AGI policy news briefs summarize geoscience policy activities and related events in Washington, D.C. as part of an effort to keep AGI member societies and other audiences informed about relevant federal policy and legislative updates.
To search for news briefs for a specific Monthly Review digest, enter the year and month of the Monthly Review in the search fields below.
Please note that as of April 2019, the publication of news briefs and the monthly review has been suspended. Policy news from April 2019 back to 2010 is available below; to browse Monthly Reviews from 1996 through 2010, please visit the Monthly Review Archive.
On January 31 President Trump announced his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to fill the Supreme Court vacancy.
How should the federal government price carbon in its assessments?
President Trump issued an executive order directing agencies to review the “Waters of the United States” rule.
Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced three bills that would limit the regulatory power of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on February 27.
A list of notices from the federal register for March 2017 from agencies including the Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, USGS, NOAA, NASA, and more.
A list of notices from the federal register for April 2017 from agencies including the Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, USGS, NOAA, NASA, and more.
On April 26, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30) on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology sent a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Energy Rick Perry requesting information regarding program management at the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) led a group of senators on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in urging President Donald Trump to appoint well-qualified experts for critical science positions within his administration.
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing on April 26 to examine a discussion draft of a bill that would amend certain provisions of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA) to streamline management and licensing processes for nuclear waste disposal.
President Donald Trump released an executive order targeting the five-year oil and gas leasing plan finalized under the Obama administration.
The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act (H.R.353) was signed into law by President Trump on April 18.
The Hazards Caucus Alliance, a network that supports the Congressional Hazards Caucus, hosted a briefing on April 6 about how geologic and hazards mapping and monitoring are used to prepare and protect communities from natural hazards.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hosted a briefing on April 4 to discuss the economic and public health impacts of harmful algal blooms.
On April 26, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) held an oversight hearing to review the Obama Administration’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.
On April 28, Congress passed a short-term measure to fund the government through May 5, 2017, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown.
A list of notices from the federal register for May 2017 from agencies including the Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, USGS, NOAA, NASA, and more.
A list of notices from the federal register for June 2017 from agencies including the Department of the Interior, NOAA, EPA, and more.
A list of notices from the federal register for July 2017 from agencies including the BOEM, USGS, NOAA, and more.
A list of notices from the federal register for August 2017 from agencies including the Department of the Interior, EPA, and more.
A list of notices from the federal register for September 2017 from agencies including the Department of the Interior, EPA, and more.
A list of notices from the federal register for October 2017 from agencies including the Department of the Interior, EPA, and more.
A list of notices from the Federal Register for November 2017 from various federal science agencies, including the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, and more.
A list of notices from the federal register for December 2017 from various federal science agencies, including the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, and more.
On January 18, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing to assess the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) progress on eliminating burdens to domestic onshore energy production. During the hearing, witnesses commented on the regulatory uncertainties, inefficiencies, and inconsistencies that may disproportionately impact small businesses. BLM’s Deputy Director for Programs and Policy Brian Steed affirmed that recent actions to reduce regulatory burdens have created more revenue for the agency.