🌍EPA Finalizes Fuel Quality Standards and Testing Regulations
This action finalizes revisions, updates, and corrections to EPA's streamlined fuel quality regulations. This action does not change the stringency of the existing fuel quality standards.
Learn More🚗New Regulatory Framework for ADS and Vehicle Safety by NHTSA
This document proposes a voluntary framework for the evaluation and oversight of motor vehicles equipped with automated driving systems (ADS). The ADS-equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency, and Evaluation Program (AV STEP) would establish a national program for ADS-equipped vehicles that operate or may operate on public roads in the United States under NHTSA's oversight with the goal of improving public transparency related to the safety of certain ADS-equipped vehicles, while allowing for responsible development of this technology. This proposal includes procedures for application, participation, public reporting, and program administration. It identifies content requirements for applications, including independent assessments of ADS safety processes, such as the safety cases used and conformance to industry standards. These application requirements will inform NHTSA's decisions on terms and conditions for participation. The proposal also contains reporting requirements for participants, including periodic and event-triggered reporting.
Learn More🐻New Grizzly Bear Listing
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or FWS), propose to revise the listing of the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) in the lower-48 States under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act or ESA). After a review of the best scientific and commercial data available, we affirm that the currently listed grizzly bear population meets our requirements for consideration as a distinct population segment (DPS) under the Act and that the population remains likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future. However, we find that clarification of the geographic areas included within the DPS is warranted. Therefore, we propose to revise the listing by defining the boundaries of the contiguous U.S. grizzly bear DPS. The revised entity would include all geographic portions of the currently listed lower-48 entity that contain suitable habitat and where grizzly bears are currently found or are likely to be found in the future as populations recover. This area includes all of Washington and portions of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The contiguous U.S. grizzly bear DPS would retain threatened species status. This proposed rule would promote conservation of the grizzly bear by ensuring that the listing under the Act explicitly reflects the areas where grizzly bears currently occur and are likely to occur in the future. Clarifying that the listing does not include areas outside of the grizzly bear's historical range will assist as recovery proceeds. We are also proposing to revise protective regulations for the grizzly bear issued under section 4(d) of the Act.
Learn More🐸Critical Habitat Designation for Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog in California
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for four distinct population segments (DPSs) of the foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 760,071 acres (307,590 hectares) in California fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. We also announce the availability of an economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat for four DPSs.
Learn More🐋New Regulations for Florida and Antillean Manatees
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the two subspecies of the West Indian manatee, the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus), under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We have conducted status reviews for the two subspecies, and, as a result, we are proposing to list the Florida manatee as a threatened species with protective regulations under section 4(d) of the Act ("4(d) rule"), and the Antillean manatee as an endangered species, under the Act. These two listings would replace the current threatened species listing of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). This determination also serves as our 12-month findings on two petitions and as our completed 5-year review of the West Indian manatee. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would remove the West Indian manatee from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List), add the Florida manatee and Antillean manatee to the List, and extend the Act's protections to the Florida manatee and Antillean manatee.
Learn More📦New Regulations for Low-Value Shipments
This document proposes amendments to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations pertaining to the entry of certain low-value shipments not exceeding $800 that are eligible for an administrative exemption from duty and tax. Specifically, CBP proposes to create a new process for entering low-value shipments, allowing CBP to target high-risk shipments more effectively, including those containing synthetic opioids such as illicit fentanyl. This document also proposes to revise the current process for entering low-value shipments to require additional data elements that would assist CBP in verifying eligibility for duty- and tax-free entry of low-value shipments and bona-fide gifts.
Learn More🍷New Standards of Fill for Wine and Distilled Spirits Effective in 2025
This final rule amends the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulations that govern wine and distilled spirits containers to add 13 standards of fill for wine and 15 for distilled spirits. TTB is also amending its regulations to eliminate the distinction between standards of fill for distilled spirits in cans and those for distilled spirits in containers other than cans. TTB had also proposed to generally eliminate the standards of fill for wine and distilled spirits, as an alternative to approving specific new standards of fill. Upon careful consideration of comments received, however, TTB is not adopting that proposal at this time. The amendments described in this final rule respond to industry member requests for additional flexibility to use a wider range of container sizes and are expected to facilitate the movement of goods in domestic and international commerce while also providing consumers broader purchasing options.
Learn More🦎Salamander Regulations and Their Economic Impact on Businesses
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is affirming as final the 2016 interim rule that added all species of salamanders from 20 genera to the list of injurious amphibians. Under the injurious wildlife prohibitions of the Lacey Act, this final rule prohibits the importation into the United States and shipment between the continental United States, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States of any live or dead specimen, including hybrids and parts, of those 20 genera of salamanders, except by permit for certain purposes or by Federal agencies solely for their own use. In addition to finalizing the listing of those 20 genera, we are publishing a new interim rule to add to the injurious amphibian list 16 genera that recent studies determined are also carriers of the fungus and to clarify some provisions from the final rule. This interim rule includes any live or dead specimen, hybrid, or parts of the 16 genera and opens a public comment period. We take these actions to protect U.S. ecosystems from the introduction, establishment, and spread of the lethal chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, which infects and is carried by salamanders, and which is not yet known to be found in the United States.
Learn More🐠Proposed Rule on Injurious Wildlife Affecting Trade and Business
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposes to add all species of freshwater mussels from two genera, Asian pond mussels (Sinanodonta species) and golden mussels (Limnoperna species), to the list of injurious mollusks. Additionally, the Service proposes to add marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis) to the list of injurious crustaceans. Listing these taxa as injurious will prohibit the importation of any live animal, larvae, viable egg, or hybrid of these taxa into the United States, except as specifically authorized. These listings would also prohibit shipment of any live animal, larvae, viable egg, or hybrid of these species between the continental United States, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States, except as specifically authorized. The action is necessary to protect wildlife and wildlife resources by preventing the introduction and subsequent establishment of these foreign aquatic invertebrates into ecosystems of the United States.
Learn More💼2025 Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment - Labor Impact
The U.S. Department of Labor (Department) is publishing this final rule to adjust for inflation the civil monetary penalties assessed or enforced by the Department, pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act). The Inflation Adjustment Act requires the Department to annually adjust its civil money penalty levels for inflation no later than January 15 of each year. The Inflation Adjustment Act provides that agencies shall adjust civil monetary penalties notwithstanding section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Additionally, the Inflation Adjustment Act provides a cost- of-living formula for adjustment of the civil penalties. Accordingly, this final rule sets forth the Department's 2025 annual adjustments for inflation to its civil monetary penalties.
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