Federal Regulatory Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal regulatory agencies
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MSPB Issues Board Decision Involving NASA Vs. Appellant Ann Murray
WASHINGTON, April 4 -- The Merit Systems Protection Board issued the following case report on a board decision involving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and appellant Ann Murray on April 3, 2026:
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BOARD DECISIONS
Appellant: Ann Murray
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Decision Number: 2026 MSPB 4
Docket Number: AT-0432-16-0588-P-1
Issuance Date: April 2, 2026
COMPENSATORY/CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
The Board found that the appellant proved her failure to accommodate claim and reversed her 2016 removal
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WASHINGTON, April 4 -- The Merit Systems Protection Board issued the following case report on a board decision involving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and appellant Ann Murray on April 3, 2026:
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BOARD DECISIONS
Appellant: Ann Murray
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Decision Number: 2026 MSPB 4
Docket Number: AT-0432-16-0588-P-1
Issuance Date: April 2, 2026
COMPENSATORY/CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION, REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
The Board found that the appellant proved her failure to accommodate claim and reversed her 2016 removaland ordered her reinstatement with back pay. After reinstatement, she sought compensatory damages, including a tax offset to account for higher tax liability that would be caused by receiving multiple years of back pay in a single year. The administrative judge denied the tax offset, concluding the Board lacked authority to address tax consequences, but awarded the appellant $22,000 in nonpecuniary compensatory damages for emotional and related harm. The Board granted the appellant's petition for review, denied the agency's cross petition for review, affirmed the nonpecuniary compensatory damages award, reversed the administrative judge's findings on tax offset payments, and remanded the appeal for further development to determine whether, and in what amount, pecuniary compensatory damages for the adverse tax consequences should be awarded.
Holding: The Board is permitted to award compensatory damages for proven adverse tax consequences resulting from lump sum back pay awards when an agency is found to have engaged in prohibited discrimination and compensatory damages are authorized by law.
1. Although the Board has consistently held that it lacks the authority to remedy the tax consequences of a back pay award, the cases denying such relief either did not involve discrimination findings or predated the Civil Rights Act of 1991 and therefore are not controlling.
2. The Board considered and agreed with the EEOC that the purpose of compensatory damages is to compensate an employee for the proximate injury caused by the employment discrimination, and compensation for the adverse tax consequences of receiving a lump sum back pay award meets this criterion.
3. To prove entitlement to pecuniary compensatory damages for the adverse tax consequences, the appellant must submit evidence of the increased tax liability due to the lump sum payment of back pay. Such evidence includes detailed calculations showing the tax liability that she actually incurred for each year of the back pay period, the tax liability that she would have incurred during that period if she had received the back pay in the form of a regular salary, and the increased tax liability attributable solely to the lump sum payment.
Holding: The administrative judge correctly awarded the appellant $22,000 in nonpecuniary compensatory damages.
1. The administrative judge made sufficient factual findings concerning emotional and physical harm caused by the agency's failure to accommodate, the amount was not excessive, and was consistent with comparable Board and EEOC precedent.
2. Although the overall harm period was lengthy, much of the delay was not caused by the agency's discrimination and therefore did not warrant a higher nonpecuniary damages award.
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COURT DECISIONS
NONPRECEDENTIAL:
Bonojo v. Department of Homeland Security, No.2025-1050(Fed. Cir. Mar. 27, 2026) (MSPB Docket No. NY-0752-20-0056-I-3). The court affirmed a Board decision sustaining the agency's charges of conduct unbecoming a law enforcement officer and lack of candor and mitigating the penalty to reassignment to a non-law enforcement position. The court held that substantial evidence supported that the Board adequately considered and rejected the petitioner's self defense claim. The court determined that the petitioner waived any Fifth Amendment challenge by failing to raise it before the Board, and it rejected his argument that the Board improperly relied on potential Giglio impairment, concluding that the mitigated penalty rather than removal was reasonable and supported by the Douglas factors.
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Original text here: https://www.mspb.gov/decisions/case_reports/Case_Report_April_3_2026.pdf
NRC Makes Nine Mile Point Subsequent License Renewal Application Available
WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following news release:
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NRC Makes Nine Mile Point Subsequent License Renewal Application Available
ROCKVILLE, Md.--The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received a subsequent license renewal application from Constellation Energy Generation LLC, requesting an additional 20 years of operation for the Unit 1 reactor at Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station in Scriba, New York. The application to renew the reactor license from 60 to 80 years is now available for public review on the NRC website.
Constellation filed the application
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WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following news release:
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NRC Makes Nine Mile Point Subsequent License Renewal Application Available
ROCKVILLE, Md.--The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received a subsequent license renewal application from Constellation Energy Generation LLC, requesting an additional 20 years of operation for the Unit 1 reactor at Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station in Scriba, New York. The application to renew the reactor license from 60 to 80 years is now available for public review on the NRC website.
Constellation filed the applicationon March 25 seeking to renew the license for a second time for the Unit 1 boiling-water reactor. The NRC approved in October 2006 the first renewal of the reactor's licensing term from 40 to 60 years. Unit 1 is currently licensed to operate through Aug. 22, 2029.
