FCC's 2026 Rulemaking To-Do List: Bureaucracy's Crystal Ball Emerges
Published Date: 8/14/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review (Sep. 30, 1993), requires each agency to publish a regulatory agenda (Agenda) of regulations under development or review during the next year which will be included in the Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (Unified Agenda). 58 FR 51735 (Oct. 4, 1993). The Agenda required by Executive Order 12866 must include all regulations the agency expects to develop or review during the next 12 months, regardless of whether they may have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Executive Order 12866 provides that agencies may combine this agenda with the regulatory flexibility agenda required under the RFA. To help keep the public informed of significant rulemaking proceedings and meet its obligations under the RFA and Executive Order 12866, the Commission has prepared Agenda entries providing a brief description and summary of each regulatory activity that is currently planned for the 12 months, subject to revision, including the objectives and legal basis for each, and the name and telephone number of an agency official who is knowledgeable about items in the agenda. The Commission's Agenda entries published in the Federal Register are only those entries for rules that are likely to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities pursuant to the RFA. The Commission's complete list of regulatory and deregulatory actions for the Unified Agenda will be published on the internet in a searchable format at www.reginfo.gov.
Analyzed Economic Effects
8 provisions identified: 8 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Improve Relay Service Quality
The FCC is reviewing rules for Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) to improve quality and emergency preparedness, consider new TRS technologies, and address payments from the Interstate TRS Fund. These changes are intended to make TRS work better for people who rely on it.
Truth-in-Billing Protections Updated
The FCC proposes modernizing and simplifying slamming and Truth-in-Billing rules to reflect marketplace changes while keeping core protections against unauthorized carrier changes and charges. The goal is to reduce confusing or unauthorized billing practices for consumers.
Better Closed-Captioning Access
The FCC's closed-captioning rules are intended to make video programming more accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing Americans. The proceeding addresses caption quality and related registration and certification rules for video programmers.
Broadband Bill Transparency Push
The FCC lists 'Empowering Broadband Consumers Through Transparency' as an agenda item, which aims to increase transparency for broadband customers so you can better understand service and pricing. This is intended to help consumers compare plans and understand charges.
Fight SIM-Swap and Port-Out Fraud
The FCC is pursuing rules titled 'Protecting Consumers From SIM Swap and Port-Out Fraud' to address frauds in which bad actors hijack phone numbers to access accounts. The work aims to protect consumers from theft and account takeover tied to phone number fraud.
Stronger Limits on Robocalls
The FCC is working on rules to implement the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, which places limits on robocalls, telemarketing calls, and unsolicited fax advertisements. These actions are meant to reduce unwanted automated calls and telemarketing contact for consumers.
Labeling for IoT Cybersecurity
The FCC includes 'Cybersecurity Labeling for Internet Things' on its agenda to create labeling for internet-connected devices. Labels aim to help consumers identify devices with stronger security practices when you buy them.
Targeting Unlawful Text Messages
The FCC lists 'Targeting and Eliminating Unlawful Text Messages' as an agenda item to address unwanted or unlawful robotexts and text-message scams. The goal is to reduce illegal and unwanted text messages sent to consumers.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
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2026-16298, Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission
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2026-16317, Television Broadcasting Services St. George, Utah
This document proposes to amend the Table of TV Allotments (Table) of the Federal Communications Commission's (Commission) rules in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by KUTV Licensee, LLC (Licensee), the Licensee of full service television station KMYU(TV) (KMYU or Station), St. George, Utah (St. George). The Licensee applied for a construction permit (CP) to construct a facility on UHF channel 21 at St. George, which remains pending, and now requests that the Bureau substitute VHF channel 9 for UHF channel 21 in the Table with technical parameters set forth in KMYU's current license. The Media Bureau previously granted a petition for rulemaking submitted by the Licensee to substitute UHF channel 21 for VHF channel 9 at St. George. The Licensee later filed an application for a CP for its new channel, however, under further consideration and restraints, wishes to abandon its plans to modify its license for KMYU to operate on channel 21, and proposes to continue to operate on VHF channel 9 and specify the technical parameters of its currently licensed VHF channel 9 facility. The substitution of VHF channel 9 for UHF channel 21 in the Table will allow the Station to remain on the air and continue to provide service to viewers within its service area. Given that the Licensee proposes to utilize its currently licensed parameters, we believe VHF channel 9 can be substituted for UHF channel 21 at St. George as proposed, in compliance with the principal community coverage requirements of Sec. 73.618(a) of the Commission's rules.
2026-16299, Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal Agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. Pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it can further reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
2026-16294, Privacy Act System of Records
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Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-16614, Regulatory Agenda
In this document, the Commission publishes its regulatory flexibility agenda. Information in this agenda was accurate as of November 2025 when the Commission prepared this agenda.
Next: 2026-16616, Regulatory Agenda
We are publishing our regulatory agenda (the Agenda) in accordance with Public Law 96-354, "The Regulatory Flexibility Act," and Executive Order 12866, "Regulatory Planning and Review." FERC's complete Agenda, available on OMB's website at https://www.reginfo.gov, is a compilation of all rulemaking activities on which we have recently completed action or have proposed or are considering action. Our last Agenda was provided in May 2025 and in this current agenda, we have listed 42 rulemaking activities. We also note that the Agency has one inactive rulemaking that is not listed in this Agenda. This issuance of our Agenda contains ten (10) Pre-Rules, eleven (11) Notice of Proposed Rules, eight (8) Final Rules, and thirteen (13) Completed activities. Four (4) rulemakings are Section 3(f)(1) Significant; two (2) are Other Significant; one (1) is a routine rulemaking activity; two (2) are administrative, and thirty-two (32) are Substantive, Nonsignificant rulemaking activities.