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36 plain-English definitions of the agencies, programs, laws and procedures that come up in bills and votes.
AI-AssistedWritten with AI from official sources. The official record always prevails. How we use AI.- National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA
- Agency
The independent agency that runs the civilian space program and research in aeronautics and space science.
- National Archives and Records AdministrationNARA
- Agency
The independent agency that keeps the permanent records of the federal government, including the Constitution, and publishes the Federal Register.
- National Cemetery Administration
- Agency
The part of the VA that runs national cemeteries and provides headstones, markers and burial benefits for veterans.
- National Credit Union AdministrationNCUA
- Agency
The independent agency that charters and supervises federal credit unions and insures deposits at federally insured credit unions.
- National Debt
- Budget and Tax
The total amount the federal government owes, built up from past deficits. Part is held by the public and part by federal trust funds such as Social Security's.
- National Defense Authorization ActNDAA
- Law
The yearly law that authorizes Defense Department programs and sets military policy, such as troop pay raises and weapons programs. Congress has passed one every year for more than 60 years.
- National Emergencies Act
- Law
A 1976 law that sets procedures for the president to declare a national emergency, which unlocks special powers in other laws, and lets Congress end one by joint resolution.
- National Endowment for the Arts
- Agency
The independent federal agency that gives grants to support the arts and arts education.
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- Agency
The independent federal agency that gives grants for research, education, preservation and public programs in the humanities, such as history and literature.
- National Environmental Policy ActNEPA
- Law
The 1970 law that requires federal agencies to study the environmental effects of major actions, such as permits or projects, before deciding on them, often in an environmental impact statement.
- National Flood Insurance ProgramNFIP
- Program
The federal program, run by FEMA, that sells flood insurance to homeowners, renters and businesses in participating communities and maps flood risk.
- National Forest System
- Legal Term
The 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands managed by the Forest Service.
In Bills:H.J.Res. 140H.R. 4090
- National Guard
- Agency
Military reserve forces that serve their states under the governor and can be called to federal duty by the president. It includes the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard.
- National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationNHTSA
- Agency
The DOT agency that sets vehicle safety and fuel economy standards, investigates defects and orders recalls.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:S.J.Res. 55
- National Institute of Food and AgricultureNIFA
- Agency
The USDA agency that funds agricultural research, education and extension at universities and other institutions, including land-grant colleges.
- National Institute of Standards and TechnologyNIST
- Agency
The Commerce Department agency that develops measurement standards and technical guidelines, including widely used frameworks for cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
- National Institutes of HealthNIH
- Agency
The HHS agency that conducts and funds medical research through 27 institutes and centers.
- National Labor Relations BoardNLRB
- Agency
The independent agency that protects private-sector workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively, runs union elections and decides unfair labor practice cases.
- National Marine Fisheries ServiceNMFS
- Agency
The NOAA agency that manages ocean fisheries and protects marine mammals and endangered marine species.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:H.R. 9436
- National Monument
- Legal Term
A protected area designated by Congress, or by the president under the Antiquities Act, to preserve objects of historic or scientific interest on federal land.
- National Nuclear Security AdministrationNNSA
- Agency
A semi-autonomous agency in the Department of Energy that maintains the nuclear weapons stockpile, works to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and provides nuclear propulsion for the Navy.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNOAA
- Agency
The Commerce Department agency that forecasts the weather through the National Weather Service, monitors oceans and climate, and manages fisheries and coastal programs.
- National Park ServiceNPS
- Agency
The Interior Department agency that manages national parks, monuments, historic sites and other units of the National Park System.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:H.J.Res. 60H.R. 7618
- National School Lunch ProgramNSLP
- Program
The federal program that pays schools to serve free or low-cost lunches to students in public and nonprofit private schools.
In Bills:S. 222
- National Science FoundationNSF
- Agency
The independent agency that funds basic research and education in science and engineering, mostly through grants to universities.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:H.R. 1223
- National Security AgencyNSA
- Agency
The Defense Department intelligence agency that collects and analyzes foreign signals intelligence, such as communications, and protects U.S. government communications and information systems.
- National Security Council
- Agency
The president's main forum for national security and foreign policy decisions, made up of senior officials such as the vice president and the secretaries of State and Defense.
- National Telecommunications and Information AdministrationNTIA
- Agency
The Commerce Department agency that advises the president on telecommunications policy, manages the federal government's use of radio spectrum and runs broadband grant programs.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:H.R. 1709
- National Transportation Safety BoardNTSB
- Agency
The independent agency that investigates civil aviation accidents and major highway, rail, pipeline and marine accidents and recommends safety improvements.
- National Travel and Tourism OfficeNTTO
- Agency
An office in the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration that publishes official travel and tourism statistics and supports policies to bring more international visitors to the United States.
Official site ↗ (opens in a new tab)
In Bills:S. 195
- National Weather ServiceNWS
- Agency
The NOAA agency that issues the official weather forecasts, watches and warnings for the United States.
- National Wildlife Refuge System
- Legal Term
The network of more than 570 national wildlife refuges, managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve fish, wildlife and plants.
In Bills:H.J.Res. 131S. 1596
- Natural Resources Conservation ServiceNRCS
- Agency
The USDA agency that helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners conserve soil, water and wildlife habitat through technical help and cost-sharing programs.
- North Atlantic Treaty OrganizationNATO
- International
The military alliance of the United States, Canada and European countries, founded in 1949, whose members pledge to defend one another if any one of them is attacked.
- Nuclear Option
- Congress
Changing how a Senate rule applies by a simple majority vote that sets a new precedent, instead of the two-thirds usually needed to change the rules. The Senate has used it several times since 2013, including to end filibusters on nominations.
- Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNRC
- Agency
The independent agency that licenses and regulates civilian nuclear power plants and other civilian uses of nuclear materials.