New regs for Monday: Food, water, education

Monday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new rules for food processors, drinking water and early childhood development.

Here’s what is happening:

Education: The Department of Education is proposing to extend a program for early childhood development.

The Education Department’s program covers early childhood longitudinal data systems. The agency is proposing to loosen the requirements, so the program can be funded through September 2018.

The public has 30 days to comment.

Food: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is delaying new rules for food processors.

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) proposed new regulations for processing donated foods in January but is now extending the comment period to give the public more time to consider the changes.

The public now has until April 5 to comment.

Water: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declined to issue new safe drinking water rules.

The EPA was considering a petition to “prohibit the purposeful addition of fluoridation chemicals to U.S. water supplies,” which it received in November, but said Friday it is declining the request.