Items published in the Federal Register on October 26, 2026, as reported by the Spicy Regs dataset and the Federal Register text.

Vehicles and nuclear power

NHTSA proposes lighting changes for driverless vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed amending Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 (lamps and reflective devices). Turn signal, hazard, and beam-switching control requirements would apply only to vehicles with manually operated driving controls. The proposal would also allow optional cyan ADS marker lamps. NHTSA says the changes address burdens for equipment that does not serve the same purpose in vehicles without manual controls. Comments are due November 25, 2026. Federal Register notice (docket NHTSA-2026-1519).

NRC finalizes a path for previously authorized reactor designs. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a final rule amending 10 CFR Parts 50 and 53. It lets applicants rely on prior Department of Energy or Department of War authorizations of demonstration reactors when showing safety functions in commercial licensing reviews. The agency says this improves review efficiency. The rule takes effect November 25, 2026. Federal Register notice (docket NRC-2025-1503).

Communications

FCC seeks comment on robocall rules. The Federal Communications Commission is asking whether Telephone Consumer Protection Act rules should keep pace with technology. Topics include shortening the time callers have to honor revocation requests, two-way texting functionality, a "revoke all" method, and the treatment of affiliates. Comments are due November 25, 2026, and reply comments December 28, 2026. Federal Register notice.

FCC proposes further space-sector reforms. In a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking titled "Space Modernization for the 21st Century," the FCC seeks comment on additional reforms affecting 47 CFR Parts 5 and 100. Comments are due November 25, 2026, with replies due December 28, 2026. The notice's summary is brief, so details are in the full text. Federal Register notice.

Why it matters

Proposed rules open a public comment window, and the agency weighs the comments it receives before finalizing. The NRC rule is already final and has a set effective date. Comments can be submitted through regulations.gov.