Search Results for keywords:"Consumer Price Index"

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced new civil monetary penalties for 2025, reflecting inflation adjustments in compliance with federal law. From January 15, 2025, to January 14, 2026, the fines for violating NEH’s lobbying restrictions will range from $25,132 to $251,322, while penalties for program fraud will have a maximum of $14,308. These adjustments factor in a 2.598% increase in the Consumer Price Index from October 2023 to October 2024. All updated penalties apply to violations occurring after November 2, 2015.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has updated the cap on average total assets that determines if a Federal Home Loan Bank member qualifies as a "community financial institution" (CFI) to $1,239,000,000. This adjustment is based on the 1.2% increase in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U) from November 2019 to November 2020, as published by the Department of Labor. The changes took effect on January 1, 2021. The aim of the adjustment is to reflect inflation and ensure that the cap is in line with current economic conditions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule to adjust the maximum and minimum civil monetary penalties to keep pace with inflation, as mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 and its 2015 amendments. This move is part of an ongoing effort to maintain the deterrent impact of penalties and ensure compliance with laws. The adjustments, effective January 8, 2025, are made annually without requiring public feedback or notice and are based on a specific formula tied to the Consumer Price Index. The changes do not establish specific penalties for cases, as these are determined by the EPA considering the details of each case.

The Department of Transportation has introduced a new rule that clarifies rules around denied boarding compensation (DBC) and domestic baggage liability for airlines. Under the new rule, airlines are prohibited from involuntarily removing passengers from flights once their boarding passes are collected or scanned. It also raises the liability limits for denied boarding compensation from $675 to $775 and from $1,350 to $1,550, reflecting changes in the Consumer Price Index. Additionally, the rule adjusts the maximum compensation for mishandled baggage from $3,500 to $3,800. These changes aim to enhance consumer protection without significantly impacting airlines' operations.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), part of the Treasury Department, issued a final rule to adjust certain civil monetary penalties based on inflation, as required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990. These adjustments are calculated using a specific formula that considers changes in consumer prices, and the updated penalties will apply to violations occurring after the adjustments take effect. This rule does not require public notice or comments, as the changes are mandated by law and involve no new administrative procedures.

The Department of Labor is seeking public feedback on an information collection request about the Consumer Price Index Housing Survey. This request, backed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is being submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for approval. The survey helps gather essential data to calculate the Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation and is used to adjust dollar values. Individuals and households are primarily involved in this survey, and comments can be submitted until April 7, 2025.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a final rule to adjust its civil monetary penalties (CMPs) for inflation, following the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 and its 2015 amendments. This adjustment ensures the penalties remain effective deterrents by increasing them to the maximum level prescribed by the law. The updated penalties use a multiplier, based on the Consumer Price Index, to calculate the rise for the year 2025. These changes will apply to violations assessed after the rule's effective date of December 27, 2024.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration granted an exemption allowing the Associated General Contractors of America, San Diego Chapter, Inc. to lease its training facility to its Apprenticeship and Training Fund under specific conditions. The agreement ensures the Plan pays fair market rent, verified by an independent fiduciary, and that the lease benefits participants by providing effective training facilities. The fiduciary also monitors compliance with the lease terms and any rent increases must adhere to changes in the Consumer Price Index. This exemption is designed to avoid conflicts with ERISA's prohibited transaction rules.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has issued a final rule to adjust the amounts of civil money penalties to account for inflation as mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. These adjustments are based on the change in the Consumer Price Index and are applied to penalties assessed on or after January 13, 2021, for violations occurring on or after November 2, 2015. The rule bypasses the usual requirements for public notice and commentary due to provisions in the 2015 Act, and it does not involve any collection of information that would necessitate paperwork under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued a final rule to adjust maximum civil monetary penalties for inflation for the year 2021 as mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. These adjustments apply to penalties for false loan guaranty certifications and fraudulent claims related to VA programs. The rule, which became effective on February 2, 2021, specifies increased penalty amounts based on changes in the Consumer Price Index. The VA has complied with requirements and regulations, finding no need for public comment or impact on small entities.