The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending its regulations to permit U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to refer certain affirmative asylum applications to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) without interview. USCIS still offers an interview prior to a grant or denial of asylum. DHS is also removing the requirement that a letter communicating the basis for referral of asylum include an assessment of the alien's credibility.

The U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") is adopting the interim final rule published on August 25, 2025, as final, without change. This final rule establishes the procedures for developing and carrying out voluntary agreements and plans of action under the Defense Production Act. The Defense Production Act provides a defense from antitrust laws with respect to any action taken to develop or carry out any voluntary agreement or plan of action when certain criteria are met.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending its regulations to change the admission period in the F, J, and I classifications from duration of status to an admission for a fixed time period, and additional changes to admission and extension requirements. This final rule will provide additional protections and oversight of these nonimmigrant categories and will allow DHS to better evaluate whether these nonimmigrants are maintaining status while temporarily in the United States. This final rule provides amendments to the proposed rule covering this topic that was published in the Federal Register on August 28, 2025.

This 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 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, 2026 provisions; updates to Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule regulations; updates to the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations that govern its standards for protection against radiation. These proposed revisions would address section 5(b) of Executive Order 14300, "Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission," and would reflect the NRC's experience and other developments in the field of radiation protection since the NRC's last major revisions to these standards in 1991. In addition, the NRC is issuing for public comment draft implementing guidance.

In this final rule, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to provide enhanced favorable treatment for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Specifically, BIS is removing the UAE from Country Groups D:3 and D:4 and adding the UAE to Country Group A:5. More license exceptions will now be available, including Strategic Trade Authorization (STA) for the UAE Government and approved commercial entities in the UAE. STA will authorize the export, reexport, or transfer (in-country) of military items; certain commercial satellites and spacecraft; and dual-use items useful in, inter alia, oil and gas production, desalination, and civil nuclear power generation. The UAE Government and approved commercial entities will also have license-free access to advanced computing items, consistent with the May 2025 U.S.-UAE Artificial Intelligence Cooperation framework, without compromising U.S. digital infrastructure buildout.

The U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE" or "the Department") proposes to update the Department's current rulemaking methodology titled, "Procedures, Interpretations, and Policies for Consideration of New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards and Test Procedures for Consumer Products and Certain Commercial/Industrial Equipment" ("Process Rule"). Specifically, DOE proposes to: make Appendix A binding on DOE for certain actions; amend objectives and considerations consistent with recent Executive orders and Department policies; add a definition of "significant energy savings"; re-instate the comparative analysis requirement, described as a "walk up" approach; include certain economic thresholds; re-instate the description of clear and convincing evidence; and revert to language from the 2020 Process Rule text, with minor edits, in several sections. In addition to requesting written comments on its proposal, DOE will also hold a public meeting to discuss this proposal and obtain additional input.

This proposed rule would revise the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and the Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment system for calendar year 2027 based on our continuing experience with these systems. We also describe the changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare services paid under the OPPS and those paid under the ASC payment systems. In addition, this proposed rule would update and refine the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program and the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program. There are no changes to the Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting Program. We propose to expand the prior authorization requirement to include additional Botulinum Toxin Injection services. We also propose to implement certain provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, for off-campus outpatient departments of a provider. In addition, this proposed rule announces notices of closure of teaching hospitals and opportunities to apply for available slots. This rule also requests information regarding potential approaches to improve comparability and standardization, particularly for complex contracting methodologies, of the HPT information reported in machine- readable files and consumer-friendly displays. We propose hospital AOs with deeming authority to assess compliance with certain Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) administrative requirements during accreditation and reaccreditation surveys. Finally, we are soliciting comments on a potential separate payment under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) for domestic procurement of personal protective equipment and essential medicines.

This final rule removes duplicative and unnecessary sections from the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program regulations. These amendments will streamline the Runaway and Homeless Youth Program regulations to make them more accessible to the public.

This proposed rule would implement the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA), which the President signed on March 15, 2022. The RIA substantially reforms and adds significant integrity provisions to the employment-based, fifth preference (EB-5) visa category for alien investors and the associated Regional Center Program. In general, under the EB-5 program, aliens are eligible to apply for lawful permanent resident status in the United States if they make the necessary investment in a new commercial enterprise in the United States and create 10 permanent full-time jobs for qualified U.S. workers.