New Government Resource for Researching Civil Rights

The National Archives and Records Administration has recently released the first documents in what will soon be a database of Civil Rights Cold Case Records.  Following the passage of the  Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act in 2019, previously unavailable civil rights cold cases from 1940 to 1979 will be made digitally accessible to the public.  The records will be released on a rolling basis and those released are currently available at the National Archives Catalog.  Eventually NARA will create the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Portal which will allow direct access to the information.  

The first records released concern the case of Hattie Debardelaben, a 46 year old Black mother and grandmother from Mulberry, Autauga County, Alabama.  On the night of March 23, 1945, white police officers conducted a warrantless search of Debardelaben's home, looking for bootleg whiskey.  The officers beat and arrested Debardelaben and her son.  Debardelaben died of her injuries in the back of the police car en route to the Prattville County Jail.  A coroner's inquest found that the officers had no legal responsibility in her death and no arrests have ever been made or trial held.

According to the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Act, records will be reviewed by the Civil Rights Cold Cases Review Board, which designates the records for potential digitalization and public access.  The release of the records is the result of a multi-year collaboration among the review board, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  

The Archivist of the United States, Dr. Colleen Shogan stated, "The release of these records, and the many more to come, will hopefully help foster a deeper understanding of our nation's civil rights history, provide friends and family transparency and closure, and help those impacted claim justice."

Hattie Debardelaben

Government Information Resource: USGS (United States Geographical Survey) and the National Land Cover Database

According to its website, the USGS “monitors, analyzes, and predicts current and evolving Earth-system interactions and delivers actionable information at scales and timeframes relevant to decision-makers. [They] are a primary Federal source of science-based information on ecosystems, land use, energy and mineral resources, natural hazards, water use, and availability, and updated maps and images of the Earth’s features available to the public.”

The newest product released by the USGS is its updated and improved National Land Cover Database or Annual NLCD.  Unlike the previous version of the NLCD, which mapped land cover from 2001 to 2021 in two or three-year increments, the new version maps land cover from 1985 to the present in one-year increments.  It will be updated annually. 

The Annual NLCD contains six products:

1.       Land Cover – This dataset provides 16 land cover classes such as deciduous and evergreen forest, grassland, cultivated crops, and developed.

2.       Land Cover Change – These data represent annual land cover changes from one year to the next.

3.       Land Cover Confidence – This layer provides confidence levels for the land cover classifications.

4.       Fractional Impervious Surface – This component provides the proportion of land covered by developed surfaces, such as roads and rooftops.

5.       Impervious Descriptor – This feature offers additional information about impervious surfaces by distinguishing between roads and other built surfaces.

6.       Spectral Change Day of Year – This attribute captures the specific day of the year when significant changes in surface reflectance occur.

The Annual NLCD uses “the extensive Landsat satellite data record at a 30-meter resolution” and employs data from as far back as the early 1980s.  To ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data, the USGS meticulously reviews thousands of 30-meter plots and annually classifies and validates the data.

All of this data will be available to private individuals and companies, to members of the general public, and to academics and scholars.  The data may be used in various areas and for various interests, such as management and modeling of resources.  The data allows for assessing changes in the ecosystem, biodiversity, climate, surface and groundwater quality, wildlife, and other areas.  Wildfire threats, urban heat risks, and biological carbon sequestration can be modeled. These analyses provide more accurate and timely information for conservation efforts and land management. 

For more information on the Annual NLCD Collection 1.0, including how to access the data, visit the USGS website:https://www.usgs.gov/annualNLCD.

Election Day

 Election Day is less than a month away on Tuesday, November 5th!

There will be a polling location on Rice campus, at the Welcome Center, 7 am-7 pm. All voters registered in Harris County can vote here. Be sure to bring your government-issued ID.

Early voting begins October 21^st and ends November 1^st.

Approved early voting sites can be found here at Vote-Centers. (Election Day sites can also be found here.)  Ride the Rice BRC/TMC Shuttle to the closest Early Voting site (shuttle stop 12).

If you are voting in Harris County, view your voter-specific ballot at Whats-on-my-Ballot.

There are other important races and issues voters will decide on this year, including US Senate and Representative, Texas State Senator and Representative, Railroad Commissioner, and numerous judges and county officials.  Harris County also has three separate bond proposals to be voted on. We hope you will make your voice heard today.

For non-partisan information about candidates and issues, League of Women Voters Guides for Harris County are available in the Kelley Center for Government Information in the basement of Fondren as long as supplies last.  The Guide can also be found online here.   

The Houston Chronicle 2024 Texas Voter Guide provides sample ballots for Harris and Houston area counties along with information about each candidate.  They also post their endorsements in many races. (The Houston Chronicle is available to members of the Rice community.  Rice students, faculty, and staff: please visit https://library.rice.edu/houston-chronicle for instructions on registering for a free Houston Chronicle account.)

For a more comprehensive list of election resources, access the Kelley Center’s Voter and Election guide. 

For example, if you want:

for information about a candidate's biography, voting record, positions, ratings, speeches, and funding, check Project Vote Smart.

to see where candidates stand on a host of issues, check ProCon.org's Presidential Election site.

for information about campaign contributions, check the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and/or OpenSecrets.org.

for general information on evaluating candidates for public office, check USA.gov's Choosing Candidates to Vote for.

 

Public Feedback Sought for Congress.gov

If you want current information on the federal legislation that is accurate and official, the best site to use is Congress.gov. 

Congress.gov is a collaboration among the Library of Congress, the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Government Publishing Office. The site is searchable and free and provides the status, full text, and summary to each bill before Congress. It also provides direct links to the Congressional Budget Office which analyzes the cost estimates of each bill. The Congressional Record (which provides a daily transcript of speeches and actions of Congress) provides the process of the bill through Congress. The site gives access to the entire Congressional Record back to its first publication in 1873. Background information on the site are profiles of each member of Congress, legislative process videos, Committee profile pages, historic access to previous bills, and previous public forums. 

Once a year, in September, the Library of Congress conducts a public forum to educate the public and to gather feedback on the site. The next public forum has been scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 18 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. 

If you would like to attend the forum virtually here is the registration link. If you are lucky enough to be in Washington and can attend in person at the beautiful Library of Congress, register here. 

The forum will present enhancements to Congress.gov based on previous user feedback. It will also show how “legislative information is gathered and made available to the public.” There will also be Q&A discussion segments where attendees can learn about the site and share ideas for future enhancements. Those who cannot attend can also submit suggestions before and after the forum at Congress.gov Public Forum Survey Form.

From the Library of Congress: The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

The Best of Both Worlds or Between a Rock and a Hard Place

The United States Postal Service is a strange hybrid. 

It was established by the First Continental Congress in 1775.  The new federal government established in 1789 established the postal service permanently as a government agency in 1792.

Therefore:

The USPS is a government agency within the Executive Branch. 

Its service standards are set in the Code of Federal Regulations, and the Postal Regulatory Commission has oversight of it.

It has a public mission, and the price of minimal service must remain affordable.

It maintains a monopoly of mailboxes and letter delivery to be able to provide service to communities that would not be financially viable for a private company.  Only the USPS can deposit items into mailboxes. 

As a government agency, the USPS is exempt from tolls, vehicle registration fees, state/local taxes, property/real estate taxes, and parking tickets for delivery vehicles.

To fund growth and improvements, the USPS is granted very low interest loans.

Postal workers are federal employees.  The USPS assumes all financial risks for workers’ compensation from its revenue.  It cannot use a private insurer.

Postal workers cannot strike.

 

However:

Since the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, the USPS does not receive appropriations from Congress provided by tax revenues. Unlike most government agencies, it is almost completely financially independent. 

It is required to act like a private business and must compete for customers.

The rise in costs of providing services, especially employee retirement benefits, competition from other delivery companies, and a reduction in need for the postal service because of technological innovations for delivery of communication (email, etc.) has led to a loss of revenue for the USPS. 

Currently the cost of universal mail service is higher than the monetary value of having a monopoly.

Other handicaps:

USPS has more flexibility in purchasing than other government agencies, but purchasing is regulated by government oversight and is not as flexible as a private company would have. 

The USPS is forbidden by law from putting retirement program monies into any but the most secure investments.  Therefore, the cost of retirement benefits for postal employees is higher than the money the investments make. 

The amount the USPS can borrow for growth and improvements is capped by law, and the cap has not changed in 30 years.

Because of its hybrid nature, the USPS has some control over it’s operations and low to no control over others.  For example, USPS has no control over providing 6-day service.  It also has no control over its ability to diversify products and services.  It has high control over the prices it charges for services it competes with other companies to provide such as package delivery.

The US Postal Service component of the Office of Inspector General has studied the tension between the competing natures of the Postal Service as a privately funded entity and a government agency and in a white paper released August 2, 2024 has determined that its current structure is not sustainable and needs reform. 

 

Copyright and AI

“AI raises fundamental questions for copyright law and policy, which many see as existential. To what extent will AI-generated content replace human authorship? How does human creativity differ in nature from what AI systems can generate, now or in the future? What does this mean for the incentive-based foundation of the U.S. copyright system? In what ways can the technology serve as a valuable tool to amplify human creativity and ultimately promote science and the arts? How do we respect and reward human creators without impeding technological progress?” 

                                         Shira Perlmutter, Register of Copyrights 

Because of the disruptive nature (i.e., an innovation that significantly alters the way that consumers, industries, or businesses operate) of AI generated materials, the US Copyright Office has been studying the effects of AI on the role of copyrights and devising policies and procedures for dealing with those effects. 

On March 16, 2023 the Copyright Office launched the New Artificial Intelligence Initiative to address, among other things, the copyrightability of works produced by AI and the use of copyrighted materials in creating data sets that “train” generative AI, which they define as “an application of AI used to generate outputs in the form of expressive material such as text, images, audio, or video. Generative AI systems may take commands or instructions from a human user, which are sometimes called ‘prompts.’” 

In August of 2023, the Copyright Office published in The Federal Register a Notice of Inquiry requesting comments and information from the public addressing these issues. Comments were accepted through December 6, 2023. 

From their study, which will incorporate these public comments and information, the Copyright Office intends to publish their report Copyright and Artificial Intelligence which will make recommendations for policies within the Copyright Office and to Congress for establishing copyright laws. 

On July 31, 2024, the Copyright Office published the first part of the report, Part 1: Digital Replicas. This first part of the report deals with the proliferation of videos, images, and audio recordings that “digitally created or digitally manipulated to realistically but falsely depict an individual.” The report concluded that these unauthorized replicas threaten the entertainment industry, the political arena, and private individuals. It recommends Congress pass laws for protection from these replicas and defines the scope these laws should take in reference to “what kinds of replicas it should cover, whom it should protect, the term of protection, liability, licensing and assignment, First Amendment concerns, potential remedies, and the statute’s relationship to state law.” The recommendations do not include protections for an artist’s “style.” 

No dates have been announced yet for the forthcoming parts of the Report. One can follow the progress of the study and the reports on the Copyright Office AI webpage.

Hot Enough For Ya?

July and August are the hottest months of the year, with September not far behind here in the South.  Extreme high heat can affect our outdoor activities, our electric bills, and our moods.  But what effect does heat have on the most vulnerable communities and what is their resilience to this external pressure on them.  According to the Census Bureau, “Community resilience is the capacity of individuals and households within a community to absorb the external stresses of a disaster.”

The United States Census provides data about the population in numerous topic areas.  Most recently (July 16, 2024), they released their report on the 2022 Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) for Heat.  The report includes Quick Guide which can be used to understand and use the data available.  The Bureau previously released data for 2019.

In general, the CRE reports the social vulnerability that inhibits community resilience.  The CRE for Heat (which is an experimental report) adds new components of social vulnerability and information concerning exposure.  For example, the report looks at which areas (by geography, state, county, and census tract) have more than two days in a row of temperatures over 90 degrees and what households in those areas do not have air conditioning. 

The CRE for Heat uses information from the American Community Survey and the Population Estimates Program.  The American Community Survey is conducted every month of every year and, unlike the decennial census, is sent to a sample of addresses.  The survey asks questions about topics not in the regular census such as education, employment, internet access, and transportation. 

The Population Estimates Program annually produces reports on the estimated changes in population and housing units for the nation, states, counties, cities and towns and includes births, deaths, and migrations. 

Arizona State University’s Knowledge Exchange for Resilience collaborates with the Census Bureau to produce the CRE for Heat reports.

The data from the CRE for Heat is included in My Community Explorer which is a Census Bureau tool to identify underserved communities and includes Census Bureau and Emergency Response datasets. 

Gun Violence Research

The U.S. Government Publishing House (GPO) is good about processing major, important, and impactful government documents soon after agencies release them. 

Yesterday evening (June 25, 2024) the PBS News Hour discussed with the University of Colorado's Dr. Emmy Betz, an emergency room physician and director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative, the Surgeon General's report as a national health problem. 

• Access the report here: Firearm Violence: A Public Health Crisis in America. 
• ATF provides the most comprehensive government data collection on firearms. Data & Statistics | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 
• HHS quick facts: Fast Facts: Firearm Injury and Death | Firearm Injury and Death Prevention | CDC

To explore more government information and conduct research on more topics, check out https://libguides.rice.edu/gov , visit the Kelley Center, or schedule an appointment with Anna Xiong, your FDLP Representative at Fondren Library: govhelp@rice.edu.

Consumer Protection and Consumer Data

Before you take out a loan or mortgage from financial institution that is not a bank, you will want to check the registry being created by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

The financial crisis of 2008 revealed that although banks have a great deal of oversight of their lending practices by federal regulators, other financial institutions do not.  These financial institutions include debt collectors, payday lenders, and credit reporting companies.  Most importantly, they include nonbank mortgage lenders.  Many of these companies are not licensed or registered with any agency or registry. 

When financial companies break consumer laws, they are usually assessed a fine by a court or the CFPB.  However, many companies see these fines as the “cost of doing business” and proceed to continue their illegal practices.  With the creation of this new registry, the CFPB will be able to track lawbreaking companies, hold them accountable, and prevent corporate recidivism. 

This registry will be used by state attorneys general, state regulators, and other law enforcement agencies to ensure these companies are paying their fines and not continuing to participate in illegal activities such as scams, fraudulent schemes, and other illegal conduct that harms the public.  Most importantly the public, including investors, creditors, business partners, and average consumers will be able to vet the financial institutions they deal with. 

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is an official 21st century government agency that implements and enforces Federal consumer financial law and ensures that markets for consumer financial products are fair, transparent, and competitive.  It provides financial education for individual consumers on such topics as auto loans, credit cards, and frauds and scams.  It also provides data for researchers on their Public Data Inventory section and provides access to FOAI requests.  It also provides legal information on the rules and regulations governing consumers and financial institutions serving them. 

Consumers can submit complaints about financial products or services by visiting the CFPB’swebsite or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372).

Employees who believe their company has violated federal consumer financial protection laws are encouraged to send information about what they know to whistleblower@cfpb.gov.

Government Publishing Office (GPO) and Authentic Official Publications

 

The U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE (GPO)　is the official, digital and secure source for producing,　protecting, preserving and distributing the official　publications and information products of the Federal　Government.

GPO provides public access to the official publications　and information of the Government. GPO’s mission can　be traced to the requirement in Article I of the Constitution　that each House keep a journal of its proceedings and　from time to time publish the same.

When GPO signs and certifies a digital document, a blue ribbon icon appears right beneath the top navigation menu and also in the Signature Panel within Adobe Acrobat or Reader. When users print a document that has been signed and certified by GPO, the Seal of Authenticity will automatically print on the document, but the ribbon will not print.　

Try This:

Click here to open the document. Is it authenticated by GPO?
(Note: You need to open the document within Adobe Acrobat or Reader to check the Blue Ribbon Icon and the GPO's Seal of Authenticity.)

Image above: Blue Ribbon Icon

Image above: GPO's Seal of Authenticity

Follow Kelley Center Government Information blogs to learn more.
You are also invited to explore more authentic official government publications and use our services to enhance your research: check out our research guides at https://libguides.rice.edu/gov , visit the Kelley Center, or schedule an appointment with Anna Xiong, your FDLP Representative at Fondren Library: govhelp@rice.edu.

Featured New U.S. Federal Publication: Budget FY 2025 - Analytical Perspectives, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2025

 

 

This government document contains analyses that are designed to highlight specified subject areas or provide other significant presentations of budget data that place the budget in perspective. This volume includes: economic and accounting analyses; information on Federal receipts and collections; analyses of Federal spending; information on Federal borrowing and debt; baseline or current services estimates; and other technical presentations.

Click here to access the free online full text of this publication.

Questions For You

The authentication matters.
Is this online document an authenticated official version and how do you know?
Who or which government agency has issued this document?
What is the name of the publisher of the document?

Find out the answer or explore more government information resources and conduct research on more topics, check out https://libguides.rice.edu/gov, visit the Kelley Center, or schedule an appointment with Anna Xiong, your FDLP Representative at Fondren Library: govhelp@rice.edu.

 

Find Your Family in Federal Records

The National Archives keeps track of our nation’s most important documents – from our foundational documents such as the Constitution to current materials essential to our national security.  But did you know that the NARA can help you with your own essential, foundational papers? 

Every year the National Archives hosts a series of educational webinars on genealogy research using national records. The sessions, hosted on the U.S. National Archives YouTube channel, are free and intended for all levels of expertise – from novices to experienced researchers. 

Lecture schedule, topic descriptions, videos, and handouts are available at the 2024 Genealogy Series web page. 

Sessions begin May 21^st and continue to the end of June.  They will all be broadcast Tuesdays at 1pm EST.  However, videos and handouts will remain after the event has ended. 

No registration is needed.  Just go to the series webpage and click on the appropriate link for the topic(s) you are interested in. 

 

From the National Archives press release:

Background: The National Archives holds the permanently valuable records of the federal government. These include records of interest to genealogists, such as pension files, ship passenger lists, census, and Freedmen’s Bureau materials. See “Resources for Genealogists” online.

