Federal Regulatory Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal regulatory agencies
Featured Stories
SEC Commissioner Issues Statement on Somewhere Between Cacophony and Euphony
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following statement on May 18, 2026, by Commissioner Hester M. Peirce:
* * *
Somewhere Between Cacophony and Euphony
Today the Commission rescinded its decades-old no-admit/no-deny policy governing the settlement process.[1] Under this policy, settling defendants cannot publicly deny the allegations in a complaint or permit anyone else to do so.
The Commission will no longer require and demand that defendants in its enforcement actions curtail their right to speak as a condition of settlement. For reasons I have explained
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following statement on May 18, 2026, by Commissioner Hester M. Peirce:
* * *
Somewhere Between Cacophony and Euphony
Today the Commission rescinded its decades-old no-admit/no-deny policy governing the settlement process.[1] Under this policy, settling defendants cannot publicly deny the allegations in a complaint or permit anyone else to do so.
The Commission will no longer require and demand that defendants in its enforcement actions curtail their right to speak as a condition of settlement. For reasons I have explainedbefore, this result is good and brings the Commission into alignment with nearly every other part of the federal government.[2]
Settlements shrouded in forced silence by the non-governmental party do not serve either the markets or the Commission's investor-protection mission. To the contrary, people's freedom to speak against the government contributes to its ability to govern well.[3] Transparent enforcement of the securities laws helps create the environment in which free markets thrive, and enabling both parties in an enforcement action to speak freely contributes to transparency.
Ending this imprudent policy, of course, does not mean that the Commission will stop resolving cases through settlement. The excellent investigative work of our professional, dedicated staff stands on its own ground, notwithstanding a defendant's protestations of innocence. The public now will be able to assess the Commission's case in light of a defendant's denials.
The result, I expect, will be what free speech often produces: somewhere between cacophony and euphony--neither terribly pleasing to the ear, not entirely unpleasant to hear. That the noise happens at all, however, is a substantial step forward for both the Commission and the right of a free people to speak their mind.
* * *
[1] Rescission of Policy Regarding Denials in Settlements of Enforcement Actions, Rel. No. 34-105504 (May 18, 2026), available at https://www.sec.gov/files/rules/final/2026/33-11417.pdf.
[2] Commissioner Hester M. Peirce, Unsettling Silence: Dissent from Denial of Request for Rulemaking to Amend 17 C.F.R. Sec. 202.5(e), available at https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-nand-013024.
[3] United States v. New York Times Co., 328 F. Supp. 324, 331 (S.D.N.Y. 1971), rev'd, 444 F.2d 544 (2d Cir. 1971), rev'd, 403 U.S. 713 (1971) (per curiam) ("There is no greater safety valve for discontent and cynicism about the affairs of Government than freedom of expression in any form. This has been the genius of our institutions throughout our history. It is one of the marked traits of our national life that distinguish us from other nations under different forms of government.").
* * *
Original text here: https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-statement-settlements-enforcement-actions-051826
NRC Beats Schedule for Completing Long Mott Environmental Review
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following news release:
* * *
NRC Beats Schedule for Completing Long Mott Environmental Review
Rockville, Md.--The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has completed its environmental assessment of the proposed Long Mott Generating Station ahead of schedule, marking a key milestone in the review of an advanced X-energy reactor facility at Dow Chemical's Seadrift site in Port Lavaca, Texas.
The agency determined that an environmental assessment, rather than a more extensive environmental impact statement, better addresses the project's
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following news release:
* * *
NRC Beats Schedule for Completing Long Mott Environmental Review
Rockville, Md.--The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has completed its environmental assessment of the proposed Long Mott Generating Station ahead of schedule, marking a key milestone in the review of an advanced X-energy reactor facility at Dow Chemical's Seadrift site in Port Lavaca, Texas.
The agency determined that an environmental assessment, rather than a more extensive environmental impact statement, better addresses the project'slimited environmental footprint at an existing industrial location. This approach allows for a more efficient review while maintaining rigorous environmental standards.
"This milestone demonstrates that we can complete our reviews efficiently, enabling new reactor projects while upholding our responsibility to protect people and the environment," said NRC Executive Director for Operations Mike King. "Using an environmental assessment in this case reflects the project's relatively low potential for environmental impacts and helps provide a more predictable path forward."
