{"description":"Documents matching 'environmental social specialist contractual arrangement'","count":709,"total_pages":36,"next_page_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents?conditions%5Bterm%5D=environmental+social+specialist+contractual+arrangement&format=json&page=2","results":[{"title":"Improving Transparency Into Pharmacy Benefit Manager Fee Disclosure","type":"Proposed Rule","abstract":"The Department is proposing a regulation that would require providers of pharmacy benefit management services and affiliated providers of brokerage and consulting services to disclose information about their compensation to fiduciaries of self-insured group health plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). These disclosures are needed so that fiduciaries can assess the reasonableness of the contracts or arrangements with these service providers, including the reasonableness of the service providers' compensation. These disclosure requirements would apply for purposes of ERISA's statutory prohibited transaction exemption for services arrangements. This proposal implements section 12 of President Trump's Executive Order 14273, Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First, which instructs the Department to propose regulations to improve employer health plan transparency into the direct and indirect compensation received by pharmacy benefit managers. If finalized, this regulation would affect sponsors and other fiduciaries of self-insured group health plans and certain service providers to such plans.","document_number":"2026-01907","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/30/2026-01907/improving-transparency-into-pharmacy-benefit-manager-fee-disclosure","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-01-30/pdf/2026-01907.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-01907.pdf?1769721310","publication_date":"2026-01-30","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF LABOR","name":"Labor Department","id":271,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/labor-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/271","parent_id":null,"slug":"labor-department"},{"raw_name":"Employee Benefits Security Administration","name":"Employee Benefits Security Administration","id":131,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/employee-benefits-security-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/131","parent_id":271,"slug":"employee-benefits-security-administration"}],"excerpts":"group health plans may access pharmacy benefit management services through other similar types of <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span>, where the provider may or may not refer to itself as a TPA. For example, it is common for group health plans to enter into level-funded <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span> that have excessive stop loss policies to emulate characteristics of fully insured <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span>, such as predictable spending, but that are actually self-funded <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span>. These <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span> commonly include pharmacy benefit services and the entity that contracts with the self-insured group"},{"title":"Federal Independent Dispute Resolution Operations","type":"Rule","abstract":"This document sets forth these final rules related to certain provisions of the No Surprises Act regarding the Federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) process, which was established as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA). These rules finalize new requirements relating to the disclosure of information that group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage must include along with the initial payment or notice of denial of payment for certain items and services subject to the surprise billing protections in the No Surprises Act. These final rules also require plans and issuers to communicate information by using claim adjustment reason codes (CARCs) and remittance advice remark codes (RARCs), as specified in guidance, when providing any paper or electronic remittance advice (ERA) to an entity that does not have a contractual relationship with the plan or issuer. This document also finalizes amendments to certain requirements related to the open negotiation period preceding the Federal IDR process, the initiation of the Federal IDR process, the Federal IDR dispute eligibility review process, and the payment and collection of administrative fees and certified IDR entity fees. This document also finalizes the definition of bundled payment arrangements, amends requirements related to batched items and services and amends the rules for extensions of timeframes due to extenuating circumstances. Additionally, this document finalizes provisions that require plans and issuers to register in the Federal IDR portal. In accordance with Federal law, a summary of these rules may be found at https://www.regulations.gov/.","document_number":"2026-11140","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/04/2026-11140/federal-independent-dispute-resolution-operations","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-04/pdf/2026-11140.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-11140.pdf?1780348210","publication_date":"2026-06-04","agencies":[{"raw_name":"OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT","name":"Personnel Management Office","id":406,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/personnel-management-office","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/406","parent_id":null,"slug":"personnel-management-office"},{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY","name":"Treasury Department","id":497,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/treasury-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/497","parent_id":null,"slug":"treasury-department"},{"raw_name":"Internal Revenue Service","name":"Internal Revenue Service","id":254,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/internal-revenue-service","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/254","parent_id":497,"slug":"internal-revenue-service"},{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF LABOR","name":"Labor Department","id":271,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/labor-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/271","parent_id":null,"slug":"labor-department"},{"raw_name":"Employee Benefits Security Administration","name":"Employee Benefits Security Administration","id":131,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/employee-benefits-security-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/131","parent_id":271,"slug":"employee-benefits-security-administration"},{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"}],"excerpts":"510(c)(4) of these final