2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commission is adding a new international mail product to the Competitive Product List. This product is a contract between the United States Postal Service and Canada Post for inbound competitive services. It modifies and extends an existing agreement. The Commission's action is consistent with changes to applicable federal law and regulations and with a recent Postal Service request. Republication of the lists of market dominant and competitive products is also consistent with requirements in the law.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) extends the December 26, 2008 effective date of one section of the final rule entitled ``Rail Transportation Security,'' published in the Federal Register on November 26, 2008, 73 FR 72131, until April 1, 2009. This extension of the effective date is to afford affected freight railroad carriers, rail hazardous materials shippers, and rail hazardous materials receivers additional time to conduct training and implement procedures to come into compliance with the chain of custody and control requirements of the rule.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing a final rule to ensure that Department funds do not support morally coercive or discriminatory practices or policies in violation of federal law, pursuant to the Church Amendments (42 U.S.C. 300a-7), Public Health Service (PHS) Act Sec. 245 (42 U.S.C. 238n), and the Weldon Amendment (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, Public Law 110-161, Div. G, Sec. 508(d), 121 Stat. 1844, 2209). This final rule defines certain key terms. In order to ensure that recipients of Department funds know about their legal obligations under these federal health care conscience protection laws, the Department is requiring written certification by certain recipients that they will comply with all three statutes, as applicable. Finally, this final rule assigns responsibility for complaint handling and investigation among the Department's Office for Civil Rights and Department program offices.

This final rule amends Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations regarding temporary nonagricultural workers, and their U.S. employers, within the H-2B nonimmigrant classification. The final rule removes certain limitations on H-2B employers and adopts streamlining measures in order to facilitate the lawful employment of foreign temporary nonagricultural workers. The final rule also addresses concerns regarding the integrity of the H-2B program and sets forth several conditions to prevent fraud and protect laborers' rights. The final rule will benefit U.S. businesses by facilitating a timely flow of legal workers while ensuring the integrity of the program. The rule generally removes the requirement for H-2B petitioners to state on petitions the names of prospective H-2B workers who are outside the United States and reduces the existing obligatory waiting period from 6 months to 3 months for an H-2B worker who has reached his or her maximum three-year period of stay in H-2B nonimmigrant status before such person may seek an extension of nonimmigrant stay, change of status, or readmission to the United States in any H or L nonimmigrant status. The rule provides a more flexible definition of ``temporary services or labor,'' which is generally defined as a period of one year but could be for a specific one-time need of up to 3 years. To better ensure the integrity of the H-2B program, this rule eliminates DHS's current practice of adjudicating H-2B petitions where the Secretary of Labor or the Governor of Guam has not granted a temporary labor certification. The rule also prohibits H-2B petitioners from requesting an employment start date on the Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, that is different than the date of need listed on the approved temporary labor certification. The final rule requires H-2B petitioners to notify DHS when the H-2B worker fails to report for work, is terminated prior to the completion of the work for which he was hired, or absconds from the worksite. This rule also precludes employers from passing the cost of recruiter fees charged by a petitioner, agent, facilitator, recruiter, or similar employment service to prospective H-2B workers as a condition of an offer of H-2B employment. Under this rule, employers and H-2B workers may agree that certain transportation costs and government-imposed fees be borne by H- 2B workers, if the passing of such costs to these workers is not prohibited under the Fair Labor Standards Act or any other statute. Moreover, the rule enforces the existing penalties at section 214(c)(14) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) in the case of an employer who fails to meet any of the conditions of the H-2B petition, or who willfully misrepresented a material fact in the H-2B petition. Employers who fail to meet the H-2B conditions or who willfully make material misrepresentations on an H-2B petition may, under the statute, be precluded from approval for a period of up to 5 years of any H (except H-1B1), L, O, or P-1 nonimmigrant visa petition, or any immigrant visa petition described in section 204 of the INA, they may file with DHS. This rule also provides that DHS will publish in a notice in the Federal Register a list of countries that the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, as eligible for its nationals to participate in the H-2B program. Finally, this rule establishes a pilot exit control program for certain H-2B workers, by requiring them to report their departure at designated ports of entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will publish a notice in the Federal Register describing the procedures and requirements for participation in this pilot program.

