OVERNIGHT REGULATION: White House unveils reg priorities

Welcome to OVERNIGHT REGULATION, your daily rundown of news from Capitol Hill and beyond. It’s Thursday evening here in Washington and we are ready for Friday to come and go. It’s a long weekend and we’re ready to celebrate America. Here’s the latest:

 

THE BIG STORY

The Obama Administration unveiled its semiannual regulatory agenda on Thursday, detailing the rules that federal agencies will make top priorities in the next year.

The White House is notorious for releasing the administration’s Unified Agenda on the cusp of a holiday when most people are headed out of town to celebrate the long weekend. The release of the spring 2015 edition was no exception, coming one day before the long Memorial Day weekend.

{mosads}The lion’s share of the actions appear to be regulatory holdovers from previous agendas, as the administration works to finalize as many of the rules currently in the pipeline as possible before Obama leaves office.

The Environmental Protection Agency listed an August deadline to finalize its carbon emission regulations for existing power plants and the Food and Drug Administration has given itself until June to issue its deeming regulations for all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and cigars.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s new safety standards for off-road vehicles are on track to be finalized by September. The new requirements are expected to include lateral stability measures, vehicle handling requirements, and speed controls to keep vehicles from rolling over and crushing their drivers.

The administration, however, declined to add some proposals to its to-do list, despite pressure from outside groups. For instance, a proposal from financial reform advocates for regulations requiring corporations to disclose their political spending did not make the cut at the Securities and Exchange Commission. The measure was included on the agency’s 2013 agenda but later abandoned amid fierce pressure from business groups and congressional Republicans. Groups had renewed their calls for the SEC to revisit proposal, but the item does not appear on the agency’s 2015 plan.

Proponents of stronger health and safety rules cheered the release as evidence that the administration remains committed to finishing the work

“We are glad to see that the spring Unified Agenda includes so many important health, safety, and financial security protections,” said Lisa Gilbert, director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch. “Too often, the release of this agenda is seen as a negative ­­- and the idea that regulations are somehow by their nature problematic is raised by corporate interests. The release of the agenda is a good moment to reflect on the importance of implementing the laws intended to protect the public via regulation.” http://bit.ly/1JEBQ5z

 

ON TAP FOR FRIDAY

The House will not be in session Friday as lawmakers head home early for a weeklong Memorial Day recess.

The Senate is still looking for a way to extend controversial Patriot Act provisions slated to expire at the end of the month.

President Obama will speak at an event for Jewish American Heritage Month.

Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen will speak at the Chamber of Commerce in Rhode Island.

 

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 244 new regulations, proposed rules, notices and other administrative actions in Friday’s edition of the Federal Register.

Here’s what to watch for:

–The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will propose a new safety standard for architectural glazing materials.

Architectural glazing materials used around household doors, bathtubs, showers, sliding glass doors and storm doors would face new test procedures under the proposed rules.

The CPSC says it is trying to “reduce or eliminate risks of injuries associated with walking, running, or falling through or against glazing materials.”

The public has 60 days to comment. http://bit.ly/1F4ds81

–The Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia will propose to update the conditions of release requirements for criminals who are locked up.

The agency says it is looking to expand the use of electronic monitoring devices to keep track of people who are released on probation or parole.

“These regulations also detail the consequences that an offender may face for violating the conditions of his or her supervision,” the agency writes.

The public has 60 days to comment. http://bit.ly/1HwP1Db

–The Department of Defense will propose new rules for responding to victims and witnesses of crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The proposed rule includes new reporting requirements for military personnel, and updates the assistance provided to crime victims and witnesses, the agency notes.

The DOD estimates the rule would cost $12,317 per year for the military to comply with.

The public has 60 days to comment. http://bit.ly/1Pz8iLp

–The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will issue new rules for blood donors.

Blood donors will face new eligibility and testing requirements under the new rules.

“FDA is also requiring establishments to evaluate donors for factors that may adversely affect the safety, purity, and potency of blood and blood components or the health of a donor during the donation process,” the agency wrote.

“In order to better assure the safety of the nation’s blood supply and to help protect donor health, FDA is revising the requirements for blood establishments to test donors for infectious disease, and to determine that donors are eligible to donate and that donations are suitable for transfusion or further manufacture,” it added.

The changes go into effect on May 23, 2016. http://bit.ly/1PZpi8s

 

NEWS RIGHT NOW

Detention: House Democrats are calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end its illegal immigrant family detention program. http://bit.ly/1dnAksy

Gay soldiers: Senators are calling on the Obama administration to protect lesbian, gay and bisexual service members from discrimination and harassment in all branches of the military. http://bit.ly/1ej7zxf

Medicinal pot: The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday advanced a $77.6 billion funding bill for military construction and veterans benefits that includes an amendment allowing Veterans Affairs doctors to recommend the use of medical marijuana. http://bit.ly/1F4rKFN

Emergency alerts: The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) adopted new rules Thursday to ensure blind and visually impaired people have quick and easy access to emergency information being aired on TV. http://bit.ly/1F4rKFN

Political ads: Chairman Tom Wheeler on Thursday suggested the FCC currently has no plans to act on its own to strengthen political ad disclosure requirements. http://bit.ly/1BeRqOf

Death penalty: Nebraska lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday to abolish the death penalty by a big enough margin to override a threatened veto by Gov. Pete Ricketts (R), USA Today reports. http://usat.ly/1dkPQ8D

Transgender inmate: A federal appeals court delayed sex reassignment surgery for a transgender prison inmate in California on Thursday, hours after a state panel recommended that she be paroled, AP reports. http://bit.ly/1K6B53g

 

BY THE NUMBERS

31,000: How many people the Department of Homeland security can house in its family detention facilities.

$2 billion: How much is spent in taxpayer dollars annually on its family detention program.

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It’s wrong, it’s a waste of money, it’s unnecessary, it’s inhumane and it’s un-American.” — Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) on Thursday about DHS’s detention of illegal immigrant families.

 

We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://digital-staging.thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@digital-staging.thehill.com or lwheeler@digital-staging.thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and@wheelerlydia.

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