June 20, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This interim rule lists communities where modification of the Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs) is appropriate because of new scientific or technical data. New flood insurance premium rates will be calculated from the modified BFEs for new buildings and their contents.

NMFS issues regulations to implement Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs. Amendment 34 amends the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization Program to exempt additional recipients of crab quota share from Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod and pollock harvest limits, called sideboards, which apply to some vessels and license limitation program licenses that are used to participate in these fisheries. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council determined that these recipients demonstrated a sufficient level of historical participation in Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod or pollock fisheries and should be exempt from the Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod and pollock sideboards. This action is necessary to give these recipients an opportunity to participate in the Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod and pollock fisheries at historical levels. This final rule revises regulations governing exemptions from and calculations of sideboard harvest limits in the Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod and pollock fisheries and revises Tables 17 and 18 that establish the 2011-2012 Gulf of Alaska groundfish harvest sideboard limits. To fully implement Amendment 34 NMFS will reissue Federal fisheries permits and license limitation program licenses to all participants that are affected by the action. This final rule promotes the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/ Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs.

On June 12, 2008, EPA issued national emission standards for control of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) for the plating and polishing area source category under section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). In today's action, EPA is proposing to amend the national emission standards for control of hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for the plating and polishing area source category published on June 12, 2008. The amendments to the area source standards for plating and polishing area sources would clarify that the emission control requirements of the plating and polishing area source NESHAP do not apply to any bench-scale activities. Also, the amendments include several technical corrections and clarifications that do not make significant changes in the rule's requirements. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, we are amending the area source standards for plating and polishing area sources as a direct final rule without a prior proposed rule. If we receive no adverse comment, we will not take further action on this proposed rule.

The Board is publishing a final rule amending the staff commentary that interprets the requirements of Regulation M, which implements the Consumer Leasing Act (CLA). Effective July 21, 2011, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) amends the CLA by increasing the threshold for exempt consumer leases from $25,000 to $50,000. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act requires that this threshold be adjusted annually by any annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Accordingly, based on the annual percentage increase in the CPI-W as of June 1, 2011, the Board is adjusting the exemption threshold from $50,000 to $51,800, effective January 1, 2012. Because the Dodd-Frank Act also requires similar adjustments in the Truth in Lending Act's threshold for exempt consumer credit transactions, the Board is making similar amendments to Regulation Z elsewhere in today's Federal Register.

The Board is publishing a final rule amending the staff commentary that interprets the requirements of Regulation Z, which implements the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). Effective July 21, 2011, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd- Frank Act) amends TILA by increasing the threshold for exempt consumer credit transactions from $25,000 to $50,000. In addition, the Dodd- Frank Act requires that this threshold be adjusted annually by any annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). Accordingly, based on the annual percentage increase in the CPI-W as of June 1, 2011, the Board is adjusting the exemption threshold from $50,000 to $51,800, effective January 1, 2012. Because the Dodd-Frank Act also requires similar adjustments in the Consumer Leasing Act's threshold for exempt consumer leases, the Board is making similar amendments to Regulation M elsewhere in today's Federal Register.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') is removing parts 500 and 505 from 31 CFR chapter V pursuant to Proclamation 8271 of June 26, 2008, which terminated the exercise of the President's authorities under the Trading With the Enemy Act with respect to North Korea. Those authorities were implemented by 31 CFR parts 500 and 505.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') is amending the North Korea Sanctions Regulations to implement Executive Order 13570 of April 18, 2011. OFAC intends to supplement these regulations with a more comprehensive set of regulations, which may include additional interpretive and definitional guidance and additional general licenses and statements of licensing policy.

The Coast Guard is amending an existing anchorage ground which currently overlaps a pilot underwater cap (``pilot cap'') in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) New Bedford Harbor Superfund Site in New Bedford, MA. The Coast Guard is also establishing a regulated navigation area (RNA) prohibiting activities that disturb the seabed around the site. The RNA would not affect transit or navigation of the area.

This action proposes to amend Class E Airspace at Shelby, NC, as new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures have been developed at Shelby-Cleveland County Regional Airport. This action would enhance the safety and airspace management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also would recognize the airport name change to Shelby-Cleveland County Regional Airport.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is issuing a final rule to establish a framework for conservatorship and receivership operations for the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, as contemplated by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA). HERA amended the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (Safety and Soundness Act) by adding, among other provisions, section 1367, Authority Over Critically Undercapitalized Regulated Entities. The rule will implement this provision, and will ensure that these operations advance FHFA's critical safety and soundness and mission requirements. The rule seeks to protect the public interest in the transparency of conservatorship and receivership operations for the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (collectively, the Enterprises), and the Federal Home Loan Banks (Banks) (collectively, the regulated entities).

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is proposing changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations pertaining to SNAP client benefit use, participation of retail food stores and wholesale food concerns in SNAP, and SNAP client participation in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). These changes to SNAP regulations address mandatory provisions of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (hereinafter referred to as ``the 2008 Farm Bill'') to allow for the disqualification of a SNAP client who purchases, with SNAP benefits, products that have container deposits for the purpose of subsequently discarding the product and returning the container(s) in exchange for cash refund of deposit(s) and/or resells or exchanges products purchased with SNAP benefits for purposes of obtaining cash or other non-eligible items.