December 29, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
Results 1 - 22 of 22
Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Bid Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Loss Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; Corrections
This document corrects technical and typographical errors that appeared in the final rule published in the November 15, 2016 Federal Register (81 FR 80170). That rule is entitled, ``Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2017; Medicare Advantage Bid Pricing Data Release; Medicare Advantage and Part D Medical Loss Ratio Data Release; Medicare Advantage Provider Network Requirements; Expansion of Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Model; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements.''
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Herring Fishery; Adjustment to the Atlantic Herring Management Area 1A Annual Catch Limit
NMFS adjusts the 2016 fishing year annual catch limit for Atlantic Herring Management Area 1A due to an underharvest in the New Brunswick weir fishery. This action is necessary to comply with the 2016-2018 specifications and management measures for the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan and to ensure that accounting of the annual catch limit is accurate for fishing year 2016.
Fraser River Sockeye Salmon Fisheries; Inseason Orders
NMFS publishes Fraser River salmon inseason orders to regulate treaty and non-treaty (all citizen) commercial salmon fisheries in U.S. waters. The orders were issued by the Fraser River Panel (Panel) of the Pacific Salmon Commission (Commission) and subsequently approved and issued by NMFS during the 2016 salmon fisheries within the U.S. Fraser River Panel Area. These orders established fishing dates, times, and areas for the gear types of U.S. treaty Indian and all citizen commercial fisheries during the period the Panel exercised jurisdiction over these fisheries. In 2016, only treaty Indian fisheries were affected by these orders.
Interpretive Bulletin Relating to the Exercise of Shareholder Rights and Written Statements of Investment Policy, Including Proxy Voting Policies or Guidelines
This document sets forth supplemental views of the Department of Labor (Department) concerning the legal standards imposed by sections 402, 403 and 404 of Part 4 of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) with respect to voting of proxies on securities held in employee benefit plan investment portfolios, the maintenance of and compliance with statements of investment policy, including proxy voting policy, and the exercise of other legal rights of a shareholder. In this document, the Department withdraws Interpretive Bulletin 2008-2 and replaces it with Interpretive Bulletin 2016-1, which reinstates the language of Interpretive Bulletin 94-2 with certain modifications.
Qualification, Service, and Use of Crewmembers and Aircraft Dispatchers; Related Aircraft Amendment
The FAA is correcting a final rule published on December 16, 2016. In that final rule, which becomes effective on January 17, 2017, the FAA will allow air carriers to seek a deviation from the flight simulation training device (FSTD) requirements for related aircraft proficiency checks. As a result, that rule will eliminate an inconsistency that currently permits carriers that have obtained FAA approval to modify the FSTD requirements for related aircraft differences training, but not for corresponding proficiency checks. The FAA inadvertently listed an incorrect Amendment Number for that final rule. This document corrects that error.
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Threatened Listing Determination for the Oceanic Whitetip Shark Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)
NMFS has completed a comprehensive status review under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) in response to a petition from Defenders of Wildlife to list the species. Based on the best scientific and commercial information available, including the status review report (Young et al., 2016), and after taking into account efforts being made to protect the species, we have determined that the oceanic whitetip shark warrants listing as a threatened species. We conclude that the oceanic whitetip shark is likely to become endangered throughout all or a significant portion of its range within the foreseeable future. Any protective regulations determined to be necessary and advisable for the conservation of the species under ESA section 4(d) would be proposed in a subsequent Federal Register announcement. Should the proposed listing be finalized, we would also designate critical habitat for the species, to the maximum extent prudent and determinable. We solicit information to assist in this listing determination, the development of proposed protective regulations, and the designation of critical habitat in the event this proposed listing determination is finalized.
Post-Employment Conflict of Interest Restrictions; Revision of Departmental Component Designations
The U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is issuing this final rule to revise the component designations of two agencies for purposes of the one-year post-employment conflict of interest restriction for senior employees. Specifically, OGE is revoking two existing component designations and adding five new component designations, based on the recommendations of the agencies concerned.