rules, apply to bundled payment <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span>. Therefore, it is not entirely accurate to say that bundled payment <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span> are subject to the rules for batched disputes. \n \n The Departments solicited comment on the definition and treatment of bundled payment <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span> in the 2023 proposed rules. The Departments also solicited comment on examples of service or procedural codes other than DRGs that would meet the proposed definition of a bundled payment <span class=\"match\">arrangement</span>. After consideration of the comments received, and for"},{"title":"Notice of Realty Action: Direct Sale of Public Land for Affordable Housing Purposes in Clark County, NV","type":"Notice","abstract":"The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to sell a 20-acre public land parcel located in the southwestern portion of the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, under the authorities of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the BLM land sale regulations, and the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 (SNPLMA), as amended. The BLM proposes that the parcel be sold by direct sale (without competition) to the Clark County Department of Social Services, a division of the State of Nevada, at less than the appraised fair market value for affordable housing purposes pursuant to SNPLMA and applicable BLM policy.","document_number":"2024-15622","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/07/17/2024-15622/notice-of-realty-action-direct-sale-of-public-land-for-affordable-housing-purposes-in-clark-county","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-07-17/pdf/2024-15622.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-15622.pdf?1721133924","publication_date":"2024-07-17","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR","name":"Interior Department","id":253,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/interior-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/253","parent_id":null,"slug":"interior-department"},{"raw_name":"Bureau of Land Management","name":"Land Management Bureau","id":275,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/land-management-bureau","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/275","parent_id":253,"slug":"land-management-bureau"}],"excerpts":"the BLM Las Vegas Resource Management Plan Record of Decision LD-1, approved on October 5, 1998. The Las Vegas Valley Disposal Boundary <span class=\"match\">Environmental</span> Impact Statement and Record of Decision issued on December 23, 2004, and Las Vegas In-Valley Area Multi-Action Analysis <span class=\"match\">Environmental</span> Assessment (DOI-BLM-NV-S010-2016-0054-EA) analyzed the sale of this parcel. A parcel-specific Determination of National <span class=\"match\">Environmental</span> Policy Act Adequacy, document number DOI-BLM-NV-S010-2023-0076-DNA, was completed in connection with this notice of realty action (Notice)"},{"title":"Medicaid Program; Medicaid Managed Care State Directed Payments and Medicaid Fee-for-Service Targeted Medicaid Practitioner Payments","type":"Proposed Rule","abstract":"This proposed rule describes alternatives to modify the limit on the total payment rate and other requirements for State directed payments in Medicaid managed care. We propose these changes based on our authority to interpret and implement section 1902(a)(4) of the Social Security Act (the Act) with respect to prepaid inpatient health plans and prepaid ambulatory health plans, and section 1903(m)(2)(A)(iii) of the Act, which require that contracts between States and managed care organizations to provide payments under a risk- based contract for services and associated administrative costs that are actuarially sound. This rule also proposes to set a limit for certain targeted Medicaid payments in Medicaid fee-for-service. We propose this change based on our authority to interpret and implement section 1902(a)(30)(A) of the Act with respect to certain targeted Medicaid payments which require that payments be consistent with efficiency, economy, and quality of care and are sufficient to enlist enough providers so that care and services are available under the plan at least to the extent that such care and services are available to the general population in the geographic area.","document_number":"2026-10292","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/22/2026-10292/medicaid-program-medicaid-managed-care-state-directed-payments-and-medicaid-fee-for-service-targeted","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-05-22/pdf/2026-10292.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-10292.pdf?1779308109","publication_date":"2026-05-22","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"},{"raw_name":"Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services","name":"Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services","id":45,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/45","parent_id":221,"slug":"centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services"}],"excerpts":"that are necessary for the plan to receive payment under the <span class=\"match\">arrangement</span>. However, incentive <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span> and withhold <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span> specified at § 438.6(b) are payments only to managed care plans and cannot be used as substitutes for SDPs, which are payments to providers. States are not permitted to direct a managed care plan's expenditures under the terms of an incentive <span class=\"match\">arrangement</span> or withhold <span class=\"match\">arrangement</span> by requiring some or all of the funding in the incentive or withhold <span class=\"match\">arrangement</span> to be paid to providers. Such direction constitutes impermissible"},{"title":"Employee or Independent Contractor Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act","type":"Proposed Rule","abstract":"The Department is proposing to rescind the analysis for determining employee or independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) currently set forth in 29 CFR part 795 and replace it with the analysis that it published and adopted in a prior final rule dated January 7, 2021, with a few modifications. In addition, the Department proposes to apply this analysis to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA), both of which incorporate the FLSA's scope of employment.","document_number":"2026-03962","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/27/2026-03962/employee-or-independent-contractor-status-under-the-fair-labor-standards-act-family-and-medical","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-02-27/pdf/2026-03962.