The Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) is a federal risk-based seafood traceability program that sets reporting and recordkeeping requirements from the point of harvest to entry into U.S. commerce. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an…

The Economic Development Administration (EDA), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), is the only federal agency with economic development as its sole mission. The agency was established pursuant to the enactment of the Public Works and Economic Development Act (PWEDA) of 1965 (42 U.S.C. §§3121 et seq.) to…

Eight U.S. Regional Fishery Management Councils (FMCs) jointly manage federal marine fisheries (i.e., those occurring in waters up to 200 nautical miles offshore beyond state or territorial waters) with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management…

This report describes the structure, activities, legislative history, and funding history of the 10 federal regional commissions and authorities. Those commissions are the Appalachian Regional Commission; Delta Regional Authority; Denali Commission; Great Lakes Authority; Mid-Atlantic Regional Commission; Northern Bor…

The first and second Trump Administrations and the Biden Administration issued executive orders announcing U.S. policies to build and strengthen the resiliency of domestic critical mineral supply chains. For example, on April 24, 2025, as part of a broader national effort to secure reliable supplies for critical miner…

Three entities in the Department of the Interior (DOI) share responsibility for managing the nation’s ocean energy resources on almost 2.5 billion acres of the U.S. outer continental shelf (OCS). The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) administers offshore energy leasing and mineral development, the Bureau of Saf…

While there has been considerable U.S. public and private investment in developing fusion energy, scientific and technological hurdles remain for commercial viability. Congress may have an interest in U.S. strategic positioning in regard to fusion energy technology as countries around the world, including China, are c…

The federal government divided up tribal lands in the Southwest during the 19th and 20th centuries, triggering long-standing land disputes between the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe (both federally recognized Tribes). In 1868, the United States entered into a treaty with the Navajo Nation that, among other things, e…

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is responsible for renewable energy and end-use energy efficiency technology development. Other activities include issuing grants for home energy efficiency and state energy planning, establishing minimum energy conservatio…

Congress statutorily establishes a wide array of commissions, boards, and advisory bodies to provide it with assistance in conducting various legislative, investigative, and administrative responsibilities. Some of these entities are temporary and created to serve specific functions, such as studying a discrete policy…

The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies appropriations (E&W) bill funds civil works activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in the Department of Defense; the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and Central Utah Project (CUP); the Department of Energy (DOE); the…