Search Results for keywords:"interim final rule"

The National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the NOAA, has released an interim final rule to lower the 2025 Atlantic herring fishing limits across four management areas. This adjustment is based on new scientific studies showing the herring stock is overfished and aims to prevent overfishing and support the rebuilding of the herring population by 2028. To ensure the reduced limits are in place at the start of the 2025 fishing season, NMFS is bypassing the usual public comment period. The overall catch limits for 2025 have been significantly reduced to protect the fishery from further decline.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a correcting amendment to fix a typographical error in the 2021 Physician Fee Schedule final rule. The error involved an incorrect reference in the regulation instructions, which has now been accurately revised. The amendment ensures that the rule properly reflects intended policies without making any substantive changes. CMS determined that regular notice and comment procedures were unnecessary for this correction, as it is purely technical and aligns with previously finalized policies.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued an interim final rule that allows current and former Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees to appeal the recoupment of awards, bonuses, or relocation expenses. This regulation, which stems from the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, establishes procedures for these appeals to be made to the Director of OPM if the VA requires repayment, possibly due to misconduct or errors in payment authorization. OPM's review is limited to ensuring the VA followed its recoupment policies and relevant legal procedures, without evaluating the underlying disciplinary actions. The rule aims to provide clarity and fairness in the appeal process and is open for public comment until March 17, 2025.

The Federal Reserve has issued an interim final rule to extend relief for certain loans guaranteed under the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) until March 31, 2021. This extension also includes PPP second draw loans and exempts insider loans from certain banking regulations if these loans pose minimal risk. This rule aims to facilitate lending to small businesses owned by bank insiders, ensuring they have access to financial resources without being hindered by restrictions. The public is invited to comment on the rule until April 5, 2021.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is making changes to ensure swap dealers and major swap participants can continue to reconcile their swap portfolios without disruption. This comes after recent amendments to swap data regulations that would have otherwise impacted the reconciliation process. The CFTC has introduced an interim final rule that involves technical adjustments to maintain the current requirements for these reconciliations, ensuring that swap dealers can keep operating as they have been. The public is invited to comment on these changes until March 8, 2021.

The Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review issued an interim final rule to clarify the responsibilities of immigration judges when reviewing asylum officers' credible fear and reasonable fear determinations. This rule ensures that judges consider any asylum bars applied by asylum officers as defined by Department of Homeland Security regulations. The changes seek to prevent misunderstandings and maintain consistency with existing legal requirements and processes. Public feedback is requested by January 27, 2025, and the rule takes effect on December 27, 2024.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued an interim final rule allowing the collection of wage data for the Federal Wage System through various methods such as phone, mail, and electronic means, rather than just in-person visits. This rule aims to provide more flexibility in gathering accurate wage data amidst challenges posed by COVID-19. The rule was implemented based on recommendations from the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee and a request from the Department of Defense. Public comments are invited on this change until March 31, 2021, but the rule is already in effect temporarily due to urgency.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released an interim final rule to manage the handling of retaliation complaints under the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020 (AMLA), as part of anti-retaliation efforts. This rule outlines procedures for filing complaints, the investigation process, and the resolution, including possible appeals and judicial review, in cases of alleged retaliation against whistleblowers. The interim final rule is effective from January 14, 2025, and comments are invited until March 17, 2025, to refine these guidelines. The document ensures whistleblowers are protected when they report actions they reasonably believe to be violations of law, though it excludes employees of federally insured banks and credit unions, which are protected under different statutes.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued an interim rule to remove its regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) from the Code of Federal Regulations. This action follows an executive order that rescinded the previous directive requiring these regulations and raised questions about CEQ's authority to impose binding rules. CEQ invites public comments on this rule by March 27, 2025, and will consider these before finalizing the rule. The interim rule’s removal of regulations is aimed at addressing legal uncertainties and simplifying agency compliance with NEPA.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) issued a correction to an earlier rule published on February 25, 2025. This correction updates the words used in the rule regarding the removal of CEQ's regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act from the Code of Federal Regulations. The change clarifies the authority under which the amendments are made, referencing specific U.S. Code sections and an executive order. These updates become effective on April 11, 2025.