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-03962.pdf?1772113515","publication_date":"2026-02-27","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF LABOR","name":"Labor Department","id":271,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/labor-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/271","parent_id":null,"slug":"labor-department"},{"raw_name":"Wage and Hour Division","name":"Wage and Hour Division","id":524,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/wage-and-hour-division","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/524","parent_id":271,"slug":"wage-and-hour-division"}],"excerpts":"test.” 86 FR 1204. Evaluating “the circumstances of the whole activity” in a work <span class=\"match\">arrangement</span>, \n Rutherford Food, \n 331 U.S. at 730, requires consideration of both actual practices and <span class=\"match\">contractual</span> rights, but the “reality” of the work <span class=\"match\">arrangement</span>, \n Silk, \n 331 U.S. at 713, lies more in what actually happens than what a contract suggests may happen. This principle is illustrated in \n Bartels, \n in which the Supreme Court concluded that the dance hall's <span class=\"match\">contractual</span> right of control was not as probative as the band leader's actual exercise of control"},{"title":"Joint Employer Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act","type":"Proposed Rule","abstract":"Since 2021, the Department has not provided any regulatory guidance addressing joint employer status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA or Act) for the benefit of workers, employers, or its enforcement personnel. In this rulemaking, the Department proposes to clarify how to determine joint employer status under the FLSA in Part 791 of Title 29, where its joint employer regulations were located prior to 2021. Additionally, the Department is also proposing to amend provisions in its regulations implementing the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) to provide that joint employer status under those laws be determined using the Department's FLSA analysis, as the FMLA and MSPA both incorporate the FLSA's employment definitions. This rulemaking is intended to provide clarity and a measure of uniformity for employers and employees in an area of the law where components of legislative, executive, and judicial branches--at both the federal and state levels--have presented widely varying tests and standards. In addition, the proposed rule offers a nationwide standard for use by the Department's investigators and law enforcement personnel that would not only ensure the evenhanded application of the Act in matters that often cross state and circuit lines but also preserve core consistency with the wide variety of potentially relevant judicial frameworks. The proposed rule intends to marshal the commonality between those approaches closest to the statute as construed by the courts and, in so doing, simplify the Department's enforcement of the law, reduce litigation, and provide a reliable and uniform analysis for workers and employers that ultimately applies and complements the core commonality between the various tests applied by the federal courts.","document_number":"2026-07959","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/23/2026-07959/joint-employer-status-under-the-fair-labor-standards-act-family-and-medical-leave-act-and-migrant","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-04-23/pdf/2026-07959.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-07959.pdf?1776861922","publication_date":"2026-04-23","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF LABOR","name":"Labor Department","id":271,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/labor-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/271","parent_id":null,"slug":"labor-department"},{"raw_name":"Wage and Hour Division","name":"Wage and Hour Division","id":524,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/wage-and-hour-division","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/524","parent_id":271,"slug":"wage-and-hour-division"}],"excerpts":"employer's <span class=\"match\">contractual</span> authority to supervise, discipline, or fire employees is less relevant if in practice the potential joint employer never exercises such authority. The subsection also clarifies that, although <span class=\"match\">contractual</span> authority is generally relevant, a potential joint employer's ability, power, or reserved right to act in connection with any of the <span class=\"match\">contractual</span> provisions or business practices identified in § 791.125 is not relevant. This clarification is necessary to ensure that this proposal's general consideration of <span class=\"match\">contractual</span> authority"},{"title":"Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals","type":"Rule","abstract":"This interim final rule with comment period (IFC) interprets and implements the community engagement requirement in Medicaid under section 1902(xx) of the Social Security Act. States are required to implement the new requirement no later than January 1, 2027. This IFC specifies the requirements and expectations for States, including the Medicaid applicants and beneficiaries who must demonstrate community engagement as a condition of their eligibility, the types of qualifying activities that satisfy the community engagement requirement, the criteria to meet an exception from the requirement (that is, be deemed compliant), and the criteria to meet a specified exclusion from the requirement. It also specifies requirements for verification of qualifying activities, outreach to affected populations, steps States must take if they determine individuals are noncompliant, and additional operational considerations for States. Finally, this IFC specifies implementation timing and establishes new State reporting requirements.","document_number":"2026-11094","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/03/2026-11094/medicaid-program-community-engagement-requirement-for-certain-individuals","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-03/pdf/2026-11094.