This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

890 

Vol. 87, No. 5 

Friday, January 7, 2022 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Parts 429 and 430 

[EERE–2020–BT–TP–0012] 

RIN 1904–AE49 

Energy Conservation Program: Test 

Procedures for Battery Chargers; 

Extension of Comment Period 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; 

extension of public comment period. 

SUMMARY: On November 23, 2021, the 

U.S. Department of Energy (‘‘DOE’’) 

published a notice of proposed 

rulemaking and request for comment 

proposing to amend the test procedures 

for battery chargers to improve test 

procedure representativeness. The 

document provided a comment period 

deadline for submitting written 

comments, data, and information by 

January 24, 2022. DOE received a joint 

request from interested parties seeking a 

30-day extension of the public comment 

period. DOE has reviewed this request 

and is granting an extension of the 

public comment period for 14 days to 

allow public comments to be submitted 

until February 7, 2022. 

DATES: The comment period for the 

proposal published on November 23, 

2021 (86 FR 66878) is extended. DOE 

will accept comments, data, and 

information regarding this proposal that 

are received no later than February 7, 

2022. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

encouraged to submit comments using 

the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

Alternatively, interested persons may 

submit comments, identified by docket 

number EERE–2020–BT–TP–0012, by 

any of the following methods: 

1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

2. Email to: 

BatteryChargers2020TP0012@

ee.doe.gov. Include docket number 

EERE–2020–BT–TP–0012 in the subject 

line of the message. 

No telefacsimilies (‘‘faxes’’) will be 

accepted. 

Although DOE has routinely accepted 

public comment submissions through a 

variety of mechanisms, including postal 

mail and hand delivery/courier, the 

Department has found it necessary to 

make temporary modifications to the 

comment submission process in light of 

the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic. DOE 

is currently accepting only electronic 

submissions at this time. If a commenter 

finds that this change poses an undue 

hardship, please contact Appliance 

Standards Program staff at (202) 586– 

1445 to discuss the need for alternative 

arrangements. Once the COVID–19 

pandemic health emergency is resolved, 

DOE anticipates resuming all of its 

regular options for public comment 

submission, including postal mail and 

hand delivery/courier. 

Docket: The docket for this activity, 

which includes Federal Register 

notices, comments, and other 

supporting documents/materials, is 

available for review at 

www.regulations.gov. All documents in 

the docket are listed in the 

www.regulations.gov index. However, 

some documents listed in the index, 

such as those containing information 

that is exempt from public disclosure, 

may not be publicly available. 

The docket web page can be found at: 

www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE2020-BT-TP-0012. The docket web page 

contains instructions on how to access 

all documents, including public 

comments, in the docket. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mr. Jeremy Dommu, U.S. Department 

of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency 

and Renewable Energy, Building 

Technologies Office, EE–5B, 1000 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20585–0121. Telephone: (202) 586– 

9870. Email: 

ApplianceStandardsQuestions@

ee.doe.gov. 

Mr. Michael Kido, U.S. Department of 

Energy, Office of the General Counsel, 

GC–33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. 

Telephone: (202) 586–8145. Email: 

michael.kido@hq.doe.gov. 

For further information on how to 

submit a comment or review other 

public comments and the docket contact 

the Appliance and Equipment 

Standards Program staff at (202) 287– 

1445 or by email: 

ApplianceStandardsQuestions@

ee.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

November 23, 2021, the U.S. 

Department of Energy (‘‘DOE’’) 

published a notice of proposed 

rulemaking and request for comment 

proposing to amend the test procedures 

for battery chargers to improve test 

procedure representativeness. 86 FR 

66878. The proposal would: Establish a 

new appendix Y1 that would expand 

coverage of inductive wireless battery 

chargers and establish associated 

definitions and test provisions; establish 

a new test procedure approach that 

relies on separate metrics for active 

mode, stand-by, and off-mode 

(consequently removing the battery 

charger usage profiles and unit energy 

consumption calculation); and update 

the wall adapter selection criteria. DOE 

also proposed changes to appendix Y to 

reorganize two subsections, to clarify 

symbology and references, to correct an 

incorrect cross reference and section 

title, to update the list of battery 

chemistries, and to terminate an existing 

test procedure waiver because the 

covered subject models have been 

discontinued. DOE further proposed to 

mirror these changes in the newly 

proposed appendix Y1. DOE is seeking 

comment from interested parties on the 

proposals. The document provided an 

opportunity for submitting written 

comments, data, and information by 

January 24, 2022. 

On December 16, 2021, DOE received 

a joint request from the Association of 

Home Appliance Manufacturers, 

Consumer Technology Association, 

Information Technology Industry 

Council, National Electrical 

Manufacturers Association, Outdoor 

Power Equipment Institute, Plumbing 

Manufacturers Institute, and Power Tool 

Institute requesting a 30-day extension 

of the period comment period. These 

joint requesters noted that the comment 

period occurred during the 

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New 

Years holidays and because of vacation 

schedules, it has been difficult to gather 

members for meetings to review the 

proposal and develop meaningful 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 5 / Friday, January 7, 2022 / Proposed Rules 891 

1The parenthetical reference provides a reference 

to the comment extension request in DOE’s 

rulemaking docket. (Docket No. EERE–2020–BT– 

TP–0012, which is maintained at 

www.regulations.gov/comment/EERE-2020-BT-TP0012-0017). The references are arranged as follows: 

(Commenter name, comment docket ID number, 

page of that document). 

