WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has issued an interim final rule to rescind the 2021 protections enacted for mortgage borrowers affected by the COVID-19 emergency under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Regulation X. The rule, published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2025, formally withdraws temporary amendments that were originally established to provide procedural safeguards during the national emergency, including special los  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in collaboration with the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC), has published a formal request for information (RFI) to gather public input on the current landscape and potential expansion of the digital health technology ecosystem for Medicare beneficiaries. The notice, appeari  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The Library of Congress Copyright Royalty Board has published a proposed rule concerning the determination of rates and terms for the digital performance of sound recordings and the making of ephemeral copies necessary to facilitate those performances. This rule, referred to as Web VI, addresses the period from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2030, and specifically governs the rates and terms applicable to nonsubscription digital audio transmissions by commer  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The Library of Congress Copyright Royalty Board has published a proposed rule addressing the rates and terms for the digital performance of sound recordings and the making of ephemeral copies necessary to facilitate those performances by certain public radio stations. This proposal, announced on May 16, 2025, focuses on the period from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2030. The rule governs a specific group of public broadcasters, including National Public Rad  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule to rescind the amended water use standards currently applied to residential clothes washers. Published on May 16, 2025, in the Federal Register under docket number EERE-2025-BT-STD-0022, the proposal would revert the water use requirement for standard-size top-loading and front-loading clothes washers back to the statutory water factor limit of no more than 9.5,  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a direct final rule rescinding a procedural regulation that encouraged the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for complaints filed under the DOE Contractor Employee Protection Program. The regulation, found at Sec. 708.10 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, was deemed unnecessary as it did not confer any substantive rights or obligations on the Department or involved parties and was not mandated by statu  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a direct final rule amending the administrative procedures related to the import and export of natural gas. The rule, published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2025, updates and streamlines the regulations under 10 CFR Part 590 to reflect current technological and organizational realities, reducing burdens on applicants and modernizing submission processes. Among the key changes, the rule eliminates outdated requirements   more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a direct final rule rescinding the existing regulations that govern applications for presidential permits required for the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of electric energy transmission facilities at international boundaries. This regulatory change is published in the Federal Register under docket number DOE-HQ-2025-0011 and reflects a broader effort to reduce regulatory burdens on energy infrastructure   more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency has issued a direct final rule reinstating index-priced contracts for petroleum acquisition under the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), reversing a 2022 decision that introduced fixed-price options. Published in the Federal Register under docket number DOE-HQ-2025-0009, this regulatory update amends 10 CFR Part 626 and is scheduled to take effect on July 15, 2025, unless significa  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Civil Rights and EEO has issued a direct final rule amending nondiscrimination regulations under Title IX relating to sex-based participation in athletics programs receiving federal financial assistance. Published on May 16, 2025, the rule removes a prior requirement that allowed members of one sex to try out for a sports team designated for the opposite sex if no such team was available for their own, provided the sport was   more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule to rescind in part the amended energy conservation standards currently applied to dehumidifiers, excluding whole-home dehumidifiers. This regulatory reversal would restore the efficiency standards to the levels established for dehumidifiers manufactured on or after October 1, 2012, under 10 CFR 430.32(v). The rule applies specifically to the distinct class of n  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has proposed a rule that would rescind the existing federal energy efficiency standards for battery chargers, effectively removing these devices from the scope of the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products. This proposed reversal applies to standards originally finalized in June 2016 and codified under 10 CFR 430.32(z). The decision comes after a reassessment under statutory a  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule seeking to rescind the amended design requirements for conventional cooking tops. This rulemaking aims to revert the design standards to those originally established by Congress under the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987. Specifically, gas kitchen ranges and ovens with an electrical supply cord manufactured on or after January 1, 1990, are man  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule to rescind the amended design requirements for conventional ovens, which would revert these standards to those established by Congress in the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987. The current regulations require that gas kitchen ranges and ovens manufactured on or after January 1, 1990, and equipped with an electrical supply cord, must not include  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule to rescind existing energy conservation standards for compact residential clothes washers. The proposal, published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2025, aims to eliminate the efficiency requirements currently applied to compact washers defined as those with a capacity under 1.6 cubic feet. These standards, which have applied to both top-loading and front-loa  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a proposed rule to rescind its existing regulations concerning compliance with floodplain and wetland environmental review requirements, originally established under 10 CFR part 1022. These regulations, first enacted in 1979 to comply with Executive Order 11988 on floodplain management and Executive Order 11990 on the protection of wetlands, require federal agencies to evaluate the impacts of their actions on floodp  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule to rescind existing regulations that govern the accreditation of nationally recognized certification and testing laboratories for small electric motors. Published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2025, the proposal would eliminate provisions found in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations at sections 431.447 and 431.448. These regulations were originally  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has proposed a rule to amend the existing test procedures for commercial warm air furnaces under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The Department seeks to rescind Appendix B--"Uniform Test Method for Measurement of the Energy Efficiency of Commercial Warm Air Furnaces (Thermal Efficiency Two)"--on the grounds that it is unduly burdensome and fails to meet the statutory criteria requ  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a proposed rule to rescind its current energy conservation standards for external power supplies (EPS), as published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2025. This proposal represents a significant shift in federal energy policy for consumer EPS products, which have been regulated under a series of rules since the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) established the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule to rescind the existing energy conservation standards for microwave ovens. Published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2025, this proposal seeks to eliminate the efficiency requirements currently codified under 10 CFR 430.32(j)(3), effectively removing microwave ovens from the list of covered products subject to federal energy conservation regulations. The Dep  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a proposed rule to rescind the regulations governing the Renewable Energy Production Incentives (REPI) program at 10 CFR part 451, with the planned rescission to take effect at the end of fiscal year 2026. Established by section 1212 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the REPI program was designed to promote the generation of electric energy from renewable resources by state-owned entities, political subdivisions of stat  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a proposed rule to rescind, in whole, the current reporting requirements applied to exempt consumer external power supplies under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended by the EPS Service Parts Act of 2014. Originally codified in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations parts 429 and 430, these requirements mandate manufacturers to report the annual number of exempt power supply units shipped as s  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule to rescind the amended water use standards for commercial prerinse spray valves (CPSVs), effectively returning these standards to the original statutory baseline established by Congress. The existing rules, which had tightened water flow limits beyond the original 1.6 gallons per minute cap set in 2006, are now under review due to concerns that the Department l  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule seeking public input on whether to revise the existing energy conservation standards for consumer furnace fans. This initiative falls under the authority granted by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, which directs the Department to establish and periodically review energy efficiency standards for a variety of consumer products, including furnace fans. The   more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy has published a proposed rule aimed at modernizing and simplifying the regulatory framework governing the transmission of electric energy from the United States to foreign countries. The proposal seeks to amend existing provisions codified in 10 CFR Part 205, specifically sections 205.300 through 205.309, which currently impose extensive economic, administrative, and procedural burdens on applicants seeking authorization to export elect  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has proposed a rule that would rescind the amended water conservation standards currently applicable to commercial clothes washers. Under this proposed change, the water factor requirements adopted in earlier rulemakings would be repealed, restoring the original statutory baseline as outlined in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The Department stated that the amended standards--fir  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a proposed rule to rescind existing regulations governing grant programs for schools, hospitals, and buildings owned by units of local government and public care institutions, currently codified at 10 CFR part 455. These regulations stem from the Institutional Conservation Program (ICP), established under Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide grants for energy audits and conservation measures.   more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a proposed rule to rescind the existing regulations governing production incentives for cellulosic biofuels, as outlined in 10 CFR part 452. These regulations, initially established under section 942 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, provided a framework for incentives aimed at supporting the production of cellulosic biofuels, which are derived from non-food plant materials. The Department is seeking public comments on wheth  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule to rescind the amended water use standards for automatic commercial ice makers (ACIMs), a move that would restore water use requirements to the baseline levels established by statute. This proposal, published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2025, seeks to eliminate the more stringent water consumption limits currently imposed by the Department, which require  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a proposed rule to rescind the amended water use standards for faucets established under 10 CFR 430.32(o) and revert to the statutory maximum water use requirements set forth by Congress. The proposed action would return the water use limits for five specified faucet types to the standards outlined in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), specifically 42 U.S.C. 6295(j)(2), which sets the maximum water flow at   more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule seeking to withdraw its previous determination that compressors qualify as covered equipment under Part A-1 of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). Initially determined to be covered equipment in 2016 after a thorough review and public comment period, compressors were subject to energy conservation standards and associated test procedures.  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a proposed rule to withdraw its prior determination that portable air cleaners qualify as covered products under the Energy Conservation Program governed by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). This proposal, published on May 16, 2025, marks a significant shift from the DOE's previous stance when, in July 2022, it finalized coverage for air cleaners allowing the agency to set energy conservation standards and  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule to withdraw its previous determination that miscellaneous refrigeration products (MREFs) qualify as covered consumer products under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). This action would reverse a long-standing process initiated in 2011 and may eliminate federal energy conservation standards for products such as wine chillers, non-compressor refrigerat  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a proposed rule to rescind its 2021 decision that classified certain fans and blowers as "covered equipment" under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA). Published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2025, the proposed withdrawal would remove these devices from regulatory oversight under Part A-1 of Title III of EPCA, which covers industrial equipment subject to federal   more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a direct final rule rescinding specific regulatory provisions related to nondiscrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. Published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2025, this rule eliminates paragraphs (b) through (d) of 10 CFR 1042.110, which include provisions permitting voluntary affirmative action, as well as self-evaluation and recordkeeping requirement  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a direct final rule rescinding certain provisions related to nondiscrimination requirements for new construction and alterations in federally assisted programs or activities. The rule, published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2025, specifically removes 10 CFR 1040.73, which mandated that facilities constructed or altered by recipients of federal financial assistance after June 13, 1980, be designed to be readily accessib  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a direct final rule rescinding part 1000 of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which outlined the transfer of certain proceedings and functions from predecessor federal agencies to the Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) following the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977. This rule eliminates regulations that are now considered obsolete, as the transfers in question too  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a direct final rule to rescind obsolete financial assistance rules that governed its financial awards prior to December 26, 2014. This action removes part 600 of title 10 in the Code of Federal Regulations, which has been superseded for over a decade by the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards under 2 CFR parts 200 and 910. The regulations at 10 CFR part 600 had bec  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a direct final rule revising the procedural regulations of its Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) by rescinding the section that encourages the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for parties appearing before the OHA. Published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2025, under docket number DOE-HQ-2025-0013, the rule removes Section 1003.13 of Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, which previously advised that   more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a direct final rule to rescind existing regulations that established policies and procedures for awarding and administering loans to minority business enterprises. These regulations, outlined in 10 CFR part 800, have been determined by the department to be inconsistent with recent Supreme Court rulings and the department's own policy stance. The regulations provided preferential treatment to minority business owners based on  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a proposed rule to approve the state of North Dakota's partial permit program for coal combustion residuals (CCR) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Following a detailed review of the application submitted by the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (NDDEQ), the EPA has preliminarily determined that the state's CCR permit program meets the federal standards required for p  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a final rule modifying Jet Routes J-26, J-64, and J-181, along with Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-10 and V-156, and revoking VOR Federal Airway V-262. These changes, centered around Bradford, Illinois, stem from the planned decommissioning of the VOR component of the Bradford VORTAC navigation aid. The FAA's action, published under Docket No.   more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration FAA has proposed a new airworthiness directive that would supersede the existing AD 2022-15-05 for several Airbus SAS narrowbody aircraft models operating in the United States. The proposed rule targets specific variants of the Airbus A318, A319, A320, and A321 families, widely used in both domestic and international commercial operations. This action follows findings of additional structural cr  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service has reopened the public comment period for a proposed rule regarding previously taxed earnings and profits of foreign corporations and associated basis adjustments. The proposed regulation, initially released on December 2, 2024, under docket number REG-105479-18, addresses the treatment of foreign corporations that have accumulated earnings and profits already subjected to U.S. taxation and how these am  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a final rule through the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to govern the incidental, unintentional taking of marine mammals during fisheries research activities conducted by its Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC). Published on May 16, 2025, the rule authorizes a five-year regulatory framework under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and includes a L  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced receipt of a request from Hilcorp Alaska LLC to authorize the incidental take of marine mammals related to its annual winter operations on Alaska's North Slope. The proposed activities involve the construction, operation, and maintenance of ice roads and trails connecting Hilcorp's offshore oil and gas production facilities--Northstar Production Facility, Spy Island Drill  more

WASHINGTON, May 16 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service has issued a proposed rule to rescind the December 2023 final rule that altered how State agencies collect race and ethnicity data for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The original rule, published at 88 FR 86563 and effective February 12, 2024, prohibited State agencies from using visual observation to gather demographic information when it was not voluntarily supplied   more