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-11094.pdf?1780346707","publication_date":"2026-06-03","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"},{"raw_name":"Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services","name":"Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services","id":45,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/45","parent_id":221,"slug":"centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services"}],"excerpts":"work <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span>; rather, it requires that individuals engage in meaningful activity in the community, including working. Many individuals work for themselves by being self-employed due to starting a business, owning a business, or as an independent contractor, and these activities meet the definition of work at § 435.552(b). \n \n In-kind and unpaid work also represent ways in which an individual can engage in meaningful activity in the community. With a broad definition of work, we recognize the reality of the wide array of work <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span> and"},{"title":"Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States","type":"Rule","abstract":"The Department of Labor (Department or DOL) is amending its regulations governing the certification of temporary employment of nonimmigrant workers employed in temporary or seasonal agricultural employment and the enforcement of the contractual obligations applicable to employers of these nonimmigrant workers. The revisions in this final rule focus on strengthening protections for temporary agricultural workers and enhancing the Department's capabilities to monitor program compliance and take necessary enforcement actions against program violators.","document_number":"2024-08333","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/29/2024-08333/improving-protections-for-workers-in-temporary-agricultural-employment-in-the-united-states","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-04-29/pdf/2024-08333.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-08333.pdf?1714135518","publication_date":"2024-04-29","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF LABOR","name":"Labor Department","id":271,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/labor-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/271","parent_id":null,"slug":"labor-department"},{"raw_name":"Employment and Training Administration","name":"Employment and Training Administration","id":133,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/employment-and-training-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/133","parent_id":271,"slug":"employment-and-training-administration"},{"raw_name":"Wage and Hour Division","name":"Wage and Hour Division","id":524,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/wage-and-hour-division","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/524","parent_id":271,"slug":"wage-and-hour-division"}],"excerpts":"for enforcement purposes, stating that “the use of `<span class=\"match\">contractual</span>' liability is ambiguous” and that questions of contract liability are typically matters of State law. USAFL and Hall Global posited that the \n \n regulation thus impermissibly purports to “preempt state law rules governing attribution of <span class=\"match\">contractual</span> liability.”\n \n \n These concerns are unfounded. Significantly, the Department did not purport in the NPRM to apply the single employer test for purposes of attributing an entity's <span class=\"match\">contractual</span> “liability” under State contract law. \n See \n 88 FR"},{"title":"Occupations That Customarily and Regularly Received Tips; Definition of Qualified Tips","type":"Rule","abstract":"This document contains final regulations that identify occupations that customarily and regularly received tips on or before December 31, 2024, and provide a definition of qualified tips for purposes of the income tax deduction for qualified tips. These regulations affect individuals who receive tips as part of their occupation.","document_number":"2026-07104","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/13/2026-07104/occupations-that-customarily-and-regularly-received-tips-definition-of-qualified-tips","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-04-13/pdf/2026-07104.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-07104.pdf?1775825119","publication_date":"2026-04-13","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY","name":"Treasury Department","id":497,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/treasury-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/497","parent_id":null,"slug":"treasury-department"},{"raw_name":"Internal Revenue Service","name":"Internal Revenue Service","id":254,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/internal-revenue-service","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/254","parent_id":497,"slug":"internal-revenue-service"}],"excerpts":"the sole proprietorship or single-member LLC.\n \n \n 9. Tip-Sharing <span class=\"match\">Arrangements</span> \n Section 224(d)(3) defines cash tips to include “tips received under any tip-sharing <span class=\"match\">arrangement</span>.” Consistent with this definition, the proposed regulations would have defined cash tips to include “tips received from customers or, in the case of an employee, through a mandatory or voluntary tip-sharing <span class=\"match\">arrangement</span>, such as a tip pool.” \n Some commenters requested more guidance on tip-sharing <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span>. One commenter asked that the final regulations distinguish between"},{"title":"Transparency in Coverage","type":"Proposed Rule","abstract":"These proposed rules set forth proposed requirements that would amend the regulations under the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code regarding price transparency reporting requirements for non-grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers offering non-grandfathered group and individual health insurance coverage. Specifically, these proposed rules would improve the standardization, accuracy, and accessibility of public pricing disclosures in line with the goals of the Executive Order 14221. With respect to the in-network rate and out-of-network allowed amount machine-readable files, these proposed rules would achieve these goals by adding new contextual files and additional data elements like product type, network name, and enrollment counts; changing the reporting level for aggregation of data; removing in-network rates for unlikely provider-to-service mappings; increasing the reporting period and lowering the claims threshold for out-of-network historical data; and reducing the reporting cadence. These proposed rules would also improve the findability of all of the publicly disclosed machine- readable files required under the Transparency in Coverage rules, including the prescription drug file, by requiring a text file and footer with website URLs and contact information for the files. These proposed rules would also require pricing information that is made available through an online consumer tool and paper (upon request), to also be made available by phone, and establish that the satisfaction of such requirement also satisfies the requirements of section 114 of the No Surprises Act (including for grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers offering grandfathered group and individual health insurance coverage that are not otherwise subject to these proposed rules).","document_number":"2025-23693","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/23/2025-23693/transparency-in-coverage","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-12-23/pdf/2025-23693.