The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) implemented a rule in March 2024, with help from the Biden Administration, capping most credit card late fees at $8. This was a significant reduction from the average late fee of $32. "Today's rule ends the era of big credit card companies hiding behind the excuse of inflation when they hike fees on borrowers and boost their own bottom lines," said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra.
In May 2024, a federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked the regulatory rule from taking effect. U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman of Fort Worth, appointed by former President Donald Trump, said in his preliminary injunction, "any regulations promulgated under that regime are likely unconstitutional as well [.]" He cited a ruling by the 5th U.S. Circut Court of Appeals from 2022 that found the funding structure of the CFPB to be unconstitutional. The funding has been part of a political back-and-forth argument since the bureau receives money directly from the Federal Reserve System outside of the traditional congressional budget appropriations process.
The future of the CFPB rule is uncertain as it awaits further legal challenges.
The Biden administration banned oil and gas drilling on 13.3 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (NPR-A) on Alaska’s North Slope.
In a statement, President Biden said, “I am proud that my Administration is taking action to conserve more than 13 million acres in the Western Arctic and to honor the culture, history, and enduring wisdom of Alaska Natives who have lived on and stewarded these lands since time immemorial.”
The Biden-Harris Administration announced it will be designating $7 billion in grants for the installation of residential solar projects.
The money will be available via grants through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Solar for All grant competition, a key component of the Inflation Reduction Act’s $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Selectees under the Solar for All program will serve every state and territory in the nation and deliver residential solar power to over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities
According to a released White House statement, "this final action will address PFOA and PFOS contamination by enabling investigation and cleanup of these harmful chemicals and ensuring that leaks, spills, and other releases are reported."
Over 5,000 sites throughout the United States are contaminated with hazardous "forever chemicals" called PFAS, posing a serious national health and environmental crisis. “Forever" chemicals build up in our bodies and never break down in the environment. They are used in thousands of consumer and industrial applications to make products nonstick, stain-repellent, and waterproof. The Biden administration has taken a significant step towards addressing this issue by classifying PFOA and PFOS, two of the most harmful PFAS chemicals, as hazardous substances.
Per a statement from the Biden Administration, the Sustainable Products and Services procurement final rule modernizes existing Federal sustainable purchasing standards and directs the U.S. Government, as the world’s single largest purchaser, to prioritize the purchase of American-made sustainable products and services.
“President Biden has tasked Federal agencies with leading by example toward a more sustainable future, including by buying products that are safer for the environment and for communities,” said Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
According to a White House fact sheet, nursing homes that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding will be required to provide 3.48 hours of staff time per resident each day. This includes care from registered nurses (0.55 hours per resident per day) and nurse aides (2.45 hours per resident per day). Additionally, nursing homes will be required to have a registered nurse on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
These regulations will be implemented gradually, with rural areas receiving more time to comply. Some exceptions will be granted to nursing homes in areas experiencing a shortage of staff who are actively trying to hire more. While these new requirements could potentially reduce accidents in nursing homes, there is concern about the additional costs for families with loved ones in these facilities.
“Under this regulation, it will not matter if guns are sold on the internet, at a gun show, or at a brick-and-mortar store: if you sell guns predominantly to earn a profit, you must be licensed, and you must conduct background checks,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
“This latest Biden Administration attack on law-abiding gun owners is a blatant attempt to coerce Americans to forego legal activity with firearms under threat of potential confiscation of their lawfully acquired and constitutionally protected property,” said Randy Kozuch, the executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, in a statement. “NRA is already working to use all means available to stop this unlawful rule.”
“Noncompete clauses keep wages low, suppress new ideas, and rob the American economy of dynamism, including from the more than 8,500 new startups that would be created a year once noncompetes are banned,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The FTC’s final rule to ban noncompetes will ensure Americans have the freedom to pursue a new job, start a new business, or bring a new idea to market.”
18% of workers are covered by non-competes which means about 30 million people could be impacted by this new ruling.
“These final regulations clarify Title IX’s requirement that schools promptly and effectively address all forms of [...] discrimination,” said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. “We look forward to working with schools, students, and families..."
The change in Title IX rolled back several changes made by the Trump Administration including one that required colleges and universities to hold live hearings with cross-examinations of both parties.
Per the Department of Education’s press release, the final regulations will:
- Protect against all discrimination and antagonization between male and female students
- Promote accountability and fairness
- Empower and support students and families
New rules implemented by the Department of Transportation (DOT) in the U.S. make it easier for passengers to get cash refunds from airlines in certain situations.
- Automatic Refunds: Airlines are required to give your money back automatically if they significantly delay or cancel your flight, significantly delay your checked bags, or fail to deliver the extra services you paid for (like priority boarding or Wi-Fi service).
- Time Limits: Refunds must be prompt, meaning within 7 days for credit card purchases.
- Clearer Definitions: The rules define what constitutes a "significant delay" for cancellations (3 hours domestically or 6 hours internationally) giving you a better idea of when you're entitled to a refund.
“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them—without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”