The agency expects to complete its safety review of the construction permit application later this year, consistent with the 18-month timeline required by Executive Order 14300. A final agency decision on the permit would follow.
Long Mott Energy LLC's construction permit application proposes a four-reactor facility using X-energy's Xe-100 reactor design. Each reactor would generate approximately 80 megawatts of electricity, as well as heat to enhance the Dow Chemical plant's efficiency.
If approved, the construction permit would authorize building the facility but not its operation. The company would need to submit a separate application for operating licenses.
Long Mott Energy submitted the application March 31, 2025, and the NRC's environmental review began June 10, 2025. Additional information is available on the agency's website (https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/advanced/who-were-working-with/applicant-projects/long-mott).
* * *
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was created as an expert, technical agency to protect public health, safety, and security, and regulate the civilian use of nuclear materials, including enabling the deployment of nuclear power for the benefit of society. Among other responsibilities, the agency issues licenses, conducts inspections, initiates and enforces regulations, and plans for incident response. The NRC is collaborating with interagency partners to implement reforms outlined in new Executive Orders and the ADVANCE Act to streamline agency activities and enhance efficiency
* * *
Original text here: https://www.nrc.gov/sites/default/files/cdn/doc-collection-news/2026/26-054.pdf
FCC Media Bureau Announces Comment & Reply Comment Deadlines for Audible Crawl Rule
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau issued the following public notice (MB Docket No. 12-107):
* * *
On April 30, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Matter of Accessible Emergency Information, and Apparatus Requirements for Emergency Information and Video Description: Implementation of the Twenty-First Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (Third FNPRM)./1
In the Third FNPRM, the Commission proposes to amend the Audible Crawl Rule/2 to specify that compliance with the rule
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau issued the following public notice (MB Docket No. 12-107):
* * *
On April 30, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Matter of Accessible Emergency Information, and Apparatus Requirements for Emergency Information and Video Description: Implementation of the Twenty-First Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (Third FNPRM)./1
In the Third FNPRM, the Commission proposes to amend the Audible Crawl Rule/2 to specify that compliance with the ruleis met if a video programming distributor or provider provides textual crawls that convey emergency information duplicative of or equivalent to the information conveyed by the visual image, if those textual crawls are conveyed aurally.
The Commission set deadlines for filing comments and reply comments at 30 and 45 days, respectively, after publication of the Third FNPRM in the Federal Register./3
By this Public Notice, the Media Bureau announces that the Third FNPRM was published in the Federal Register on May 15, 2026./4 Comments must be submitted no later than June 15, 2026.
Reply comments must be submitted no later than June 29, 2026. Comments should follow the filing instructions provided in paragraph 22 of the Third FNPRM./5 The Third FNPRM is available on the Commission's website./6
* * *
Footnotes:
1/ MB Docket No. 12-107, Third Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 26-31 (rel. May 1, 2026).
2/ 47 CFR Sec. 79.2(b)(2)(ii).
3/ See Third FNPRM at 1.
4/ See Federal Communications Commission, Accessible Emergency Information, and Apparatus Requirements for Emergency Information and Video Description: Implementation of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, 91 Fed. Reg. 27895 (May 15, 2026).
5/ Third FNPRM at para. 22.
6/ See https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-26-31A1.docx (Word), https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-26-31A1.pdf (Acrobat).
* * *
Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-490A1.pdf
FCC Chairman Carr Applauds Commissioner Trusty's Continued Leadership on Global and International Efforts
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following news release on May 18, 2026:
* * *
FCC Chairman Carr Applauds Commissioner Trusty's Continued Leadership on Global and International Efforts
Commissioner Trusty Led FCC Delegation at the ITU Global Symposium for Regulators
*
Today, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr applauded and thanked Commissioner Olivia Trusty for her continued leadership on the international stage after successfully heading up another FCC delegation abroad. Last week, Commissioner Trusty led the FCC delegation at the ITU's Global Symposium for Regulators
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following news release on May 18, 2026:
* * *
FCC Chairman Carr Applauds Commissioner Trusty's Continued Leadership on Global and International Efforts
Commissioner Trusty Led FCC Delegation at the ITU Global Symposium for Regulators
*
Today, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr applauded and thanked Commissioner Olivia Trusty for her continued leadership on the international stage after successfully heading up another FCC delegation abroad. Last week, Commissioner Trusty led the FCC delegation at the ITU's Global Symposium for Regulatorsin Ankara, Turkey where she spoke about the Commission's spectrum priorities, held individual bilateral meetings with counterparts from the Caribbean, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and promoted American candidacies for ITU positions. Last week's leadership builds on Commissioner Trusty's success at ITU's World Telecommunication Development Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, last November and similar strategic global engagements in Europe and Latin America this spring. Since joining the Commission, Commissioner Trusty has been stewarding the agency's work on vital global and international issues--from connectivity to national security. Chairman Carr has asked Commissioner Trusty to continue leading on the FCC's and America's interests abroad.
