October 23, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are amending the fruits and vegetables regulations to allow the importation of fresh peppers into the United States from Ecuador. As a condition of entry, the fruit will have to be produced in accordance with a systems approach that includes requirements for fruit fly trapping, pre-harvest inspections, production sites, and packinghouse procedures designed to exclude quarantine pests. The fruit will also be required to be imported in commercial consignments and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Ecuador stating that the consignment was produced and prepared for export in accordance with the requirements in the systems approach. This action allows for the importation of fresh peppers from Ecuador while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of plant pests into the United States.

The Department of Defense is publishing this notice to announce that the following Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the Defense Health Board will take place.

The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final rule to change the effective date of previously published Combined Federal Campaign regulations to January 1, 2017.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council's) Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will hold an online webinar to review a revised west coast limited entry trawl individual fishing quota (IFQ) projection model developed by the Pacific Council's Groundfish Management Team (GMT). The online SSC webinar is open to the public.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Ecosystem Based Fishery Management Committee to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. This Exempted Fishing Permit would allow commercial fishing vessels to fish outside of the limited access sea scallop regulations in support of study investigating coastal spawning of winter flounder in Southern New England. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed Exempted Fishing Permits.

On August 19, 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) in the Federal Register regarding energy conservation standards for refrigerated beverage vending machines (BVM ECS NOPR). DOE also held a public meeting on September 29, 2015. The comment period was scheduled to end October 19, 2015. After receiving a request for additional time to prepare and submit comments, DOE has decided to reopen the comment period for submitting comments regarding the BVM ECS NOPR. The comment period is reopened through November 23, 2015.

This notice sets forth the schedule and summary agenda for a partially-closed meeting of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and describes the functions of the Council. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, and the impact of the requirement on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, CNCS is soliciting comments concerning its recordkeeping requirement in 45 CFR 2540.205 and 2540.206. CNCS grantees and subgrantees must maintain records to document completion of required National Service Criminal History Checks. This is not a notice of proposed rulemaking.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a collection of information entitled ``Medical Device Labeling Regulations'' has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This notice provides information regarding FHWA's finding that a Buy America waiver is appropriate for the use of non-domestic stainless steel grooved butterfly valves, grooved couplings, and electrical conduit bodies and fittings for the I-90 project in the State of Washington.

This NOAA is issued in connection with the CY 2015 allocation round (Allocation Round) of the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program, as authorized by Title I, subtitle C, section 121 of the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-554) and amended by section 221 of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-357), section 101 of the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 108-357), Division A, section 102 of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-432), section 733 of the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-312), section 305 of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-240), and section 115 of the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-295). Through the NMTC Program, the CDFI Fund provides authority to CDEs to offer an incentive to investors in the form of tax credits over seven years, which is expected to stimulate the provision of private investment capital that, in turn, will facilitate economic and community development in Low-Income Communities. Through this NOAA, the CDFI Fund announces the availability of up to $5.0 billion of NMTC investment authority in this Allocation Round, subject to Congressional authorization. In this NOAA, the CDFI Fund specifically addresses how a CDE may apply to receive an allocation of NMTCs, the competitive procedure through which NMTC allocations will be made, and the actions that will be taken to ensure that proper allocations are made to appropriate entities.

This document includes two distinct but related NMFS actions. First, NMFS announces that it has denied a petition for rulemaking from Tri Marine Management Company, LLC, related to purse seine fishing effort limits in the area of competence of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Commission). Second, NMFS issues an advance notice of proposed rulemaking related to the treatment of U.S.- flagged purse seine vessels and their fishing activities in regulations implementing decisions of the Commission.

This action establishes Class E airspace at Vidalia, LA. Controlled airspace is necessary to accommodate new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures at Concordia Parish Airport. The FAA is taking this action to enhance the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

This action removes Class E airspace at O'Neal Airport, Vincennes, IN. Controlled airspace is no longer needed as the airport was abandoned in 2009 and is being removed from the FAAs database.

Chapter 19 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (``NAFTA'') provides for the establishment of a roster of individuals to serve on binational panels convened to review final determinations in antidumping or countervailing duty (``AD/CVD'') proceedings and amendments to AD/CVD statutes of a NAFTA Party. The United States annually renews its selections for the Chapter 19 roster. Applications are invited from eligible individuals wishing to be included on the roster for the period April 1, 2016, through March 31, 2017.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Revenue Procedure 2011-4 (Letter Rulings), Revenue Procedure 2011-5 (Technical Advice), Revenue Procedure 2011-6 (Determination Letters), and Revenue Procedure 2011-8 (User Fees).