September 8, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of State amends the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services (Schedule) for certain passport fees and citizenship services fees. More specifically, the rule amends the passport book application services fee and passport book security surcharge. The Department is adjusting these fees in light of the findings of the most recent annual update to the Cost of Service Model to ensure that the fees for consular services better align with the costs of providing those services. The passport fee changes will not alter the total fee paid by passport customers. The rule also renames the ``Administrative Processing of Formal Renunciation of U.S. Citizenship'' fee, as the ``Administrative Processing of Request for Certificate of Loss of Nationality'' fee, applying the fee to any request for a Certificate of Loss of Nationality whether the individual has relinquished nationality by taking an oath of renunciation or by voluntarily and intentionally performing another potentially expatriating act specified by statute.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), Executive Office for Immigration Review, will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register at 80 FR 38233, on July 2, 2015, allowing for a 60 day comment period.

Section 8(c)(1) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (USHA) requires the Secretary to publish FMRs periodically, but not less than annually, adjusted to be effective on October 1 of each year. The primary uses of FMRs are to determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, to determine initial renewal rents for some expiring project-based Section 8 contracts, to determine initial rents for housing assistance payment contracts in the Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy program, and to serve as rent ceilings for rental assistance units in the HOME Investment Partnerships program. FMRs are used in the calculation of maximum award amounts for Continuum of Care grantees and are also used in the calculation of flat rents in Public Housing units. Today's notice provides proposed FY 2016 FMRs for all areas that reflect the estimated 40th and 50th percentile rent levels trended to April 1, 2016. The FY 2016 FMRs are based on ``5-year'' data collected by the American Community Survey (ACS) from 2009 through 2013. These data are updated by one-year 2013 ACS data for areas where statistically valid one-year ACS data is available. HUD continues to use ACS data in different ways according to the statistical reliability of rent estimates. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rent and utility indexes are used to further update the data to 2014. These values are then trended forward to FY 2016 using the annualized change in median gross rents as measured across the most recent 5 years of available 1 year ACS data. While HUD will continue to use this trend factor for the calculation of FY 2016 FMRs, the Department is considering replacing it with a forward-looking forecast for the FY 2017 FMRs. For example, HUD is evaluating the use of a model that would forecast national rent and utility CPI indices based on economic assumptions used in the formulation of the President's Budget. HUD seeks public comments on this or alternative methodologies, as well as other data sources, for trending rent levels forward. The proposed FY 2016 FMRs in this notice incorporate a change in the level of statistical reliability that is allowed for an ACS estimate to be used in the calculation of FMRs. Previously, if the error of the estimate was less than the estimate itself, HUD used the estimate. The Proposed FMRs in this notice use ACS estimates where the size of the error is limited to half of the estimate. An additional change to the proposed FY 2016 FMRs is the incorporation of the February 28, 2013, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) metropolitan area definition update based on the 2010 Decennial Census data. The 2013 ACS data are the first to use the new area definitions in the compilation of the ACS data. In a June 2, 2015 advanced notice of proposed rulemaking, HUD solicited comments on several topics related to the calculation of FMRs, including possible measures the Department is considering that would reduce the concentration of Section 8 voucher tenants. For example, HUD is evaluating alternatives to the current 50th percentile FMR program, which was implemented to mitigate excessive geographic concentration of voucher tenants. Comments were requested to determine interest in a program that is based on different measures for determining how many and which areas would receive special FMRs to encourage deconcentration, as well as on alternative FMR-based tools for promoting deconcentration, such as Small Area FMRs estimated at the ZIP code level. The Department appreciates the comments provided and is currently analyzing this input to inform the next steps in the rulemaking process. For the FY 2016 FMRs, however, the current 50th percentile FMR program is still in place with no change to existing regulations.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is issuing regulations governing the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) endowment grants awarded to section 736 and section 464z-4 Centers of Excellence to facilitate minority health disparities research and other health disparities research.

This rule amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

This rule amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

The Federal Communications Commission (the Commission) acts to improve the Commission's efficiency, effectively manage Commission resources, and align the Commission's field enforcement activities with contemporary needs for a field enforcement presence. The Commission, the Office of Managing Director and the Enforcement Bureau will take several actions to realign the mission and resources of its 24 field offices. The Bureau's field offices will primarily support the enforcement of the Commission's radio frequency spectrum rules and other key regulations in a manner likely to have the greatest impact, in the most cost effective way possible.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Alaska (the State). The submission addresses transportation conformity and general conformity requirements. The EPA is approving the submission in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (the Act).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of one amendment request. The amendment request is for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. For this amendment request, the NRC proposes to determine that it involves no significant hazards consideration. In addition, the amendment request contains sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI).

The departments and agencies listed in this document propose revisions to modernize, strengthen, and make more effective the Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects that was promulgated as a Common Rule in 1991. This NPRM seeks comment on proposals to better protect human subjects involved in research, while facilitating valuable research and reducing burden, delay, and ambiguity for investigators. This proposed rule is an effort to modernize, simplify, and enhance the current system of oversight. The participating departments and agencies propose these revisions to the human subjects regulations because they believe these changes would strengthen protections for research subjects while facilitating important research.

This action proposes technical and editorial corrections and revisions to regulations related to source testing of emissions. This proposed rule will make corrections and updates to testing provisions that contain inaccuracies and outdated procedures, and provide alternatives to existing testing regulations. These revisions will improve the quality of data and provide testers flexibility to use recently-approved alternative procedures. Many of these changes were suggested by testers and other end-users, and they will not impose new substantive requirements on source owners or operators.