September 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is correcting the final guidance that appeared in the Federal Register on September 14, 2010 (75 FR 55673) and December 26, 2013 (78 FR 78589). OMB is amending the guidance to make technical corrections where needed. The final guidance is revised to remove references to the ``System of Award Management'' and replace them with the correct term ``System for Award Management''. With respect to the technical corrections to the final guidance, these corrections are included only where it has come to the attention of the Council on Financial Assistance Reform (COFAR) that particular language in the final guidance did not match with the COFAR's intent and would result in an erroneous implementation of the guidance. These technical corrections will go into effect at the time of issuance. Guidance on effective/applicability date is revised to allow a grace period of two fiscal years for non-Federal entities to implement changes to their procurement policies and procedures in accordance with guidance on procurement standards. Other requirements in the section remain as originally published. Technical corrections are made to eliminate conflicting or unclear language and grammatical inconsistencies or citation errors throughout.

We are proposing to amend the scrapie regulations by changing the risk groups and categories established for individual animals and for flocks, increasing the use of genetic testing as a means of assigning risk levels to animals, reducing movement restrictions for animals found to be genetically less susceptible or resistant to scrapie, and simplifying, reducing, or removing certain recordkeeping requirements. We also propose to provide designated scrapie epidemiologists with more alternatives and flexibility when testing animals in order to determine flock designations under the regulations. We propose to change the definition of high-risk animal, which will change the types of animals eligible for indemnity, and to pay higher indemnity for certain pregnant ewes and early maturing ewes. The proposed changes would also make the identification and recordkeeping requirements for goat owners consistent with those for sheep owners. These changes would affect sheep and goat producers, persons who handle sheep and goats in interstate commerce, and State governments.

The Department of State is giving notice that certain portions of the Family Advocacy Case Records, STATE -75, system of records are proposed to be exempt from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for northern rockfish in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2015 total allowable catch of northern rockfish in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2015 total allowable catch of Pacific ocean perch in the Western Regulatory Area of the GOA.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Utah on January 10, 2013 and January 28, 2014. The revisions involve amendments to Section X, Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program, Part A, General Requirements and Applicability; the addition of Section X, Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program, Part F, Cache County; and revisions to Utah Administrative Rules R307-110-1, R307-110-31, and R307-110-36. EPA is approving these SIP revisions in accordance with the requirements of section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the operation of the T-Bois bridge, a vertical lift-span bridge across Lafourche Bayou, mile 40.4, at Larose, Louisiana. The deviation is necessary in order to allow for the smooth flow of increased vehicular traffic caused by the temporary closure of the LA 1 bridge across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. This deviation allows the bridge to open on signal for the passage of traffic if at least one-hour advanced notification is given during the morning and evening rush hours.

This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME; CAS No. 107-98-2) when used as an inert ingredient under 40 CFR 180.910 as a solvent in pesticide formulations which include pre-and post- harvest use on crops. Syngenta Crop Protection submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting establishment of an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a maximum permissible level for residues of PGME.

This document contains final regulations that address certain integrated transactions that involve a foreign currency denominated debt instrument and multiple associated hedging transactions. The regulations provide that if a taxpayer has identified multiple hedges as being part of a qualified hedging transaction, and the taxpayer has terminated at least one but less than all of the hedges (including a portion of one or more of the hedges), the taxpayer must treat the remaining hedges as having been sold for fair market value on the date of disposition of the terminated hedge.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a correction to FAR Case 2014- 022; Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds (Item I), which was published in the Federal Register at 80 FR 38293, July 2, 2015. The changes to 7.104 and 7.107 are removed from the case because those thresholds are controlled by the Small Business Administration. The other changes are made to correct errors.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is confirming the effective date of September 8, 2015, for the direct final rule that was published in the Federal Register on June 23, 2015. This direct final rule amended the NRC's spent fuel storage regulations by revising the Holtec International, Inc. (Holtec), HI-STORM (Holtec International Storage Module) Underground Maximum Capacity (UMAX) Canister Storage System listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to add Amendment No. 1 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1040. Amendment No. 1 provides a seismically enhanced version of the HI-STORM UMAX Canister Storage System, identified as the ``Most Severe Earthquake (MSE)'' version that could be used in areas with higher seismic demands than those analyzed previously. Amendment No. 1 also includes minor physical design changes to help ensure structural integrity of the amended system. These are the addition of a hold-down system to the closure lid; replacing the fill material in the interstitial spaces between the cavity enclosure containers (CECs) surrounding the casks with 3000 psi concrete; strengthening the multi- purpose canister (MPC) guides, and engineering the guides' nominal gap with the MPC to be tighter than the original HI-STORM UMAX Canister Storage System design.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are extending the comment period for the joint proposed rules ``Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles Phase 2,'' and also for NHTSA's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The proposed rules were published in the Federal Register on July 13, 2015. The comment period for the proposed rules was to end on September 17, 2015. The DEIS was published to a NHTSA Docket on June 19, 2015, and the comment period for that document was to end on August 31, 2015. The purpose of this action is to extend the comment period for the proposed rules and the DEIS to October 1, 2015.

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 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is correcting a direct final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on July 8, 2015. The document approved revisions to various sections of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). This document adds the appropriate amendatory language to Sec. 52.220, Subpart F.

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 requirements. EPA is approving the submission in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (the Act).

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.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is requesting comments on a draft regulatory basis to support a rulemaking that would amend its regulations by adopting new cyber security requirements for certain nuclear fuel cycle facility (FCF) licensees in order to address safety and security consequences of concern. Potentially affected licensees include certain FCFs authorized to possess Category I, II, or III quantities of special nuclear material and uranium hexafluoride conversion and deconversion facilities.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is extending the public comment period on the Notice of proposed rulemaking entitled ``Amendment to `Participation by Religious Organizations in USAID Programs' to Implement Executive Order 13559,'' which was published in the Federal Register on August 6, 2015. The original public comment period would have ended on September 8, 2015. USAID intended to give a 60-day public comment period. Therefore, a comment period extension, to October 5, 2015, is appropriate.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing a change to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to reflect a 2014 EPA approval to a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision to regulate greenhouse gases (GHGs) in Texas Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permitting program and to show that the SIP deficiency identified in a prior partial disapproval for the 1997 Ozone and the 1997 and 2006 PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) has been addressed.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Haystack Landing Drawbridge across the Petaluma River, mile 12.4, at Petaluma, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner to replace the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position during the deviation period.

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the gypsy moth regulations by adding areas in Minnesota, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin to the list of generally infested areas based on the detection of infestations of gypsy moth in those areas. As a result of the interim rule, the interstate movement of regulated articles from those areas was restricted. The interim rule was necessary to prevent the artificial spread of the gypsy moth to noninfested areas of the United States.

The Federal Trade Commission is extending the comment period concerning the proposed parental consent method submitted by Jest8 Limited, trading as Riyo (``Riyo''), under the Voluntary Commission Approval Processes provision of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule.