August 6, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS announces that the State of North Carolina is transferring a portion of its 2015 commercial Atlantic bluefish quota to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These quota adjustments are necessary to comply with the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provision. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial quota for each state involved.

This document contains corrections to a notice of proposed rulemaking, notice of proposed rulemaking by cross-reference to temporary regulations, and notice of public hearing (REG-102648-15) that were published in the Federal Register on Friday, June 19, 2015 (80 FR 35262). The proposed regulations relate to multiemployer pension plans that are projected to have insufficient funds, at some point in the future, to pay the full benefits to which individuals will be entitled under the plans (referred to as plans in ``critical and declining status'').

On June 29, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015. The Act provides a number of amendments to the antidumping duty (``AD'') and countervailing duty (``CVD'') laws but does not specify dates of application for those amendments. This notice of determination establishes a date of application for each statutory revision pertaining to the Department of Commerce and provides notice thereof to all interested parties to AD and CVD proceedings and to the public.

The Commission seeks comment on the Land Mobile Communication Counsel's (LMCC) proposed interference contours for interstitial channels, submitted on May 26, 2015, during the reply comments stage in the pending rule making proceeding. This action is necessary because the Commission desires the benefit of public comment on the proposed interference contours which were not advanced by LMCC until the reply stage of the Interstitial NPRM. The intended effect of this action is to give interested parties a sufficient opportunity to comment on LMCC's May 26, 2015 proposed interference contours.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter the Service or we) proposes to establish annual hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds for the 2016-17 hunting season. We annually prescribe outside limits (frameworks) within which States may select hunting seasons. This proposed rule provides the regulatory schedule, announces the Service Migratory Bird Regulations Committee and Flyway Council (SRC) meetings, describes the regulatory alternatives for the 2016-17 duck hunting seasons, and requests proposals from Indian tribes that wish to establish special migratory game bird hunting regulations on Federal Indian reservations and ceded lands. Migratory game bird hunting seasons provide opportunities for recreation and sustenance; aid Federal, State, and tribal governments in the management of migratory game birds; and permit harvests at levels compatible with migratory game bird population status and habitat conditions.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority designed to demonstrate promising practices in the use of career pathways to improve employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Specifically, this priority will establish model demonstration projects that engage State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies in partnerships with other entities to develop and use career pathways to help individuals with disabilities eligible for VR services, including youth with disabilities, acquire necessary marketable skills and recognized postsecondary credentials. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2015 and later years.

On December 16, 2014, the FAA published a final rule with a request for comments that eliminated the requirement for an air traffic control tower operator to hold a control tower operator certificate if the individual also holds a Federal Aviation Administration Credential with a tower rating (FAA Credential). This action addresses the public comment the FAA received.

NMFS is implementing final specifications for the 2015 Atlantic bluefish fishery, including catch restrictions for commercial and recreational fisheries. This action is necessary to establish the 2015 harvest limits and management measures to prevent overfishing. The intent of the action is to inform the public of the 2015 catch limits and state-to-state commercial quota transfers consistent with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan and the recommendations of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. NMFS is also approving transfers of commercial bluefish quota from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Florida to the State of New York to ensure New York quota would not be exceeded.

NMFS is proposing regulations that would refinance the 30-year voluntary fishing capacity reduction loan implemented in 2004 into three separate loans, if approved through referenda, in the Pacific Coast Groundfish federal limited-entry trawl, Washington coastal Dungeness crab, and California pink shrimp fisheries (collectively known hereafter as the refinanced reduction fisheries). The refinanced loan, of up to $30 million, would establish a new industry fee system for future landings of the refinanced reduction fisheries. The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act authorized NMFS to refinance the loan and modify certain terms to extend the 30 year term to maturity to 45 years, change the interest rate to the current Treasury interest rate and, reduce the maximum repayment fee from five to three percent of ex-vessel value. If finalized, and with the receipt of an appropriation, NMFS proposes to refinance the single existing debt, which has been divided into seven loan subamounts, into three separate loans. NMFS would conduct three referenda as soon as practicable after publication of the final rule in each of the Pacific Coast Groundfish federal limited-entry trawl, Washington coastal Dungeness crab and California pink shrimp fisheries. If a referendum in one, two, or all three of the fisheries is successful, that fishery's current loan would be repaid in full and new loans in the amount of the principal and interest balance as of the date of funding would be issued per the terms in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act. These terms include a new 45-year term to maturity, interest charged at a current Treasury interest rate, and a maximum repayment fee of 3 percent of ex- vessel value.

