October 18, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA announces that it will hold a public listening session to solicit information, concepts, ideas, and information on hours-of- service (HOS) requirements for drivers of passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). Specifically, the Agency would like to know what factors, issues, and data it should consider as it determines preliminarily whether the HOS regulations applicable to these drivers need to be changed to decrease the risk of fatigue-related crashes. The session, which will be held in Santa Barbara, CA, will allow interested persons to present comments, views, and relevant new research that FMCSA should consider in drafting a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). All comments will be transcribed and placed in the docket for FMCSA's consideration. The entire day's proceedings will be webcast.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all EADS CASA (Type Certificate Previously Held by Construcciones Aeron[aacute]uticas, S.A.) Model CN-235, CN-235-100, CN-235-200, and CN-235-300 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of incorrect electrical polarity connections on engine fire extinguishing discharge cartridges. This proposed AD would require a one-time inspection to identify the correct polarity for each pair of electrical connectors on each engine fire extinguisher cartridge, and repair if necessary. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct incorrect polarity connections, which could prevent the actuation of the discharge cartridge in case of automatic fire detection or manual initiation during a potential engine fire, and could result in damage to the airplane and injury to passengers.

This document contains corrections to the final rule regulation which was published in the Federal Register of Monday, October 15, 2012 (77 FR 62624). The final rule established fuel economy standards for light-duty vehicles under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), 49 U.S.C. 32901 et seq.

FRA is proposing to require railroads to submit information to the U.S. DOT National Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory about highway- rail crossings and pathway crossings over which they operate. These amendments, which are required by the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (RSIA), would require railroads to submit information about previously unreported and new public and private highway-rail crossings and pathway crossings to the U.S. DOT National Highway-Rail Crossing Inventory and to periodically update the Inventory.

These special conditions are issued for the Airbus Model A318, A319, and A320 series airplanes with modification 160500 and Model A321 series airplanes with modification 160023 (Sharklet). These airplanes will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. These design features include a high-speed protection system. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

EPA is determining that the Sacramento Metro 1-hour ozone nonattainment area (Sacramento Metro Area) has attained the revoked National Ambient Air Quality Standard (1-hour ozone NAAQS or standard), and to exclude certain 2008 data caused by wildfire exceptional events. These air quality determinations were proposed in conjunction with a proposed determination to terminate the State of California's obligations regarding 1-hour ozone section 185 fee program SIP provisions for the Sacramento Metro Area. In this notice, EPA is finalizing only that portion of its notice of proposed rulemaking that determines that the Sacramento Metro Area has attained the 1-hour ozone standard, and that excludes certain exceedances as caused by ozone exceptional events. These air quality determinations were addressed separately in the proposed rulemaking and are severable from the other issues that relate to termination of section 185 1-hour ozone requirements. EPA is not at this time taking final action on other aspects of our notice of proposed rulemaking that address termination of 1-hour ozone section 185 fee requirements. EPA intends to address any other issues relating to Sacramento Metro Area 1-hour ozone section 185 requirements, and their termination, in a separate future rulemaking.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Wantagh State Parkway Bridge across the Sloop Channel, mile 15.4, at Jones Beach, New York. The deviation is necessary to install bascule girders at the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) proposes to align the USPTO's professional responsibility rules with those of most other U.S. jurisdictions by replacing the current Patent and Trademark Office Code of Professional Responsibility, adopted in 1985, based on the 1980 version of the Model Code of Professional Responsibility of the American Bar Association (``ABA''), with new USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct, which are based on the Model Rules of Professional Conduct of the ABA, which were published in 1983, substantially revised in 2003 and updated through 2011. Changes approved by the ABA House of Delegates in August 2012 have not been incorporated in these proposed rules. The Office also proposes to revise the existing procedural rules governing disciplinary investigations and proceedings.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA requires the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) to promulgate consumer product safety standards for durable infant or toddler products. These standards are to be ``substantially the same as'' applicable voluntary standards or more stringent than the voluntary standard if the Commission concludes that more stringent requirements would further reduce the risk of injury associated with the product. The Commission is proposing a safety standard for bassinets and cradles in response to the CPSIA. This constitutes a second round of notice and comment, or supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking, for bassinets and cradles.