 

Big News! Federal race & ethnicity collection standards have CHANGED

Federal Race and Ethnicity Collection Standards Have Changed

Check it out!

There are a lot to read about in the newly revised OMB Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethinicity, published 3-29-2024. 

Federal Register citation is 89 FR 22182. There are several key revisions but one of the most important is the inclusion of Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) as a race.

How do you think about this change?

This revision has received over 1800 public comments. If you are interested in reading those comments and need assistance with finding and accessing the information, email govhelp@rice.edu or visit Kelley Center informaiton desk for help.

National Parks Week

 

Grand Tetons National Park/Photo by Nate Foong on Unsplash

429

That’s number of National Parks in the United States.  These include national seashores, historical sites, and recreation areas.  To celebrate them, the National Parks Service, part of the Department of the Interior, is devoting April 20^th through April 28^th as National Park Week.

To kick off the week of celebration, and to showcase the variety and grandeur of our National Park system, April 20^th is a day of no entrance fee into any of the parks.  (The NPS offers six days in the year with no entrance fees.)

Each day of National Parks Week has a different theme:

Saturday, April 20: Discovery. What will you discover? A new place, a new interesting fact, a new activity... To kick off National Park Week and encourage you make that new discovery, entrance fees are waived on April 20!

Sunday, April 21: Volunteers. Use your time and talents as a volunteer in your national parks. Find opportunities to volunteer for a single event or long term position.

Monday, April 22: Earth Day. Join the global celebration encouraging education and stewardship of the planet's natural resources. Many parks are hosting volunteer events. You can also find ways to practice conservation at home.

Tuesday, April 23: Innovation. History of our nation's innovation is preserved in national parks. Also learn about the innovative projects happening in parks or through our programs today.

Wednesday, April 24: Workforce Wednesday. Meet our incredible workforce of employees, interns, fellows, volunteers, contractors, partners, and more. Consider joining our team!

Thursday, April 25: Youth Engagement. Calling the rising generation of stewards! Learn about the opportunities for youth and young adults to get involved and see what your peers are up to.

Friday, April 26: Community Connections. Learn about the important work our programs and partners are doing in communities across the country both within and outside of our park boundaries.

Saturday, April 27: Junior Ranger Day. For kids (and kids at heart), become a Junior Ranger through in-person or online activities to learn about special places or topics. You may even earn a Junior Ranger badge!

Sunday, April 28: Arts in Parks. Home of many arts past and present, find your muse creating arts within parks. Also learn about preserving and practicing arts in your communities through the work of our programs and partners.

13 of these National Parks are in Texas.  They are Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument in Fritch, Amistad National Recreation Area in Del Rio, Big Bend National Park in the big bend of the Rio Grande near Alpine, Big Thicket National Preserve in Beaumont, Blackwell School National Historic Site at Fort Davis, Butterfield Overland Historic Trail that covers Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso, El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail in Texas and Louisiana, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail in Texas and New Mexico, Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis, Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Salt Flat, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area in Fritch, Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park in Johnson City, Padre Island National Seashore in Corpus Christi, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park in Brownsville, Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River in Southwest Texas, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in San Antonio, and Waco Mammoth National Monument in Waco. 

 

 

Big Bend National Park/Photo by Caleb Fisher on Unsplash

Do You Have the Time?

Time stands still for no one.  Nor is it ever the same.  Because time varies so much on Earth, UTC, or Coordinated Universal Time, was defined as time at mean sea level.  UTC is only a theoretical ideal.  To realize it, International Atomic Time (TAI) weighs the average of hundreds of atomic clocks around the world.  UTC must periodically insert “leap seconds” to keep it aligned with Earth solar days since the rate of the Earth’s rotation changes, and solar days are not always the same. 

As if that isn’t complicated enough, measurement of Time in space differs depending on where you are.  The experience of time is slower where there is more gravity, so a second is longer on Earth than it is on the Moon.  It also is different from both these places if someone is moving through space at a high rate of speed. 

Since many governments, including the United States, and commercial entities are interested in returning to the Moon and establishing a presence there, as well as using it as a stopping point for going to Mars, there needs to be a standard measurement of time in space, specifically in cislunar space (i.e. the space lying between and the Earth and the Moon including the Moon’s orbit).  The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has released a directive for NASA and the Departments of Commerce, Defense, State, and Transportation to establish and be ready to implement a unified time standard -- Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) – by December 31, 2026.  NASA will also coordinate with the countries who have signed the ArtemisAccords. Time standardization is necessary for safety purposes, as well as economic development and international collaboration.  According to the OSTP policy memorandum:

“The approach to establish time standards consists of the definition, development, and implementation of a distinct reference time at each celestial body and its surrounding space environment. Each new time standard developed will include the following features:

1. Traceability to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC);

2. Accuracy sufficient to support precision navigation and science;

3. Resilience to loss of contact with Earth; and

4. Scalability to space environments beyond the Earth-Moon system

Federal agencies will develop celestial time standardization with an initial focus on the lunar surface and missions operating in Cislunar space, with sufficient traceability to support missions to other celestial bodies.”

