September 8, 2015

Welcome to OVERNIGHT REGULATIONS, your daily rundown of news from Capitol Hill and beyond. It's Tuesday here in Washington and lawmakers were trickling into the city today while kiddos across the country were filing into classrooms. Hope everyone had a happy first day back. Only 107 days until Christmas.

THE BIG STORY

Back to school is also a time when Washington gets back to work and in the months leading into the final year of the Obama administration, agencies will be working to roll out as many rules as possible before the holidays, winter weather and a presidential election bring business to a virtual standstill.

Here's a look at three major rules coming down the pipeline.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to finalize its tobacco "deeming rule" to regulate all tobacco products under the Tobacco Control Act, including electronic cigarettes and cigars.

Industry and advocacy groups had been pushing FDA to finalize the rule they say is long overdue by the end of the summer. Since we're not into September, bets are now on the autumn months.

Any day, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to release its final food safety rules that will revamp how manufacturers protect people and animals from foodborne illnesses. The rules, which will force manufacturers to implement preventative controls in processing, packing and holding food, have been submitted to the Federal Register for publication. 

And by March, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is expected to crank out the first-ever federal regulations for the payday lending industry that will force lenders to verify a consumer's income, debt and borrowing history when determining their ability to repay a loan in full and still cover basic living expenses. Click here for more on what to expect from federal agencies this fall: http://bit.ly/1UBn6Xa

ON TAP FOR WEDNESDAY

The House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy will hold a business meeting to discuss oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. http://1.usa.gov/1ES2Q1D

The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on to examine Planned Parenthood's handling of fetal tissue. http://1.usa.gov/1JRAzqU

The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade will hold a hearing to discuss agricultural trade with Cuba. http://1.usa.gov/1Uzr4Fa

The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet to discuss two bills S. 1814 to withhold certain federal funding from sanctuary cities and S.32 to provide the Department of Justice with additional tools to target extraterritorial drug trafficking activity. http://1.usa.gov/1By9d4Q

The American Lung Association is releasing a new national poll to show how American voters' feel about stricter ozone standards. http://www.lung.org/

TOMORROW'S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 173 new regulations, proposed rules, notices, and other administrative actions in Thursday's edition of the Federal Register.

--The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will issue new regulations for pension benefits.

The rules address the minimum contributions required for participation in single-employer defined pension plans and the excise tax charged to those that fail to meet this requirement.

This will affect employees, sponsors and administrators of the pension plans, the IRS noted.

The new rules go into effect immediately. http://bit.ly/1ObhnYr

--The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will issue new guidelines for testing donors for syphilis.

The recommendations will apply to facilities responsible for testing human cells and tissues for Treponema pallidum infection, which is an indication of syphilis. The "FDA does not consider diagnostic tests or pre-amendment devices to be adequate," the agency wrote. http://bit.ly/1g7UDKR

--The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will loosen the regulations for a certain pesticide.

The EPA will exempt propylene glycol monomethyl ether from rules that would otherwise limit the use of the pesticide chemical.

The changes go into effect immediately. http://bit.ly/1LW437X

NEWS RIGHT NOW

Drugs: Mexican drug cartels have infiltrated major U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Detroit, according to a Breitbart report. http://bit.ly/1NgzNGf

Flights: An airline passenger advocacy group is petitioning for bigger seats on flights. http://bit.ly/1iaT6G3

School meals: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is doubling down on first lady Michelle Obama's prized nutrition standards by giving schools an additional $8 million to comply with the rules. http://bit.ly/1UzLXjy

Sick days: In an announcement timed to coincide with Labor Day, President Obama is pushing to expand paid sick leave for more workers. http://bit.ly/1IWVRzt

Guns: A Senate Democrat is looking to crack down on gun dealers that sell firearms to criminals. http://bit.ly/1LikSa4

BY THE NUMBERS

$8 million  How much the U.S. Department of Agriculture is allocating to help schools that are still struggling to meet the first lady's healthy school meal standards.

300,000  How many people working on federal contacts will receive up to seven paid sick days a year under the executive order the president signed on Monday.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The reality is school breakfast participation is up. We're now seeing 13 million school breakfast meals being served a day and we know how important that first meal of the day can be," -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

We'll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill's Regulation page (http://thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@thehill.com or lwheeler@thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and@wheelerlydia.

Click here to sign up for the newsletter: http://bit.ly/1pc6tau