August 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone that extends 500 meters from the outer edge of the DRILLSHIP NOBLE DISCOVERER. This safety zone will be in effect both when the DRILLSHIP NOBLE DISCOVERER is anchored and when deploying and recovering moorings. This safety zone will be in effect when the DRILLSHIP NOBLE DISCOVERER is on location in order to drill exploratory wells at various prospects located in the Chukchi Sea Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska, from 12:01 a.m. on July 1, 2015 through 11:59 p.m. on October 31, 2015. The purpose of the temporary safety zone is to protect the drillship from vessels operating outside the normal shipping channels and fairways.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) on July 10, 2015. The SIP submission contains revisions to the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency (SRCAA) solid fuel burning device regulations to control particulate matter from residential wood combustion. The updated regulations reflect the State of Washington's statutory changes setting fine particulate matter trigger levels for impaired air quality burn bans. The submission also contains updates to the regulations to improve the clarity of the language. We are proposing to approve these changes because they meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act and strengthen the Washington SIP.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) seeks comment on proposed changes to its rules governing the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to incorporate three new event codes into and revise two geographic location codes identified in the EAS rules.

These special conditions are issued for the Bombardier Inc. Models BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. This design feature is side stick controllers for pitch and roll control instead of conventional wheels and columns. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) establishes, through this final rule, the approximately 44,690-acre ``Squaw Valley-Miramonte'' viticultural area in Fresno County, California. The viticultural area does not overlap any established viticultural area. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the operation of the Galveston Causeway Railroad Vertical Lift Bridge across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, mile 357.2 west of Harvey Locks, at Galveston, Galveston County, Texas. The deviation is necessary in order to conduct maintenance on the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain temporarily closed to navigation for eight hours on consecutive days during day light hours and will operate normally at all other times.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs four Multnomah County bridges: the Broadway Bridge, mile 11.7, Burnside Bridge, mile 12.4, Morrison Bridge, mile 12.8, and Hawthorne Bridge, mile 13.1, all crossing the Willamette River at Portland, OR. This deviation is necessary to accommodate the annual Portland Providence Bridge Pedal event. This deviation allows the bridges to remain in the closed-to-navigation position to allow safe roadway movement of event participants.

Waters on the majority of Indian reservations do not have water quality standards under the Clean Water Act to protect human health and the environment. Only 40 of over 300 federally recognized tribes with reservations have completed the process of obtaining EPA's approval to be treated in a manner similar to a state (TAS), and adopting standards for their waters that EPA has approved. EPA proposes to streamline how tribes apply for TAS for the water quality standards program and other Clean Water Act regulatory programs. The proposal would reduce the burden on applicant tribes and advance cooperative federalism by facilitating tribal involvement in the protection of reservation water quality as intended by Congress. Since 1991, EPA has followed a cautious approach that requires applicant tribes to demonstrate inherent authority to regulate waters and activities on their reservations under principles of federal Indian common law. The Agency has consistently stated that its approach was subject to change in the event of further congressional or judicial guidance addressing tribal authority under section 518 of the Clean Water Act. Having received such guidance, EPA proposes to conclude definitively that section 518 includes an express delegation of authority by Congress to eligible Indian tribes to administer regulatory programs over their entire reservations. This reinterpretation would eliminate the need for applicant tribes to demonstrate inherent authority to regulate under the Act, thus allowing tribes to implement the congressional delegation of authority unhindered by requirements not specified in the statute. The reinterpretation would also bring EPA's treatment of tribes under the Clean Water Act in line with EPA's treatment of tribes under the Clean Air Act, which has similar statutory language addressing tribal regulation of Indian reservation areas. This action would not revise any regulatory text. Regulatory provisions would remain in effect requiring tribes to identify the boundaries of the reservation areas over which they seek to exercise authority and allowing the adjacent state(s) to comment to EPA on an applicant tribe's assertion of authority. As a streamlining step, the proposed interpretive rule would have no significant cost.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, finalize a rule under authority of section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, that provides measures that are necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the Georgetown salamander (Eurycea naufragia), a species that occurs in Texas. This final 4(d) rule will provide the Service the opportunity to work cooperatively, in partnership with the local community and State agencies, on conservation of the Georgetown salamander and the ecosystems on which it depends. This 4(d) rule is necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the Georgetown salamander because it strengthens water quality protection measures throughout the species' range, allows for consideration of new information to optimize conservation measures, and furthers conservation partnerships that can be leveraged to improve the status of the Georgetown salamander.

HHS is establishing the Pandemic Influenza Countermeasures Injury Table as authorized by the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act). Through this final rule, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Secretary) adds regulations for the purpose of creating Covered Countermeasures Injury Tables. The pandemic influenza countermeasures are identified in Secretarial declarations relating to pandemic influenza, including influenza caused by the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza virus (hereafter referred to as the 2009 H1N1 virus) and other potential pandemic strains, such as H5N1 avian influenza.

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.