Regulation Digest, Nov. 4

The Dept. of Homeland Security issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend how USCIS selects H-1B registrations, with an emphasis on prevailing wage levels. Comments due December 2.

Dishwasher Rule

The Dept. of Energy issued a final rule in response to a petition to establish a new product class for dishwashers with a normal cycle of one hour or less. Effective November 30.

Opioid Recovery & Treatment

The Drug Enforcement Administration issued an interim final rule amending requirements to become a qualified practitioner to assist in opioid treatments, and allowing for a pharmacy to deliver prescribed treatments. Effective October 30. The DEA also issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to revise its regulations on suspicious orders of controlled substances. Comments due January 24, 2021.

- Related content by Laura Stanley

High-Speed Rail Safety Standards

The Federal Railroad Administration issued a final rule establishing standards for the Texas Central Railroad high-speed rail system. Effective December 3.

Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to update child restraint systems. Comments due December 28. NHTSA also issued a final rule on anthropomorphic test devices for child side impact testing. Effective January 4, 2021.

Cross-State Air Pollution

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed rule that would resolve 21 states' outstanding interstate ozone transport obligations with respect to the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Comments due December 14.

- Susan Dudley's case study on NAAQS.

The Opinion Section

Jerry Ellig: Just How Big a Deal is This Year's Economics Nobel?

Jonathan Adler: The Trump Administration's Real Deregulatory Record

Bethany Davis Noll & Christine Pries: The Administration's Record in the Courts

Casey Mulligan: Trump’s Vast Deregulatory Landscape Goes Unnoticed by the Experts

Natasha Sarin: Trump Is No ‘Deregulator In Chief’

Cass Sunstein: Trump’s War on Civil Servants Is Worse Than It Looks

WSJ Editorial: Walmart’s Opioid Whipsaw and Twitter’s Censorship Method

NYT Editorial: How to Take On the Tech Barons

Jennifer Daskal: Section 230 Is Only One Piece of the Puzzle

Margaret O'Mara: Why the Social Media Rage Machine Won’t Stop

Greg Besinger: A Privacy Measure That’s Hard to Like

Vikrum Aiyer: As Our Nation Faces Pressing Issues, Tech Leaders and Government Need to Build Bridges

Patrick Parenteau: The Trump Court and the Erosion of Environmental Law

Ann Carlson: The Most Anti-Environmental Court in the Modern Era

Alex Reinauer & Ryan Young: Uncertain Regulatory Relief at an Uncertain Time

Vinod Thomas: Deregulation is Not Synonymous with Economic Success

Ian Jefferies: Bipartisan Rail Reform Continues to Benefit Savannah and Georgia

James Capretta: One Health-Policy Change That Should Outlast Trump

Jeffrey Singer: End Government’s Power to Require Prescriptions

In the News

Congress & Regulatory Reform

Election Day Passes Without a Declared Winner, But Transition Planning Will Continue, Government Executive
Trump Immigration Rules Open to Review With Biden, Senate Win, Bloomberg
Did Trump manage to saw through the red tape?, Greenwire
If Biden wins, here’s how he could undo Trump’s deregulation agenda, Vox

Financial Markets & Housing

DOL releases final rule that could curb ESG in retirement plans, Investment News
On Regulation, Elections Don’t Change Everything, Wall Street Journal
CFTC to Offer Lower Fines to Offenders That Cooperate, Wall Street Journal
The pandemic is spurring fintech regulation across the globe, Business Insider

Energy & Environment

EPA limits enforcement of pesticide application boundaries, The Hill
NEPA fight over Dakota Access reaches D.C. Circuit, Energywire
PFAS Regulations for Groundwater Could Be Imminent, Bloomberg
US to exit Paris accord whether Trump or Biden wins, The Hill

Health & Safety

Trump’s ‘Public Charge’ Immigration Rule Is Vacated by Federal Judge, New York Times
Crispr Gene Editing Can Lead to Big Mistakes in Human Embryos, Wall Street Journal

Business

California voters approve measure exempting Lyft, Uber from labor law, The Hill
Ant Founder Jack Ma Faces Backlash From Regulators, Wall Street Journal
What antitrust regulation will look like in 2021 as a result of the US election, Business Insider

Technology

California Voters Support New Internet Privacy Rules, Strengthening State Law, Wall Street Journal

If you found this information helpful, please consider a donation to the GW Regulatory Studies Center, and forward this email to your colleagues and friends.

go.gwu.edu/regstudies