On March 11, 2015, PHMSA published a final rule amending the pipeline safety regulations to make miscellaneous changes that updated and clarified certain regulatory requirements. These amendments address several subject matter areas including the performance of post- construction inspections, leak surveys of Type B onshore gas gathering lines, qualifying plastic pipe joiners, regulation of ethanol, transportation of pipe, filing of offshore pipeline condition reports, and calculation of pressure reductions for hazardous liquid pipeline anomalies. PHMSA has since received three petitions for reconsideration submitted by persons affected by the final rule.

This interim final rule implements Section 702 (c) of the Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 which states that beginning October 1, 2015, the pharmacy benefits program shall require eligible covered beneficiaries generally to refill non-generic prescription maintenance medications through military treatment facility pharmacies or the national mail- order pharmacy program. Section 702(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 also terminates the TRICARE For Life Pilot Program on September 30, 2015. The TRICARE For Life Pilot Program described in Section 716 (f) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, was a pilot program which began in March 2014 requiring TRICARE For Life beneficiaries to refill non- generic prescription maintenance medications through military treatment facility pharmacies or the national mail-order pharmacy program. TRICARE for Life beneficiaries are those enrolled in the Medicare wraparound coverage option of the TRICARE program. This interim rule includes procedures to assist beneficiaries in transferring covered prescriptions to the mail order pharmacy program. This regulation is being issued as an interim final rule in order to comply with the express statutory intent that the program begin October 1, 2015. Public comments, however, are invited and will be considered for possible revisions to this rule for the second year of the program.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to revise its test procedure for battery chargers established under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as amended (EPCA). These proposed revisions, if adopted, would harmonize the instrumentation resolution and uncertainty requirements with the second edition of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62301 standard and other international standards for measuring standby power. Additionally, the proposed amendments would update and propose new battery selection criteria for multi-voltage, multi-capacity battery chargers, and provide specific steps on how to select a battery for those chargers when more than one battery meets the selection criteria, such as with a multi-chemistry battery charger. The proposal also outlines new provisions for conditioning and discharging lead acid batteries.

This final rule will update the hospice payment rates and the wage index for fiscal year (FY) 2016 (October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016), including implementing the last year of the phase-out of the wage index budget neutrality adjustment factor (BNAF). Effective on January 1, 2016, this rule also finalizes our proposals to differentiate payments for routine home care (RHC) based on the beneficiary's length of stay and implement a service intensity add-on (SIA) payment for services provided in the last 7 days of a beneficiary's life, if certain criteria are met. In addition, this rule will implement changes to the aggregate cap calculation mandated by the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act), align the cap accounting year for both the inpatient cap and the hospice aggregate cap with the federal fiscal year starting in FY 2017, make changes to the hospice quality reporting program, clarify a requirement for diagnosis reporting on the hospice claim, and discuss recent hospice payment reform research and analyses.

This final rule updates the prospective payment rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for federal fiscal year (FY) 2016 as required by the statute. As required by section 1886(j)(5) of the Act, this rule includes the classification and weighting factors for the IRF PPS's case-mix groups and a description of the methodologies and data used in computing the prospective payment rates for FY 2016. This final rule also finalizes policy changes, including the adoption of an IRF-specific market basket that reflects the cost structures of only IRF providers, a 1-year phase-in of the revised wage index changes, a 3-year phase-out of the rural adjustment for certain IRFs, and revisions and updates to the quality reporting program (QRP).

