June 4, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS issues a final rule to restrict the harvest of halibut by persons fishing on a guided sport charter vessel in International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) Regulatory Area 2C. The current sport fishing catch or bag limit of two halibut per day is changed for a person sport fishing on a charter vessel in Area 2C. The final rule would require at least one of the two fish taken in a day to be no more than 32 inches (81.3 cm) in length. This regulatory change is necessary to reduce the halibut harvest in the charter vessel sector while minimizing negative impacts on this sector, its sport fishing clients, and the coastal communities that serve as home ports for the fishery. The intended effect of this action is a reduction in the poundage of halibut harvested by the guided sport charter vessel sector in Area 2C.

The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States Department of Commerce, and the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), United States Department of Commerce, are amending the rules that implement the Fastener Quality Act of 1999 to provide that all documents submitted in connection with the recordal of fastener insignia must be mailed to a particular postal box maintained by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Mechanical power press safety is regulated under OSHA's mechanical power presses standard. OSHA adopted the standard in 1971, basing it upon the 1971 edition of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) B11.1, the industry consensus standard for mechanical power presses. This ANSI standard has been updated a number of times since OSHA adopted the 1971 version. The most recent edition was issued in 2001. Hydraulic and pneumatic power presses are not covered by OSHA's current standard. The original standard also did not address the use of presence-sensing-device initiation (PSDI) systems. When a press is equipped with PSDI, the press cycle will not initiate until the PSDI system senses that the danger zone is clear. OSHA updated the mechanical power presses standard on March 14, 1988, (53 FR 8353), to permit the use of PSDI systems. However, it requires an OSHA-approved third party to validate the PSDI system at installation and annually thereafter. Since the adoption of this provision, no third party has sought OSHA's approval. Consequently, PSDI systems are not being used with mechanical power presses. OSHA is seeking comments on whether and how the mechanical power presses standard should be amended, including whether the requirements pertaining to the use of PSDI systems should be revised and whether the scope of the standard should be expanded to cover other types of presses.

NHTSA is having a public meeting to bring together a roundtable of State and local government policymakers, school bus and seat manufacturers, pupil transportation associations, and public interest groups to discuss the issue of seat belts on large school buses. The discussion on how best to provide safety during a crash, by compartmentalization or through the use of seat belts, has been ongoing for many years. This public meeting is an opportunity for an exchange among interested parties, as well as the public, on the safety, policy and economic issues related to the use of seat belts on school buses. The date, time, location, and framework for this public meeting are announced in this notice.

On April 20, 2007, the FAA published in the Federal Register a direct final rule entitled Change in Extinguishing Agent Container Requirements. The rule aligned the operational and certification requirements regarding airplane extinguishing agent containers or fire bottles; and it removed an obsolete section reference from part 135. This action withdraws the rule because the FAA received several adverse comments.

This rule proposes a new industry-funded research, promotion, consumer education, and information order for honey and honey products under the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 (1996 Act). The proposed Honey Packers and Importers Research, Promotion, Consumer Education and Industry Information Order (Proposed Order) was submitted to the Department of Agriculture (Department) by the National Honey Packers and Dealers Association (Association). The Department proposes that an initial referendum be conducted to ascertain whether the persons to be covered by and assessed under the Proposed Order favor the Proposed Order prior to it going into effect. The Proposed Order would replace the existing Honey Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Order (Current Order) for honey and honey products and this action proposes the Current Order's termination. The Current Order is issued under the Honey Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Act (Honey Act). This rule also announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval of new honey information collection requirements by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the Proposed Order. Comments are specifically requested on the potential impact of terminating the Current Order and on implementing the Proposed Order.