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-23693.pdf?1766178909","publication_date":"2025-12-23","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY","name":"Treasury Department","id":497,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/treasury-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/497","parent_id":null,"slug":"treasury-department"},{"raw_name":"Internal Revenue Service","name":"Internal Revenue Service","id":254,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/internal-revenue-service","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/254","parent_id":497,"slug":"internal-revenue-service"},{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF LABOR","name":"Labor Department","id":271,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/labor-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/271","parent_id":null,"slug":"labor-department"},{"raw_name":"Employee Benefits Security Administration","name":"Employee Benefits Security Administration","id":131,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/employee-benefits-security-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/131","parent_id":271,"slug":"employee-benefits-security-administration"},{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"}],"excerpts":"reimbursement <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span> that do not have a dollar amount associated with particular items and services before the item or service is furnished, a dollar amount can still be determined in some instances under these <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span>. Accordingly, in the preamble to the 2020 final rules, the Departments provided a list of alternative reimbursement <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span> and summarized general reporting expectations for these <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span>, while acknowledging that the list was not exhaustive, as there may be other alternative reimbursement or contracting <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span> in"},{"title":"Administrative Simplification: Modifications of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) Retail Pharmacy Standards; and Modification of the Medicaid Pharmacy Subrogation Standard","type":"Rule","abstract":"This final rule adopts updated versions of the retail pharmacy standards for electronic transactions adopted under the Administrative Simplification subtitle of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). These updated versions are modifications to the currently adopted standards for the following retail pharmacy transactions: health care claims or equivalent encounter information; eligibility for a health plan; referral certification and authorization; and coordination of benefits. This final rule also adopts a modification to the standard for the Medicaid pharmacy subrogation transaction.","document_number":"2024-29138","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/13/2024-29138/administrative-simplification-modifications-of-health-insurance-portability-and-accountability-act","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-12-13/pdf/2024-29138.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-29138.pdf?1734011124","publication_date":"2024-12-13","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"},{"raw_name":"Office of the Secretary"}],"excerpts":"for the first time with Version 10, nor do we know if any such payers might instead contract with a vendor to manage this function on their behalf while implementing Version 10. As with PBM and vendor <span class=\"match\">contractual</span> <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span> discussed previously, we assume that HIPAA standard conversions have been priced into ongoing <span class=\"match\">contractual</span> payment <span class=\"match\">arrangements</span> and will not increase costs to third-party payers as a result of converting to Version 10. We solicited comments to help us understand the impacts of converting to Version 10 on State Medicaid agencies"},{"title":"Record of Decision for the Long-Term Management and Storage of Elemental Mercury and Designation of a Long-Term Management and Storage Facility","type":"Notice","abstract":"The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is issuing this Record of Decision (ROD) for the long-term management and storage of elemental mercury to meet the purpose and need for agency action, which is to fulfill DOE's statutory responsibility for long-term management and storage of elemental mercury generated within the United States as required by the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2008 and the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (together referred to herein as MEBA).","document_number":"2024-27859","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/02/2024-27859/record-of-decision-for-the-long-term-management-and-storage-of-elemental-mercury-and-designation-of","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-12-02/pdf/2024-27859.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-27859.pdf?1732887924","publication_date":"2024-12-02","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY","name":"Energy Department","id":136,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/energy-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/136","parent_id":null,"slug":"energy-department"}],"excerpts":"emental-mercury; \n by telephone: 240-243-8753. For general information on the Office of <span class=\"match\">Environmental</span> Management's \n National <span class=\"match\">Environmental</span> Policy Act of 1969 \n (NEPA) process, please contact Bill Ostrum, NEPA Compliance Officer for the Office of <span class=\"match\">Environmental</span> Management, via email \n William.Ostrum@hq.doe.gov. \n \n \n \n \n SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: \n \n This ROD is issued for the \n Long-Term Management and Storage of Elemental Mercury Supplemental <span class=\"match\">Environmental</span> Impact Statement \n (DOE/EIS-0423-S2) (Mercury Storage SEIS-II), which evaluates the storage"},{"title":"Older Americans Act: Grants to State and Community Programs on Aging; Grants to Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian Grantees for Supportive, Nutrition, and Caregiver Services; Grants for Supportive and Nutritional Services to Older Hawaiian Natives; and Allotments for Vulnerable Elder Rights Protection Activities","type":"Rule","abstract":"ACL is issuing this final rule to modernize the implementing regulations of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (\"the Act\" or OAA). These changes advance the policy goals of the Act as articulated by Congress, including equity in service delivery, accountability for funds expended, and clarity of administration for ACL and its grantees. This final rule ultimately facilitates improved service delivery and enhanced benefits for OAA participants, particularly those in greatest economic need and greatest social need consistent with the statute.","document_number":"2024-01913","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/02/14/2024-01913/older-americans-act-grants-to-state-and-community-programs-on-aging-grants-to-indian-tribes-and","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-02-14/pdf/2024-01913.