Chairman Carr issued the following statement:
"I want to thank Commissioner Trusty for her strong leadership on international issues, including on connectivity and matters that are vital to the national security interests of America. I am pleased that Commissioner Trusty is continuing to expand her efforts and grateful for all of the hard work and expertise she is bringing to bear as she takes on a leading role supporting the FCC's work and advancing America's interests abroad."
Commissioner Trusty issued the following statement:
"As communications networks become increasingly global, international engagement is essential to advancing ubiquitous connectivity, innovation, and America's national security objectives. I was honored to lead the FCC delegation at the ITU Global Symposium for Regulators and participate in other international fora to promote policies that support a secure and resilient communications ecosystem. I appreciate Chairman Carr for the opportunity to take a leadership role on the global stage in furthering policies that benefit American consumers, businesses, and our national interests."
Tom Sullivan, Chief of the FCC's Office of International Affairs, issued the following statement:
"The FCC is a global leader on a range of issues, including satellite policy, submarine cable development, network security, consumer protection and spectrum management. Commissioner Trusty's engagement with international counterparts has been critical to advancing our perspective in these areas and advocating for policy approaches that promote U.S. interests and ensure U.S. companies can be competitive globally. My team and I are thrilled to be working with such dedicated senior FCC leadership to help advance these goals."
* * *
Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-421809A1.pdf
EEOC Issues Federal Sector Appellate Decision Finding Unlawful Discrimination in Agency's Denial of Religious Accommodation to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued the following news release:
* * *
EEOC Issues Federal Sector Appellate Decision Finding Unlawful Discrimination in Agency's Denial of Religious Accommodation to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
*
The U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Education violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, by unlawfully discriminating against three federal employees, according to an appellate decision issued today by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Office of the Federal Sector (OFS). The
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued the following news release:
* * *
EEOC Issues Federal Sector Appellate Decision Finding Unlawful Discrimination in Agency's Denial of Religious Accommodation to COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
*
The U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Education violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, by unlawfully discriminating against three federal employees, according to an appellate decision issued today by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Office of the Federal Sector (OFS). Thedecision found that the agency summarily denied requests for religious accommodations to be exempt from the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate issued by President Joe Biden in September 2021.
The appellate decision resolved appeals from three employees at the Sherman Indian High School in Riverside, California. Each employee had requested exemption from the Biden Administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal employees. Citing their sincerely held religious beliefs in the sanctity of human life, informed by their Christian faith, each employee expressed opposition to the use of human fetal cells obtained through abortion in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. The agency denied the requests, claiming that allowing the employees to regularly test and mask in lieu of vaccination would be unsafe and expensive.
The EEOC's decision notes that the agency failed to present any evidence to support its contention that masking and regular testing would create an unsafe environment. Additionally, the agency's cost-based objection was found to be deficient once it conceded that the cost of purchasing vaccine testing supplies was underwritten by congressional funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
Consistent with EEOC's longstanding interpretation of what constitutes an undue hardship, and citing further clarification of that standard found in the Supreme Court's unanimous ruling in Groff v. Dejoy, the OFS decision concluded that the religious accommodations as requested by the appellees in this case would not have imposed a substantial burden on the agency's operations were they granted.
