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This report provides a brief overview on how Congress can establish federal advisory committees, and provides some considerations as to why a federal advisory committee may or may not be an appropriate mechanism for a particular policy or funding question. It presents data on the number of active committees established by Congress with special emphasis on the committees established in FY2014. This report concludes by presenting a list of the federal advisory committees currently proposed for establishment in legislation in the 114th Congress.

This report details the information related to the change of postal Zip code boundaries. The contents include background, concerns, Postal service attempts to resolve, etc.

This report is categorized into four categories: (I) Introduction, (II) The Federal Advisory Committee Act, (III) Creating a FACA Committee and (IV) Analysis.

The U.S. Constitution makes no specific allowance for any one of the three branches of the federal government to have access to information held by the others. No provision in the U.S. Constitution expressly establishes a procedure for public access to government information. Congress has legislated various public access laws. Among these laws are two records access statutes, The Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, and two meetings access statutes, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and the Government in the Sunshine Act. This report offers an overview of the four information access laws noted above, and provides citations to additional resources related to these tools.

This report examines DOD overseas contract obligations within the context of U.S. government and DOD contract spending.

The Constitution of the United States makes no specific allowance for any one of the co-equal branches to have access to information held by the others and contains no provision expressly establishing a procedure for, or a right of, public access to government information. Nonetheless, Congress has legislated various public access laws. These include two records access statutes — the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act — and two meetings access statutes — the Federal Advisory Committee Act and the Government in the Sunshine Act. This report provides background on the issue of government transparency and examines relevant litigation.

This report examines the statutes, initiatives, requirements, and other actions that make information more available to the public or protect it from public release related to Government Transparency and Secrecy.

This report discusses considerations in the context of each of the relevant laws and regulations.

In October 2011, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued guidelines prohibiting lobbyists from federal advisory committee service. Issued as a corollary to Executive Order 13490—which placed limits on lobbyist's government service—OMB's guidelines suggest that lobbyists have had undue influence over policy making. This article explores limited advisory committee literature and examines lobbyists' potential advisory process influence. Using data on lobbyists who served on advisory committees between 2009 and 2012, the article finds that while lobbyists' service has declined, some continue to serve. To conclude, the article explores first‐hand accounts from former advisory committee members to offer some perceived consequences of restricting lobbyist committee service.