Search Results for keywords:"Final Rule"

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) made corrections to a rule regarding trademark fees that was published on November 18, 2024. These changes fix minor errors in the rule's language without altering its substance to prevent confusion among those affected. The corrections clarify the references in the rule and ensure the right fees and requirements for different types of trademark applications are clear. These updates, which do not add any new rules or charges, take effect on January 18, 2025.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a correction to a recent rule about test procedures for small electric motors and electric motors. This correction addresses an error in the instructions for updating the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The mistake did not change the content or conclusions of the original rule. The corrected rule will take effect on February 3, 2021.

The U.S. Department of Commerce is updating the regulations related to antidumping and countervailing duties, which are meant to address unfair trade practices. The updates involve changes to various annexes that outline procedures for enforcing these trade laws, including new guidance and updated timelines. These changes are part of ongoing efforts to enhance the administration of these laws, and given their procedural nature, they don't require public input or comment. This final rule takes effect on December 19, 2024.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation issued a final rule to adjust the maximum civil penalties for certain violations, in line with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015. This adjustment is required annually to account for inflation and affects penalties under specific sections of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). For 2025, the penalty amounts have increased to $2,739 under section 4071 and $365 under section 4302. These adjustments apply to penalties assessed after January 8, 2025.

The Corporation for National and Community Service, also known as AmeriCorps, has issued a final rule to update the civil monetary penalties in its regulations in line with inflation, following the guidelines set by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. The penalties related to Restrictions on Lobbying have been adjusted from a range of $24,497 to $244,957 to a new range of $25,133 to $251,321. Similarly, the penalty under the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act has been raised from a maximum of $13,946 to $14,308. These changes take effect immediately as of January 14, 2025, without prior public notice or comment due to the non-discretionary nature of the updates.

The Department of Energy has decided to delay the effective date of new energy conservation standards for gas-fired instantaneous water heaters. Originally, the rule was set to be enforced on March 21, 2025, but it is now postponed to May 20, 2025. This delay aligns with a Presidential Memorandum that called for reviewing such rules. The compliance date for these standards, however, remains unchanged at December 26, 2029.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is delaying the effective date of new energy conservation standards for walk-in coolers and freezers. Originally, these standards were set to take effect on March 21, 2025, but now the date is pushed to May 20, 2025, to allow more time for reviewing legal, factual, and policy concerns. This change is in line with a government-wide directive for examining rules more closely, although the final compliance dates remain unchanged: December 23, 2027, for non-display doors, and December 31, 2028, for refrigeration systems. The delay is classified as procedural, so public notice or a hearing were not legally necessary for its implementation.

On October 16, 2020, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) made changes to the rules regarding leave and holidays for U.S. personal services contractors. The document corrects some mistakes in those changes, like fixing sentence structures and adding effective dates in specific clauses. It also corrects how certain citations are presented. These updates do not change the main rules but make sure everything is written correctly.

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) has issued a final rule to adjust its maximum civil monetary penalties for inflation experienced from October 2019 to October 2020. This adjustment is required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act and affects penalties related to violations under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act. The new rates are based on the Consumer Price Index and are effective immediately as of February 2, 2021. The rulemaking complies with various executive orders and acts, including the Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Paperwork Reduction Act.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has issued a rule to remove an outdated contract clause from the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). The clause, 252.239-7006, known as "Tariff Information," required telecommunications contractors to submit certain information, which is no longer deemed necessary. This change is expected to save costs for both the DoD and contractors. The removal simplifies compliance for contractors, including small businesses, as it eliminates a reporting requirement that was previously mandated.