Data / Federal rules / 2026-00689

Removing Outdated and Overly-Prescriptive Regulations Governing the Use of Penalty Mail in the Location and Recovery of Missing Children

The Commerce Department published this final rule in the Federal Register on January 15, 2026. It took effect on January 15, 2026.

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What the agency says

By this rule, the Department of Commerce ("Department") is amending its regulations governing the use of penalty mail to assist in the location and recovery of missing children to remove several sections that are outdated, contain expired reporting requirements, or detail overly prescriptive internal administrative procedures. This action is necessary to streamline the Department's regulations, remove obsolete provisions, and allow for more efficient internal management of this program. The intended effect of this rule is to enhance the clarity of these regulations and provide the Department with greater administrative flexibility, thereby strengthening the Department's ability to implement this important national program.

Key facts

Document number: 2026-00689
Type: Final rule
Action: Final rule
Agency: Commerce Department
Published: January 15, 2026
Takes effect: January 15, 2026
Dates: The rule is effective January 15, 2026.
Docket: Docket No. 260107-0009
Regulation ID (RIN): 0605-AA81
Code of Federal Regulations: 15 CFR 23
Topics: Administrative practice and procedure; Archives and records; Infants and children; Organization and functions (Government agencies); Reporting and recordkeeping requirements
Pages: 2

The document on federalregister.gov PDF

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Everything from the Commerce Department · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on archives and records · Rules on infants and children · Published in January 2026

Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.