The NRC approved an exemption for Unit 1 in April 2021 that would extend "timely renewal" protection if a subsequent license renewal application was filed at least three years prior to license expiration. Under NRC regulations, a license remains in effect under timely renewal and is not considered expired while it is under NRC review, as long as a sufficient renewal application is filed at least five years prior to expiration.
NRC staff is reviewing the application to determine if it has sufficient information to begin the agency's detailed safety and environmental reviews. If the application is determined to be acceptable for review and docketing, the staff will then publish a notice of opportunity for the public to request a hearing before the NRC's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.
Information about the license renewal process is available on the NRC website. A copy of the Nine Mile Point Unit 1 subsequent license renewal application also will be available at the Oswego Public Library, 120 E. Second St, Oswego, New York.
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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
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Original text here: https://www.nrc.gov/sites/default/files/cdn/doc-collection-news/2026/26-038.pdf
NRC Issues 100th Renewed License With Diablo Canyon Approvals
WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following news release:
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NRC Issues 100th Renewed License with Diablo Canyon Approvals
ROCKVILLE, Md.--The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the operating licenses of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant for an additional 20 years, marking the 99th and 100th renewed commercial reactor operating licenses. Reaching this milestone reflects more than two decades of sustained regulatory oversight and technical rigor under the NRC's license renewal program.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s Diablo Canyon Units 1 and 2 are
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WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following news release:
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NRC Issues 100th Renewed License with Diablo Canyon Approvals
ROCKVILLE, Md.--The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the operating licenses of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant for an additional 20 years, marking the 99th and 100th renewed commercial reactor operating licenses. Reaching this milestone reflects more than two decades of sustained regulatory oversight and technical rigor under the NRC's license renewal program.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s Diablo Canyon Units 1 and 2 arepressurized-water reactors in Avila Beach, California. Unit 1's operating license will now expire on Nov. 2, 2044, and Unit 2's will expire on Aug. 26, 2045.
The NRC's review of the application for renewal of the licenses addressed safety and environmental matters. Both a safety evaluation and a final supplemental environmental impact statement were issued in June 2025. The NRC issued the renewed licenses after receiving documentation from PG&E of the required federal certifications under the Coastal Zone Management Act and the Clean Water Act.
The NRC's safety evaluation and final supplemental environmental impact statement, as well as other information regarding the Diablo Canyon license renewal application, are available on the NRC website, which also contains general information about the license renewal process.
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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.
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Original text here: https://www.nrc.gov/sites/default/files/cdn/doc-collection-news/2026/26-039.pdf
FTC Submits Annual Budget Request to Congress
WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Federal Trade Commission issued the following news release:
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FTC Submits Annual Budget Request to Congress
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The Federal Trade Commission submitted to Congress its Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, in support of the President's FY 2027 budget for the federal government.
The request seeks $426.71 million and 1,183 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions for the FTC for FY2027. The budget request also includes the Annual Performance Report for FY 2025 and Annual Performance Plan for FY 2026 and FY 2027, as required under the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010.
The
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WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Federal Trade Commission issued the following news release:
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FTC Submits Annual Budget Request to Congress
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The Federal Trade Commission submitted to Congress its Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, in support of the President's FY 2027 budget for the federal government.
The request seeks $426.71 million and 1,183 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions for the FTC for FY2027. The budget request also includes the Annual Performance Report for FY 2025 and Annual Performance Plan for FY 2026 and FY 2027, as required under the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010.
TheCommission vote to release these documents was 2-0.
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Original text here: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/04/ftc-submits-annual-budget-request-congress
FTC Publishes New Strategic Plan
WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Federal Trade Commission issued the following news release:
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FTC Publishes New Strategic Plan
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The Federal Trade Commission has published its FY 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, which will guide the agency over the next five years.
The new plan lays out the agency's mission, vision, and goals and establishes metrics to track the agency's work. Updates to the strategic plan were made after an extensive review process by agency staff as well as feedback from the public comment period held last fall.
The Commission vote to approve the new strategic plan was 2-0.
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Original
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WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Federal Trade Commission issued the following news release:
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FTC Publishes New Strategic Plan
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The Federal Trade Commission has published its FY 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, which will guide the agency over the next five years.
The new plan lays out the agency's mission, vision, and goals and establishes metrics to track the agency's work. Updates to the strategic plan were made after an extensive review process by agency staff as well as feedback from the public comment period held last fall.
The Commission vote to approve the new strategic plan was 2-0.
