New regs for Tuesday: Mortgage, air conditioners, burial flags

Tuesday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new rules for the energy efficiency of air conditioners, mortgage disclosures, mortgage interest charges, first safety standards, and burial flags for veterans who have died.

Here’s what is happening:

Mortgage: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is looking to expand the scope of the certain mortgage disclosure rules under the Dodd-Frank financial reform laws.

The CFPB on Monday proposed new requirements for mortgage providers.

The public has until Oct. 29 to comment.

Air conditioners: The Department of Energy is considering new efficiency standards for central air conditioners.

{mosads}The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy said Monday it will hold a series of meeting starting this week looking at whether new rules are necessary for split-system and single-package air conditioners.

Fire! The Department of Labor is considering new fire safety requirements at shipyards, the agency said Monday.

The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is requesting permission from the White House to collect information from shipyards on their fire safety plans, as it considers whether to issue new regulations.

The public has 30 days to comment.

Interest: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is moving forward with a new rule blocking mortgage lenders from charging interest, even after a payment has already been made.

HUD announced new rules on Monday that would eliminate a process by which banks could continue to charge what’s known as “post-payment interest” through the end of the month, following a borrower’s payment from earlier in the month.

The new rule will align HUD’s standards with those of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The rule goes into effect on Jan. 21, 2015.

Burial flag: The Department of Veterans Affairs is considering changes that could affect whether the friends and family members of veterans who died are eligible to use a burial flag at the funeral.

The public has 60 days to comment.