REUTERS - U.S. Republican congressional leaders have taken several opportunities in recent days to warn Obama administration regulators not to finish any more rulemaking, but some agency heads, such as Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary Jo White, say they are proceeding with their agendas.
By law, Congress can vote to disapprove of regulations within 60 legislative days of them becoming final. Because of the congressional calendar and other technicalities, regulations made final as far back as mid-May 2016 may be open for rollback once Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Here are some noteworthy industry regulations that have become final in recent months and could be overturned, or that are awaiting final action that could come between now and Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.
LABOR DEPARTMENT
Overtime: More than 4 million salaried workers will be eligible for overtime pay under a rule completed in May.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Aircraft emissions: The EPA in July issued a scientific determination that airplane emissions endanger human health, obligating the agency under the federal Clean Air Act to regulate pollution from aircraft.
WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Climate change: Federal regulators must tally the climate change impacts of highways, dams and other large-scale human development after an August rule.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
Fossil fuel values: New rules limit self-dealing between producers and sellers of oil, gas and coal pulled from federal land.
Stream protection: Coal companies would have to handle mining waste with more care to prevent waterways from being contaminated.
Arctic drilling: Requires oil companies to have costly hardware on hand to prevent any possible spill in the frozen waters around Alaska.
Eagle protection: Would limit human development in nesting areas for the national bird to increase its numbers.
Uranium mining: Would toughen controls for waste-disposal and production of the nuclear fuel, particularly on public land.
Methane and waste prevention: Completed this month, intended to curb leaks of the greenhouse gas from oil and gas operations on public and tribal lands.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Fuel economy for commercial trucks: Finalized in August, the plan demands that heavy-duty trucks consume less fuel than under existing rules.
Self-driving cars: In September, the White House proposed guidelines asking automakers to submit details of their self-driving vehicle plans and whether they could satisfy a 15-point "safety assessment."
Electric car warning: Finalized this week, rule requires quiet-running electric cars to emit a noise when they move at slow speeds to alert pedestrians they are present.
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
Sugar: In May, new nutrition standards were conceived to alert consumers to the calorie count, serving size and other factors that might discourage unhealthy eating.
Tobacco rules: Since August, retailers that handle loose tobacco or nicotine products must answer to many rules that govern manufacturers.
Packaged foods: On May 27, the FDA published a major, long-awaited final rule governing how packaged foods are labeled, an initiative close to the heart of Michelle Obama. The new Nutrition Facts label is designed to highlight calories and servings. Manufacturers have until July 2018 to comply.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
For-profit colleges: New procedures for allowing loan relief for students who say they were defrauded by for-profit colleges.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Privacy: Rules subject broadband internet service providers to obtain consumer consent before using certain user data for advertising and internal marketing.
Media ownership: Rules bar companies in most instances from owning a newspaper and a broadcast TV or radio station in the same market.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION
Wage gap: The EEOC in 2017 is set to begin requiring companies to annually disclose employee pay data and how salaries break down along gender and racial lines.
(Reporting by Patrick Rucker, Valerie Volcovici, Joe White, David Shepardson, Lisa Lambert, Toni Clarke, Daniel Wiessner; Editing by Soyoung Kim and Lisa Von Ahn)
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
