🥽Amendments to OSHA Respiratory Protection Regulations Proposed
This proposed rule revises some substance-specific respirator requirements to allow different types of respirators to be used under OSHA's 1,2-Dibromo-3-Chloropropane standard and better aligns this standard with OSHA's Respiratory Protection standard.
Learn More🔥Proposed Removal of Open Fires Standard in Marine Terminals
This proposed rule removes OSHA's Open Fires in Marine Terminals Standard from the Code of Federal Regulations.
Learn More♿Proposed Revisions to Rehabilitation Act Affecting Federal Contractors
The U.S. Department of Labor proposes to revise its implementing regulations for Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The proposed revisions will better align the regulations with recent case law and executive orders, including Executive Order 14173, "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity" and Executive Order 14219, "Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President's `Department of Government Efficiency' Deregulatory Initiative."
Learn More📜Simplification of ERISA Regulations through Bulletin Removal
This DFR removes from the Code of Federal Regulations prospectively certain interpretive bulletins under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 that the Department of Labor (DOL) believes are obsolete. The obsolete interpretive bulletins were published shortly after ERISA's enactment in 1974 to provide compliance assistance for employee benefit plans, plan sponsors and fiduciaries. Because of subsequent guidance issued by the DOL, and the effect of Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1978, the DOL believes the interpretive bulletins are no longer needed, and if left on the books, add potential confusion and unnecessary complexity. Removing obsolete regulations eliminates the burden on the public of having to determine whether they need to comply with the regulations. This action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order 14192, titled Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation (90 FR 9065, Feb. 6, 2025). This action improves the daily lives of the American people by reducing unnecessary, burdensome, and costly Federal regulations.
Learn More🚆Updates to Railroad Alcohol and Drug Use Regulations
This rule makes administrative updates to FRA's control of alcohol and drug use regulations, including updating addresses.
Learn More🚆Administrative Updates to FRA's Railroad Risk Reduction Program Regulations
This rule makes administrative updates to FRA's risk reduction program regulations, including updating addresses in those regulations.
Learn More🚂Updates to Steam Locomotive Inspection and Maintenance Standards
This rule makes administrative updates to FRA's steam locomotive inspection and maintenance standards regulations, including updating addresses in those regulations.
Learn More🐟Proposed Endangered Status for Barrens Darter
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Barrens darter (Etheostoma forbesi), a fish species from Cannon, Coffee, Grundy, and Warren Counties, Tennessee, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This determination also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list the Barrens darter. After a review of the best scientific and commercial data available, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the Barrens darter as an endangered species under the Act. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to the species. We find that designating critical habitat for this species is not determinable at this time.
Learn More🚂FRA Updates Regulations for Locomotive Horns and Compliance Requirements
This rule makes administrative updates to FRA's use of locomotive horns at public highway-rail grade crossings regulations, including updating addresses in those regulations.
Learn More🚂Proposed Rule on Freight Car Age Requirements by FRA
FRA proposes to amend its freight car safety regulations to repeal the requirement for special approval to place or continue a freight car in service if it is more than 50 years old or equipped with any design or type component listed in appendix A to this part. Instead, railroads would be able to continue or place such "overage" cars in service after complying with uniform safety requirements. Those requirements would include comprehensive shop inspections by a designated inspector, single-car air brake testing, recordkeeping, and, as appropriate, stenciling. The proposed requirements are consistent with the most important conditions that FRA now requires through the existing special approval process. Repealing the special approval process and replacing it with the proposed, uniform requirements would provide equivalent safety outcomes while reducing burdens on railroads and eliminating the added delay involved in petitioning FRA for a special approval.
Learn More