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The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) of the USDA has announced a notice of funding opportunity for grants aimed at providing technical assistance to improve rural transportation systems. These grants, available for fiscal year 2025, especially target transportation systems on Tribal lands of Federally Recognized Native American Tribes. Approximately $750,000 is expected to be available, with applications due by April 7, 2025. The program seeks proposals that align with key priorities like economic recovery, climate change, and ensuring equitable access to resources.

The Rural Utilities Service of the USDA has announced that applications are open for the Community Connect Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2025. This program provides approximately $26 million to help construct broadband networks in rural areas lacking such services. Eligible entities like incorporated organizations, state or local governments, and Indian tribes can apply for grants ranging from $100,000 to $5,000,000 to ensure rural communities have access to affordable, high-speed internet. Applications must be submitted online between February 20, 2025, and April 21, 2025.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the Polyether Polyols (PEPO) Production industry. The proposed changes, under the Clean Air Act (CAA), aim to address harmful emissions of ethylene oxide (EtO) and other hazardous air pollutants to improve air quality and public health. The EPA suggests tighter controls on process vents, storage vessels, equipment leaks, heat exchange systems, and wastewater, and plans to implement fenceline monitoring to measure and manage emissions more effectively. The agency estimates significant reductions in harmful emissions with these new standards.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under the Interior Department, is seeking public comments on the renewal of an information collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This collection is linked to applications for leasing or selling public lands for recreation or public purposes, with an extension request to renew OMB Control Number 1004-0012. The BLM invites comments on several aspects, such as the necessity of the information collected and the estimated burden it imposes, by January 17, 2025. The proposed information collection is crucial for assessing applications from state and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, and is estimated to involve 920 burden hours annually.

The final regulations from the Treasury Department and the IRS provide guidelines for claiming tax credits under section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code, which encourages carbon oxide sequestration. They clarify how the capture, storage, and utilization of carbon oxide must be conducted and verified to qualify for credits. The regulations also define key terms, explain the process for credit recapture if captured carbon oxide leaks, and specify the documentation and reporting requirements necessary for compliance. The aim is to foster innovation and investment in technologies that reduce carbon emissions and assist in capturing carbon oxide effectively.

The Federal Reserve Board is updating its rules to adjust the fines known as civil money penalties for inflation, as required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. This adjustment ensures that penalties retain their deterrent effect by accounting for changes in the economy. The new penalty amounts will apply starting January 13, 2025, for violations occurring after November 2, 2015. The rule is implemented without the usual notice and comment process because of specific provisions in the law.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has issued a final rule to adjust the maximum civil monetary penalties for specific violations to account for inflation, in compliance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. Effective January 13, 2025, these adjustments apply to penalties under the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act and Restrictions on Lobbying. The penalties are calculated based on a specific Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) multiplier. This rule ensures that the penalties remain effective deterrents without any need for public comment, as established by the requirements of the 2015 Act.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is adjusting the maximum civil monetary penalties (CMPs) according to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. These adjustments ensure that penalties for violations of the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act (PFCRA) and Restrictions on Lobbying continue to reflect inflation and maintain their deterrent effect. The new penalties are based on the Consumer Price Index and are effective for violations assessed after January 15, 2021. The inflation-adjusted penalties are now set at $11,802 for false claims under the PFCRA and range from $20,720 to $207,314 for lobbying restrictions violations.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced the adjusted maximum and minimum civil penalties for violating its New Restrictions on Lobbying. These adjustments are required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. The new penalties, effective from January 15, 2021, to January 14, 2022, range from a minimum of $20,731 to a maximum of $207,314. The adjustments ensure that the penalty amounts keep pace with inflation, as mandated by the 2015 Act.

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.