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-01913.pdf?1707227113","publication_date":"2024-02-14","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"},{"raw_name":"Administration for Community Living","name":"Community Living Administration","id":587,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/community-living-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/587","parent_id":221,"slug":"community-living-administration"}],"excerpts":"services to those in greatest <span class=\"match\">social</span> need. We provide additional discussion on methods to target and prioritize services to those in greatest economic and greatest <span class=\"match\">social</span> need in the preamble discussion under § 1321.27.\n \n “Greatest <span class=\"match\">Social</span> Need” \n \n Focusing OAA services on individuals who have the greatest <span class=\"match\">social</span> need is one of the basic tenets of the Act. “Greatest <span class=\"match\">social</span> need” is defined in the Act as “need caused by noneconomic factors” including physical and mental disabilities, language barriers, and cultural, <span class=\"match\">social</span>, or geographic isolation,"},{"title":"Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2026 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; and Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program","type":"Rule","abstract":"This major final rule addresses: changes to the physician fee schedule (PFS); other changes to Medicare Part B payment policies to ensure that payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice, relative value of services, and changes in the statute; codification of establishment of new policies for: the Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; the Ambulatory Specialty Model; updates to the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program expanded model; updates to drugs and biological products paid under Part B; Medicare Shared Savings Program requirements; updates to the Quality Payment Program; updates to policies for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers; update to the Ambulance Fee Schedule regulations; codification of the Inflation Reduction Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 provisions; updates to the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program.","document_number":"2025-19787","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/05/2025-19787/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-cy-2026-payment-policies-under-the-physician-fee-schedule-and-other","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-11-05/pdf/2025-19787.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-19787.pdf?1761945018","publication_date":"2025-11-05","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"},{"raw_name":"Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services","name":"Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services","id":45,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/45","parent_id":221,"slug":"centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services"}],"excerpts":"purpose of CHI services. Some of the examples that commenters provided as an alternative to “<span class=\"match\">social</span> determinants of health” included: “<span class=\"match\">social</span> drivers of health, drivers of health, or health-related <span class=\"match\">social</span> needs.” Many of these commenters noted that other CMS programs use the term <span class=\"match\">social</span> drivers of health and requested that CMS use consistent naming conventions (88 FR 78933). After further consideration of the code descriptors, we proposed to replace the term “<span class=\"match\">social</span> determinants of health (SDOH)” with the term “upstream driver(s)”. We have determined that"},{"title":"Federal Acquisition Regulation: Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul Parts 1, 2, 4, 33, 39, 40, and 53","type":"Proposed Rule","abstract":"OFPP, DoD, GSA, and NASA (collectively referred to as the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council or FAR Council) are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 14275, Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement. The E.O. directs the elimination of excessive acquisition regulations to stop the inefficient use of American taxpayer dollars. The FAR Council is issuing twelve proposed rules that collectively will streamline the FAR in its entirety. This rule proposes revisions to FAR parts 1, 2, 4, 33, 39, 40, 52, and 53.","document_number":"2026-12559","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/23/2026-12559/federal-acquisition-regulation-revolutionary-federal-acquisition-regulation-overhaul-parts-1-2-4-33","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-23/pdf/2026-12559.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-12559.pdf?1782132314","publication_date":"2026-06-23","agencies":[{"raw_name":"OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET","name":"Management and Budget Office","id":280,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/management-and-budget-office","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/280","parent_id":null,"slug":"management-and-budget-office"},{"raw_name":"Office of Federal Procurement Policy","name":"Federal Procurement Policy Office","id":184,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/federal-procurement-policy-office","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/184","parent_id":280,"slug":"federal-procurement-policy-office"},{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE","name":"Defense Department","id":103,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/defense-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/103","parent_id":null,"slug":"defense-department"},{"raw_name":"GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION","name":"General Services Administration","id":210,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/general-services-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/210","parent_id":null,"slug":"general-services-administration"},{"raw_name":"NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION","name":"National Aeronautics and Space Administration","id":301,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/301","parent_id":null,"slug":"national-aeronautics-and-space-administration"}],"excerpts":"factors including common ownership, common management, and <span class=\"match\">contractual</span> relationships. SBA determines affiliation based on the factors set forth at 13 CFR 121.103.