New regs for Tuesday: Text-to-911, grain elevators, flight simulators

Tuesday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new rules for certain air conditioners and heat pumps, grain elevators, flight simulators, distracted driving, and sending emergency text messages to 911.

Here’s what is happening:

Efficiency: The Department of Energy is considering new efficiency standards for packaged terminal air conditioners and heat pumps, the agency said Monday.

The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy says the new rules would save consumers millions of dollars over the next 30 years.

The public has 60 days to comment.

Elevators: The Environmental Protection Agency is delaying new performance standards for grain elevators, which use buckets to scoop up grain and put it in a silo, the agency said Monday.

The EPA announced the proposed rules in July, but said Monday it is extending the comment period through Nov. 6 to give the public more time to consider the changes.

Flight simulators: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is delaying new rules for flight simulation training devices intended to make sure pilots are better prepared to fly through difficult situations, the agency said Monday.

The FAA proposed the new standards in July, but announced Monday it is extending the comment period through Jan. 6, 2015, to give the public more time to consider the changes.

The flight simulation devices would be required to train pilots to handle full stalls, stick pusher maneuvers, recovery maneuvers, maneuvers conducted during airborne icing conditions, takeoff and landing maneuvers with heavy crosswinds, and bounced landing recovery maneuvers, the agency noted.

Emergency services: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is moving forward with a plan to let people send emergency text messages to 911, the agency said Monday.

The FCC said emergency services operations must implement text-to-911 features by June 30, 2015.

“These rules will provide the public with an additional means through which individuals can reach emergency services,” the agency wrote.

Distracted driving: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is moving forward with new rules discouraging distracted driving, the agency said Monday.

The NHTSA is clarifying policies it introduced last year for built-in electronic devices that come standard in many new vehicles, such as integrated GPS systems.