📈New Compliance Requirements for Non-Centrally Cleared Repo Transactions
The Office of Financial Research (the "Office") within the U.S. Department of the Treasury ("Treasury") is extending the compliance date for certain financial companies to report to the Office certain non-centrally cleared bilateral transactions in the U.S. repurchase agreement ("repo") market. This data collection requires daily reporting to the Office by certain brokers, dealers, and other financial companies with large exposures to non-centrally cleared bilateral repo ("NCCBR") transactions.
Learn More⚖️Regulatory Corrections for Antidumping Duty Compliance
On December 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) issued a final rule amending its antidumping and countervailing duty regulations. However, certain regulatory language in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) was inadvertently deleted, an incorrect punctuation mark was used, and a letter was left off a word. This correction restores the deleted language to the relevant regulation and corrects the typographical errors.
Learn More⚖️Corrections to Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Regulations
On December 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) revised the annexes of the trade remedy regulations to modernize the administration of the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) laws. This amendment corrects inadvertent errors in dates and regulatory language.
Learn More🔥Proposed Withdrawal of Determination for Miscellaneous Gas Products
As part of its implementation of the Executive Order, "Unleashing American Energy" (Jan. 20, 2025), the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") is reviewing existing agency actions to ensure, among other things, that all regulatory requirements related to energy are grounded in clearly applicable law and that the American people's freedom to choose from a variety of goods and appliances is not restricted. As a result of this review, DOE is proposing to withdraw its prior determination that miscellaneous gas products ("MGPs"), which are comprised of decorative hearths and outdoor heaters, qualify as covered products under Part A of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended ("EPCA"). After further consideration of the relevant statutory authority and available information, DOE is proposing to withdraw its determination that MGPs are covered products under EPCA for which DOE is authorized to establish test procedures and energy conservation standards.
Learn More⚡Updates on Energy Conservation Standards and Compliance Requirements
The U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") is publishing a final rule to amend and correct certain energy conservation standards and test procedures of consumer products and commercial and industrial equipment, as described in sections I and II of this document. The changes addressed in this document are technical in nature, and neither the errors nor the corrections in this document affect the substance of any rulemaking or any conclusions reached in support of any final rule.
Learn More📄SEC Mandates Electronic Filing for Regulatory Compliance
The Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission" or "SEC") is amending its rules to require electronic filing or submission of certain forms and other filings or submissions that are required to be filed with or submitted to the Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act. The amendments require the electronic filing or submission on the Commission's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval ("EDGAR") system, using structured data where appropriate, for certain forms filed or submitted by self- regulatory organizations ("SROs"). The amendments require the information currently contained in Form 19b-4(e) to be publicly posted on the SRO's website and remove the manual signature requirements for SRO proposed rule change filings. The Commission is also requiring that a clearing agency post supplemental material to its website. In addition, the Commission is amending rules under the Exchange Act and the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act") to require the electronic filing or submission on EDGAR, using structured data where appropriate, of certain forms, reports, and notices provided by broker- dealers, security-based swap dealers, and major security-based swap participants. The amendments also require withdrawal in certain circumstances of notices filed in connection with an exception to counting certain dealing transactions toward determining whether a person is a security-based swap dealer. Finally, the Commission is allowing electronic signatures in certain broker-dealer filings, and amending the Financial and Operational Combined Uniform Single Report ("FOCUS Report") to harmonize with other rules, make technical corrections, and provide clarifications.
Learn More💼New Energy Conservation Standards for Commercial Refrigeration Equipment
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended ("EPCA"), prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including commercial refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers ("commercial refrigeration equipment" or "CRE"). EPCA also requires the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") to periodically review its existing standards to determine whether more-stringent standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified and would result in significant energy savings. In this final rule, DOE is adopting new and amended energy conservation standards for CRE. It has determined that the new and amended energy conservation standards for this equipment would result in significant conservation of energy and are technologically feasible and economically justified.
Learn More⚙️DOE Amendments to Compressor Test Procedures
The U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") is amending the test procedure for compressors to correct an error and to ensure that pressure ratio is expressed in terms of absolute pressure. DOE is also correcting the formula for isentropic efficiency and specific energy consumption of the packaged compressor by incorporating a K<INF>6</INF> correction factor to correct for differences in pressure ratio when testing at differing elevations. Finally, DOE is amending the definition of "air compressor" to include a minor clarification and revise a typographical error.
Learn More⚖️Regulatory Updates for Federal Mine Safety and Health Compliance
The Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (the "Commission") is an independent adjudicatory agency that provides trials and appellate review of cases arising under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (the "Mine Act"). Trials are held before the Commission's Administrative Law Judges, and appellate review is provided by a five-member Review Commission appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. This rule makes final revisions to many of the Commission's procedural rules. The Commission makes these changes in a continued effort to ensure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of all proceedings before the Commission.
Learn More⚖️New Compliance Rules for Clothes Washer and Dryer Testing 2024
In this final rule, the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") is amending the test procedures for residential and commercial clothes washers and consumer clothes dryers to update the test cloth specifications. DOE is also reorganizing the test procedures for improved readability. DOE is conducting this rulemaking to address specific issues and to make minor corrections to the current test procedures. This rulemaking does not satisfy the statutory requirement that, at least once every 7 years, DOE review the test procedures for clothes washers and consumer clothes dryers.
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