September 20, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment upon this proposed extension of a currently approved collection of information. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the information collection notice is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments regarding the nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated burden (i.e. the time, effort, and resources used by the respondents to respond), the estimated cost to the respondent, and the actual information collection instruments.

The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (the Department) is issuing this notice to announce the applicable minimum wage rate to be paid to workers performing work on or in connection with Federal contracts covered by Executive Order 13658, beginning January 1, 2017. Executive Order 13658, Establishing a Minimum Wage for Contractors (the Executive Order or the Order), was signed by President Barack Obama on February 12, 2014, and raised the hourly minimum wage paid by contractors to workers performing work on covered Federal contracts to: $10.10 per hour, beginning January 1, 2015; and beginning January 1, 2016, and annually thereafter, an amount determined by the Secretary of Labor (the Secretary) in accordance with the methodology set forth in the Order. See 79 FR 9851. The Secretary's determination of the Executive Order minimum wage rate also affects the minimum hourly cash wage that must be paid to tipped employees performing work on or in connection with covered contracts. See 79 FR 9851-52. The Secretary is required to provide notice to the public of the new minimum wage rate at least 90 days before such rate is to take effect. See 79 FR 9851. The applicable minimum wage under Executive Order 13658 is currently $10.15 per hour, in effect since January 1, 2016. See 80 FR 55646. The applicable minimum cash wage that generally must be paid to tipped employees performing work on or in connection with covered contracts is currently $5.85 per hour, in effect since January 1, 2016. Id. Pursuant to Executive Order 13658 and its implementing regulations at 29 CFR part 10, notice is hereby given that beginning January 1, 2017, the Executive Order minimum wage rate that generally must be paid to workers performing work on or in connection with covered contracts will increase to $10.20 per hour. Notice is also hereby given that, beginning January 1, 2017, the required minimum cash wage that generally must be paid to tipped employees performing work on or in connection with covered contracts will increase to $6.80 per hour.

The Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) 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.

The Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) 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.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to partially approve and partially disapprove elements of the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission from the State of Iowa addressing the applicable requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) section 110 for the 2008 ozone NAAQS. Section 110 requires that each state adopt and submit a SIP to support the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of each new or revised NAAQS promulgated by the EPA. These SIPs are commonly referred to as ``infrastructure'' SIPs. The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air quality management program are adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act that the Kansas Advisory Committee (Committee) will hold a meeting on Tuesday, October 4, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. CDT. The meeting will include an orientation for new members, a discussion of completion and publication of the Committee's report regarding voting rights in the state, and a discussion of other current civil rights concerns in Kansas for future consideration.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is issuing this Notice of Data Availability (NODA) in connection with the proposed rule titled, ``Updates to Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands Regulations to Implement Executive Order 13690 and the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard'' that was published on August 22, 2016. Through this NODA, FEMA is making available to the public, and soliciting comment on, a draft report, 2016 Evaluation of the Benefits of Freeboard for Public and Nonresidential Buildings in Coastal Areas. The draft report has been added to the docket for the proposed rule.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is issuing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would establish standards for identifying whether an indemnification payment by the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, any of the Federal Home Loan Banks (regulated entities), or the Federal Home Loan Bank System's Office of Finance (OF) to an entity-affiliated party in connection with an administrative proceeding or civil action instituted by FHFA is prohibited or permissible. This proposed rule would not apply to a regulated entity operating in conservatorship or receivership, or to a limited-life regulated entity. It would apply to all regulated entities, each Federal Home Loan Bank, the OF, the Federal National Mortgage Association, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association, when not in conservatorship or receivership. This proposed rule takes into account public comments received by FHFA at various stages of the regulation's rulemaking process, including after the initial proposal published in 2009.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inadvertently approved and codified incorrect entries for final rule actions published in the Federal Register. This technical amendment corrects the entries.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) administers a program to hold retirement benefits for missing participants and beneficiaries in terminated retirement plans and to help those participants and beneficiaries find and receive the benefits being held for them. The program is currently limited to single-employer defined benefit pension plans covered by the pension insurance system under title IV of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). PBGC proposes to make changes to its existing program and, as authorized by the Pension Protection Act of 2006, to establish similar programs for multiemployer plans covered by title IV, certain defined benefit plans that are not covered by title IV, and most defined contribution plans. PBGC seeks public comment on its proposal.

This rulemaking would revise the regulations that the Department of the Interior (Department) follows in processing records under the Freedom of Information Act in part to comply with the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016. The revisions would clarify and update procedures for requesting information from the Department and procedures that the Department follows in responding to requests from the public.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) maintains, as part of its Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the Commerce Control List (CCL), which identifies certain items subject to Department of Commerce jurisdiction. This final rule revises the CCL, as well as corresponding parts of the EAR, to implement changes made to the Wassenaar Arrangement's List of Dual-Use Goods and Technologies (WA List) maintained and agreed to by governments participating in the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies (Wassenaar Arrangement, or WA) at the December 2015 WA Plenary Meeting (the Plenary). The Wassenaar Arrangement advocates implementation of effective export controls on strategic items with the objective of improving regional and international security and stability. This rule harmonizes the CCL with the changes made to the WA List at the Plenary by revising Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCNs) controlled for national security reasons in each category of the CCL, as well as making other associated changes to the EAR. The changes to the WA List include raising the Adjusted Peak Performance (APP) for high performance computers. The President's report for High Performance Computers was sent to Congress on June 1, 2016, to set forth the new APP in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY1998. This rule also makes changes to the EAR that were not agreed to at the WA Plenary. APP parameters are amended in several places in the EAR by this rule, such as APP parameters in the de minimis rules, License Exception APP, and related reporting requirements. BIS is also updating license requirements and policies associated with Category 5Part 2, including revising Export Control Classification Numbers 5A992, 5D992 and 5E992. In addition, this rule removes the Foreign National Review requirement associated with deemed exports under License Exceptions APP and CIV.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to establish new definitions, a new test procedure for dedicated-purpose pool pumps, new sampling and rating requirements, and new enforcement provisions for such equipment. Specifically, DOE proposes a test procedure for measuring the weighted energy factor (WEF) for certain varieties of dedicated-purpose pool pumps. The proposed test method incorporates by reference certain sections of the industry test standard Hydraulic Institute (HI) 40.6-2014, ``Methods for Rotodynamic Pump Efficiency Testing.'' The proposed definitions, test procedures, certification requirements, enforcement testing procedures, and labeling provisions are based on the recommendations of the dedicated-purpose pool pump (DPPP) Working Group, which was established under the Appliance Standards Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC).