New regs for Monday: Seat belts and e-cigarettes

In Monday’s edition of the Federal Register, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will release the findings of a new technical report evaluating the effectiveness of seat belts in the center rear of passenger cars and the Food and Drug Administration will release new guidance for manufacturers, sellers and distributors of cigars and electronic cigarettes. 

Here’s what to look for:

Seat belts: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that buckling the seat belt when sitting in the center rear seat reduces a passengers’ risk of dying in a car accident by 58 percent.  

The administration said manufacturers started installing 3-point seat belts in 1994 and that a law in 2002 required all manufacturers to upgrade lap belts to 3-point belts to better protect passengers.

The public will have 120 days to comment on the technical report being released.

E-cigarettes: The Trump administration is delaying its enforcement of first-ever rules for cigars and electronic cigarettes that were finalized under former President Obama.

In agency guidance, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it’s giving manufacturers, distributors and sellers another three months to comply with new requirements that were set to kick in on May 10 or later for all categories of newly regulated products, as well as the addictiveness warning requirement for roll-your-own and cigarette tobacco.

The agency has agreed to delay the rule to give the new administration time to look at the Obama-era rule, which is being challenged in court by several industry groups.

Last week, an Alabama district court judge agreed to delay a case brought by Cyclops Vapor 2 LLC by three months. In requesting the delay in litigation, FDA promised to also delay the enforcement of the rule.