Reg Watch

By The Hill Staff - 10/27/11 08:04 PM ET

Public comment periods are closing soon for the following proposed rules:

• The FBI has proposed a rule that would allow all copyright holders to use the FBI Anti Piracy Warning Seal on their copyrighted works. The seal “help[s] detect and deter criminal violations of United States intellectual property laws by educating the public about the existence of these laws and the authority of the FBI to enforce them.” The rule, which spells out certain ways the seal should be displayed to be considered legal, is open for comment through Nov. 7.

• The Federal Emergency Management Agency has requested comments regarding Base Flood Elevations or a “regulatory requirement for the elevation or floodproofing of structures” for certain communities. The locations would be required to “adopt or to show evidence of having in effect” the listed elevation level requirements “to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.” The rule, which would also “be used by insurance agents and others to calculate appropriate flood insurance premium rates for new buildings” and their contents, is open for comment through Nov. 1.

• The Food and Drug Administration has created a proposed rule that would “require the filing of a premarket approval application (PMA) or a notice of completion of a product development protocol (PDP) for the … Cardiovascular permanent pacemaker electrode [device].” The rule would also sum up the agency’s “proposed findings” about the benefits of the device and the risks that have been eliminated or mitigated following existing FDA requirements. Comments on the rule are accepted through Nov. 7.

• The Small Business Administration has created a proposed rule that would strictly enforce and punish violations relating to a company purposefully misrepresenting itself as a small business. If a company knowingly states that is a small business when it is not, most importantly in association with a government award intended for small businesses, “there is a presumption of loss [to the government of] equal to the value of the contract or other instrument.” The rule, which also requires small businesses to update their status as such in the Online Representations and Certifications Application database “at least annually,” is open for comment through Nov. 7.