📞FCC Proposes New Rules for Next Generation 911 Services
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (the FCC or Commission) proposes rules that would help ensure that emerging Next Generation 911 (NG911) networks are reliable and interoperable. NG911 is replacing legacy 911 technology across the country with Internet Protocol (IP)-based infrastructure that will support new 911 capabilities, including text, video, and data. However, for NG911 to be fully effective, NG911 networks must safeguard the reliability of critical components and support the interoperability needed to seamlessly transfer 911 calls and data from one network to another. When the Commission first adopted 911 reliability rules in 2013, the transition to NG911 was in its very early stages. Since then, many state and local 911 Authorities have made significant progress in deploying NG911 capabilities in their jurisdictions. This Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) is the next step in fulfilling the Commission's commitment to facilitate the NG911 transition and to ensure that the transition does not inadvertently create vulnerabilities in the nation's critical public safety networks. The FNPRM proposes to update the definition of "covered 911 service provider" in the Commission's existing 911 reliability rules to ensure that the rules apply to service providers that control or operate critical pathways and components in NG911 networks. It also proposes to update the reliability standards for providers of critical NG911 functions to ensure the reliable delivery of 911 traffic to NG911 delivery points, and proposes to establish NG911 interoperability requirements for interstate transfer of 911 traffic between Emergency Services IP Networks (ESInets). In addition, the FNPRM proposes to modify the certification and oversight mechanisms in the current 911 reliability rules to improve reliability and interoperability in NG911 systems while minimizing burdens on service providers, and proposes to empower state and local 911 Authorities to obtain reliability and interoperability certifications directly from covered 911 service providers.
Learn More💵Proposed Changes to Hennepin NAF Wage Area and Business Impacts
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing a rule to abolish the Hennepin, Minnesota, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area and define most of its counties to the nearest NAF FWS wage areas. Those counties without NAF FWS employment would no longer be defined to a NAF wage area. These changes are necessary because NAF FWS employment in the survey area has been declining, and the local activities no longer have the capability to conduct local wage surveys.
Learn More🌍Congressional Review Act Revocation of Waste Emissions Charge
Congress has passed and the President has signed a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) final rule titled, "Waste Emissions Charge for Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems: Procedures for Facilitating Compliance, Including Netting and Exemptions" (2024 WEC Final Rule). The 2024 WEC Final Rule implemented and facilitated compliance with the requirements of the Waste Emissions Charge in the Clean Air Act's (CAA) Methane Emissions Reduction Program. Under the joint resolution and by operation of the CRA, the 2024 WEC Final Rule now has no legal force or effect. Because the rule has been nullified, the EPA is removing it from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This action is exempt from notice-and-comment rulemaking because it is ministerial in nature.
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🌊Implications of Proposed Submarine Cable Landing License Rules
The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC" or "Commission") takes another important step to protect the Nation's submarine cable infrastructure from threats in an evolving national security and law enforcement landscape by undertaking the first major comprehensive review of the Commission's submarine cable rules since 2001. This review seeks to develop forward-looking rules to better protect submarine cables, identify and mitigate harms affecting national security and law enforcement, and facilitate the deployment of submarine cables and capacity to the market. Among other things, the Commission proposes to adopt a three-year periodic reporting requirement for submarine cable landing licenses; in the alternative, the Commission seeks comment on shortening the current 25-year submarine cable license term or adopting a shorter license term in combination with periodic reporting. The Commission also proposes or seeks comment on codifying the Commission's legal jurisdiction and other legal requirements in its rules to provide regulatory certainty to submarine cable owners and operators. Additionally, the Commission proposes and seeks comment on appropriate applicant and application requirements to account for the evolution of technologies and facilities and changes in the national security landscape over the last two decades and to ensure the Commission has targeted and granular information regarding the ownership, control, use of a submarine cable system, and other things, which are critical to the Commission's review to assess potential national security risks and other important public interest factors. Further, the Commission seeks comment on improving the quality of the circuit capacity data and facilitating the sharing of such information with other Federal agencies. Through these proposals, the Commission seeks to ensure that the Commission is exercising appropriate oversight of submarine cables to safeguard U.S. communications networks.
Learn More📜Analysis of CEQ FOIA and Privacy Act Regulations Impact on Businesses
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is finalizing its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations to incorporate amendments to the FOIA set forth in the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016; to conform to guidance for Federal agencies from the Department of Justice; to make them easier for the public to understand and use; and to better reflect CEQ's current policy and practice. These final regulations reaffirm CEQ's commitment to providing the fullest possible disclosure of records to the public. In addition, CEQ is amending its regulations implementing the Privacy Act of 1974 (the Privacy Act) to make them easier for the public to understand and use and to better reflect CEQ's current policy and practice. These final regulations also make administrative changes, including reorganizing, renumbering, and renaming the sections of CEQ's current FOIA and Privacy Act regulations. CEQ considered all of the public comments received on its proposed rule and made changes in response in this final rule.
Learn More💼Changes to Federal Wage System Impacting Wage Areas Announced
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final rule to change the regulatory criteria used to define Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area boundaries and make changes in certain wage areas. The purpose of this change, which will affect around ten percent of the FWS workforce, is to make the FWS wage area criteria more similar to the General Schedule (GS) locality pay area criteria. This change is based on a December 2023 majority recommendation of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC), the statutory national-level labor-management committee that advises OPM on the administration of the FWS.
Learn More⚖️NRC Adjusts Civil Penalties for Inflation in FY2025
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to adjust the maximum civil monetary penalties it can assess under statutes enforced by the agency. These changes are mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. The NRC is amending its regulations to adjust the maximum civil monetary penalty for a violation of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, or any regulation or order issued under the Atomic Energy Act from $362,814 to $372,240 per violation, per day. Additionally, the NRC is amending provisions concerning program fraud civil penalties by adjusting the maximum civil monetary penalty under the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act from $13,946 to $14,308 for each false claim or statement.
Learn More🔒DHS Proposes Changes to Social Security Number Regulations and Compliance
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS or Department) is proposing to amend its regulations under the Privacy Act of 1974 consistent with the Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act of 2017. In addition, DHS is proposing to amend the rules regarding including a Social Security number on physical mail only when necessary to further define "necessary" and provide instructions on redaction of social security numbers when feasible.
Learn More⚖️Department of State 2025 Civil Monetary Penalties Adjustment Regulations
This final rule is issued to adjust the civil monetary penalties (CMP) for regulatory provisions maintained and enforced by the Department of State. The revised CMP adjusts the amount of civil monetary penalties assessed by the Department of State based on the December 2024 guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and by recent legislation. For penalties adjusted according to the December 2024 guidance, the new amounts will apply only to those penalties assessed on or after the effective date of this rule, regardless of the date on which the underlying facts or violations occurred.
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