October is approaching and a series of new regulations will come into effect. Which ones affect you and me?
Sichuan Regulations
Sichuan adds 10 new categories to its consumer trade-in subsidy program. Sichuan will implement an independent-category subsidy policy for consumer goods trade-ins. From October 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026, individual consumers who purchase 10 categories of products — smart range hoods, smart household stoves, smart dishwashers, water purifiers (including direct drinking machines and pipeline machines), smart cleaning robots (including robot vacuums, floor scrubbers, and vacuum cleaners), smart toilets (including toilet seats), digital cameras (including action cameras), smart drones, smart projectors, and smart earphones — will receive subsidies. Subsidized products must be Grade 1 energy-efficiency or water-efficiency products (no requirement applies if no energy or water efficiency standard exists). The subsidy standard is 15% of the final sales price after deducting discounts at all stages. Each consumer may receive a subsidy for one unit of each product category, with a maximum subsidy of 1,500 yuan per unit.
Chengdu introduces new parking fee rules, promoting precise billing by the minute. The Measures for the Administration of Motor Vehicle Parking Service Charges in Chengdu will take effect on October 1, 2026. Regarding billing methods, the new rules specify that motor vehicle parking lots subject to government-set or government-guided pricing should gradually reduce the duration of their time units, progressively promoting precise billing by the minute or not charging if less than one time unit; parking lots subject to market-adjusted pricing are encouraged to reasonably determine and gradually reduce their time unit durations.
Chengdu's new rental housing rules take effect on October 15. Two new regulations in Chengdu — the Notice on Strengthening the Management of Business Commencement Information Reporting by Housing Rental Enterprises and the Measures for the Supervision of Housing Rental Funds in Chengdu — will take effect on October 15, 2026. The new rules implement a "business filing plus fund supervision" dual-line closed-loop management system for housing rental enterprises, safeguarding the security of public rental funds, preventing risks from the source such as "collecting long-term rent while paying short-term" and "running away with funds," and effectively protecting the legitimate rights and interests of parties involved in housing rentals.
The Yibin Electric Bicycle Management Regulations take effect on October 1. The Yibin Electric Bicycle Management Regulations will officially take effect on October 1, 2026. The regulations systematically address electric bicycle production and sales, registration and licensing, riding and passage, parking and charging, and legal liability, clarifying multiple mandatory requirements such as wearing helmets while riding, strictly prohibiting modification or assembly, banning electric bicycles from entering elevators and stairwells, and regulating the carrying of passengers and goods.
Meishan's long-term care insurance takes effect on October 1. The Detailed Implementation Rules for Long-Term Care Insurance in Meishan City will take effect on October 1, 2026, implementing the province's uniformly determined benchmark premium rates and contribution bases. Insured persons may choose home, community, or institutional care based on their actual circumstances to receive long-term care insurance services. Long-term care insurance benefits have no deductible. For those insured under the employee participation policy, the maximum monthly payment standard is 1,260 yuan per person for severe level-1 disability, 1,400 yuan per person for severe level-2 disability, and 1,470 yuan per person for severe level-3 disability; for those insured under the unemployed urban and rural resident participation policy, the maximum monthly payment standard is 840 yuan per person for severe level-1 disability, 980 yuan per person for severe level-2 disability, and 1,050 yuan per person for severe level-3 disability.
National Regulations
Prescriptions for narcotic and psychotropic drugs for minors require written informed consent from guardians. The Regulations on the Administration of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Drugs in Medical Institutions will take effect on October 1. The regulations expand the scope of application for narcotic and psychotropic drug management from medicinal narcotic drugs and Class I psychotropic drugs to all medicinal narcotic and psychotropic drugs (including medicinal narcotic drugs, Class I psychotropic drugs, and Class II psychotropic drugs). The regulations also specify that prescribing narcotic and psychotropic drugs to minors requires obtaining written informed consent from their guardians.
