December 2, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On June 1, 2009, EPA published a final rule in the Federal Register approving a Florida State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision, submitted through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), related to the State's gasoline vapor recovery program. This correcting amendment corrects errors in the regulatory language in paragraph (c) of EPA's June 1, 2009, final rule.

This proposed rule sets forth payment parameters and oversight provisions related to the risk adjustment, reinsurance, and risk corridors programs; cost-sharing parameters and cost-sharing reductions; and user fees for Federally-facilitated Exchanges. It also proposes additional standards with respect to composite rating, privacy and security of personally identifiable information, the annual open enrollment period for 2015, the actuarial value calculator, the annual limitation in cost sharing for stand-alone dental plans, the meaningful difference standard for qualified health plans offered through a Federally-facilitated Exchange, patient safety standards for issuers of qualified health plans, and the Small Business Health Options Program.

This final rule will update the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) rates, including the national, standardized 60- day episode payment rates, the national per-visit rates, the low- utilization payment adjustment (LUPA) add-on, and the non-routine medical supply (NRS) conversion factor under the Medicare prospective payment system for home health agencies (HHAs), effective January 1, 2014. As required by the Affordable Care Act, this rule establishes rebasing adjustments, with a 4-year phase-in, to the national, standardized 60-day episode payment rates; the national per-visit rates; and the NRS conversion factor. In addition, this final rule will remove 170 diagnosis codes from assignment to diagnosis groups within the HH PPS Grouper, effective January 1, 2014. Finally, this rule will establish home health quality reporting requirements for CY 2014 payment and subsequent years and will clarify that a state Medicaid program must provide that, in certifying HHAs, the state's designated survey agency carry out certain other responsibilities that already apply to surveys of nursing facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF-IID), including sharing in the cost of HHA surveys. For that portion of costs attributable to Medicare and Medicaid, we will assign 50 percent to Medicare and 50 percent to Medicaid, the standard method that CMS and states use in the allocation of expenses related to surveys of nursing homes.

This document contains final regulations under section 1411 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). These regulations provide guidance on the general application of the Net Investment Income Tax and the computation of Net Investment Income. The regulations affect individuals, estates, and trusts whose incomes meet certain income thresholds.

This interpretation responds to a request from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) regarding whether the space transportation regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would restrict NASA astronauts from performing operational functions during a commercial space launch or reentry under license from the FAA.

We are superseding airworthiness directive (AD) 2006-06-14 for certain Airbus Model A318-100 and A319-100 series airplanes, A320-111 airplanes, A320-200 series airplanes, and A321-100 and A321-200 series airplanes. AD 2006-06-14 required operators to review the airplane's maintenance records to determine the part numbers of the magnetic fuel level indicators (MFLIs) of the wing fuel tanks, and perform related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This new AD also requires an inspection (improved method) to determine the part numbers of the MFLIs, and, if necessary, replacement of the MFLI or repair. This AD was prompted by information that the related investigative actions of AD 2006-06-14 are not fully effective and that an affected MFLI could still be installed on airplanes on which the related investigative actions were accomplished. We are issuing this AD to prevent an ignition source in the wing fuel tank in the event of a lightning strike, which could result in a fire or explosion.

EPA is taking final action to approve a request submitted on April 4, 2012, from the State of Georgia, through the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD), to redesignate the Atlanta, Georgia, ozone nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the ``Atlanta Area,'' or ``Area'') to attainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The Atlanta Area consists of Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Spalding and Walton Counties in their entireties. EPA's approval of the redesignation request is based on the determination that Georgia has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment set forth in the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). Additionally, EPA is approving, as a revision to the Georgia State Implementation Plan (SIP) a maintenance plan for the 1997 8-hour ozone standard for the Atlanta Area, including new 2024 motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). In this final notice, EPA also responds to comments received on EPA's February 4, 2013, proposed rulemaking.

EPA is taking final action to redesignate the portion of North Carolina that is within the bi-state Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, North Carolina-South Carolina 8-hour ozone nonattainment area (hereafter referred to as the ``Area,'' ``North Carolina portion of the bi-state Charlotte Area,'' ``North Carolina portion of the Area,'' or ``Metrolina nonattainment area'') to attainment for the 1997 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), and to approve the maintenance plan for the Area. The State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Air Quality (NC DAQ), submitted the redesignation request and maintenance plan on November 2, 2011. The State supplemented the redesignation request and maintenance plan on March 28, 2013, extending the maintenance plan to the year 2025 and updating the sub-area motor vehicle emission budgets (MVEBs) for nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) for the years 2013 and 2025 for the North Carolina portion of the Area. EPA's approval of NC DAQ's redesignation request is based on the determination that North Carolina has met the criteria for redesignation to attainment set forth in the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). EPA finalized action to redesignate the South Carolina portion of the Area, including approval of South Carolina's maintenance plan for the 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS, in a separate action.

The Coast Guard is temporarily modifying the operating schedule that governs the operation of the Route 1 & 9 (Lincoln Highway) Bridge across the Passaic River, mile 1.8, between Kearny and Newark, New Jersey. The bridge owner, New Jersey Department of Transportation, submitted a request to restrict bridge openings during the morning and afternoon rush hour periods to alleviate traffic congestion resulting from area roadway closures. It is expected that this change to the regulations would provide relief to vehicular traffic while continuing to meet the reasonable needs of navigation.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) is notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under title 30, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), parts 1202, 1204, and 1206. This ICR pertains to (1) Federal oil and gas valuation regulations, which include transportation and processing regulatory allowance limits; and (2) accounting and auditing relief for marginal properties. This ICR also includes Form ONRR-4393, Request to Exceed Regulatory Allowance Limitation. Effective January 1, 2014, ONRR will discontinue the information collection requirements of the Stripper Oil royalty rate reductions in this ICR. The revised title of this ICR is ``Federal Oil and Gas Valuation30 CFR Parts 1202, 1204, and 1206.''