This Week in Federal Regulations — 2026-05-18
TITLE: This Week in Federal Regulations — May 18, 2026: DOT CDLIS Fee Hike, Treasury Crypto Broker Hearing, FERC PJM Reforms
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At a glance
A light but consequential Monday on the Federal Register: Transportation moves to raise fees on the Commercial Driver's License Information System, Treasury schedules a public hearing on digital-asset broker reporting, and FERC convenes a technical conference on PJM governance. Education opens three competitive grant cycles. Below is the agency-by-agency breakdown.
Transportation Department
FMCSA's proposed fee increase for the Commercial Driver's License Information System is the week's headline compliance item for motor carriers and state licensing agencies.
- 2026-09943 proposes new fees for the Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS), touching 49 CFR Part 384/385 territory; states and carriers querying CDLIS should review cost-recovery assumptions and budget impact before the comment window closes.
- 2026-09942 (FAA) would establish Class E airspace at Geneva, OH under 14 CFR Part 71 to support instrument approaches — routine but worth a glance for regional operators.
Treasury Department
- 2026-09941 sets a public hearing on the proposed rule allowing brokers to electronically furnish payee statements for digital-asset sales — a procedural but high-stakes step for the 26 CFR Part 1 crypto broker reporting regime. Firms preparing 1099-DA workflows should plan to monitor or testify.
Energy Department (FERC)
FERC's PJM governance technical conference is the marquee item, signaling continued federal scrutiny of RTO stakeholder processes amid load growth and capacity-market stress.
- 2026-09924 announces a Commission-led technical conference on PJM governance and stakeholder reforms — a forum LSEs, generators, and state commissions will want to track closely.
- 2026-09923 notices closed meetings to implement Defense Production Act voluntary agreements on energy — limited transparency but signals active DPA coordination.
- Three project-specific FERC notices advance hydro and gas dockets: 2026-09922 opens NEPA scoping for Texas Eastern's Athens Optimization gas project; 2026-09921 sets the water-quality certification clock for Dominion/Bath County pumped storage; and 2026-09920 declares Oglethorpe Power's hydro application ready for environmental analysis, with terms-and-conditions comments now open.
Education Department
Three competitive grant competitions opened simultaneously, giving migrant-serving institutions and community organizations a synchronized application window.
- 2026-09932 (College Assistance Migrant Program), 2026-09931 (High School Equivalency Program), and 2026-09927 (Promise Neighborhoods) all announce FY competitions; eligible IHEs, nonprofits, and LEAs should align proposal teams against overlapping deadlines.
Commerce Department
- 2026-09937, 2026-09929, and 2026-09928 schedule public meetings of the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Western Pacific Fishery Management Councils respectively — a full coast-to-coast slate for fisheries stakeholders engaging on 50 CFR Part 600 management actions.
- 2026-09926 (NOAA) submits the International Dolphin Conservation Program information collection to OMB for renewal under the PRA; tuna importers and vessel operators in the IDCP should confirm reporting burden estimates.
Justice Department (DEA)
- 2026-09930 posts Benuvia Operations, LLC's application to bulk-manufacture controlled substances under 21 CFR Part 1301, opening the standard objection window for competitors and interested parties.
International Trade Commission
- 2026-09934 revises the schedule in the AD/CVD investigations of unwrought palladium from Russia — petitioners, respondents, and US refiners/auto-catalyst importers should reset calendars for briefs and hearings.
Securities and Exchange Commission
- 2026-09925 sends the Form N-CSR information collection to OMB for a three-year extension under the PRA; registered funds need take no immediate action, but the burden estimates are worth reviewing for shareholder-report compliance budgeting.
Agriculture Department
- 2026-09935 requests comment on renewing the SNAP FNS-380 Quality Control Worksheet information collection — state SNAP agencies that perform QC reviews are the primary respondents and should weigh in on burden estimates.
Other
- 2026-09939 is a Sunshine Act meeting notice from the Udall Foundation; no substantive regulatory content.
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*Compiled from the Federal Register's May 18, 2026 publication list. Document numbers link to the official notice text.*