2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) seeks comment on how best to measure the performance goals identified in the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Order and how to structure the reports for funding year 2014 and beyond in efforts to assess progress for broadband connectivity to eligible individual and consortium health care provider applicants.

Pursuant to the provisions of the ``Government in the Sunshine Act'' (5 U.S.C. 552b), and as authorized by 42 U.S.C. 2286b, notice is hereby given of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board's (Board) public meeting and hearing described below. The Board invites any interested persons or groups to present any comments, technical information, or data concerning safety issues related to the matters to be considered.

The Coast Guard will enforce the regulation pertaining to the Charleston Parade of Boats from 4:00 p.m. through 8:00 p.m. on December 13, 2014. This action is necessary to ensure safety of life on navigable waters of the United States during the Charleston Parade of Boats. During the enforcement period, the special local regulation establishes a regulated area which will prohibit all people and vessels from entering. Vessels may enter, transit through, anchor in, or remain within the area if authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston or a designated representative.

On August 2, 2013, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published notice in the Federal Register informing annuitants that they had an extended opportunity (until June 26, 2015), to elect survivor annuity benefits for their same-sex spouses if they had been married prior to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Windsor, 133 S.Ct. 2675 (2013), on June 26, 2013, and were prevented by the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), 1 U.S.C. 7(3)(1996), from making a timely election. See 78 FR 47018 (Aug. 2, 2013). Similarly, because annuitants, employees, or former employees in same-sex marriages may have died prior to the Windsor decision (i.e. prior to June 26, 2013), and because the same-sex spouses of those deceased annuitants, employees, and former employees may not have applied for death benefits because of DOMA, or may have applied for death benefits but were denied benefits because of DOMA, OPM is publishing this notice to inform those surviving same-sex spouses that they may apply (or re-apply) for death benefits so that OPM can evaluate whether or not those same-sex spouses may now be entitled to survivor annuity or lump-sum death benefits.

This action proposes to modify the designated altitudes of restricted area R-4501B, Fort Leonard Wood, MO, by raising the restricted area ceiling from 1,500 feet mean seal level (MSL) in the north and 2,200 feet MSL in the south to a single altitude of 4,300 feet MSL across the entire restricted area. This action also proposes to add exclusions to the boundaries of R-4501C, R-4501F, and R-4501H to address overlapping restricted areas. Finally, this action proposes numerous administrative changes to the R-4501A and R-4501B titles and R-4501A-D, R-4501F, and R-4501H using agency information to standardize the format and information provided describing these restricted areas of the Fort Leonard Wood restricted area complex.

In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) extends the deadline for filing comments and reply comments in the Special Access Proceeding Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) regarding possible changes to the special access rules that apply to incumbent local exchange carriers that are subject to price cap regulation. This extension is necessary to allow time for the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) to collect data that will be used for a proposed one-time, multi-faceted market analysis of the special access market and for potential commenters to review the data in advance of submitting comments and replies.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by WKEF Licensee L.P. (``WKEF Licensee''), the licensee of station WKEF(TV), channel 51, Dayton, Ohio, requesting the substitution of channel 18 for channel 51 at Dayton. While the Commission instituted a freeze on the acceptance of full power television rulemaking petitions requesting channel substitutions in May 2011, it subsequently announced that it would lift the freeze to accept such petitions for rulemaking seeking to relocate from channel 51 pursuant to a voluntary relocation agreement with Lower 700 MHz A Block licensees. WKEF Licensee has entered into such a voluntary relocation agreement with T-Mobile, Inc. and states that operation on channel 18 would eliminate potential interference to and from wireless operations in the adjacent Lower 700 MHZ A Block.

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected agencies are invited to address one or more of the following points: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Department of Commerce (the ``Department'') is amending the final results of the new shipper review of the antidumping duty order on wooden bedroom furniture from the People's Republic of China covering the period January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012 to correct a ministerial error.

