Federal Rules Open for Comment – September 30, 2026

Transcript

Narrated by an AI presenter with a synthetic voice. Check the official documents for current dates and details.

Good morning, and welcome back to the community. It's Wednesday, September 30th, 2026. Today we've got a big final rule reshaping fuel economy standards, new EB-5 visa fees, and a fisheries adjustment out of Alaska. And if you've been meaning to weigh in on any open rules, this week is decision time. Four comment periods close by October 6th, including one on roadless area protections in national forests. If you're new here, hit subscribe so you never miss a deadline. Let's get into it.

First up, the fuel economy rule that affects almost every new car and truck sold in America. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has finalized a major recalibration of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy program, known as CAFE, for model years 2022 through 2031. This is a final rule, so the rulemaking process here is complete. NHTSA says it's fixing what it calls regulatory distortions that pushed automakers toward design choices that didn't match what families actually want or reliably improve fuel economy. The rule changes the stringency of fuel economy standards and also updates how vehicles are classified and how manufacturers can comply, including changes to vehicle classification rules and compliance pathways. It takes effect November 30th, 2026. Because this is a final rule, there's no open public comment period right now. NHTSA already took comments on the proposed version before finalizing it. Automakers, dealers, and anyone who buys a new car or truck will feel the effects as these standards phase in over the next several model years.

Quick recap: NHTSA finalized new CAFE fuel economy standards for model years 2022 through 2031, taking effect November 30th. There's no comment period open on this final rule.

Next, a final rule from Homeland Security adjusting fees for the EB-5 investor visa program, which lets foreign investors get a green card by funding job-creating projects in the U.S. USCIS is updating the fee schedule, adding a new technology fee, and codifying Integrity Fund fees and penalties required by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022. The agency says the changes are meant to fully cover the cost of running the program and meet processing time goals set by Congress. This rule already went through notice and comment. It responds to feedback on a proposed version published last October, and DHS revised its fee estimates and cost assumptions in response to those comments. The new fees take effect November 30th, 2026. After that date, any EB-5 application or petition postmarked on or after that date must include the new fees. This mainly affects immigration investors, their attorneys, and regional centers that sponsor EB-5 projects. Since this is a final rule, there's no new comment period open. Do you work with immigration investors who'll feel this fee change?

Quick recap: DHS finalized new EB-5 investor visa fees, plus a new technology fee, effective November 30th. This is a final rule with no comment period open.

Now to Alaska. NOAA's Fisheries Service is shifting some unused groundfish quota into three fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands: Pacific ocean perch, northern rockfish, and other flatfish. This is a temporary rule, and NOAA says the move lets these fisheries keep operating instead of running out of quota before the year ends, using data that only became available in late September. The agency skipped the usual advance comment period, citing good cause, because waiting would have delayed the fishery. It takes effect October 30th and runs through the end of December. The notice does invite written comments on the action, with a deadline of October 15th, though no online comment portal is listed for this one. This mainly affects commercial groundfish fishing operations in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands region.

Quick recap: NOAA apportioned more quota to three Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries, effective October 30th through the end of December.

Closing soon: the Commodity Futures Trading Commission wants your input on exempting a new insider risk records system from parts of the Privacy Act. The agency reopened this comment period after a technical glitch kept people from submitting comments online near the original deadline. If you care about how the CFTC handles insider risk investigations and what protections apply to those records, now's the time. Comments are due October 1st. The link is in the description, so don't wait to make your voice heard.

Quick recap: CFTC's comment period on exempting insider risk records from the Privacy Act closes October 1st.

Closing soon: the Forest Service's proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which has protected millions of acres of national forest from new road building. USDA extended the comment period to give the public more time to weigh in on the proposal, the environmental impact statement, and the cost-benefit analysis behind it. If you hike, hunt, or otherwise use roadless national forest land, this is worth reading. Comments are due October 6th, and the link is in the description.

Quick recap: the Forest Service's roadless area rule comment period, now extended, closes October 6th.

Closing soon: Treasury's FinCEN wants comments on a proposal to cut off UAE branches of Banque Misr from the U.S. financial system, after finding the bank served as an access point for Iranian illicit finance. If finalized, U.S. banks would be barred from handling correspondent accounts tied to Banque Misr UAE. Banks and compliance professionals with international ties may want to weigh in. Comments close October 1st, and the link is in the description.

Quick recap: FinCEN's proposal targeting Banque Misr UAE over money laundering concerns closes for comment October 1st.

Closing soon: the OCC is proposing to redefine when it can issue a Matter Requiring Attention for legal violations at national banks, splitting violations into substantive and technical categories. The agency is asking whether it should even keep the current banking-related standard at all. Bankers, compliance officers, and anyone tracking bank supervision may want to comment. The deadline is October 1st, and the link is in the description.

Quick recap: the OCC's proposal on Matters Requiring Attention for legal violations closes for comment October 1st.

That's it for today's community. Thank you for tuning in and helping build a smarter, more engaged public. If any of today's stories affect you or someone you know, please share this video with them. Comment links for everything closing soon are in the description below. If you've never written a public comment, our book, How to Comment on Federal Rules, walks you through it step by step, and the link is in the description. Got a rule you want us to cover? Tell us at FedReg Intel dot com. Subscribe so you don't miss tomorrow's deadlines. See you next time.