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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 United States Sentencing Commission is proposing changes to the federal sentencing guidelines. They aim to simplify the sentencing process by eliminating certain departure provisions and combining the three-step sentencing process into two steps, focusing more on the factors courts consider under the law. The Commission is also addressing circuit court conflicts regarding specific sentencing enhancements, such as those involving firearms and robbery offenses. They are seeking public comments and may hold a hearing on these proposed amendments.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced changes to the funding and payment limits for the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC). The application deadline is extended to January 10, 2025, and the amount of available funding is increased by $650 million, bringing the total to $2.65 billion. Additionally, the payment limit has been raised from $125,000 to $900,000 per person or legal entity, in response to feedback about the high costs of marketing specialty crops. These adjustments are meant to better support specialty crop producers in marketing their products effectively.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is seeking public comments about a proposed information collection, which is under review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This information collection relates to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), a program funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to aid food service establishments. The SBA is also updating the record retention requirements for this program. Interested parties have until April 17, 2025, to submit their comments.

The Department of Commerce has issued a final rule to adjust civil monetary penalties (CMPs) for inflation, effective January 15, 2021. This adjustment is required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act and aims to ensure the penalties continue to serve as a deterrent. The changes will only apply to penalties with a specific dollar amount and will affect those assessed after the effective date. The penalties are adjusted based on the cost-of-living increase from October 2019 to October 2020.

The Department of Agriculture will submit an information collection requirement to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review as part of the Paperwork Reduction Act. This request is related to the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program (MGFSP), which aims to boost locally grown food quantities and quality in food-insecure communities. The program, funded by the Farm Bill, collects essential information from grant applicants, primarily from agricultural agencies or departments in various U.S. territories, to ensure compliance with program regulations. Responses are submitted voluntarily and have a total burden of about 318 hours.

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) plans to submit an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as part of their compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This request concerns the regulation for Liquidity and Contingency Funding Plans, which is intended to ensure that federally insured credit unions manage liquidity risks effectively. The NCUA's rule, codified in 12 CFR 741.12, creates a tiered system based on asset size that requires various levels of planning and preparation among credit unions. Public comments on this submission are welcome until March 15, 2021.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is announcing proposed adjustments to the irrigation assessment rates for irrigation projects on or associated with Indian reservations in the United States. These adjustments aim to recover costs for administration, operations, maintenance, and rehabilitation necessary for managing these projects. Stakeholders are invited to submit their comments on these adjustments before February 24, 2025. The changes are scheduled to take effect in the calendar year 2026, and further information on the projects and rates can be sought through BIA's regional offices.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a new rule that updates the process for requesting special flight authorizations for supersonic aircraft in the U.S. This rule simplifies the application procedure for testing these aircrafts at speeds over Mach 1, mainly for purposes like checking airworthiness and reducing sonic boom impacts. While the rule streamlines administrative requirements, it does not change the long-standing general ban on routine overland supersonic flight. The FAA still heavily focuses on ensuring these tests consider potential environmental impacts, following regulations like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The Department of Agriculture is seeking public comments as part of its submission of information collection requirements to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Various programs within the Rural Housing Service, including Civil Rights Compliance, Fire and Rescue Loans, and the Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program, are highlighted for their information collection efforts. These collections aim to ensure compliance with civil rights laws, determine project feasibility, and manage government resources efficiently. Public comments regarding these collections are due by February 20, 2025.