Availability of Records
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission) proposes to revise its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations in order to implement the substantive and procedural changes to the FOIA identified in the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 and update two district offices addresses and the Office of Legal Counsel's fax number.
Refuse To Accept Procedures for Premarket Tobacco Product Submissions
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a final rule describing when FDA will refuse to accept a tobacco product submission (or application) because the application has not met a minimum threshold for acceptability for FDA review. Under the rule, FDA will refuse to accept a tobacco product submission, for example, that is not in English, does not pertain to a tobacco product, or does not identify the type of submission. By refusing to accept submissions that have the deficiencies identified in the proposed rule, FDA will be able to focus our review resources on submissions that meet a threshold of acceptability and encourage quality submissions.
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Snapper-Grouper Fishery Off the Southern Atlantic States; Regulatory Amendment 16
NMFS issues regulations to implement Regulatory Amendment 16 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP), as prepared and submitted by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule revises the current seasonal prohibition on the use of black sea bass pot gear in the South Atlantic and adds an additional gear marking requirement for black sea bass pot gear. The purpose of this final rule is to reduce the adverse socioeconomic impacts from the current seasonal black sea bass pot gear prohibition while continuing to protect Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed North Atlantic right whales (NARW)in the South Atlantic. This final rule also helps to better identify black sea bass pot gear in the South Atlantic.
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Individual Bluefin Quota Program; Inseason Transfers
NMFS modifies the Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) regulations regarding the distribution of inseason Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota transfers to the Longline category. This final rule provides NMFS the ability to distribute quota inseason either to all qualified Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) share recipients (i.e., share recipients who have associated their permit with a vessel) or only to permitted Atlantic Tunas Longline vessels with recent fishing activity, whether or not they are associated with IBQ shares. This action is necessary to optimize fishing opportunity in the directed pelagic longline fishery for target species such as tuna and swordfish and to improve the functioning of the IBQ Program and its leasing provisions consistent with the objectives of Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reclassifying the Tobusch Fishhook Cactus From Endangered to Threatened on the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants
Under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to reclassify the Tobusch fishhook cactus (Sclerocactus brevihamatus ssp. tobuschii; currently listed as Ancistrocactus tobuschii) from endangered to threatened on the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants (List). This determination is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the threats to this plant have been reduced to the point that it no longer meets the definition of endangered under the Act, but may still become endangered within the foreseeable future. This document also serves as the 12-month finding on a petition to reclassify this plant from endangered to threatened.
Extension of Deadline for Action on the November 2016 Section 126 Petition From Delaware
In this action, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is determining that 60 days is insufficient time to complete the technical and other analyses and public notice-and-comment process required for our review of a petition submitted by the state of Delaware pursuant to section 126 of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The petition requests that the EPA make a finding that Homer City Generating Station, located in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, emits air pollution that significantly contributes to nonattainment and interferes with maintenance of the 2008 and 2015 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) in the state of Delaware. Under section 307(d)(10) of CAA, the EPA is authorized to grant a time extension for responding to a petition if the EPA determines that the extension is necessary to afford the public, and the agency, adequate opportunity to carry out the purposes of the section 307(d) notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements. By this action, the EPA is making that determination. The EPA is therefore extending the deadline for acting on the petition to no later than July 9, 2017.
Isobutyl Acetate and Isobutyric Acid; Exemption From the Requirement of a Tolerance
This regulation establishes exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of isobutyl acetate (CAS Reg. No. 110-19-0) and isobutyric acid (CAS Reg. No. 79-31-2) when used as inert ingredients (solvent) in pesticide formulations applied to growing crops and raw agricultural commodities after harvest. Technology Sciences Group Inc. on behalf of Jeneil Biosurfactant Company submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting establishment of these exemptions from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish maximum permissible levels for residues of isobutyl acetate and isobutyric acid.
Nuclear Decommissioning Funds
This document provides proposed changes to the regulations under section 468A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Code) relating to deductions for contributions to trusts maintained for decommissioning nuclear power plants and the use of the amounts in those trusts to decommission nuclear plants. The proposed regulations revise certain provisions to: Address issues that have arisen as more nuclear plants have begun the decommissioning process; and clarify provisions in the current regulations regarding self-dealing and the definition of substantial completion of decommissioning.
