Trendpublic

🌍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.

🌍EPA Proposes Changes to Oil and Gas Emission Standards

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing amendments to the New Source Performance Standards and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources for the Crude Oil and Natural Gas Source Category in response to petitions for reconsideration. Specifically, this action proposes discrete technical changes to two different aspects of the rules. First, this action proposes discrete technical changes to the temporary flaring provisions for associated gas in certain situations. Second, this action proposes discrete technical changes to the vent gas net heating value (NHV) continuous monitoring requirements and alternative performance test (sampling demonstration) option for flares and enclosed combustion devices. In a letter dated May 6, 2024, the EPA notified petitioners and the public that the Agency granted reconsideration on these two aspects of the March 8, 2024 (89 FR 16820) final rule. These amendments neither propose changes to any other aspect of the final rule, nor propose to alter the substance of any emission standards within the final rule. Also, in this action, the EPA proposes to make formatting changes to the regulatory text to meet the required formatting standards of the Office of the Federal Register.

🏥OSHA Terminates COVID-19 Rulemaking for Healthcare Settings

OSHA is terminating its COVID-19 rulemaking.

📈U.S. International Trade Commission Hearing on Economic Recovery Act

The Commission has begun preparation of its 2025 report, as required by section 215 of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act, and has scheduled a public hearing for February 20, 2025, in connection with the report. The report will cover trade during calendar years 2023 and 2024.

🚚FMCSA Renews Driver Exemptions for Epilepsy

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for eight individuals from the requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers have "no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or any other condition which is likely to cause loss of consciousness or any loss of ability to control a CMV." The exemptions enable these individuals who have had one or more seizures and are taking anti-seizure medication to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

💼NIH Notice for Closed Meeting on Grant Application Review

🥙FDA Seeks Information on Poppy Seed Industry Practices and Safety

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is requesting information on industry practices related to poppy seeds, such as information about growing, harvesting, processing, and distribution of poppy seeds, including industry practices to reduce the opiate alkaloid content of poppy seeds. We are taking this action, in part, because we have received reports of adverse events related to the use of some poppy seed products. We intend to use the information to help determine what type(s) of actions, if any, we should take to help ensure that poppy seed products do not pose a health risk when consumed.

🏛️Proposed Regulations for Federal Property Protection and Compliance

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), proposes to promulgate regulations for the protection of Federal property. Within DHS, Federal Protective Service (FPS) maintains responsibility for the protection of buildings, grounds, and property owned, occupied, or secured by the Federal government. The proposed rule would adopt and revise the language of related-GSA regulations, consistent with DHS' statutory authority, to provide charging options for violations occurring on and adjacent to Federal property, update prohibited conduct to incorporate advancing technology, provide clearer public notice, and apply the regulations uniformly to all Federal property.

📊Commerce Postpones Determinations in CVD Investigations for Capsules

🏥Key Business Implications of HHS 2026 Health Regulations

This final rule includes payment parameters and provisions related to the HHS-operated risk adjustment and risk adjustment data validation (HHS-RADV) programs, as well as 2026 benefit year user fee rates for issuers that participate in the HHS-operated risk adjustment program and the 2026 benefit year user fee rates for issuers offering qualified health plans (QHPs) through Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) and State-based Exchanges on the Federal platform (SBE-FPs). This final rule also includes requirements related to modifications to the calculation of the Basic Health Program (BHP) payment; and changes to the Initial Validation Audit (IVA) sampling approach and Second Validation Audit (SVA) pairwise means test for HHS-RADV. It also addresses HHS' authority to engage in compliance reviews of and take enforcement action against lead agents of insurance agencies for violations of HHS' Exchange standards and requirements; HHS' system suspension authority to address noncompliance by agents and brokers; an optional fixed-dollar premium payment threshold; permissible plan-level adjustment to the index rate to account for cost-sharing reductions (CSRs); reconsideration standards for certification denials; changes to the approach for conducting Essential Community Provider (ECP) certification reviews; a policy to publicly share aggregated, summary- level Quality Improvement Strategy (QIS) information on an annual basis; and revisions to the medical loss ratio (MLR) reporting and rebate requirements for qualifying issuers that meet certain standards.