On December 10, 2008, the Board published a proposal to amend Regulation Z that would conform the regulation to reflect recent amendments to the Truth in Lending Act (73 FR 74989). The Board is extending the public comment period on the proposal.

The EPA is finalizing revisions to the December 31, 2002 New Source Review (NSR) Improvement rules to change the requirements of the major NSR programs regarding the treatment of fugitive emissions. Specifically, this final rule requires that fugitive emissions be included in determining whether a physical or operational change results in a major modification only for sources in the source categories that have been designated through rulemaking pursuant to section 302(j) of the Clean Air Act (Act). Also, this action elaborates on guiding principles for determining fugitive emissions for purposes of NSR and title V permitting.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 Office announces its intent to delete specific properties of the former Griffiss Air Force Base (GAFB) site located in Rome, New York, from the National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comment on this proposed action. The NPL constitutes Appendix B to the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), 40 CFR part 300, which EPA promulgated pursuant to Section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) as amended. The entire GAFB Site, approximately 3,552 acres, includes 32 areas of concern located on property currently or formerly owned by the United States Department of Defense. EPA and the State of New York, through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), have determined that for the specified areas identified in this Notice of Intent for Partial Deletion (NOIPD), all appropriate response actions pursuant to CERCLA have been implemented and, aside from monitoring, operations, maintenance, and Five-Year Reviews, no further response actions, pursuant to CERCLA, are appropriate. Moreover, EPA and NYSDEC have determined that the specified properties at the GAFB Site (i.e., the soil and groundwater beneath) either pose no significant threat to public health or the environment or all appropriate response actions have been implemented, and therefore this NOIPD may proceed. The NOIPD is only for those properties specified herein and does not include other properties located at the GAFB Site.

In this final rule, the Department of Labor (Department or DOL) revises regulations issued pursuant to the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts and the Copeland Anti-Kickback Act to better protect the personal privacy of laborers and mechanics employed on covered construction contracts.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is giving concurrent notice of a revised and updated system of records pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 for the DHS United States Secret Service003 Non- Criminal Investigation Information System system of records and this proposed rulemaking. In this proposed rulemaking, the Department proposes to exempt portions of the system of records from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act because of criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement requirements.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is giving concurrent notice of a revised and updated system of records pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Persons Engaged in International Trade in Customs and Border Protection010 Licensed/Regulated Activities system of records and this proposed rulemaking. In this proposed rulemaking, the Department proposes to exempt portions of the system of records from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act because of criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement requirements.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is giving concurrent notice of a revised and updated system of records pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection013 Seized Assets and Case Tracking System (SEACATS) system of records and this proposed rulemaking. In this proposed rulemaking, the Department proposes to exempt portions of the system of records from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act because of criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement requirements.

The Department of Homeland Security is amending its regulations to exempt portions of a system of records from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. Specifically, the Department proposes to exempt portions of the Nonimmigrant Inspection System from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act because of criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement requirements.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is giving concurrent notice of a revised and updated system of records pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 for the United States Secret Service Protection Information System system of records and this proposed rulemaking. In this proposed rulemaking, the Department proposes to exempt portions of the system of records from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act because of criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement requirements.

