November 21, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We (NMFS) will hold a public hearing in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, in December 2014 for the purpose of accepting public comments on the proposal to list the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA).

On September 30, 2014, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published in the Federal Register with a 60-day comment period a proposed rule, to facilitate responsible solar and wind energy development and to receive fair market value for such development. (79 FR 59021) The proposed rule would promote the use of preferred areas for solar and wind energy development and establish competitive processes, terms, and conditions (including rental and bonding requirements) for solar and wind energy development rights-of-way both inside and outside these preferred areas. The proposed rule would also make technical changes, corrections, and clarifications to existing rights-of-way regulations. Some of these changes would affect all rights-of-way and some provisions would affect particular types of actions, such as transmission lines with a capacity of 100 Kilovolts (kV) or more, or pipelines 10 inches or more in diameter. The BLM received requests to extend the comment period of this proposed rule. In response to these requests, the BLM is extending the comment period for 15 days beyond the end of the initial comment period. As a result of this extension, the comment period will now close on December 16, 2014.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to amend its regulation regarding the presence of animals on VA property. Current VA regulation authorizes the presence of seeing-eye dogs on VA property and other animals as authorized at the discretion of a VA facility head or designee. However, applicable Federal law authorizes the presence of guide dogs and other service animals when these animals accompany individuals with disabilities seeking admittance to buildings or property owned or operated by the Federal Government. This proposed rule would expand the current VA regulation to be consistent with applicable Federal law, and would clarify the authority of a VA facility head or designee to allow nonservice animals to be present on VA property.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the Corporation or FDIC) is issuing a final rule that implements proposed revisions to regulations regarding the annual stress testing requirements for state nonmember banks and state savings associations with total consolidated assets of more than $10 billion (covered banks). The regulations, which implement section 165(i)(2) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act), require covered banks to conduct annual stress tests, report the results of such stress tests to the Corporation and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Board), and publicly disclose a summary of the results of the required stress tests. The final rule revises the 2016 stress test cycle and for years thereafter to begin on January 1 of the calendar year rather than October 1, as is provided for by the current rule. Additionally, the final rule modifies the ``as of'' dates for financial data (that covered banks will use to perform their stress tests) as well as the reporting dates and public disclosure dates of the annual stress tests for both $10 billion to $50 billion covered banks and over $50 billion covered banks.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to correct final rules pertaining to the State of Montana's State Implementation Plan (SIP). On February 13, 2012, EPA took final action to partially approve and partially disapprove SIP revisions and new rules as submitted by the State of Montana on June 25, 2010 and May 28, 2003. EPA subsequently discovered errors in our February 13, 2012 final action related to the materials incorporated by reference and the associated regulatory text that inadvertently reversed portions of our July 8, 2011 final action. EPA is taking final action, under section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on additional measures it could take to ensure that interstate and intrastate inmate calling services are provided consistent with the statute and the public interest and the Commission's authority to implement these measures. The Commission believes that additional action on inmate calling service will help maintain familial contacts stressed by confinement while still ensuring the critical security needs of correction facilities of various sizes.

This document initiates a proceeding to address how to accommodate the long-term needs of wireless microphone users. Wireless microphones play an important role in enabling broadcasters and other video programming networks to serve consumers, including as they cover breaking news and broadcast live sports events. They enhance event productions in a variety of settingsincluding theaters and music venues, film studios, conventions, corporate events, houses of worship, and internet webcasts. They also help create high quality content that consumers demand and value. Recent actions by the Commission, and in particular the repurposing of broadcast television band spectrum for wireless services set forth in the Incentive Auction R&O, will significantly alter the regulatory environment in which wireless microphones operate, which necessitates our addressing how to accommodate wireless microphone users in the future.

This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes requirements for submitting registration and summary results information, including adverse event information, for specified clinical trials of drugs (including biological products) and devices and for pediatric postmarket surveillances of a device to ClinicalTrials.gov, the clinical trial registry and results data bank operated by the National Library of Medicine (NLM). This proposed rule provides for the expanded registry and results data bank specified in Title VIII of the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (FDAAA) to enhance patient enrollment, provide a mechanism to track subsequent progress of clinical trials, provide more complete results information, and enhance patient access to and understanding of the results of clinical trials. The proposed requirements would apply to the responsible party (meaning the sponsor or designated principal investigator) for certain clinical trials of drugs (including biological products) and devices that are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and for pediatric postmarket surveillances of a device that are ordered by FDA.