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The FBI's Cyber Division plans to submit an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget for the continuation of a previously approved information collection, specifically the 2013 Private Industry Feedback Survey. This survey aims to gather feedback from their private sector partners on cyber trend reports to enhance future communications. The survey will be voluntary, targeting approximately 5,000 respondents, each expected to complete it within 3 minutes annually. Comments and suggestions on the proposed collection are encouraged and will be accepted until February 21, 2025.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced an adjustment to the Basic Statutory Mortgage Limits for its Multifamily Housing Programs. This change, effective January 1, 2025, reflects a 3.4% increase based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The adjusted mortgage limits apply to FHA multifamily mortgage insurance applications submitted on or after this date. This adjustment does not require environmental review as it does not affect the physical state of project areas.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a final rule to change how Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area boundaries are defined, making them more similar to those used for General Schedule (GS) locality pay areas. This rule, effective October 1, 2025, and impacting about 10% of FWS employees, aims to address pay disparities by reducing the number of FWS wage areas and aligning them more closely with GS locality pay areas. It is based on recommendations from the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC) and is expected to result in pay increases for some workers while others may see little change or enter pay retention due to the restructuring.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced new pilotage rates for 2025 under the Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960. The updated rates, which take into account factors like inflation, district operating costs, and an increase in the number of pilots, will result in a 7% rise in pilotage costs compared to the previous year. These changes are made to ensure safe and reliable pilotage services in the Great Lakes, catering to foreign merchant vessels and any U.S. vessel engaged in foreign trade. The Coast Guard reviewed public comments on these changes but made no alterations to the proposed rates.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is proposing a rule to exempt certain confidential information in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) record system from parts of the Privacy Act. This proposal aims to protect the identities of reviewers who evaluate applicants for NIH's Loan Repayment Programs. By doing so, the rule seeks to ensure that reviewers can provide honest and unbiased feedback without fear of revealing their identities, which is crucial for the integrity of the review process. The public is invited to submit comments on this proposal by March 15, 2021.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has proposed a rule to designate critical habitat for the Beringia distinct population segment of the bearded seal under the Endangered Species Act. The proposed critical habitat includes marine areas in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas, and focuses on sea ice habitat essential for the species' survival, such as areas for whelping, nursing, molting, and breeding communication. Public comments on this proposal are being requested, and considerations include potential impacts on existing activities and economic factors. The ultimate goal is to protect the areas critical for the conservation of these seals.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to designate critical habitats for four species of freshwater mussels: the rayed bean, sheepnose, snuffbox, and spectaclecase. These designations spread across 17 states in the United States, covering approximately 3,974 river miles. The critical habitats are aimed at protecting key environmental features essential for the mussels' survival, such as suitable water flow, quality, and host fish presence. The agency is inviting comments on this proposal until February 11, 2025, and has also released an economic analysis regarding the designations.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued a final rule that permits mortgage companies to disburse up to 1% of a mortgage amount before using all of the funds provided by the borrower. This rule is meant to simplify the process of combining mortgages into mortgage-backed securities and help ensure interest rates for FHA-insured mortgages remain competitive. Public comments suggested more flexibility in disbursement limits, but HUD maintained the 1% limit to manage risks effectively. This final rule also makes minor organizational changes to existing regulations.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is asking the public for feedback on how companies that provide financial services handle consumers' personal financial data. They want to understand how these companies collect, use, and share data from consumer payments. The information collected will help CFPB make decisions on whether to update regulations to better protect consumer privacy. Anyone interested can share their thoughts, and CFPB particularly wants to hear from consumers, advocates, researchers, and businesses by April 11, 2025.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) determined that more stringent energy conservation standards for small electric motors (SEMs) are not cost-effective, so existing standards will remain unchanged. The analysis by DOE found that while technically feasible improvements exist for SEMs, the costs of implementing them would outweigh the energy savings benefits for consumers. As a result, the standards set by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) will not be amended because they would not be economically justified. This decision concludes that the potential energy conservation from new standards would not meet significant conservation thresholds under the current criteria.