\n \n \n Small business subcontractor \n means a concern that does not exceed the size standard for the North American Industry Classification Systems code that the prime contractor determines best describes the product or service being acquired by the subcontract.\n \n \n Small Business Teaming <span class=\"match\">Arrangement</span>— \n \n (1) Means an <span class=\"match\">arrangement</span> where— \n (i) Two or more small business concerns have formed"},{"title":"Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2026 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; and Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program","type":"Proposed Rule","abstract":"This major proposed rule addresses: changes to the physician fee schedule (PFS); other changes to Medicare Part B payment policies to ensure that payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice, relative value of services, and changes in the statute; codification of establishment of new policies for: the Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; the Ambulatory Specialty Model; updates to the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program expanded model; updates to drugs and biological products paid under Part B; Medicare Shared Savings Program requirements; updates to the Quality Payment Program; updates to policies for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers update to the Ambulance Fee Schedule regulations; codification of the Inflation Reduction Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 provisions; updates to the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program.","document_number":"2025-13271","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/16/2025-13271/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-cy-2026-payment-policies-under-the-physician-fee-schedule-and-other","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-07-16/pdf/2025-13271.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-13271.pdf?1752524111","publication_date":"2025-07-16","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"},{"raw_name":"Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services","name":"Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services","id":45,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/45","parent_id":221,"slug":"centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services"}],"excerpts":"of CHI services. Some of the examples that commenters provided as an alternative to “<span class=\"match\">social</span> determinants of health” included: “<span class=\"match\">social</span> drivers of health, drivers of health, or health-related <span class=\"match\">social</span> needs.” Many of these commenters noted that other CMS programs use the term <span class=\"match\">social</span> drivers of health and requested that CMS use consistent naming conventions (88 FR 78933). After further consideration of the code descriptors, we are proposing to replace the term “<span class=\"match\">social</span> determinants of health (SDOH)” with the term “upstream driver(s)”. We have determined"},{"title":"Ownership and Control and Contractual Assistance Requirements for the 8(a) Business Development Program","type":"Rule","abstract":"This final rule makes several changes to the ownership and control requirements for the 8(a) Business Development (BD) program, including recognizing a process for allowing a change of ownership for a former Participant that is still performing one or more 8(a) contracts and permitting an individual to own an applicant or Participant where the individual can demonstrate that financial obligations have been settled and discharged by the Federal Government. The rule also makes several changes relating to 8(a) contracts, including clarifying that a contracting officer cannot limit an 8(a) competition to Participants having more than one certification and clarifying the rules pertaining to issuing sole source 8(a) orders under an 8(a) multiple award contract. The rule also makes several other revisions to incorporate changes to SBA's other government contracting programs, including changes to implement a statutory amendment from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, to include blanket purchase agreements in the list of contracting vehicles that are covered by the definitions of consolidation and bundling, and to more clearly specify the requirements relating to waivers of the nonmanufacturer rule.","document_number":"2023-07855","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/27/2023-07855/ownership-and-control-and-contractual-assistance-requirements-for-the-8a-business-development","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-04-27/pdf/2023-07855.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-07855.pdf?1682513117","publication_date":"2023-04-27","agencies":[{"raw_name":"SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION","name":"Small Business Administration","id":468,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/small-business-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/468","parent_id":null,"slug":"small-business-administration"}],"excerpts":"proposed language in this final rule.\n \n \n Section 124.103 \n Section 124.103 describes the rules pertaining to <span class=\"match\">social</span> disadvantage status. Section 124.103(c) details how an individual who is not a member of one of the groups presumed to be <span class=\"match\">socially</span> disadvantaged may establish his or her individual <span class=\"match\">social</span> disadvantage. It provides that an individual must identify an objective distinguishing feature that has contributed to his or her <span class=\"match\">social</span> disadvantage and lists physical handicap as one such possible identifiable feature. In order to be consistent"},{"title":"Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program","type":"Rule","abstract":"With this final rule, DoD establishes the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program in order to verify contractors have implemented required security measures necessary to safeguard Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). The mechanisms discussed in this rule will allow the Department to confirm a defense contractor or subcontractor has implemented the security requirements for a specified CMMC level and is maintaining that status (meaning level and assessment type) across the contract period of performance. This rule will be updated as needed, using the appropriate rulemaking process, to address evolving cybersecurity standards, requirements, threats, and other relevant changes.","document_number":"2024-22905","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/10/15/2024-22905/cybersecurity-maturity-model-certification-cmmc-program","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-10-15/pdf/2024-22905.