New regs for Friday: Infant carrier safety

Regulations for infant carriers, electric motors and nuclear fuel are all on the agenda for Friday’s version of the Federal Register.

Here’s a peek:

Safety:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing new safety standards for hand-held infant carriers like car seats, based on existing voluntary measures. 

{mosads}According to the safety commission, there have been more than 200 incidents involving the carriers since 2007, leading to 43 deaths. Many of those deaths were due to the improper use of their restraint systems.

Energy efficiency:

The Department of Energy is proposing energy conservation standards for a variety of electric motors.

The draft standards will be the first the department has ever issued for the types of motors. 

Additionally, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is retiring a number of reliability requirements for electric utilities. 

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is also temporarily amending its spent fuel storage regulations and accepting comments on a proposal to make the change permanent.

Student loans:

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is expanding its scope to oversee a range of private companies that manage student loans.

The agency’s effort, announced on Tuesday, will allow it to oversee loan services that operate independently from banks for the first time. 

Housing:

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is making records and other information about federal home loan banks available. 

Food:

The Food and Drug Administration is allowing for gum arabic to be used as a source of dietary fiber in some foods. 

Veterans:

The Department of Veterans Affairs is finalizing a regulation changing the way it prioritizes state applications for building new home or healthcare facilities.

Mining:

The Mine Safety and Health Administration is extending the comment period on its request for the public to submit information about possible alternatives for refuges in underground coal mines.

Acquisition:

The Defense Department is amending its acquisition rules to account for a contacting officer, make “editorial changes” and prevent illegal fringe benefit costs.

The department is also proposing additional changes to its rules.  

Superfund:

The Environmental Protection Agency is deleting part of a Nebraska Superfund site. 

Fishing:

The National Marine Fisheries Service is issuing a draft list of fisheries for 2014. 

Privacy:

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation is making changes to its regulations under the Privacy Act.