# Requests for Arbitration Panels

**Action Urgency Score:** 30/100

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Agency | Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service |
| Type | Final rule |
| Action | Interim final rule; request for comments. |
| Published | 2026-08-04 |
| Effective | 2026-08-04 |
| Significant | No |
| CFR parts | 29 CFR 1404 |
| Summary | The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) is issuing an interim final rule with requests for comments to amend its arbitration services regulations. The interim final rule clarifies the circumstances in which the Office of Arbitration (OA) may decline to issue an arbitration panel, make a direct appointment, or provide related arbitration services. The rule would remove language that could be read to require FMCS to honor every unilateral request for an arbitration panel, regardless of legal constraints or FMCS's authority. FMCS seeks public comment on this interim final rule. |
| Document number | 2026-15798 |

## Why this score
- Final rule.

Source: Federal Register API (Office of the Federal Register) (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/04/2026-15798/requests-for-arbitration-panels). Last refreshed: 2026-11-04T21:40:49.974Z.
Data from the Federal Register API; the published Federal Register document is authoritative. Informational only, not legal advice.