Reg Watch

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

• The Transportation Department is proposing a rule that would “explicitly ban the use of electronic cigarettes on all aircraft in scheduled passenger interstate, intrastate and foreign air transportation.” The rule is necessary “because of the increased promotion of electronic cigarettes and the potential health and passenger comfort concerns that they pose in an aircraft.” The department is seeking comment through Nov. 14 on the rule that could be extended to ban smoking on U.S. and foreign air carriers “with aircraft that have a designed seating capacity of 19 or more seats.”

 

• The United States Postal Service has proposed a rule that would change the manual for USPS domestic mail. It would “modify the policy for filing claims for domestic Express Mail refunds from 90 days to 30 days after the date of mailing.” The rule would also “change the Express Mail ‘waiver of signature’ standard for domestic items” by only requiring a signature for delivery if the mailer wants it. The rule is open for comment through Nov. 7.

• The Federal Election Commission is requesting comments to decide whether it should propose a regulation regarding “disclaimers on certain Internet communications and, if so, what changes should be made to those rules.” The commission’s comment period regarding Internet disclaimers closes Nov. 14.

• The Social Security Administration is proposing to allow adjudicators who assess if an individual qualifies for disability benefits to “proceed to a fifth step of the sequential evaluation process” to evaluate the applicant’s ability to do “other work that exists in significant numbers in the national economy.” The fifth step would be allowed if there were “insufficient information about a claimant’s past relevant work history to make findings in step 4,” which decides the applicant’s disability based on his or her ability to do work done previously. The rule is open for comment through Nov. 14.

• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has proposed a rule that would amend current Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) classification requirements. It would “require a petitioner to be under the age of 21 only at the time of filing for SIJ classification.” The classification currently allows children “whose reunification with one or both parents is not viable due to abuse, neglect, abandonment or a similar basis found under state law” to stay in the states as a court dependent and apply for permanent residency. Comments are due on or before Nov. 7.

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