May 7, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its regulations to implement Section 1697 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (NDAA). Section 1697 of the NDAA removed the statutory limitation on the dollar amount of a contract that women-owned small businesses can compete for under the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program. As a result, contracting officers may now set-aside contracts under the WOSB Program at any dollar level, as long as the other requirements for a set-aside under the program are met.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces priorities and definitions for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, we announce priorities and definitions for Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) on Community Living and Participation of Individuals with Disabilities (Priority 1), Health and Function of Individuals with Disabilities (Priority 2), and Employment of Individuals with Disabilities (Priority 3). If an applicant proposes to conduct research under these priorities, the research must be focused on one of the four stages of research defined in this notice of final priorities and definitions. The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services may use these priorities and definitions for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend these priorities to improve community living and participation, health and function, and employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities.

We are amending the regulations regarding the interstate movement of livestock to require approved livestock facilities and listed slaughtering and rendering establishments to maintain certain records for 5 years. Currently, approved livestock facilities are required to retain certain records for 2 years, and there are no record retention provisions that apply to listed slaughtering and rendering establishments. Requiring the retention of certain records for 5 years will allow us to trace the prior movements of diseased livestock further into the past than is currently possible, thus providing the opportunity to locate potentially infected or exposed livestock that might otherwise remain unidentified. We are also requiring the operators of slaughtering and rendering establishments to sign listing agreements to document their agreement to comply with the requirements of the regulations for listed slaughtering and rendering establishments. Such agreements are currently required for approved livestock facilities, but not for slaughtering and rendering facilities. This change will eliminate that inconsistency.

EPA is proposing approval of a State Implementation Plan revision submitted by the State of Wyoming. On December 21, 2012, the Governor of Wyoming's designee submitted to EPA revisions to Wyoming's Air Quality Standards and Regulations Chapter 8, Nonattainment Area Regulations, involving Section 3 of Chapter 8 that addresses general conformity requirements and a new Section 5 to Chapter 8 that involves incorporation by reference. The SIP submission addresses revisions and additions to the State's general conformity requirements in order to align them with the current federal general conformity regulation requirements and incorporates by reference those sections of the Code of Federal Regulations that are referred to in the State's general conformity requirements. EPA is proposing approval of the submission in accordance with the requirements of section 110 of the Clean Air Act.

NMFS issues this final rule for the 2013 Pacific whiting fishery under the authority of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), and the Pacific Whiting Act of 2006. This final rule establishes the tribal allocation of 63,205 metric tons of Pacific whiting for 2013, and final allocations of Pacific whiting to the non-tribal fishery for 2013.

This interim final rule modifies the regulations implementing the Northeast (NE) Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to allow vessels fishing with a NE Federal spiny dogfish permit to fish in an area east of Cape Cod, MA (Eastern Exemption Area) with gillnet and longline gear, from June through December and with handgear from June through August, and to fish in Cape Cod Bay (Western Exemption Area) with longline gear and handgear from June through August. This action allows vessels to harvest spiny dogfish in a manner that is consistent with the bycatch reduction objectives of the NE Multispecies FMP.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is amending the regulations utilized to service the Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program in two separate sections, in order to clarify the types of projects that are eligible for a Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan. The intended effect of this action is to strengthen the Community Facilities Guaranteed Loan Program by limiting the risk to the guaranteed loan portfolio. RHS will prohibit the financing of facilities in which the operation of such facilities have not been supported by the community and have resulted in significant default and loan losses to the agency.

The Coast Guard will enforce safety zones in the Captain of the Port New York Zone on the specified dates and times. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of vessels and spectators from hazards associated with fireworks displays. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter the safety zones without permission of the Captain of the Port (COTP).

The FMCSA proposes to revise the definition of ``gross combination weight rating'' (or GCWR) to clarify that a GCWR is the greater of: the GCWR specified by the manufacturer of the power unit, if displayed on the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) certification label required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), or the sum of the gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWRs) or gross vehicle weights (GVWs) of the power unit and towed unit(s), or any combination thereof, that produces the highest value.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the public comment period on the September 27, 2012, proposed endangered status and designation of critical habitat for the grotto sculpin under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) of the proposed designation of critical habitat for the grotto sculpin and an amended required determinations section of the proposal. In addition, we announce our intention to recognize the grotto sculpin as Cottus specus. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed rule, the associated DEA, and the amended required determinations section. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.

NMFS proposes regulations to implement management measures described in a framework action to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). If implemented, this rule would revise the vermilion snapper recreational bag limit, revise the yellowtail snapper stock annual catch limit (ACL), and remove the requirement for reef fish vessels to have onboard and use a venting tool. This proposed rule is intended to help achieve optimum yield (OY) and prevent overfishing of vermilion and yellowtail snappers, reduce the regulatory burden to fishers associated with venting reef fish, and minimize bycatch and bycatch mortality.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau announces the comment filing deadlines in its proposed rulemaking proceeding on rural call completion problems and seeks comment on the completeness and suitability of a currently available list of rural Operating Carrier Numbers as a template for the reporting requirements proposed in the Rural Call Completion Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act or Act) establishes a ``Consumer Financial Civil Penalty Fund'' (Civil Penalty Fund) into which the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) must deposit any civil penalty it obtains against any person in any judicial or administrative action under Federal consumer financial laws. Under the Act, funds in the Civil Penalty Fund may be used for payments to the victims of activities for which civil penalties have been imposed under Federal consumer financial laws. In addition, to the extent that such victims cannot be located or such payments are otherwise not practicable, the Bureau may use funds in the Civil Penalty Fund for the purpose of consumer education and financial literacy programs. This proposal is related to a final rule published elsewhere in today's Federal Register. That final rule implements the statutory Civil Penalty Fund provisions by articulating the Bureau's interpretation of what kinds of payments to victims are appropriate and by establishing procedures for allocating funds for such payments to victims and for consumer education and financial literacy programs. This notice of proposed rulemaking seeks comments on possible revisions, adjustments, or refinements to the rule.

This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Presidio, TX. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAP) at Presidio Lely International Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations for SIAPs at the airport.