This action proposes to establish Class D airspace and Class E airspace designated as an extension, at Hammond, LA. The establishment of an air traffic control tower has made this action necessary for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations within the airspace at Hammond Northshore Regional Airport. This action also would amend the airport name and adjust the geographic coordinates for the current Class E airspace area.

This action proposes to remove Class D airspace at Independence Municipal Airport, Independence, KS. The closure of the airport's air traffic control tower has necessitated the need for this proposal.

The Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary is announcing a public meeting of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Public Advisory Committee.

The National Park Service has prepared and approved a Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Tuolumne River Comprehensive Management Plan. Approval of the Tuolumne River Comprehensive Management Plan concludes an extensive conservation planning and environmental impact analysis effort that began during 2005. The requisite no-action ``wait period'' was initiated on March 14, 2014, with the Environmental Protection Agency's Federal Register announcement of the filing of the Final EIS.

The Appraisal Subcommittee Advisory Committee for Development of Regulations (ASCAC or Committee) will meet in open session on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Thursday, October 16, 2014, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All times are in the Eastern time zone. The primary purpose of this meeting is to continue discussion on potential recommendations to the ASC regarding Temporary Practice, National Registries (Appraisers and Appraisal Management Companies), Information Sharing and Enforcement. The final agenda will be posted on the ASC Web site at https://www.asc.gov.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing its withdrawal of federal water quality standards applicable to waters of the state of Florida now that Florida has adopted and EPA has approved relevant state standards. On December 6, 2010, EPA published a rule finalizing numeric nutrient standards for Florida's lakes, springs, and flowing waters outside of the South Florida Nutrient Watershed Region. The EPA established these water quality standards to protect Florida's Class I and III freshwaters from nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. On November 30, 2012, June 27, 2013, and September 26, 2013, EPA approved numeric nutrient standards adopted by the state of Florida for certain waters in the state. Some of the water body types and provisions covered by state- adopted water quality standards were also included in EPA's final inland waters rule (criteria for Florida's lakes and springs, approaches to protect downstream lakes, and a provision for developing Site-Specific Alternative Criteria). The EPA is now withdrawing the overlapping federally-promulgated water quality standards to allow Florida to implement its state-adopted, EPA-approved water quality standards to address nutrient pollution in Florida's waters. Additionally, this rule serves as final notice that EPA is not finalizing three 2012 federal proposed rules related to nutrient pollution in Florida.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing that the period for providing public comments on the proposed rule published on June 18, 2014, titled ``Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units'' is being extended by 45 days.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is publishing this notice to comply with requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), which requires agencies to submit proposed reporting and recordkeeping requirements to OMB for review and approval, and to publish a notice in the Federal Register notifying the public that the agency has made such a submission. This notice also allows an additional 30 days for public comments.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) sponsored information collection request (ICR) revision titled, ``Report of Changes That May Affect Your Black Lung Benefits,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS or the Agency) is issuing this Final Rule to revise the regulations implementing the reporting requirements under the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended (VEVRAA). Generally, VEVRAA requires Federal contractors and subcontractors to annually report on the total number of their employees who belong to the categories of veterans protected under VEVRAA, and the total number of those protected veterans who were hired during the period covered by the report. This Final Rule rescinds the regulations that prescribe the reporting requirements applicable to Government contracts and subcontracts entered into before December 1, 2003, because those regulations are now obsolete. In addition, this Final Rule revises the regulations that prescribe the reporting requirements applicable to Government contracts and subcontracts of $100,000 or more entered into or modified after December 1, 2003, by changing the manner in which Federal contractors report on their employment of veterans. The Final Rule renames the annual report required under those regulations the Federal Contractor Veterans' Employment Report VETS-4212. Further, the Final Rule revises regulations that address the definitions of terms used in the regulations, the text of the reporting requirements clause included in Government contracts and subcontracts, and the methods of filing the annual report on veterans' employment. Contractors and subcontractors will have to comply with the reporting requirements in the Final Rule beginning with the annual report filed in 2015.