New regs for Tuesday: Extension cords, defibrillators, butterflies

Tuesday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new rules for extension cords to prevent electrical shock and fires, premarket approval requirements for defibrillators and new protections for endangered butterflies.

Here’s what is happening:

Extension cords: The Consumer Product Safety Commission is considering new regulations for extension cords.

Indoor and outdoor extension cords would face new standards for wire size, strain relief, polarity and continuity. 

Under the Consumer Product Safety Act, extension cords that do not meet the standards would be deemed hazardous, because they “pose a risk of electrical shock or fire,” the agency wrote.

The public has 75 days to comment.

Defibrillators: The Food and Drug Administration is moving forward with new rules for defibrillators that doctors and paramedics use on unresponsive patients to restart their hearts.

The FDA announced last week that automated external defibrillators will be subject to premarket approval, but the agency said Monday it is correcting a omission it left out of the rule.

The changes go into effect immediately.

Butterfly: The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is correcting mistakes it made in a rule to protect possibly endangered Island Marble butterflies.

Last year, the FWS initiated a status review and requested more information from the public as it considered a petition to list the butterfly as endangered.

But the FWS said Monday it is correcting an error it made at the time.

The public now has 60 days to comment.

Regulatory review: The Department of Labor and the Federal Trade Commission are looking to identify significant regulations that may need to be changed.

The Labor Department on Monday invited the public to point out regulations in need of “modernizing, modifying, redesigning, streamlining, expanding, or repealing.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission announced its regulatory review schedule for the next 10 years.

Environment: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is considering expanding the protections for Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

The protections would address concerns about the “impacts of anchoring, safe access by fishers and divers, damage as a result of unregulated activities, and the need to protect unique features in these areas,” the agency wrote.

The public has 60 days to comment.