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-22905.pdf?1728650732","publication_date":"2024-10-15","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE","name":"Defense Department","id":103,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/defense-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/103","parent_id":null,"slug":"defense-department"},{"raw_name":"Office of the Secretary"}],"excerpts":"40hrs = $3,838) \n • A staff IT <span class=\"match\">specialist</span> (IT4) for 46 hours ($97.49/hr × 46hrs = $4,485) \n • A senior IT <span class=\"match\">specialist</span> (IT3) for 26 hours ($81.96/hr × 26hrs = $2,131) \n • An IT <span class=\"match\">specialist</span> (IT2) for 34 hours ($54.27/hr × 34hrs = $1,845) \n \n • \n Phase 2: Conducting the self-assessment: \n $19,964\n \n • A director (MGMT5) for 24 hours ($190.52/hr × 24hrs = $4,572) \n • A manager (MGMT2) for 24 hours ($95.96/hr × 24hrs = $2,303) \n • A staff IT <span class=\"match\">specialist</span> (IT4) for 56 hours ($97.49/hr × 56hrs = $5,460) \n • A senior IT <span class=\"match\">specialist</span> (IT3) for 56 hours ($81.96/hr"},{"title":"Reimagining and Improving Student Education-Federal Student Loan Program Final Regulations","type":"Rule","abstract":"The Secretary amends the regulations for the Federal student loan programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended (the title IV, HEA programs) to implement the statutory changes to the title IV, HEA programs included in Public Law 119-21, the Working Families Tax Cuts Act signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025. The Department previously referred to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act as the \"One Big Beautiful Bill Act,\" including in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published on January 30, 2026. These changes include establishing new loan limits for graduate students, professional students, and parents, and phasing out the Graduate PLUS (Grad PLUS) Program. The Working Families Tax Cuts Act also simplifies the current broken and confusing myriad of Federal student loan repayment plans by phasing out the existing Income- Contingent Repayment (ICR) plans, creating a new Tiered Standard repayment plan option, and establishing a new income-driven repayment plan known as the Repayment Assistance Plan. The Working Families Tax Cuts Act also enables borrowers in default who have previously rehabilitated a defaulted loan a second chance to rehabilitate their loan(s) and resume repayment.","document_number":"2026-08556","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/01/2026-08556/reimagining-and-improving-student-education-federal-student-loan-program-final-regulations","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-05-01/pdf/2026-08556.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-08556.pdf?1777553126","publication_date":"2026-05-01","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION","name":"Education Department","id":126,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/education-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/126","parent_id":null,"slug":"education-department"}],"excerpts":"claim that a bachelor's degree is sufficient to practice. One commenter highlighted clinical <span class=\"match\">social</span> workers' independence by citing Section 1861(hh)(1)(A) of the <span class=\"match\">Social</span> Security Act, which defines a “clinical <span class=\"match\">social</span> worker” as an individual who possesses a master's or doctors' degree in <span class=\"match\">social</span> work, has completed at least two years of supervised clinical <span class=\"match\">social</span> work, and is licensed or certified as a clinical <span class=\"match\">social</span> worker. \n Some commenters also made a legal argument that the Department's reasoning focuses too heavily on beginning practice in a given"},{"title":"Exercise of Time-Limited Authority To Increase the Fiscal Year 2026 Numerical Limitation for the H-2B Temporary Nonagricultural Worker Program","type":"Rule","abstract":"The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, is exercising time-limited Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 authority to issue up to, but not more than, an additional 64,716 visas for the fiscal year. All of these supplemental visas will be available only to those American businesses that are suffering or will suffer impending irreparable harm, i.e., those facing permanent and severe financial loss, as attested by the employer. These supplemental visas will be distributed in three allocations based on the petitioner's start date of need through the end of the fiscal year.","document_number":"2026-02131","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/03/2026-02131/exercise-of-time-limited-authority-to-increase-the-fiscal-year-2026-numerical-limitation-for-the","pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-02-03/pdf/2026-02131.pdf","public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-02131.pdf?1769807723","publication_date":"2026-02-03","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY","name":"Homeland Security Department","id":227,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/homeland-security-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/227","parent_id":null,"slug":"homeland-security-department"},{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF LABOR","name":"Labor Department","id":271,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/labor-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/271","parent_id":null,"slug":"labor-department"},{"raw_name":"Employment and Training Administration","name":"Employment and Training Administration","id":133,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/employment-and-training-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/133","parent_id":271,"slug":"employment-and-training-administration"}],"excerpts":"138 \n \n DHS multiplied the average hourly U.S. wage rate for HR <span class=\"match\">specialists</span> and for in-house lawyers by the benefits-to-wage multiplier of 1.46 to estimate total compensation to employees. The total compensation for an HR <span class=\"match\">specialist</span> is $55.96 per hour, and the total compensation for an in-house lawyer is $128.28 per hour.\n 139 \n \n \n \n \n 136 \n  U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, “May 2024 National Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics” Human Resources <span class=\"match\">Specialist</span> (13-1071), Mean Hourly Wage, available at \n https://www.bls.gov/news"}]}