1On December 14, 2021, the Commission voted 

4–0 to issue this notice of proposed rulemaking. 

Commissioner Feldman issued a statement in 

connection with his vote. 

comment. The joint request also noted 

that additional time is needed to fully 

evaluate the significant and complex 

changes, including new metrics, being 

proposed and that the statutory deadline 

for battery chargers is not in danger of 

being missed. (Joint Requesters, No. 17 

at p. 1).1

DOE has reviewed the request from 

these interested parties and has decided 

to extend the comment period to allow 

additional time for interested parties to 

submit comments. DOE has determined 

that an extension of 14 days is sufficient 

for this stage of the rulemaking. 

Therefore, DOE is extending the 

comment period until February 7, 2022. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on December 28, 

2021, by Kelly Speakes-Backman, 

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for 

Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

Energy, pursuant to delegated authority 

from the Secretary of Energy. That 

document with the original signature 

and date is maintained by DOE. For 

administrative purposes only, and in 

compliance with requirements of the 

Office of the Federal Register, the 

undersigned DOE Federal Register 

Liaison Officer has been authorized to 

sign and submit the document in 

electronic format for publication, as an 

official document of the Department of 

Energy. This administrative process in 

no way alters the legal effect of this 

document upon publication in the 

Federal Register. 

Signed in Washington, DC, on December 

30, 2021. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2021–28542 Filed 1–6–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY 

COMMISSION 

16 CFR Part 1120 

[CPSC Docket No. CPSC–2021–0038] 

Substantial Product Hazard List: 

Window Covering Cords 

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking. 

SUMMARY: To address the risk of 

strangulation to young children 

associated with certain window 

covering cords, the Consumer Product 

Safety Commission (CPSC) is proposing 

a rule to deem that one or more of the 

following readily observable 

characteristics of window coverings 

present a substantial product hazard 

(SPH) under the Consumer Product 

Safety Act (CPSA): The presence of 

hazardous operating cords on stock 

window coverings, the presence of 

hazardous inner cords on stock and 

custom window coverings, or the 

absence of a manufacturer label on stock 

and custom window coverings. The 

proposed rule would amend the 

Substantial Product Hazard List, which 

lists products that the Commission has 

determined present an SPH if the 

products have or lack specified 

characteristics that are readily 

observable, the hazards have been 

addressed by a voluntary standard, the 

voluntary standard has been effective in 

reducing the risk of injury associated 

with the product, and the products 

substantially comply with the voluntary 

standard. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received by March 23, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by Docket No. CPSC–2021– 

0038, by any of the following methods: 

Electronic Submissions: Submit 

electronic comments to the Federal 

eRulemaking Portal at: https://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

CPSC typically does not accept 

comments submitted by electronic mail 

(email), except through https://

www.regulations.gov. CPSC encourages 

you to submit electronic comments by 

using the Federal eRulemaking Portal, 

as described above. 

Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier Written 

Submissions: Submit comments by 

mail/hand delivery/courier to: Division 

of the Secretariat, Consumer Product 

Safety Commission, 4330 East-West 

Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; 

telephone: (301) 504–7479. 

Alternatively, as a temporary option 

during the COVID–19 pandemic, you 

can email such submissions to: cpsc-os@

cpsc.gov. 

Instructions: All submissions must 

include the agency name and docket 

number for this notice. CPSC may post 

all comments without change, including 

any personal identifiers, contact 

information, or other personal 

information provided, to: https://

www.regulations.gov. Do not submit 

electronically: Confidential business 

information, trade secret information, or 

other sensitive or protected information 

that you do not want to be available to 

the public. If you wish to submit such 

information, please submit it according 

to the instructions for mail/hand 

delivery/courier written submissions. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, go to: https:// 

www.regulations.gov, and insert the 

docket number, CPSC–2021–0038, into 

the ‘‘Search’’ box, and follow the 

prompts. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Rana Balci-Sinha, Director, Division of 

Human Factors, Directorate for 

Engineering Sciences, Office of Hazard 

Identification and Reduction, Consumer 

Product Safety Commission, National 

Product Testing and Evaluation Center, 

5 Research Place, Rockville, MD 20850; 

telephone: 301–987–2584; rbalcisinha@

cpsc.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction 

A. Overview of the Proposed Rule 

The purpose of the proposed rule is 

to address the risk of strangulation to 

children 8 years old and younger 

associated with hazardous cords on 

window coverings.1 The Commission 

issues this notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPR) under section 15(j) of 

the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2064(j), to amend 

the substantial product hazard list in 16 

CFR part 1120 (part 1120). The NPR 

proposes to deem the presence of 

hazardous window covering cords on 

stock and custom window coverings, 

which have been adequately addressed 

by the voluntary standard for window 

coverings, ANSI/WCMA A100.1–2018, 

American National Standard for Safety 

of Corded Window Covering Products 

(ANSI/WCMA–2018), as an SPH, as 

defined in section 15(a)(2) of the CPSA. 

This NPR is based on information and 

analysis contained in CPSC staff’s 

September 29, 2021, Staff Briefing 

Package: Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking for Corded Window 

Coverings (Staff’s NPR Briefing 

Package), available at: https://

www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/NPRs-AddWindow-Covering-Cords-to-SubstantialProduct-Hazard-List-Establish-SafetyStandard-for-Operating-Cords-onCustom-Window-Coverings-updated-10- 

29-2021.pdf?VersionId=HIM05bK

3WDLRZrlNGogQLknhFvhtx3PD. 


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