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy was created by the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, andPriorities Act of 1976.  The OSTP heads the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and its Subcommittee on Cislunar Science & Technology.  The Subcommittee developed the National Cislunar Science and Technology Strategy on which the new policy memorandum builds. 

White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Releases Celestial Time Standardization Policy

It's Complicated: Modernization Requires Legal Statute(s)

On March 20, 2024 the Modernization Subcommittee of the Committee on House Administration of the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing entitled "Legislative Proposals to Support Modernizing the Congressional Research Service and the Use of Federal Data.” 

The Congressional Research Service, or CRS, serves as nonpartisan shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. Since 1914, CRS has existed by law as a department of the Library of Congress and works directly for Congress. CRS gathers, synthesizes, and analyzes information and data to assist in the formation and enaction of legislation – from earliest bill drafting through oversight of implementation. The CRS approaches complex topics and policy issues with meticulous and comprehensive research, expert and diversified resources, confidential consultation, and a nonpartisan mindset. The statute empowering the CRS was last updated in 1970. 

Much of the information in CRS reports relies on data from the various Federal agencies which are under the authority of the Executive Branch of the government. Federal agencies are required by law to comply with a request for information by the CRS when the request has been authorized by a Congressional committee. 

The first bill before the subcommittee was a CRS request to be freed from the legal requirement to publish a print edition of the Constitution of the United States Analysis and Interpretation, also called Constitution Annotated or CONAN. In 1970 Congress passed a law requiring CRS to publish every 10 years annotations of all cases decided by the Supreme Court up to that date, with biennial cumulative updates. (Previous annotations had been published but not at regular intervals.) The last published edition cost $1 million to produce. However, since 2019, CRS has also maintained the Constitution Annotated website which is updated much more frequently. Eliminating the print edition of CONAN would free up time, personnel, and financial resources for the CRS. 

A second bill discussed in the subcommittee hearing addresses the need for CRS to have access to data produced by federal agencies. Although federal agencies must comply with a CRS request for information authorized by a committee, they do not have to legally comply with requests authorized by an individual member of Congress. This bill would also allow CRS on its own to request information when they anticipate a need for information. 

Other elements of modernization CRS is exploring at this time are presentation and use of data (use of visualizations, data dashboards, cloud based solutions, etc.) in their reports and implementation of AI.

To see the opening remarks of Mr. Robert Randolph Newlen, Interim Director, Congressional Research Service click here.

To see the opening remarks of witnesses (Ms. Elise Bean, Director, Washington Office, Carl Levin Center for Oversight & Democracy, Dr. Matthew Glassman, Senior Fellow, Government Affairs Institute, Georgetown University, and Dr. Nicholas Hart, President & CEO, Data Foundation) in support of the second bill click here.  

 

Junk Fees to be Scrapped

Everyone – students, families, Democrats, Republicans, Representatives, Senators, the President, even universities and colleges themselves – agree that higher education is too expensive.  Both the legislative and executive branches have pledged to implement policies that lower those costs.  Last Thursday, theBiden-Harris Administration announced their plans to help in this area with strategies to “crack down on junk fees.”  These junk fees include non-refunded meal account funds, bank fees associated with using a college-sponsored credit card or banking account, automatic charges for textbooks and supplies included in tuition, and finance charges for taking out a student loan.

Colleges and universities often partner with banks for disbursement of financial aid through credit or debit cards.  Unfortunately, many of these bank cards include excessive and/or hidden fees that can cost students significantly.  Problems with these fees have recently been reported to Congress by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and were reported by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) as far back as 2014. 

Another, often hidden, fee students and parents incur is the loan origination fee.  This administrative fee can be from 1 to 4 percent of the amount of the loan and is frequently added to the loan amount and, therefore, continuously incurs interest throughout the life of the loan.  According to the Biden-Harris Administration “These fees are a relic of an era when the government compensated private lenders to issue these loans.  Today, this fee is nothing more than a tax imposed on students by the government, costing consumers more than $1 billion annually.” 