The entire class of orphine-type substances is placed under control. The Ministry of Public Security, the National Health Commission, and the National Medical Products Administration jointly issued an announcement to list the entire class of orphine-type substances in the Catalogue of Non-Medicinal Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Drugs, effective from October 1. The announcement clarifies the chemical structure determination conditions for orphine-type substances, covering multiple structural analogs.
New CCC certification rules for electronic toilet seats and electric blankets take effect. The State Administration for Market Regulation has updated the mandatory product certification rules for electronic toilet seats, electric blankets, and other flexible heating appliances, effective from October 1. The new rules clarify key points for production enterprise quality assurance capabilities and product consistency control, strengthen post-certification supervision, refine sampling and testing requirements, and implement more scientific classified management for enterprises, covering the entire CCC certification chain for electronic toilet seats, electric blankets, electric heating pads, and similar flexible heating appliances, and firmly consolidating the main responsibilities of all parties involved in certification activities.
New national standard for recycled pulp takes effect in October. The newly revised national standard for Recycled Pulp will officially take effect on October 1, 2026. The national standard for Recycled Pulp clarifies for the first time that recycled pulp raw materials must use classified and recycled paper, paperboard, and paper products, strictly prohibiting the use of unclean raw materials such as discarded household paper and medical paper, safeguarding the hygiene and safety of recycled pulp from the source. The standard adds definitions, production process flows, and key control procedures for dry-process recycled pulp and wet-process recycled pulp, clarifying that both must undergo multiple processing steps including sorting, pulping, screening, impurity removal, and dissociation. Waste paper fragments that have only undergone simple shearing, baling, or other rough processing do not fall within the scope of recycled pulp, effectively preventing solid waste from being imported under the guise of recycled pulp. Microbial disinfection and testing requirements are also added.
Strict rules on child left-behind warnings and more. New national standard for electronic functions of child seats takes effect. From October 1, the national standard Technical Specifications for Electronic Functions of Child Restraint Systems for Motor Vehicle Occupants will take effect. This is the first national standard developed for child seats with electronic functions, specifying product classification, technical requirements, test methods, labeling, and documentation. Core basic functions cover key requirements such as low battery reminders, anti-pinch, child restraint status detection, installation reminders, and sound device volume, with strict rules on communication interaction, data transmission, and child left-behind warnings. Safety protection requirements detail battery mis-installation prevention and protection against injury from damaged electronic components, standardizing electrical indicators across the entire chain to ensure electrical safety. Mechanical and reliability requirements specify standards for vibration, drop, and other mechanical loads, as well as reliability indicators for switches, rotating parts, and connectors.
New cybersecurity supervision and inspection rules issued, clarifying inspection targets and content. The Measures for Public Security Organs' Cybersecurity Supervision and Inspection will take effect on October 1. The measures consist of 23 articles covering six main areas: First, clarifying supervision and inspection targets, including network operators, data processors, and personal information processors; Second, clarifying supervision and inspection methods, including online patrols, offline verification, routine inspections, and special inspections; Third, clarifying supervision and inspection content, including whether inspected entities fulfill their statutory cybersecurity obligations and key inspection content during major event security periods; Fourth, clarifying the supervision and inspection mechanism, requiring strengthened departmental coordination and joint inspections under the overall coordination of national cybersecurity and data security mechanisms to reduce the burden on enterprises; Fifth, clarifying the use of inspection results, with public security organs taking measures such as urging rectification, sending public security reminder letters, and imposing penalties based on inspection findings; Sixth, clarifying relevant legal responsibilities, specifying the legal liability of public security organs and their staff for dereliction of duty, abuse of power, and leaking state secrets.
Parties involved in multiple types of conduct are listed as severely dishonest entities. The Provisions of the National Financial Regulatory Administration on the Management of the List of Severely Dishonest Entities (Trial) will take effect on October 1. The provisions specify that when a party violates laws and regulations and receives any of the following administrative penalties from the National Financial Regulatory Administration or its dispatched agencies, it shall be listed as a severely dishonest entity in accordance with these provisions: legal entities whose operating license or business license is revoked; those whose lifetime qualification is cancelled or revoked; those permanently banned from working in the banking industry or permanently banned from entering the insurance industry.