The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has issued a final rule, effective March 3, 2011, which makes technical corrections to its regulations to correct grammatical, spelling and typographical errors, update cross-references, update references to the Bureau’s administrative practices and organizational structure, and make other non-substantive corrections and clarifications. These amendments do not change the Bureau’s interpretation of any regulation or the requirements of any recordkeeping provision.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have issued a proposed rule to amend the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMRs), respectively, to prohibit a motor vehicle driver from entering onto a highway-rail grade crossing unless there is sufficient space to drive completely through the grade crossing without stopping. Comments are due by March 29, 2011.
The Census Bureau has issued a proposed rule to amend the Foreign Trade Regulations (15 CFR Part 30) to modify the post-departure filing program (also referred to as Option 4) by changing the filing time frame to five calendar days (from ten calendar days) and only allowing post-departure reporting for certain listed approved commodities.
The White House has issued a fact sheet on the President’s new regulatory strategy to improve regulation and regulatory review. As part of the strategy, the President issued a new Executive Order and two memoranda to heads of agencies, one on regulatory compliance and enforcement and the other on regulatory flexibility for small business.
The following are highlights of comments received on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s November 2010 proposed rule on “Securities Whistleblower Incentives and Protection” to implement Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in July 2010.
In December 2010, the Bureau of Industry and Security issued a proposed rule to add a new License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization (STA) at 15 CFR 740.20 to allow exports, reexports and transfers (in-country) of specified items to destinations that pose little risk of unauthorized use of those items, subject to certain notification and statement requirements.
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a report, " FDA Transparency Initiative: Improving Transparency to Regulated Industry," in response to a request for input from regulated companies. In its report, FDA outlines 19 action items and five draft proposals to improve transparency to regulated industry, as follows.