🗃️Proposed Regulation Changes on Privacy Act Affecting Immigration Records
In the Notice section of today's Federal Register, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), a component within the United States Department of Justice (DOJ or Department), has published a notice of a modified system of records, Adjudication and Appeal Records of the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge and Board of Immigration Appeals, JUSTICE/EOIR-001. This system of records has been exempted from the access and amendment provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, U.S.C. 552a(d), pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(1), and (k)(2). See 28 CFR 16.83. In this notice of proposed rulemaking, EOIR proposes to update 28 CFR 16.83 consistent with the system of records' modifications to exempt this system of records from certain provisions of the Privacy Act to protect properly classified information and law enforcement sensitive materials maintained in the system. For the reasons provided below, the Department proposes to update its Privacy Act regulations exempting records in this system from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. Public comment is invited.
Learn More⚡New Rules for Voluntary Agreements Under Defense Production Act
This interim final rule codifies standards and procedures the Department of Energy will follow when developing and carrying out voluntary agreements and plans of action under the Defense Production Act. The Defense Production Act provides a defense from antitrust laws with respect to any action taken to develop or carry out any voluntary agreement or plan of action when certain criteria are met. The rule will apply the Defense Production Act's long-standing provisions and will be set out in a new and dedicated part in the Code of Federal Regulations.
Learn More⚖️Eliminating Expedited Examination of Design Applications
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) previously suspended expedited examination of design applications effective April 17, 2025. Further to the suspension, the USPTO hereby amends the Rules of Practice in Patent Cases by removing the provisions in the Code of Federal Regulations that provide for expedited examination of design applications. The removal of those regulations supports the USPTO's efforts to reduce the pendency of unexamined design applications, which will benefit all design patent applicants. The removal also facilitates the USPTO's efforts to address the problem of erroneous micro entity certifications, as well as the USPTO's broader efforts to mitigate and protect against threats to the intellectual property system.
Learn More🌊Rescission of Expired Data Release Grace Period by BOEM
The Department of the Interior (the Department or DOI), acting through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), is amending the Department's regulations to rescind the portion of a section, describing a grace period for release of geophysical data, that expired in 2010. This portion of the section is not necessary because it has expired. DOI is also making minor modifications effecting this rescission to another portion of the section.
Learn More🏦Proposed Amendments to Community Reinvestment Act Regulations
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (collectively, the agencies) propose to amend their Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) regulations by rescinding the final rule titled "Community Reinvestment Act" published in the Federal Register on February 1, 2024, and replacing it with the agencies' CRA regulations in effect on March 29, 2024, with certain conforming and technical amendments. The agencies are also proposing technical amendments to their regulations implementing the CRA sunshine requirements of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, and the OCC is proposing technical amendments to its Public Welfare Investments regulation.
Learn More📈Increase in Annual Limit for Prioritized Patent Examination Requests
The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) includes provisions for prioritized examination of patent applications. Those provisions have been implemented by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in previous rulemakings. The AIA provides that the USPTO may not accept more than 10,000 requests for prioritization in any fiscal year (October 1 to September 30) until regulations setting another limit are prescribed. In 2019 and 2021, the USPTO published interim rules that expanded the limit on the number of requests to 12,000 and 15,000, respectively. The current final rule further expands the availability of prioritized examination by increasing the limit on the number of prioritized examination requests that may be accepted in a fiscal year to 20,000.
Learn More⚡DOE Revises NEPA Procedures
This interim final rule substantially revises Department of Energy's (DOE) regulations containing its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing procedures, which were promulgated to supplement now-rescinded Council on Environmental Quality regulations. Mindful that the Supreme Court recently clarified NEPA is a "purely procedural statute," DOE will henceforth maintain the remainder of its procedures in a procedural guidance document separate from the Code of Federal Regulations (DOE NEPA implementing procedures). Thus, DOE is revising 10 CFR part 1021 to contain only administrative and routine actions excepted from NEPA review in appendix A, its existing categorical exclusions in appendix B, related requirements, and a provision for emergency circumstances. DOE is revising appendix A in 10 CFR part 1021 to align with DOE's new NEPA implementing procedures that it is publishing separate from the Code of Federal Regulations. Appendix A in 10 CFR part 1021 (formerly categorical exclusions) are now administrative and routine actions that do not require NEPA review. DOE is also revising 10 CFR part 205, subpart W, to remove the NEPA procedures from its Presidential permit regulations.
Learn More⚒️OSHA Revokes Certain Construction Safety Regulations to Streamline Processes
This final rule revokes 29 CFR 1911.10, which required the Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health (Assistant Secretary), who heads OSHA, to consult with the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) in the formulation of rules to promulgate, modify, or revoke standards applicable to construction work, and 29 CFR 1912.3, the general OSHA regulations governing ACCSH. This final rule also makes corresponding changes to 29 CFR 1911.11, 29 CFR 1911.15, 29 CFR 1912.8, and 29 CFR 1912.9. OSHA is revoking 29 CFR 1911.10 and 29 CFR 1912.3 because these regulations impose requirements on the Assistant Secretary that are more burdensome than those mandated by statute, and compliance with these regulations would needlessly delay the Secretary of Labor's (Secretary) regulatory agenda. These changes will ensure that ACCSH is able to advise the Secretary on potential regulatory actions without adversely affecting the agency's regulatory timeline.
Learn More🚍FTA Regulatory Updates
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is revising its regulations on the agency's organization, functions, and procedures to update outdated information and increase clarity.
Learn More📄Amtrak FOIA Program Updates
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation ("Amtrak") needs to update the addresses, increase the fees on the fee schedule, and update methodology for filing FOIA requests.
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