📄FCC Notice
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal Agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. Pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it might further reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The Commission may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number.
Learn More📈Proposed Changes to Small Business Size Standards by SBA
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or the Agency) proposes to increase its monetary based small business size definitions (commonly referred to as "size standards") for 263 industries (259 receipts based and four assets based). SBA proposes to retain receipts based size standards for 237 industries and 12 subindustries ("exceptions") and remove one exception. SBA's proposal relied on its recently revised "Size Standards Methodology" (Revised Methodology). SBA seeks comments on its proposed changes to size standards and data sources it evaluated to develop the proposed size standards. SBA also invites comments on its proposed policy of not lowering any size standards, except for excluding dominant firms from qualifying as small. In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(4), a summary of this rule may be found at www.regulations.gov.
Learn More🏦PBGC Updates on Pension Plans and Premium Rates Compliance
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) is making miscellaneous technical corrections, clarifications, and improvements to its regulations, including its regulations on premium rates, premium due dates, and termination of single-employer plans. These changes are a result of PBGC's ongoing retrospective review of the effectiveness and clarity of its rules and of statutory changes.
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📄FCC Seeks Comments on Information Collection and Burden Reduction
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number.
Learn More📊DOE Seeks Comments on Small Business Impact Evaluation Data Collection
The Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comments on a proposed collection of information that DOE is developing for submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Learn More📜FCC Notice on Information Collection Impacting Small Businesses
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.
Learn More📄CMS Notice on Information Collection for Health Insurance Agents/Brokers
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information (including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information) and to allow 60 days for public comment on the proposed action. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding our burden estimates or any other aspect of this collection of information, including the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.
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📺FCC Deregulates Cable Television Rates for Small Operators
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) eliminates unnecessary cable rate regulation forms and rules; deregulates cable equipment not used exclusively to receive the basic cable service tier; deregulates small cable systems serving 15,000 or fewer subscribers that are owned by small cable companies serving 400,000 or fewer subscribers; declines to extend rate regulation to commercial establishments; and modifies rules to account for the sunset of CPST regulation and clarifies their application. This action is necessary because many of the FCC's rules governing cable rate regulation have been rendered obsolete or unworkable due to the sunset of cable programming service tier (CPST) rate regulation and the passage of time. In addition, in this document, the FCC closes several moot proceedings and dockets which are either resolved by this document or have become obsolete or irrelevant due to regulatory updates, technology advances, marketplace changes, or have been addressed in other FCC orders. The actions taken in this document by the FCC will have the effect of streamlining the cable television rate regulations, unleashing prosperity through deregulation, and reducing the administrative burdens on the cable industry, franchising authorities, and the FCC, while continuing to fulfill the statutory obligation to subscribers to ensure reasonable rates for cable service and equipment.
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