Colleges and universities are not on board with all the Administration’s plans, however.  For instance, universities would now be required to return all unused “flex dollars” in the students’ meal plan accounts.  Moreover, students would have to opt-in to include textbook fees into their tuition charges.  The Administration and the Department of Education say this will allow students to be aware of what prices they pay for textbooks and allow them to find cheaper sources for materials.  Universities contend that this will impede their ability to provide students with materials at below market prices on the first day of class. 

These announced strategies build upon regulations released in late 2023 which include investing in the Open Textbooks Pilot Program to lower textbook costs, requiring universities to adhere to more stringent requirements of transparency on all college costs, requiring universities when they act as lenders to adhere to federal consumer financial protection laws, and preventing colleges from withholding transcripts of courses paid for with federal money. 

While not quite ready to rival McDonalds' number of hamburgers sold yet

the Office of Information Policy did recently announce that in 2023 the 120 federal government agencies combined processed over one million Freedom of Information Act requests. 

This number of requests is nearly 30% higher than in 2022 and indicates a continuing trend of growing demand for government information. 

All data on information requests is held at FOIA.gov which since 2011 has been the dashboard for reporting by government agencies on statistics concerning FOIA requests. Reporting FOIA statistics is required by law; each agency must submit a report to the Attorney General annually. Since these reports are all published on FOIA.gov, the public can retrieve historical data as well as compile comparative data among agencies. There is no central agency for receiving and processing FOIA requests, but FOIA.gov is the central arena for agencies to submit their reports. 

The Freedom of Information Act was first passed by Congress in 1966 and last amended in 2016. It gives any member of the public the right to request information from any federal agency. There are nine exemptions to agencies’ required response based on personal privacy, national security, and law enforcement. Agencies are required to report partial information on requested topics when they can. The Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) helps resolve disputes between requesters of information and government agencies who say they cannot disclose the information requested. The Office of Information Policy within the Department of Justice is responsible for guidance to the government agencies on FOIA.

Soldiers of the Houston Riot of 1917 Finally Receive Some Justice

On February 22, 2024, the Veterans Administration held a memorial service for 17 of the 19 Black soldiers unjustly court martialed and executed in the “largest mass execution of American Soldiers by the U.S. Army” following the Houston Riot of 1917. The soldiers are buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio. Their graves were also dedicated with new headstones including names, state, rank, unit, date of death, indicating that they were honorably discharged. An interpretive sign was also placed at the gravesite telling the story of these men, and the 110 soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment (also known as the Buffalo Soldiers) convicted of murder and mutiny following the riots. 

In July 1917, Camp Logan was established, in the area now known as Memorial Park, as a training ground for soldiers following the U.S. entering World War I. The all-Black 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment was sent to guard the camp. Tensions between the soldiers, many Northerners unfamiliar with Jim Crow laws of segregation, and the all-White Houston Police Department soon ran high. On August 23rd, Private Alonzo Edwards attempted to aid a Black woman, Sara Travers, being harassed by the police. Edwards was beaten and arrested. When Corporal Charles Baltimore went to inquire about Edwards, he too was beaten and shot at while he ran away. Rumors reached camp that Baltimore had been killed. Although Baltimore was eventually found to be alive, more rumors flew of an angry white mob approaching the camp. Fear and desire for retaliation inspired soldiers to arm themselves and march toward downtown Houston. By the end of the dark, rainy night, 19 were dead (four soldiers and fifteen white civilians and police officers). 

118 soldiers were tried by the Army for mutiny and murder in a process that historians state was “characterized by numerous irregularities” including poor representation and unreliable witnesses. The Army quickly began to realize problems with the convictions. Because “the first set of executions occurred in secrecy and within a day of sentencing,” the Army immediately changed regulations so that any future executions following court martial requires a review by the War Department and the President. Ten soldiers sentenced to death were pardoned. But it wasn’t until 2022 that an investigation was opened by the Army to review the process of the trials. 

On November 13, 2023, the Army set aside all court martial convictions of the soldiers involved in the riots. Their records were corrected, their military service was designated honorable, and the entitlement to benefits by their relatives were reinstated. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth stated "After a thorough review, the Board has found that these Soldiers were wrongly treated because of their race and were not given fair trials. By setting aside their convictions and granting honorable discharges, the Army is acknowledging past mistakes and setting the record straight." According to Stars and Stripes “As part of the closing of [the November] ceremony, Army Brig. Gen. Ronald Sullivan read to the audience the words that will be added to the sign at Fort Sam Houston. ‘The Army viewed the cases in 2023 and determined the widespread racism and tension that triggered the 1917 Houston Riot pervaded the trials for these soldiers, making their trials unfair,’ he read. ‘The Secretary of the Army set aside all convictions and directed the soldiers’ records reflect honorable discharges.’” In December 2023, The Houston Chronicle apologized for its editorials at the time.