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Originaltext here: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/04/ftc-publishes-new-strategic-plan
FCC Acts to Protect U.S. Consumers From Bank Impersonation Scams Linked to Suspicious Foreign Call Traffic
WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following news release on April 2, 2026:
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FCC Acts to Protect U.S. Consumers from Bank Impersonation Scams Linked to Suspicious Foreign Call Traffic
Investigation Found Provider Apparently Allowed Calls from Non-Compliant Accounts
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Today, the Federal Communications Commission found Voxbeam Telecommunications apparently liable for accepting suspicious call traffic from a foreign provider that was not permitted to transmit traffic onto American networks. An FCC investigation found that, as a result of this traffic,
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WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following news release on April 2, 2026:
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FCC Acts to Protect U.S. Consumers from Bank Impersonation Scams Linked to Suspicious Foreign Call Traffic
Investigation Found Provider Apparently Allowed Calls from Non-Compliant Accounts
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Today, the Federal Communications Commission found Voxbeam Telecommunications apparently liable for accepting suspicious call traffic from a foreign provider that was not permitted to transmit traffic onto American networks. An FCC investigation found that, as a result of this traffic,financial impersonation robocalls were transmitted to U.S. consumers using non-compliant and long dormant accounts. Voxbeam apparently carried this traffic even though the foreign provider, Axfone, is not listed in the FCC's Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD).
Voice service providers like Voxbeam are prohibited from accepting call traffic from providers that are not listed in the RMD because unlisted providers pose a higher risk of carrying illegal robocalls. Voxbeam has an obligation to block traffic from providers not listed in the RMD and an obligation to take all reasonable steps to protect consumers from likely scam robocalls--in this case tens of thousands of foreign calls coming from accounts that have not generated a call for years. Carrying traffic from unlisted providers is against the Commission's rules, and it puts U.S. consumers at risk. The Commission proposed a $4.5 million fine and found Voxbeam apparently liable for accepting a provider that was not permitted to transmit onto U.S. networks.
Chairman Brendan Carr issued the following statement:
"Companies like Voxbeam must ensure they are not accepting traffic from sketchy operators. These gateway providers are the on-ramps to American phone networks and with that business model comes significant responsibility. As we saw in this case, failure to follow the FCC's robocall mitigation rules can result in tens of thousands of scam calls reaching U.S. customers. The FCC is committed to protecting consumers from robocall scams like these."
Additional Background Information:
The FCC's Enforcement Bureau found that Orlando-based Voxbeam had transmitted foreign traffic into the U.S. from a foreign provider, Czechia-based Axfone, not listed in the Robocall Mitigation Database. Axfone was not and has never been in the RMD. To generate the calls, it used an account with Voxbeam that had not generated call traffic since 2018.
The FCC reminds U.S. providers to ensure their upstream providers are listed in the RMD before carrying their traffic and to be on the lookout for reanimated, long dormant accounts being used to enter U.S. networks.
Between March 31, 2025 and April 3, 2025, Voxbeam transmitted tens of thousands of calls from Axfone onto U.S. networks. Many of the calls transmitted from Axfone through Voxbeam appeared to spoof fraud prevention or customer service phone numbers belonging to U.S. financial institutions including Bank of America, Chase Bank, and others. The FCC investigation was prompted by a complaint filed by a financial institution whose customers had been receiving fraudulent calls that appeared to come from the institution's fraud reporting number.
Official Disclaimer:
The proposed action, formally called a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, or NAL, contains only allegations that advise a party on how it has apparently violated the law and may set forth a proposed monetary penalty. The Commission may not impose a greater monetary penalty in this case than the amount proposed in the NAL. Neither the allegations nor the proposed sanctions in the NAL are final Commission actions. The party will be given an opportunity to respond and the Commission will consider the party's submission of evidence and legal arguments before acting further to resolve the matter.
The Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, adopted by a vote of the full Commission, is available here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-26-22A1.pdf.
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Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-420577A1.pdf
CFTC Chairman Selig Announces Deputy General Counsel Appointments
WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued the following news release:
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CFTC Chairman Selig Announces Deputy General Counsel Appointments
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WASHINGTON -The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced Stephen D. Andrews and M. Jordan Minot have been named deputy general counsel for regulation and litigation, respectively.
"Stephen and Jordan will help enable the general counsel's office to meet this significant moment as the CFTC engages in vital rulemaking and litigation to preserve and defend its regulatory authority," said Chairman Michael S. Selig.
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WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued the following news release:
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CFTC Chairman Selig Announces Deputy General Counsel Appointments
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WASHINGTON -The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced Stephen D. Andrews and M. Jordan Minot have been named deputy general counsel for regulation and litigation, respectively.
"Stephen and Jordan will help enable the general counsel's office to meet this significant moment as the CFTC engages in vital rulemaking and litigation to preserve and defend its regulatory authority," said Chairman Michael S. Selig.
"I am honored to have these two outstanding deputies join me in advancing the Commission's pro-growth agenda and ensuring we do so in a lawful and durable way," said General Counsel Tyler Badgley.
Andrews joins the CFTC from the United States Senate, where he served as general counsel to Senator Josh Hawley. Andrews clerked on the Ninth Circuit and Eastern District of New York following his graduation from Yale Law School. He will lead the Regulatory Branch in the General Counsel's office.
Minot comes to the CFTC from the Virginia Attorney General's Office, where he served as an assistant solicitor general and senior assistant attorney general. Minot clerked on the Seventh Circuit for then-Judge Amy Coney Barrett after graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law. He will lead the Litigation, Enforcement, and Adjudication Branch in the General Counsel's Office.
-CFTC-
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Original text here: https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9207-26
