August 20, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We announce our intention to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee to prepare proposed regulations for the Federal Student Aid programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). The committee will include representatives of organizations or groups with interests that are significantly affected by the subject matter of the proposed regulations. We also announce two public hearings at which interested parties may comment on the topics suggested by the Department and may suggest additional topics that should be considered for action by the negotiating committee. In addition, we announce that the Department will accept written comments on the topics suggested by the Department and suggestions for additional issues that should be considered for action by the negotiating committee.

On August 13, 2015, the Coast Guard published in the Federal Register (80 FR 48436) a temporary final rule establishing five special local regulations for marine events held in the Sector Long Island Sound Captain of the Port Zone. Four of the marine events have already taken place. Inadvertently, this rule included an error in the date of the fifth special local regulation established in support of the ``War Writers Campaign Kayak For Cause'' event. This document corrects that error.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Pelham Bay Bridge, across the Hutchinson River, mile 0.5, at Bronx, New York. This deviation is necessary to replace bridge timbers, miter rails, and concrete work. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position for eighteen days.

This action reopens the comment period for the regulatory evaluation associated with the FAA's June 11, 2013 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), Revisions to Operational Requirements for the Use of Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (EFVS) and to Pilot Compartment View Requirements for Vision Systems. The regulatory evaluation associated with the NPRM was not posted to the docket prior to the close of the comment period. Therefore, the FAA is reopening the comment period to allow the public the opportunity to adequately analyze the full regulatory evaluation for the NPRM. The FAA will accept comments on the regulatory evaluation only; and not on the regulatory changes proposed in the NPRM.

This final rule amends HUD's regulations governing portability in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. Portability is a feature of the HCV program that allows an eligible family with a housing choice voucher to use that voucher to lease a unit anywhere in the United States where there is a public housing agency (PHA) operating an HCV program. The purpose of HUD's changes to the portability regulations is to enable PHAs to better serve families and expand housing opportunities by improving portability processes.

The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing requesting that the Commission initiate an informal rulemaking proceeding to consider changes to analytical principles relating to periodic reports (Proposal Eight). This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a revision to the Alcoa Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) averaging time for nitrogen oxides (NOX) in the Indiana State Implementation Plan (SIP). On July 23, 2014, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) submitted to EPA a revision to the daily NOX emissions limits, changing from a rolling 24-hour average to a 24-hour daily average. IDEM provided a statistical analysis showing that no significant increase in emissions will occur as a result of this change. EPA is approving this SIP revision because it will not interfere with attainment or maintenance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2001-13-51 for Bell Model 206L-4, 407, and 427 helicopters. AD 2001-13-51 required inspecting certain driveshafts for a crack, a loose bolt or nut, or red powder residue and replacing a driveshaft if there is a crack, a loose bolt or nut, or red powder residue. AD 2001-13-51 also required notifying the FAA within 10 days if a crack is found in the driveshaft. This new AD retains the inspection requirement of AD 2001-13-51, expands the applicability to include the Model 429 helicopter, and removes the reporting requirement. This AD is intended to prevent failure of a driveshaft, loss of drive to the main rotor system, and a subsequent emergency landing.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Montana on March 17, 2010, August 1, 2011, November 22, 2011, and September 19, 2014. The revisions are to the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) and include minor editorial and grammatical changes, updates to citations and references to federal and state laws and regulations, revisions to open burning rules, changes to the process for appealing air quality permits, and providing a process for revocation of air quality permits when owners cannot be found by mail. Also in this action, EPA is correcting final rules pertaining to Montana's SIP. On January 29, 2010, EPA took direct final action to approve SIP revisions as submitted by the State of Montana on January 16, 2009 and May 4, 2009. EPA subsequently discovered an error in our January 29, 2010 direct final action related to ``incorporation by reference'' (IBR) materials and the associated regulatory text numbering. EPA is correcting this error with today's action. Finally, EPA is updating the Montana nonregulatory provisions table to add carbon monoxide maintenance plans for Billings, Montana, and Great Falls, Montana approved by EPA on March 30, 2015 and April 1, 2015, respectively. This action is being taken under section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, without change, an interim rule recommended by the Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee) that further revised the quantity of Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil that handlers may purchase from, or handle on behalf of, producers during the 2014-2015 marketing year under the Far West spearmint oil marketing order. The salable quantity and allotment percentage for Native spearmint oil was initially established at 1,090,821 pounds and 46 percent, respectively, and was subsequently increased to 1,280,561 pounds and 54 percent in a separate rulemaking action. This action further increases the Native spearmint oil salable quantity to 1,351,704 pounds and the allotment percentage to 57 percent for the 2014-2015 marketing year. This change is expected to help maintain orderly marketing conditions in the Far West spearmint oil market.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 98-18-02 for certain Airbus Model A300 B4-600, B4-600R, and F4-600R series airplanes, and Model C4-605R variant F airplanes (collectively called A300-600 series airplanes). AD 98-18-02 required inspections to detect cracks in the center spar sealing angles adjacent to the pylon rear attachment and in the adjacent butt strap and skin panel, and correction of discrepancies. This new AD continues to require inspections for cracks. This new AD also requires a modification by cold expansion of the center spar sealing angles, replacement of both sealing angles and cold expansion of the attachment holes if necessary, and post-repair repetitive inspections and corrective actions if necessary. This AD was prompted by reports of cracking in the vertical web of the center spar sealing angles of the wing, and subsequent analyses that showed that the inspection threshold and interval specified in AD 98-18-02 must be reduced to allow timely detection of cracks on the sealing angles of the center spar, adjacent to rib 8. We are issuing this AD to prevent crack formation in the sealing angles, which could rupture the sealing angle and lead to subsequent crack formation in the bottom skin of the wing, and result in reduced structural integrity of the center spar section of the wing.

This proposed rule would amend the existing consolidated set of rules relating to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) trial practice for inter partes review (``IPR''), post-grant review (``PGR''), the transitional program for covered business method patents (``CBM''), and derivation proceedings that implemented provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (``AIA'') providing for trials before the Office.