A public hearing is being held to consider and take evidence on a proposal that would establish a Federal milk marketing order to regulate the handling of milk in California. The proposed marketing area would incorporate the entire state of California. USDA received four proposals from interested parties, some that include certain milk pricing and pooling provisions not found in current Federal milk orders. The proposals incorporate the same dairy product classification system used throughout the Federal milk marketing order system. Additional features would recognize California quota premium and fluid milk fortification values. The proposals noticed herein would not modify any existing Federal milk marketing orders.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to amend its existing regulations concerning VA Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program (GPD) and Supportive Service for Veterans Families Program (SSVF) and to establish a new part. More specifically, VA proposes to revise provisions that apply to religious organizations that receive financial assistance from VA in order to more clearly distinguish between ``direct'' and ``indirect'' financial assistance, amend VA's regulations to replace the term ``inherently religious activities'' with the term ``explicitly religious activities'', and establish new provisions that provide valuable protections for beneficiaries, provide guidance to VA employees and faith-based and other neighborhood organizations that receive ``direct'' or ``indirect'' VA financial assistance, and provide clear and uniform instructions on the fundamental principles that apply to their awards.

This rule amends the quorum and voting regulations of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). The amendments add a requirement for the Chairperson to place notation votes that have been calendared for discussion at a Board Meeting to the agenda of a public meeting within 90 days of the calendared notation vote. The rule also adds a requirement for the Chairperson to conduct a minimum of four public meetings per year in Washington, DC.

This rule proposes to revise USDA's regulation that covers equal opportunity for participation of faith-based (religious) organizations in USDA programs. These revisions are being undertaken to implement Executive Order 13559, Fundamental Principles and Policymaking Criteria for Partnerships with Faith-Based and Other Neighborhood Organizations. Executive Order 13559 amended Executive Order 13279, Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-Based and Community Organizations, which provides the legal basis for USDA's current equal participation regulations to protect religious liberty rights of beneficiaries of USDA funded programs. This rule adopts changes to Executive Order 13279 made by Executive Order 13559, including changes to specific terminology, additional beneficiary protections, and clarifications on the responsibilities of intermediaries. In addition to proposing regulatory amendments to implement Executive Order 13559, USDA is also publishing for public comment a Paperwork Reduction Act information collection notice of beneficiary protections for use by religious organizations.

The United States Department of Labor (DOL or the Department) proposes to amend its general regulations regarding the equal treatment of religious organizations in Department of Labor programs and the protection of religious liberty for Department of Labor social service providers and beneficiaries. Specifically, this proposed rule would: Clarify the definition of direct and indirect financial assistance, replace the term ``inherently religious activities'' with the term ``explicitly religious activities'' and define the latter term as ``including activities that involve overt religious content such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization,'' require faith- based organizations administering a program supported with direct DOL financial assistance to provide beneficiaries with a written notice informing them of their religious liberty rights, including the right to a referral to an alternative provider if the beneficiary objects to the religious character of the organization providing services, and add a provision stating that decisions about awards of Federal financial assistance must be free from political interference and based on merit. These changes are necessitated by the issuance in November 2010, of Executive Order 13559, Fundamental Principles and Policymaking Criteria for Partnerships with Faith-Based and Other Neighborhood Organizations.

This rule proposes to revise HUD's regulation that covers the equal participation of faith-based (religious) organizations in HUD Programs, including all of HUD's Native American Programs, as well as several program-specific regulations regarding the equal participation of faith-based organizations. These revisions are being undertaken to implement Executive Order 13559, Fundamental Principles and Policymaking Criteria for Partnerships with Faith-Based and Other Neighborhood Organizations. Executive Order 13559 revised Executive Order 13279, Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-Based and Community Organizations, which provides the legal basis for HUD's current equal participation regulations. This rule implements changes to Executive Order 13279 made by Executive Order 13559, including changes to specific terminology, additional beneficiary protections, and clarifications on the responsibilities of intermediaries. In addition to proposing regulatory amendments to implement Executive Order 13559, HUD is also publishing for public comment a sample notice of beneficiary protections for use by faith-based organizations.

The United States Department Health and Human Services (HHS) proposes to amend its general regulations regarding the equal treatment of religious organizations in HHS programs and the protection of religious liberty for HHS social service providers and beneficiaries. Specifically, this proposed rule would: Clarify the definition of direct and indirect financial assistance, replace the term ``inherently religious activities'' with the term ``explicitly religious activities,'' require faith-based organizations administering a program supported with direct HHS financial assistance to provide beneficiaries with a written notice informing them of their religious liberty protections, including the right to a referral to an alternative provider if the beneficiary objects to the religious character of the organization providing services, and add a provision stating that decisions about awards of Federal financial assistance must be free from political interference and based on merit.