📜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.
Learn More🔒USDA Revises Privacy Act Regulations Affecting Business Compliance
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending its Privacy Act regulations to exempt a system of records, Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance (SITC) National Information Communication Activity System (SNICAS), USDA/APHIS-21, from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. USDA is further amending its Privacy Act regulations to reflect an administrative change to the list of system of records that are exempt from certain provisions of the Privacy Act.
Learn More📊USDA FGIS Final Rule on User Fee Regulations for Grain Services
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS or Service) is amending its user fee regulations to establish standardized formulas the agency will use to calculate hourly and unit fees. The changes allow FGIS to charge reasonable fees sufficient to cover the costs of providing official services and re-establish a 3-to 6-month operating reserve, as required by the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA). This final rule also makes specified conforming changes and minor technical changes to correct two typographical errors.
Learn More📄Electronic Immigration Bond Notifications - Business Compliance Insights
On August 8, 2023, DHS issued an interim final rule which amended the regulations to authorize ICE to serve bond-related notices to obligors electronically. The rule allowed DHS to electronically serve demand and other immigration bond notices for delivery, order of supervision, or voluntary departure bonds to obligors who consent to electronic service. DHS is now issuing this final rule that introduces no substantive changes from the interim final rule.
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