Browse regulations

Mandates standardized straight and order bills of lading for interstate rail/water carriers, prescribing specific forms and uniform terms covering carrier liability, claims procedures, storage, sale of unclaimed goods, and other conditions of carriage.

DELETE: This federal intrusion into private contracting imposes a one-size-fits-all template, stifling voluntary negotiation and market-determined terms. It reflects regulatory capture by embedding carrier-friendly liability limits that would face market discipline if parties could freely contract. Hidden costs include reduced competition, federal overreach into state contract law, and barriers to entry as smaller carriers cannot differentiate through customized agreements—all unseen distortions contributing to the $2 trillion regulatory burden.

This regulation establishes ethical standards for Surface Transportation Board (STB) employees, including prohibitions on sexual and other forms of harassment, alcohol/drug use impairing duties, and mandates annual ethics reports by the Designated Agency Ethics Official. It incorporates broader federal ethics rules and references internal disciplinary procedures.

This regulation duplicates pre-existing federal ethics standards (5 CFR parts 2634-2635) and creates redundant, non-constitutional administrative overhead. Employment conduct is properly governed by private contractual norms and criminal law—not bureaucratic mandates. The STB lacks constitutional authority to impose uniquely binding moral codes on its staff beyond general federal prohibitions against discrimination and misconduct, which are already enforceable under existing statutory and judicial frameworks.

This regulation establishes the Surface Transportation Board's procedures for collecting debts owed to the U.S. government, including claims for money or property. It governs demands for payment, assessment of interest/penalties, administrative offset, compromises, suspension/termination of collections, referrals to litigation, debtor rights (notice, hearing, dispute), and sanctions like license revocation. It applies to debts from Board activities (e.g., tariff filing fees) with specific monetary limits and excludes certain specialized claims.

Deletion would undermine the rule of law by removing standardized, transparent procedures that protect both government interests and individual rights. Without clear rules, debt collection could become arbitrary, violating due process and creating legal uncertainty. The regulation ensures fair treatment, limits agency discretion through monetary caps and procedural requirements, and provides essential safeguards—notice, hearing rights, dispute resolution—that prevent overreach while enabling legitimate debt recovery. Its removal would invite inconsistent, potentially abusive collection practices that harm debtors and expose the government to legal challenges.

Regulation requires onshore oil pipeline operators with substantial harm potential to develop federal oil spill response plans. Plans must include worst-case discharge calculations, contracted response resources, trained personnel, and coordination procedures. PHMSA reviews and approves plans; operators must update and resubmit every 5 years.

Oil spills impose catastrophic externalities on public waters and downstream communities, with cleanup costs often exceeding billions. Without federal preparedness requirements, operators would underinvest in response capacity due to free-rider problems and inadequate private insurance mechanisms. This regulation ensures risk-creators bear readiness costs, protecting navigable waters that cross state lines—a legitimate federal interest. The plan-based approach provides necessary capability while preserving operator flexibility.

This regulation implements seismic safety standards for new buildings owned, leased, or assisted by the US Department of Transportation (DOT), aiming to reduce risk to lives, improve essential building functionality, and reduce earthquake losses

Americans would be worse off if this regulation was deleted because it provides essential seismic safety standards, reducing risk to human life and property, and improving the functionality of critical buildings during earthquakes

This regulation establishes procedures for Department of Transportation employees when testifying in legal proceedings or responding to subpoenas. It covers requests for testimony, production of records, exceptions to requirements, and service of legal process. The rules aim to conserve employee time, maintain departmental impartiality, avoid spending on private purposes, and protect confidential information.

Deleting this regulation would create chaos in legal proceedings involving DOT employees, undermining orderly judicial process. Without clear rules, employees would face conflicting demands, courts would lack predictability, and the department couldn't protect sensitive information. The procedural safeguards actually reduce regulatory burden by providing clear pathways for legitimate legal discovery while preventing abuse.

