December 30, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is announcing revised commercial quotas and recreational harvest limits for the 2015 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries, as well as the commercial summer flounder state quotas for fishing year 2015. This is necessary to incorporate adjustments to the quotas due to the suspension of the Research Set-Aside program, implement an accountability measure for the commercial black sea bass fishery, and, for summer flounder state quotas, account for any previously unaccounted for overages from fishing year 2013 and any known overages to date from fishing year 2014. The intent of this action is to modify the established harvest levels to ensure that these species are not overfished or subject to overfishing in 2015.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the method of operation for the Victoria Barge Canal Railroad Bridge across the Victoria Barge Canal, mile 29.4 at Bloomington, Victoria County, Texas. The bridge will continue to open on signal. The bridge owner, the Victoria County Navigation District, in conjunction with the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), the operator of the bridge, requested permission to remotely operate the bridge. This deviation tests a remote operating system as the method for opening the bridge under the existing operating schedule to determine whether a permanent change to remote operations can be approved.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the NC Route 50-210 Highway Bridge, on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, mile 260.7, in Surf City, NC. This drawbridge is presently regulated to open on signal for commercial vessels and pleasure vessels, except between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. when the draw need only open on the hour for pleasure vessels. To facilitate necessary repairs, this deviation allows for the bridge to remain closed to navigation from 6 p.m. on February 22, 2015 to 6 p.m. February 24, 2015, except for two openings at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day.

The Coast Guard is amending 33 CFR 165.164 by establishing three security zones to replace the three regulated navigation areas (RNAs) currently contained within this section. The Coast Guard is also disestablishing these three RNAs. The three security zones, just like the RNAs they replace, are meant to promote public safety and to protect dignitaries who visit the United Nations in New York, NY.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the operating regulation that governs the Conrail railroad bridge over Mantua Creek at mile marker 1.4 in Paulsboro, NJ. The bridge owner, Conrail, is modifying the operating system which controls the bridge operations. Cameras will be installed and the bridge will be remotely operated from Mt. Laurel, NJ. Train crew will no longer be required to stop and check the waterway for approaching vessel traffic prior to initiating a bridge closure or be responsible to operate the bridge closure equipment located at the bridge site.

The Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter Service) will conduct an open meeting on January 28, 2015, to identify and discuss preliminary issues concerning the 2015-16 migratory bird hunting regulations.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to clarify that a determination of exceptional circumstances is needed when a noncompetitive contract awarded on the basis of unusual and compelling urgency exceeds one year, either at time of award or due to post-award modifications.

This action prohibits certain flight operations in the Damascus (OSTT) Flight Information Region (FIR) by all U.S. air carriers; U.S. commercial operators; persons exercising the privileges of a U.S. airman certificate, except when such persons are operating a U.S.-registered aircraft for a foreign air carrier; and operators of U.S.-registered civil aircraft, except when such operators are foreign air carriers. The FAA previously prohibited such flight operations in a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) 4/4936, which was issued on August 18, 2014, and absent this rule, would have remained in effect until December 31, 2014. This Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) adopts the prohibitions currently in effect via the NOTAM, and requires compliance with the prohibitions for 2 years from the date of publication of this final rule, unless the FAA determines that it is necessary to amend or rescind this rule based on the situation in the region. The FAA finds that this action is necessary to address a potential hazard to persons and aircraft engaged in such flight operations.

This document contains proposed regulations regarding the summary of benefits and coverage (SBC) and the uniform glossary for group health plans and health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It proposes changes to the regulations that implement the disclosure requirements under section 2715 of the Public Health Service Act to help plans and individuals better understand their health coverage, as well as to gain a better understanding of other coverage options for comparison. It proposes changes to documents required for compliance with section 2715 of the Public Health Service Act, including a template for the SBC, instructions, sample language, a guide for coverage example calculations, and the uniform glossary.

The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) issues a proposed rule that would, if implemented, establish a program pursuant to Section 203 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 (Act) through which persons may become ``certified'' and thereby be eligible to obtain access to Death Master File (DMF) information about an individual within three years of that individual's death (``Limited Access DMF,'' as defined in the proposed rule). The rule is established to provide immediate access to the DMF to those users who demonstrate a legitimate fraud prevention interest or a legitimate business purpose for the information, and to otherwise delay the release of the DMF to all other users, thereby reducing opportunities for identity theft and restricting information sources used to file fraudulent tax returns. This rule sets forth requirements to become a certified person, establishes a process for third party attestation and auditing of the information safeguarding requirement for certification, provides that certified persons will be subject to periodic scheduled and unscheduled audits, and sets out penalties for persons who disclose or use DMF information in a manner not in accordance with the Act. This rule would also establish the process for appealing denials or revocations of certification, the imposition penalties, and a fee program.

We are proposing amendments to our rules to implement Title V and Title VI of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the ``JOBS Act''). The proposed amendments would revise rules adopted under Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ``Exchange Act'') to reflect the new, higher thresholds for registration, termination of registration and suspension of reporting that were set forth in the JOBS Act. The proposed rules also would apply the thresholds specified for banks and bank holding companies to savings and loan holding companies. In addition, the proposed amendments would revise the definition of ``held of record'' in Exchange Act Rule 12g5-1, in accordance with the JOBS Act, to exclude certain securities held by persons who received them pursuant to employee compensation plans and establish a non-exclusive safe harbor for determining whether securities are ``held of record'' for purposes of registration under Exchange Act Section 12(g).

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including single package vertical air conditioners and single package vertical heat pumps. EPCA also requires that each time the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1 is amended with respect to the standard levels or design requirements applicable to that equipment, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) must adopt amended uniform national standards for this equipment equivalent to those in ASHRAE Standard 90.1, unless DOE determines that there is clear and convincing evidence showing that more-stringent, amended standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would save a significant additional amount of energy. DOE has tentatively concluded that there is sufficient record evidence to support more-stringent standards for two classes of this equipment. However, for four equipment classes, DOE is proposing to adopt the revised ASHRAE levels, due to the absence of any models on the market in two classes, and absence of any models above the revised ASHRAE level in the remaining two classes. Accordingly, DOE is proposing amended energy conservation standards for all classes of single package vertical air conditioners and single package vertical heat pumps. DOE also announces a public meeting to receive comment on these proposed standards and associated analyses and results.