New regs for Friday: Educating migrant children

Federal agencies are set to issue new rules and proposals on education, fishing and pesticides in Friday’s edition of the Federal Register.

Here’s a look at what’s going on:

Education:

The Department of Education is trying to issue new regulations requiring states to submit information about health and educational benefits to the federal government. That reporting would then enable Washington to distribute funds under a program designed to help migratory children who move among the states.

“The proposed regulations would facilitate timely school enrollment, placement, and accrual of secondary course credits for migratory children and help the Department determine accurate migratory child counts” and meet other requirements of the Migrant Education Program, it said.

Communications:

The Federal Communications Commission is extending the period of time that the public can comment on new rules limiting the amount that prison inmates can be charged for long-distance phone calls.

Additionally, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget has approved some of the FCC’s rules that required information collection activities.

Agriculture:

The Department of Agriculture is proposing to amend its nondiscrimination rules.

The department’s changes would “clarify the roles and responsibilities” of its civil rights office and other bureaus tasked with enforcing the rules.

Additionally, the department is looking to change the rules for its export credit guarantee program.

Housing:

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is notifying the public it issued orders as a recent supplement to its action to implement the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law.

Chemicals:

The Environmental Protection Agency is setting a limit for the amount of the pesticides indoxacarb, isopyrazam and pendimethalin that are allowed on a range of crops. The EPA is also issuing exemptions for some tolerance limits for other pesticide products.

Healthcare:

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is unveiling draft regulations outlining an appeal process for some workers compensation, liability insurance and cases.

In addition, the Health and Human Services Department’s inspector general is releasing an annual notice asking for recommendations to improve anti-kickback provisions.

Drugs:

The Food and Drug Administration is announcing that two applications for new animal drugs are being withdrawn.

Mail:

The Postal Service is indefinitely delaying a compliance date for shippers to use a new mailing system to qualify for automation prices.

The announcement comes in response to the agency’s regulatory commission, which determined that new price changes could only take effect if the Postal Service deferred the requirement that mailers use Intelligent Mail in order to qualify for automation prices.

Fishing:

National fishing regulators are implementing new requirements for fishing in the Atlantic and catching shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico adjusting oversight of some grouper fishing, announcing state quotas for summer flounder in 2014 and keeping some federal waters closed until the end of 2014.

Boats:

The Coast Guard is proposing to issue a new position on federal pre-emption for rules on vessels at sea.

The agency said that a clear statement of pre-emptive impact is necessary after recent federal court cases.

Additionally, the Defense Department is deleting an outdated regulation governing use of the reservoirs at the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

Energy:

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is confirming that its new rule on spent fuel storage goes into effect on Jan. 7.