Mandatory contract clauses for FEGLI contractors covering advertising restrictions, tax reporting, debarment certifications, investment rules, event notifications, record retention, financial audits, premium terms, fund segregation, assignment limits, and transition requirements.

Compliance burdens inflate administrative costs, hinder small business competition, and raise insurance premiums for federal employees. The micromanagement stifles market innovation that could better achieve the program's goals at lower cost.

Mandates termination and continuity procedures for Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) contracts, requiring clause 2152.249-70 in all contracts. It sets specific notice periods and ensures services continue uninterrupted during termination.

This procedural regulation imposes unnecessary complexity and rigidity on federal procurement, restricting government flexibility to negotiate optimal terms. The same protections can be achieved through standard contract negotiation and existing FAR clauses, making this redundant and part of the burdensome CFR labyrinth that inflates compliance costs for no public benefit.

This regulation establishes quality assurance policies for Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program contracts, requiring contractors to develop internal control systems for payment accuracy, timeliness, service quality, and fraud detection, with OPM oversight and contracting officer authority to mandate corrections.

Creates costly bureaucratic oversight for a private insurance administration function that could be handled through market competition and contract terms, imposing compliance costs on taxpayers without clear evidence of improved outcomes beyond what competitive bidding would achieve.

Requires Contracting Officer advance approval for subcontracts under FEGLI Program contracts when the portion charged exceeds $550,000 and is at least 25% of total subcontract cost; mandates inclusion of clause 2152.244-70 in all such contracts.

Keeping this regulation imposes substantial compliance costs, creates delays in federal contracting, deters small business participation, and establishes a bureaucratic bottleneck that stifles efficiency. The unseen costs include reduced competition, inflated prices, and opportunity costs from delayed contracts, while existing post-award audit mechanisms provide adequate oversight.

This regulation establishes the effective date for FEGLI contract modifications and mandates a specific FAR clause for FEGLI Program contracts, overriding standard FAR clauses for these federal employee life insurance contracts.

This is a highly specialized, narrow regulation governing federal employee life insurance contract modifications that creates unnecessary bureaucratic complexity without clear public benefit. The specific clause requirements and date definitions add compliance costs for federal agencies while providing minimal value to American citizens, who are not directly affected by these technical contract administration details.

This regulation ensures the continuation of vital government services without interruption during contract termination, reimburses contractors for phase-in/out costs, and provides incentives for exceptional performance during transitions.

The regulation imposes unnecessary costs on taxpayers by reimbursing contractors for phase-in/out costs and providing incentives. It also creates a dependency on contractors that could be mitigated through better government planning and contingency measures. The government should prioritize streamlining its operations to reduce reliance on contractors for essential services.

Regulation mandates specific payment mechanisms (letter of credit with monthly installments and reconciliation), withdrawal thresholds based on benefit cost amounts, separate accounting requirements, and mandatory inclusion of prescribed clauses in all Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program contracts. It addresses LOC drawdown timing, claims-paid vs. checks-presented bases, special contingency reserves, and fund segregation requirements.

This regulation imposes centralized, rigid contract terms that eliminate market flexibility, increase compliance costs passed to taxpayers, and create barriers to entry for smaller contractors who cannot easily absorb the administrative burden. The government should negotiate these financial procedures competitively rather than mandating them, allowing contractors to propose innovative approaches and enabling more efficient allocation of resources through market discovery.

FAR 31.109 and related provisions establish cost principles for FEGLI Program contracts, governing allowable expenses, precontract costs, media messaging, tax allocations, and administrative charges to ensure proper cost accounting and prevent excessive overhead in federal life insurance administration.

These regulations create complex compliance burdens that increase administrative costs and create opportunities for regulatory capture, while the core principles of cost accounting could be handled through simpler contract terms without federal micromanagement of insurance program operations.

Regulation governs tax treatment and procurement for the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program, preempting state taxes on premiums and modifying FAR clauses.

It violates federalism by preempting state tax authority, distorts the insurance market with a government preference, and entrenches a program that should be privatized, reducing competition and innovation.