollars in assistance to large and small corporations whose operations have been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The public deserves to know which companies are receiving the assistance… Continue Reading

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act—Tax Relief for Individuals and Businesses

Via LC – The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act—Tax Relief for Individuals and Businesses Updated April 28, 2020: “The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act—Tax Relief Congressional Research Service 1ongress has considered a number of proposals that seek to mitigate the economic effects of the Coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19,… Continue Reading

Fintech: Overview of Innovative Financial Technology and Selected Policy Issues

EveryCRSReport.com – Fintech: Overview of Innovative Financial Technology and Selected Policy Issues, April 28, 2020: “Advances in technology allow for innovation in the ways businesses and individuals perform financial activities. The development of financial technology—commonly referred to as fintech—is the subject of great interest for the public and policymakers. Fintech innovations could potentially improve the… Continue Reading

Small Businesses and COVID-19: Relief and Assistance Resources

Via LC – Small Businesses and COVID-19: Relief and Assistance Resources Updated April 28, 2020 – “This CRS Insight presents selected websites and CRS products potentially relevant to small businesses that are directly affected by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and seeking economic relief and assistance. For an analysis of the small business provisions… Continue Reading

Description Of The Tax Provisions Of Public Law 116-136, The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, And Economic Security Act

Joint Committee on Taxation – Description Of The Tax Provisions Of Public Law 116-136, The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, And Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, April 22, 2020: “This document, prepared by the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation in consultation with the staffs of the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee… Continue Reading