New regs for Thursday: Childcare, air conditioners, kiwi

Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new rules for military childcare providers, energy conservation standards for air conditioners and importation requirements for kiwi.

Here’s what is happening:

Childcare: The Department of Defense (DOD) is moving forward with new rules to protect military children who are in child care.

The new childcare requirements will contain background checks for employees who work with children. The DOD estimates compliance could cost $10 million each year.

“Any conviction for a sex crime, an offense involving a child victim, or a drug felony, may be grounds for denying employment or for dismissal of an employee providing any of the services discussed above,” the DOD wrote.

The rule goes into effect in 30 days.

Air conditioners: The Department of Energy is delaying new efficiency rules for small, large and very large air-cooled commercial package air conditioning and heating equipment.

The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy proposed new efficiency rules for these air conditioners in August but is reopening the comment period to give the public more time to consider the changes.

The public has 15 days to comment.

Kiwi: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is moving forward with new rules for importing kiwi from Chile.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is adopting importation requirements intended to root out kiwi that is exposed to Brevipalpus chilensis.

“This rule allows for the safe importation of kiwi from Chile using mitigation measures other than fumigation with methyl bromide,” the agency wrote.

The rule goes into effect in 30 days.