Department of Commerce 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of boltless steel shelving units prepackaged for sale (boltless steel shelving) from Malaysia are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less-than-fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation is April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that boltless steel shelving units prepackaged for sale (boltless steel shelving) from Taiwan are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less-than-fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation is April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that imports of boltless steel shelving units prepackaged for sale (boltless steel shelving) from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam) are being, or likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation is October 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) proposes modifications to the rules of practice for inter partes review (IPR) and post-grant review (PGR) proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) that the Director and, by delegation, the PTAB will use in exercising discretion to institute IPRs and PGRs. The Office proposes these provisions in light of stakeholder feedback received in response to an October 2020 Request for Comments (RFC) and an April 2023 Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM). The proposals enhance and build on existing precedent and guidance regarding the exercise of the Director's discretion pursuant to the America Invents Act (AIA) to determine whether to institute an IPR or PGR proceeding with regard to serial petitions, parallel petitions, and petitions implicating the same or substantially the same art or arguments previously presented to the Office. The proposed rules also provide a separate briefing process for discretionary institution arguments and align the procedures for termination of proceedings pre- and post- institution.

NMFS announces the availability of the "Draft Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment (SPEA) for Fisheries Research Conducted and Funded by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center." Publication of this notice begins the official public comment period for this SPEA. The purpose of this Draft SPEA is to evaluate potential direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of changes in research that were not analyzed in the 2019 Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA), or new research activities in the North Pacific Ocean and marine waters off of Alaska. Where necessary, updates to certain information on species, stock status or other components of the affected environment that may result in different conclusions from the 2019 PEA are presented in this analysis.

Pursuant to provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. 1001 et seq, the Department of Commerce announces the renewal of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee (the Committee). The Committee shall advise the Secretary of Commerce regarding the development and administration of programs and policies to expand the competitiveness of U.S. exports of renewable energy and energy efficiency goods and services. The Committee's work on renewable energy will focus on technologies, equipment, and services to generate electricity, produce heat, and power vehicles from renewable sources such as solar, wind, biomass, hydropower, geothermal, and hydrogen. The Committee's work on energy efficiency will focus on technologies, services, and platforms that provide system-level energy efficiency to electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. These include smart grid technologies and services, as well as equipment and systems that increase the resiliency of power infrastructure such as energy storage. Climate solutions in the energy sector, such as low-carbon hydrogen production, clean energy transportation, and virtual power plants are also within the scope of the Committee. For the purposes of this Committee, covered goods and services will not include vehicles, feedstock for biofuels, or energy efficiency as it relates to consumer goods or buildings. Non- fossil fuels that reduce carbon consumption (e.g., liquid biofuels and pellets) are included. This notice also requests nominations for membership.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is revoking, in part, the antidumping duty (AD) order on common alloy aluminum sheet (CAAS) from Germany with respect to certain lithographic-grade aluminum sheet.

The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Program Office will hold an organizational meeting of the NIDIS Executive Council on April 25, 2024.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension and revision of an existing information collection: 0651- 0056 (Trademark Submissions Regarding Correspondence and Regarding Attorney Representation). The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the information collection to OMB.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) proposes new rules to govern the process for the review of Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) decisions in America Invents Act (AIA) proceedings by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Director). Specifically, the USPTO proposes these rules in light of stakeholder feedback received in response to a request for comments (RFC). The proposed rules promote the accuracy, consistency, and integrity of PTAB decision-making in Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of 2011 (AIA) proceedings.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that ITC Limited made sales of subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value (NV), and Navneet Education Ltd. (Navneet) did not, during the period of review (POR) September 1, 2021, through August 31, 2022.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is amending the final results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on passenger vehicle and light truck tires from the People's Republic of China (China) to correct a ministerial error. The period of review (POR) is August 1, 2021, through July 31, 2022.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda for a meeting of the Ocean Exploration Advisory Board (OEAB). OEAB members will discuss and provide advice on the Federal ocean exploration program, with a particular emphasis on the topics identified in the section on Matters to Be Considered.

As a result of the determinations by the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that revocation of the antidumping duty (AD) order on xanthan gum from the People's Republic of China (China) would likely lead to the continuation or recurrence of dumping and material injury to an industry in the United States, Commerce is publishing a notice of continuation of this AD order.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) published two notices in the Federal Register on March 15, 2024. One notice is a correction notice that contains a typographical error and the other notice is a duplicate of a previously published notice.

The Census Bureau is publishing this notice to announce the renewal of the Census Bureau National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations (NAC or Committee). The purpose of the Committee is to provide advice to the Director of the Census Bureau on the full range of economic, housing, demographic, socioeconomic, linguistic, technological, methodological, geographic, behavioral, and operational variables affecting the cost, accuracy, and implementation of Census Bureau programs and surveys, including the decennial census. This includes the identification of new strategies for improved census operations and survey and data collection methods, including cost efficient ways to increase census participation. Additional information concerning the Committee can be found by visiting the Committee's website at: https://www.census.gov/about/cac/nac.html.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Saffron Living Co., Ltd. (Saffron), the sole producer/exporter subject to this administrative review, made sales of subject merchandise at below normal value during the period of review (POR) May 1, 2022, through April 30, 2023.

NMFS proposes 2024 harvest specifications for the salmon fishery of the Cook Inlet exclusive economic zone (EEZ) Area. This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for salmon during the 2024 fishing year and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ off Alaska (Salmon FMP). The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the salmon resources in Cook Inlet EEZ Area in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act).