New regs for Friday: Animal researchers, gas pipelines, mortgage disclosures

Friday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new rules for animal researchers, natural gas pipelines, and a delay to new mortgage disclosure rules.

Here’s what is happening:

Gas pipelines: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is proposing new regulations for natural gas pipelines.

The agency is looking to adopt business practice standards used by the Wholesale Gas Quadrant of the North American Energy Standards Board. 

{mosads}The public has 30 days to comment.

Mortgages: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is delaying controversial new mortgage disclosure rules stemming from the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.

The mortgage disclosure rules provide prospective homebuyers with important information about their loans during the application and closing process.

The disclosure requirements were set to go into effect on Aug. 1, but the agency is pushing them back until Oct. 3.

Animals: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering new rules for animal researchers.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced Thursday it is reopening the comment period on a petition to establish “ethologically appropriate standards” for animal researchers to “promote the psychological well-being of non-human primates.”

The public has until Aug. 31 to comment.

Truck drivers: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is considering exempting 45 truck drivers from vision requirements that would otherwise prohibit them from driving.

In many cases, these truck drivers are blind in one eye, but can see in the other eye.

Meanwhile, the FMCSA is also renewing the vision exemptions for another 13 truck drivers.

The public has 30 days to comment.