The decision additionally exposed significant issues with the agency's handling of employee requests for religious exemptions to the mandatory vaccination order. In one instance, the Commission noted in its decision that employees who objected to the vaccine, citing the use of aborted human fetal cells in its development, were, "summoned to an inquisitorial panel to be quizzed and lectured on their medical history and knowledge of other medicines derived from human fetal cells." The decision concluded, "[T]he crucible of invasive gotcha-style questioning was a thinly veiled and discriminatory attempt to expose supposed hypocrisy and convince Complainants to recant their objections."
"No one is above the law, especially the federal government entrusted to enforce it. Today's OFS decision is a step toward justice for federal employees who suffered under the pandemic-era policies of the Biden Administration," said EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas. "The government clearly fell short of its obligation under the law. Under my leadership, the EEOC is committed to pursuing accountability, ensuring compliance, and securing justice for all workers, in both the private and public sector."
As a result of this decision, the individual complainants will be compensated for the harm caused by the agency's discriminatory actions. And the agency, under EEOC supervision, will be required to develop and maintain a fair and non-adversarial process for employees to pursue religious accommodations in the workplace.
The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government's employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov.
***
Original text here: https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-issues-federal-sector-appellate-decision-finding-unlawful-discrimination-agencys
Campaign Legal Center v. FEC (26-1559) seeks to vacate Advisory Opinion 2024-01
WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Federal Election Commission issued the following news:
* * *
Campaign Legal Center v. FEC (26-1559) seeks to vacate Advisory Opinion 2024-01
*
On May 6, 2026, the Campaign Legal Center (plaintiff) filed suit against the Commission in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Plaintiff alleges that Advisory Opinion (AO) 2024-01 unlawfully permits federal candidates to outsource and conceal campaign spending through coordinated canvassing financed by outside groups.
Plaintiff seeks a declaration that the Commission's approval of AO 2024-01 is contrary to
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Federal Election Commission issued the following news:
* * *
Campaign Legal Center v. FEC (26-1559) seeks to vacate Advisory Opinion 2024-01
*
On May 6, 2026, the Campaign Legal Center (plaintiff) filed suit against the Commission in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Plaintiff alleges that Advisory Opinion (AO) 2024-01 unlawfully permits federal candidates to outsource and conceal campaign spending through coordinated canvassing financed by outside groups.
Plaintiff seeks a declaration that the Commission's approval of AO 2024-01 is contrary tolaw and arbitrary and capricious, and violates the Federal Election Campaign Act (the Act) and the Administrative Procedure Act.
Plaintiff also asks the court to vacate and set aside AO 2024-01.
***
Original text here: https://www.fec.gov/updates/campaign-legal-center-v-fec-26-1559-seeks-to-vacate-advisory-opinion-2024-01/
CFTC Chairman Selig Announces DJ Hennes as Director of the Market Participants Division
WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued the following news release:
* * *
CFTC Chairman Selig Announces DJ Hennes as Director of the Market Participants Division
*
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael S. Selig today announced DJ Hennes will serve as director of the Market Participants Division.
"I am pleased to welcome DJ to the CFTC," Chairman Selig said. "He brings a wealth of experience advising clients across the financial services industry, including CFTC intermediaries, on governance, risk, compliance, and enforcement matters. His experience
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued the following news release:
* * *
CFTC Chairman Selig Announces DJ Hennes as Director of the Market Participants Division
*
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael S. Selig today announced DJ Hennes will serve as director of the Market Participants Division.
"I am pleased to welcome DJ to the CFTC," Chairman Selig said. "He brings a wealth of experience advising clients across the financial services industry, including CFTC intermediaries, on governance, risk, compliance, and enforcement matters. His experiencewith crypto assets and prediction markets will also be of tremendous value as we seek to future-proof the CFTC's rules and regulations for these innovations."
"I am honored to be joining the Commission. I look forward to working with Chairman Selig, his leadership team, and the dedicated staff as we continue the CFTC's mission of fostering integrity, innovation, and liquidity in our vibrant derivatives markets," Hennes said.
Hennes joins the CFTC from KPMG LLP, where he was a managing director in the firm's Financial Services Risk & Compliance Advisory Practice. Prior to joining KPMG, he spent 15 years at Promontory Financial Group, most recently leading its Capital Markets Practice for the Americas.
Hennes received his B.A. in History and Economics from Vanderbilt University.
***
Original text here: https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9232-26