NOAA proposes to amend the regulations implementing the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to make technical corrections and modifications to clarify intent to several areas in the regulations. As part of these modifications, NOAA proposes to amend the definition of coral to specifically include the common sea fan, Gorgonia ventalina and Venus sea fan, Gorgonia flabellum, which are both important sanctuary resources and are currently managed under the category ``live rock;'' specify that ``touching'' coral is an injury and therefore, a prohibited activity in the FKNMS; amend the safe distance between vessels and ``divers down'' flags to be 100 yards instead of 100 feet; clarify that the prohibitions listed for Sanctuary Preservation Areas and Ecological Reserves also apply in Research-only Areas; and Correct several citations that are currently out of date.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on our January 17, 2008, proposed revised designation of critical habitat for the Quino checkerspot butterfly under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of the draft economic analysis (DEA), a revision to proposed critical habitat Unit 2, and an amended required determinations section of the proposal. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed revision of critical habitat (including the changes to proposed critical habitat Unit 2), the associated DEA, and the amended required determinations section. If you submitted comments previously, then you do not need to resubmit them because they are included in the public record for this rulemaking and we will fully consider them in preparation of our final determination.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to revise the listing of the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), to include New Mexico. We find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that changing the listing status of the contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment of Canada lynx to include New Mexico may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a further review in response to the petition, and we will issue a 12-month finding to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that our review is comprehensive, we are soliciting feedback from the public regarding this species.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued final regulations on pay setting rules for General Schedule employees on November 7, 2008 (73 FR 66143). This correcting amendment clarifies an instruction.

We are amending the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation into the continental United States of baby squash and baby courgettes from Zambia. As a condition of entry, both commodities must be produced in accordance with a systems approach that includes requirements for pest exclusion at the production site, fruit fly trapping inside and outside the production site, and pest-excluding packinghouse procedures. Both commodities must also be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration stating that the baby squash or baby courgettes have been produced in accordance with the requirements of the systems approach. This action will allow the importation of baby squash and baby courgettes from Zambia into the United States while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of quarantine pests.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) finalizes the General Administrative Regulations; Administrative Remedies for Non- Compliance to add additional administrative remedies that are available as a result of the enactment of section 515(h) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (Act) (7 U.S.C. 1515(h)), make such other changes as are necessary to implement the provisions of section 515(h) of the Act, and to clarify existing administrative remedies.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Cessna Aircraft Company (Cessna) Models 208 and 208B airplanes. This proposed AD would require you to modify the aileron carry-through cable attachment to the aileron upper quadrant with parts of improved design. This proposed AD results from reports of a ``catch'' in the aileron control system when the control yoke is turned. We are proposing this AD to prevent the cable attach fitting on the aileron upper quadrant assembly from rotating and possibly contacting or interfering with the aileron lower quadrant assembly, which could result in limited roll control and reduced handling capabilties.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Columbus, OH. Additional controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Rickenbacker International Airport, Columbus, OH. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft operations at Rickenbacker International Airport.

This final rule adopts, in part, the proposed changes to the rules and procedures concerning the standards of representation and professional conduct for practitioners who appear before the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), which includes the immigration judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals (Board). It also clarifies who is authorized to represent and appear on behalf of individuals in proceedings before the Board and the immigration judges. Current regulations set forth who may represent individuals in proceedings before EOIR and also set forth the rules and procedures for imposing disciplinary sanctions against practitioners who engage in criminal, unethical, or unprofessional conduct, or in frivolous behavior before EOIR. The final rule increases the number of grounds for discipline, improves the clarity and uniformity of the existing rules, and incorporates miscellaneous technical and procedural changes. The changes herein are based upon the Attorney General's initiative for improving the adjudicatory processes for the immigration judges and the Board, as well as EOIR's operational experience in administering the disciplinary program since the current process was established in 2000.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace for the Milwaukee, WI, area. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) at Waukesha County Airport, Waukesha, WI. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft operations at Waukesha County Airport. Also, a technical amendment is being made changing the name of John H. Batten Field to John H. Batten Airport.

The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) is amending its regulations to incorporate technical and conforming amendments. They include clarifications and corrections of typographical errors.

This action revokes Class E airspace at Metlakatla, AK. The privately funded special instrument approaches serving Metlakatla Airport have been removed. There is no longer a requirement for the controlled airspace. This action revokes existing Class E airspace surrounding the Metlakatla Airport, Metlakatla, AK.