Want to Help the Future Farmers of America?

During the Depression of the 1930’s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created to invigorate the economy, create paying jobs so Americans could live and support their families, and, in response to the agricultural situation caused by the Dust Bowl, revitalize farmland across the country.  Today’s farmers and ranchers again face economic difficulties and climate change realities, including devastating droughts.  Hence the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has created another corps for today’s problems – the Working Lands Climate Corps. 

The Working Lands Climate Corps falls under the umbrella of the American Climate Corps which was founded by the Biden-Harris administration to “to train young people in high-demand skills for jobs in the clean energy economy. The American Climate Corps will put a new generation of Americans to work conserving our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, advancing environmental justice, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies, and tackling climate change. American Climate Corps members will gain the skills necessary to access good-paying jobs that are aligned with high-quality employment opportunities after they complete their paid training or service program.”

Specifically, the Working Lands Climate Corps will train young people to help farmers and ranchers use climate-smart agricultural practices that are also economically beneficial.  The members of the Working Lands Climate Corps will learn practical skills and create a pathway to a career in agriculture.  The first cohort will contain 100 people. 

Farmers, ranchers, and rural communities are often left behind by government programs, yet the impact of climate change disproportionately affects them.  The goals of the USDA are to transform America’s food system into a more equitable one whose workforce is representative of the nation and who can compete fairly in new and existing markets.  The agency wishes to emphasize local and regional farms and ranches that are more resilient and can provide safe, healthy, and nutritious food to all Americans using climate-smart food and forestry practices.  The agency has pledged to provide historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities to rural communities to accomplish these goals. 

Interested organizations can submit grant proposals to host workers of the WLCC cohort.  These host organizations can be “nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) U.S. organizations, Tribal governments, units of state or local government, and special district governments. Applicants must have an active SAM.gov registration.”  The hosts will provide the WLCC workers training in “climate-smart agriculture practices, conservation and resilience planning, environmental justice, outreach with farmers and rural communities, leadership development, and more.”

The organization and running of the WLCC program will include cooperation among such government and non-profit agencies such as USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), AmeriCorps, The Corps Network and the National Association of ConservationDistricts (NACD). The NACD will be a major contributor to the effort because of their relationships with “conservation districts” that go all the way back to the days of the CCC.

Press Release: As part of President Biden’s AmericanClimate Corps, USDA Launches New Working Lands Climate Corps to Train FutureConservation and Climate Leaders on Climate-Smart Agriculture

Library of Congress Creates Covid-19 Oral History Project

 

Oral histories, which record the intimate perceptions of people who have gone through a significant event, are a very important part of understanding history.  The goal of oral history projects is often to record the experiences of a group of people affected before they all pass away.  Some examples of these are the Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938 collected by the Federal Government during the Depression, The Jeff and Toby Herr Oral History Archive held at United States Holocaust Memorial Museum which collects testimonies of Jews, Roma, Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals, political prisoners, liberators, collaborators, witnesses, and rescuers, and the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation oral history collection of a series of interviews from 2011 called "500 Oral Histories Project" (the Houston area interviews are housed at Rice University’s Woodson Research Center in Fondren Library). 

However, the closer the collection of stories can be to the time the events took place the better for time always affects one’s perspective on events.  Therefore, the Library of Congress has recently partnered with the non-profit company StoryCorps to create an archive of stories from anyone effected by the recent Covid-19 pandemic in order to record these stories as soon as possible.  These stories will become part of the American Folklife Center collections and will be made available through StoryCorps archive.  Stories may be recorded at the Covid-19 Archive Activation website. 

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden stated “Curators and specialists at the Library of Congress are skilled at documenting history as it happens. Recording the voices and stories of Americans’ experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic for our national collections will honor this history and ensure these stories will not be forgotten. We are proud to collaborate with StoryCorps on this important work to build this archive of oral histories.”  Nicole Saylor, director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress says “We are particularly interested in doing this work through people’s stories, as storytelling is a crucial medium of communication and central to the work of the American Folklife Center.”

The collection is meant to commemorate and honor those lost to the illness, those whose lives were unalterably affected by the pandemic and those who worked the front lines during the crisis.  Moreover, preserving the stories will be an essential primary source to future generations attempting to analyze and understand the events on a national level. 

Anyone and everyone are encouraged to participate in the project, for a variety of voices with a variety of experiences and a variety of perspectives will create the fullest resource from which historians, researchers, and others interested in the events can draw.