February 25, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule repeals NHTSA's regulation requiring motor vehicle insurers to submit information on the number of thefts and recoveries of insured vehicles and actions taken by the insurer to deter or reduce motor vehicle theft. NHTSA is repealing this regulation because the agency's only available statutory authority to require insurers to submit this information was removed by the Motor Vehicle and Highway Safety Improvement Act of 2012 (Mariah's Act) (incorporated into the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21)). Given that NHTSA no longer has the authority to require insurers to submit this information and thus has no discretion to take any action other than rescinding the regulation, the agency did not issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) prior to this final rule. Under those circumstances, public comment to the rulemaking is unnecessary. The repeal of the authority to maintain and enforce the insurer reporting requirements reduced the paperwork burden on the public by 13,375 hours and reduced the cost to the government in collecting the information by $64,000.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) adopts as a final rule, without change, the proposal to establish a pilot program known as the Rural Veterans Coordination Pilot (RVCP). The RVCP will provide grants to eligible community-based organizations and local and State government entities to be used by these organizations and entities to assist veterans and their families who are transitioning from military service to civilian life in rural or underserved communities. VA will use information obtained through the pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness of using community-based organizations and local and State government entities to improve the provision of services to transitioning veterans and their families. Five RVCP grants will be awarded for a 2-year period in discrete locations pursuant to a Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) to be published in the Federal Register.

NMFS proposes to implement a temporary emergency action that would suspend existing monkfish possession limits for vessels issued both a Federal limited access Northeast multispecies permit and a limited access monkfish Category C or D permit that are fishing under a Northeast multispecies day-at-sea in the monkfish Northern Fishery Management Area for 180 days beginning on May 1, 2013. This action is necessary to help mitigate expected adverse economic and social harm resulting from substantial reductions to the 2013 annual catch limits for several groundfish stocks managed under the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan. The intended effect of this action is to provide additional fishing opportunities to vessels affected by reductions to groundfish catch limits, without resulting in overfishing monkfish within the Northern Fishery Management Area.

NMFS publishes a regulatory amendment to modify the groundfish retention standard (GRS) program in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). This final rule removes certain regulatory requirements that mandate minimum levels of groundfish retention by the owners and operators of trawl catcher/processor (C/P) vessels not listed in the American Fisheries Act (AFA), commonly referred to as either non-AFA trawl C/Ps or Amendment 80 vessels, and Amendment 80 cooperatives participating in the BSAI groundfish fisheries. The GRS program was implemented to increase the retention and utilization of groundfish; however, NMFS has discovered that the regulatory methodology used to calculate compliance with the GRS requires individual Amendment 80 vessels and Amendment 80 cooperatives to retain groundfish at rates well above the minimum retention rates recommended by the Council or implemented by NMFS. As a result, the GRS imposes significantly higher than predicted compliance costs on vessel owners and operators due to the increased level of retention needed to meet the minimum retention rates. Additionally, NMFS discovered that enforcement of the GRS has proven far more complex, challenging, and potentially costly than anticipated by NMFS. This action is necessary to relieve Amendment 80 vessels and Amendment 80 cooperatives from undue compliance costs stemming from the minimum retention rates while continuing to promote the GRS program goals of increased groundfish retention and utilization. This action maintains current monitoring requirements for the Amendment 80 fleet and establishes a new requirement for Amendment 80 cooperatives to annually report groundfish retention performance as part of the report submitted to NMFS. This action is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the fishery management plan, and other applicable law.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau is amending the regulations setting forth the standards of identity for distilled spirits to include ``Cacha[ccedil]a'' as a type of rum and as a distinctive product of Brazil. This amendment follows requests received from the Government of Brazil and subsequent discussions with the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

This document adopts as a final rule, with changes, the proposed rule to amend the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations concerning VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program (Program). This rulemaking updates and improves the clarity of these regulations, and implements and authorizes new VA policies.

We propose to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) Model A109E helicopters that requires reducing the tail rotor (T/R) blade life limit, modifying a T/R hub and grip assembly, re-identifying two T/R assemblies, clarifying the never- exceed speed (Vne) limitation and reducing the inspection interval. Since we issued that AD, the manufacturer has redesigned a T/R grip bushing (bushing) that reduces the loads, which caused the T/R cracking, on the T/R blades. This action would require installing the new bushing and re-identifying the T/R hub-and-grip and hub-and-blade assemblies and require a recurring inspection of each bushing. The proposed actions are intended to prevent fatigue failure of a T/R blade and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We propose to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Robinson Helicopter Company (Robinson) Model R22, R22 Alpha, R22 Beta, R22 Mariner, R44, and R44 II helicopters with certain main rotor blades (blade) installed. The existing AD currently requires inspecting each blade at the skin-to-spar line for debonding, corrosion, a separation, a gap, or a dent and replacing any damaged blade with an airworthy blade. Since we issued that AD, a terminating action for the inspection requirements of that AD has been developed. The proposed actions are intended to detect debonding of the blade skin, which could result in blade failure and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter, and to correct the unsafe condition by replacing the main rotor blades with new blades that do not require the AD inspection.

In this document the Audio Division, at the request of Word Power, Inc., allots a first local service to Greenup, Illinois, and reserves Channel *230A at Greenup for noncommercial educational use. A staff engineering analysis confirms that Channel *230A at Greenup would provide a first and/or second NCE radio service to 67.5 percent (21,149 persons) of the total population of 31,338 persons. Channel *230A can be allotted to Greenup consistent with the distance separation requirements of Section 73.207 of the Commission's rules with a site restriction 4.6 kilometers (2.9 miles) southwest of the community. The reference coordinates for Channel *230A are 39-12-38 NL and 88-11-15 WL.

NMFS hereby extends the comment period on the proposed listing determinations of 66 reef-building coral species and the proposed reclassifications of elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) corals under the ESA until April 6, 2013, and announces a public hearing to be held in Silver Spring, MD, on March 12, 2013.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is publishing this document to confirm the effective date of the Direct Final Rule (DFR), published on December 26, 2012 (77 FR 75880).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is withdrawing a previously published Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that solicited public comment on updates to the Scope and Definitions for its regulations.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in all navigable waters of the Captain of the Port Baltimore Zone. The temporary safety zone restricts vessels from transiting the zone during the effective period, unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Baltimore or his designated representative. This safety zone is necessary to protect mariners from the hazards associated with ice in the navigable waterways.