🦅 Executive Branch |
Federal Register |
-
The Small Business Administration fixed two wording errors in a rule about Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) in 13 CFR Part 107—specifically the first sentence of §107.1700 and paragraphs (a) and (d)(9) of §107.1820—in a correction to a final rule that was first published on January 2, 2026; the correction takes effect on February 2, 2026. SBICs (and people applying to be SBICs) and SBA staff must follow the corrected text starting February 2, 2026. This matters because SBICs help small businesses get investment money, and the original rule was meant to remove old hurdles and make it easier for SBICs to invest in key minerals and technologies; fixing the wording makes the rule clear so those investments and licenses can move forward without confusion. Read full document →
-
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission changed many of its rules so they now have a built‑in “sunset” date, meaning the rules could end unless the agency keeps them, and those changes take effect January 8, 2026; this affects nuclear power plant operators and other companies and people licensed or regulated by the NRC who must follow the new timing rules starting then. One planned change to 10 CFR 50.150 (the rule about checking how plants would handle an aircraft crash) was pulled out and will stay the same for now and be decided later. This matters because it changes when safety and operating rules might stop unless reviewed, which can affect how nuclear plants are run, how regulators check them, and ultimately public safety and energy reliability. Read full document →
-
On January 8, 2026, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) removed its NEPA implementing rules (the rules that were in 40 CFR parts 1500–1508), so those CEQ regulations no longer apply; from that date forward, federal agencies that must follow NEPA (the law that makes agencies study environmental effects of big federal actions) must rely on their own agency procedures and any CEQ guidance instead of the old CEQ rules; this matters to everyday people because it can change how and how fast federal projects (like roads, pipelines, or permits) are reviewed, how the public and tribes are told about and can comment on projects, and could make reviews different from one agency to another, which may affect project timing, local environments, and community input. Read full document →
-
OSHA fixed mistakes in its Hazard Communication rule (29 CFR 1910.1200), which is the law about warning labels and safety data sheets (SDSs) for chemicals; the fixes take effect January 8, 2026 (the main rule first became effective July 19, 2024). Employers, chemical makers, importers, distributors, and anyone who writes labels or SDSs must use the corrected words, tables, and pictures so hazard labels and SDSs are clear and correct — for example, the rule now adds “chemicals under pressure” to the list of physical hazards and fixes the definition of “liquid” to include the pressure value 14.69 PSI. These changes mostly fix typos and cross‑references to prevent confusion on labels and SDSs and do not add new duties or change who must follow the rule. Read full document →
-
On March 15, 2026, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reissued 56 nationwide permits, added one new permit for improving fish passage, and updated the shared rules that apply to all of them; these permits last until March 15, 2031. Anyone who plans to put fill or build structures in U.S. waters—such as builders, pipeline and utility companies, farmers, ports, tribes, or federal agencies—must follow these rules and, in many cases, tell the Corps first (a “pre‑construction notification” is normally needed when a project will permanently affect more than 0.1 acre of water). Many permits also limit permanent losses to 0.5 acre (and 0.33 acre in some tidal areas), the new fish‑passage permit allows up to 1 acre, and the Corps usually has 45 days to respond to a notice (if it does not respond, work can often start except for special cases like endangered species or historic sites). This matters because these permits let many small‑to‑medium projects get reviewed faster and cheaper (on average about 55 days instead of 253 days for a full individual permit), while keeping rules to protect water quality, endangered species, tribal rights, and historic places; failing to follow the rules can lead to enforcement and the need for a full permit. Read full document →
-
The Department of Energy has undone a March 29, 2024 change and put back the old rule for how electric cars are converted into “gallons of fuel” for federal fuel standards. Car makers, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Transportation must use the earlier petroleum‑equivalency numbers now (the court decision took effect on September 5, 2025 and DOE’s rule is effective January 8, 2026). That means the main conversion number is 82,049 Watt‑hours per gallon (and 73,844 Wh/gal if the vehicle has a petroleum‑powered accessory), and the planned lower numbers for model years 2027–2030 (79,989; 50,427; 36,820; and 28,996 Wh/gal) are canceled. This matters because those numbers decide how electric cars count toward manufacturers’ fuel‑economy performance, which can affect which cars are offered, how they are priced, and how the government applies fines or credits. DOE will review this part again five years after publication (about January 2031). Read full document →
|
|
|
