This Week in Congress
The House has already adjourned for the year. The Senate plans to call it quits for 2014 after completing action on legislation extending expired tax breaks, renewal of the federal terrorism insurance guarantee and several Administration appointees. Read more... |
Tire Manufacturers Call for Mandatory Tire Registration
The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), in a panel presentation at the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) Passenger Vehicle Tire Safety Symposium, announced that they were recommending mandatory tire registration at point-of-sale. The Dec. 9 presentation and same-day press release took many in the industry by surprise. The registration of tires, to assist in the event of product recalls, was changed from mandatory to voluntary by Congress in 1982. Read more... |
NLRB Rules Employees Can Use Company Email in Off-hours
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled on Dec. 11, in a 3-2 split decision between Democratic and Republican board members, that “employee use of email for statutorily protected communications on nonworking time must presumptively be permitted by employers who have chosen to give employees access to their email systems.” Read more... |
EPA Announces Final New Use Rules for Seven Solvents
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued final new use rules Dec. 10 that place restrictions on the use of seven solvents found in certain consumer products. These significant new use rules (SNURs) apply to ethylene glycol ethers, or glymes, and will require companies who intend to manufacture, import or process any of these substances for a “significant new use” to notify EPA at least 90 days prior to starting or resuming such activity. Read more... |
Canada Proposes to Follow U.S. Lead on Phase-Out New Uses of HFCs
The Canadian Department of the Environment issued a notice last week that they are initiating the development of proposed regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to control the manufacture, import and use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The notice references a proposal issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on August 6, 2014 that would prohibit the use of R-134a in new motor vehicle air conditioning systems beginning in model year 2021. Read more... |
Manufacturers and Recyclers to be Affected by EPA Rule Defining Solid Waste
On Dec. 10, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the finalized revisions to the 2008 definition of solid waste under regulations from the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) that will affect recyclers and remanufacturers of hazardous products from various forms of manufacturing. According to EPA, the revisions seek to obtain a balance between recycling and protecting human health and the environment. Read more... |
Rollback of Controversial Trucker House of Service Rule Passes in Government Spending Bill
On Dec. 13, Congress passed a large omnibus spending bill that, in addition to keeping the government open passed Dec. 15, suspends the controversial House of Service rule administered for truckers through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The provision, originally offered by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), halts the current 34-hour restart rule that requires two consecutive periods of rest from 1 am – 5 am by drivers operating for up to 70 hours per week. Read more... |
CMS Proposes Minor Changes to SHOP Exchanges
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published proposed rules in the Nov. 26 Federal Register on the notice of benefit and payment parameters in the Smart Business Health Options Program (SHOP). The SHOPs were created for small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees; and the rules are part of a larger rulemaking designed to bring more efficiency to the administration of a host of provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Read more... |
New Blog Post: My New Year’s Resolutions for the 114th Congress
The Auto Care Association government affairs team publishes a blog to offer some additional insight into what is happening in Washington, D.C., the states and internationally, and how that relates to the auto care industry. Read our most recent post here: http://tiny.cc/blog121514 Read more... |
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