WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released the following public communication dated Dec. 20, 2024, from the National Association of Community Health Centers: * * * To: Meena Seshamani, M.D., Ph.D., Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicare 7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1859 RE: Medicare Transaction Facilitator for 2026 and 202 more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released the following public communication dated Dec. 20, 2024, from the National PACE Association: * * * CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs Division of Regulations Development Attention: CMS-10398 #84/OMB control number: 0938-1148 Room C4-26-05 7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850. Re: CMS-10398 #84 and OMB-0938-1148, the PACE  more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSFR) -- The Department of Education (DoE) has announced the termination of a rulemaking effort aimed at revising regulations for several college oversight areas. The DoE initiated a negotiated rulemaking process in November 2023, seeking input from stakeholders on issues including state authorization, accreditation, and cash management for colleges receiving federal student aid. The department held public hearings and negotiation sessions, but is now deciding to halt the  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSFR) -- The Department of Education (DoE) has announced the withdrawal of a proposed rule that would have granted targeted student loan forgiveness based on specific borrower circumstances. The proposal, unveiled in April 2024, aimed to clarify the Secretary of Education's authority to waive loan repayments for borrowers facing hardship. It outlined various criteria for debt relief, including: Loan balance growth exceeding the amount owed upon entering repayment. Time e more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSFR) -- The Department of Education (DoE) has announced the withdrawal of a proposed rule that would have allowed for more targeted student loan forgiveness based on a borrower's financial hardship. The proposal, published in October 2024, aimed to clarify the existing authority of the Secretary of Education to waive loan repayments for borrowers facing hardship. It outlined two methods for granting relief: Predictive assessment: This would offer automatic waivers based  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSFR) -- The Department of Education (DoE) has announced the withdrawal of a proposed rulemaking that would have rescinded regulations concerning religious student organizations at public universities. The initial rule, implemented in 2020, established a role for the DoE in enforcing grant conditions related to these organizations. The proposed rescission, announced in February 2023, was met with significant public commentary on both sides of the issue. "We appreciate the more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSFR) -- The Department of Education (DoE) has announced the withdrawal of a proposed rulemaking on eligibility criteria for transgender athletes in school sports. The proposed rule, introduced in April 2023, aimed to establish a standard for how schools receiving federal funding could handle sex-based eligibility for athletic teams. The DoE received over 150,000 public comments on the proposal, reflecting the deeply divided nature of the issue. "The Department reviewed a more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 (TNSFR) -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a rule to approve Maryland's revision to its State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning nitrogen oxides (NOX) ozone season emission caps for large non-electric generating units (non-EGUs). The revision reallocates emission caps following the closure of the Luke Paper Mill and updates regulatory references to the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR). This measure aims to align Maryland's plan with federal stan more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration has released the following public communication dated Dec. 20, 2024, from the U.S. Pharmacopeia, Rockville, Maryland: * * * To: Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305) Food and Drug Administration 5630 Fishers Lane Rm. 1061 Rockville, MD 20852 Re: Reauthorization of the Over-The-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program; Public Meeting; Request for Comments (FDA Docket No. FDA-2023-N-3575) * * * more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 -- The Government Accountability Office General Counsel has publicly issued a bid protest decision involving DecisionPoint Corp., Gaithersburg, Maryland, on Nov. 27, 2024. Highlights DecisionPoint Corporation, known at the time of proposal submission as EmeSec Inc., a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) of Gaithersburg, Maryland, protests the Department of the Air Force's rejection of its proposal under fair opportunity proposal request (FOPR) No. FA8773- more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division has released the following public communication dated Dec. 10, 2024, from the National Organization on Disability: * * * To: Division of Regulations, Legislation, and Interpretation Wage and Hour Division U.S. Department of Labor Room S-3502 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W Washington, DC 20210 RE: Comments in response to Proposed Rule: Employment of Workers with Disabilities under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Stan more ST

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Dec. 27 -- The Maryland Department of Health issued the following news release on Dec. 26, 2024: * * * Six-month pause extended to July 2025 to address potential fraud, waste, and abuse * * * The Maryland Department of Health today announced extending the pause on new enrollments into the Maryland Medicaid Program of the following program types, which are licensed under Maryland Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 10.63 and 10.09: 1. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Programs more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service has released the following public communication dated Dec. 20, 2024, from Chesapeake Bay Foundation: * * * To: Ms. Sara del Fierro NRCS Climate Office Washington, D.C. 20250 Re: Request for Public Input About Implementation of the Conservation Practices To Support Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: NRCS2024-0015 * * * Dear Ms. Sara del Fierro: CBF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released the following public communication dated Dec. 19, 2024, from Angel Willey, manager of coastal fisheries program at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources: * * * To: Randy Blankinship Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division (F/SF1) 1315 East West Highway Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Re: Proposed Rule Electronic Reporting Requirements for Atlantic Highly Mi more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released the following public communication dated Dec. 23, 2024, from the Center for American Progress: * * * TO: Mr. Andrew Levinson, MPH, Director, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor FROM: Jill Rosenthal, Director of Public Health Policy Rosa Barrientos-Ferrer, Senior Policy Analyst Kate Petosa, Administrat more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released the following public communication dated Dec. 23, 2024, from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future: * * * To: Stephen Schayer, PhD, CIH Director, Office of Physical Hazards OSHA Directorate of Standards and Guidance 200 Constitution Ave., NW Washington, DC 20210 Docket No. OSHA-2021-0009 * * * Dear Dr. Schayer, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed r more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee released the following written testimony by Louis DeJoy, postmaster general and CEO of the U.S. Postal Service, from a Dec. 5, 2024, hearing entitled "Oversight of the United States Postal Service: Understanding Proposed Service Changes": * * * (Continued from Part 2 of 3) Growth and cost reduction are at the heart of the DFA plan. Simply put, the DFA plan is not about contraction or only cost reduction. Th more PR

BETHESDA, Maryland, Dec. 26 -- The Uniformed Services University issued the following faculty news: * * * Dr. Barbara Ritschel discusses the value of pathology education at USU. * * * By Vivian Mason Pathology is the backbone of medical education, the bridge between basic science and clinical medicine. It focuses on determining the cause, origin, and nature of disease. Testing and analyzing body tissues, organs, and fluids enable healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat patients corre more PR