Regulatory Program Fees and Water Supply Charges
The Commission amends the Rules of Practice and Procedure and the Basin RegulationsWater Supply Charges, respectively, to adopt a new project review fee structure and provide for automatic inflation adjustments. These changes are also incorporated into the Commission's Comprehensive Plan.
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region; Amendment 26
NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Amendment 26 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Coastal Migratory Pelagics Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region (FMP) as prepared and submitted jointly by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council). Amendment 26 and this proposed rule would adjust the management boundary for the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and Atlantic migratory groups of king mackerel; revise acceptable biological catch (ABC), commercial and recreational annual catch limits (ACLs), commercial quotas and recreational annual catch targets (ACTs) for Atlantic migratory group king mackerel; allow limited retention and sale of Atlantic migratory group king mackerel incidentally caught in the shark gillnet fishery; establish a commercial split season for Atlantic migratory group king mackerel in the Atlantic southern zone; establish a commercial trip limit system for Atlantic migratory group king mackerel in the Atlantic southern zone; revise the commercial and recreational ACLs for Gulf migratory group king mackerel; revise commercial zone quotas for Gulf migratory group king mackerel; and modify the recreational bag limit for Gulf migratory group king mackerel. The purpose of Amendment 26 and this proposed rule is to ensure that king mackerel management is based on the best scientific information available, while increasing the social and economic benefits of the fishery.
Mortality Tables for Determining Present Value Under Defined Benefit Pension Plans
This document contains proposed regulations prescribing mortality tables to be used by most defined benefit pension plans. The tables specify the probability of survival year-by-year for an individual based on age, gender, and other factors. This information is used (together with other actuarial assumptions) to calculate the present value of a stream of expected future benefit payments for purposes of determining the minimum funding requirements for the plan. These mortality tables are also relevant to determining the minimum required amount of a lump-sum distribution from such a plan. In addition, this document contains proposed regulations to update the requirements that a plan sponsor must meet in order to obtain IRS approval to use mortality tables specific to the plan for minimum funding purposes (instead of the generally applicable mortality tables). These regulations affect participants in, beneficiaries of, employers maintaining, and administrators of certain retirement plans.
Enterprise Duty To Serve Underserved Markets
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) amended the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (Safety and Soundness Act) to establish a duty for the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (collectively, the Enterprises) to serve three specified underserved marketsmanufactured housing, affordable housing preservation, and rural marketsin order to increase the liquidity of mortgage investments and improve the distribution of investment capital available for mortgage financing for very low-, low-, and moderate-income families in those markets. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is issuing this final rule which specifies the scope of Enterprise activities that are eligible to receive Duty to Serve credit. These activities generally are those that facilitate a secondary market for mortgages related to: Manufactured homes titled as real property or personal property; blanket loans for certain categories of manufactured housing communities; preserving the affordability of housing for renters and homebuyers; and housing in rural markets. The final rule provides a framework for FHFA's method for evaluating and rating the Enterprises' compliance with the Duty to Serve each underserved market.
Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model MD-90-30 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of stick shaker activation at airspeeds that were above the stall protection system's stick shaker schedule. This AD requires installing angle-of-attack (AOA) sensor external case heaters on the existing AOA sensors, installing additional wires, and doing a functional test and applicable corrective actions. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters (Previously Eurocopter France) Helicopters
We are superseding airworthiness directive (AD) 2010-21-07 for Eurocopter France (now Airbus Helicopters) Model AS350B3 and EC130B4 helicopters. AD 2010-21-07 required inspecting the pilot's and co- pilot's throttle twist for proper operation of the contactors. This new AD retains the requirements of AD 2010-21-07, includes additional inspection procedures, and revises the inspection interval. These actions are intended to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products and Certain Commercial and Industrial Equipment: Test Procedures for Consumer and Commercial Water Heaters
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in this final rule, establishes mathematical conversion factors to translate the current energy conservation standards and the measured values determined under the energy factor, thermal efficiency, and standby loss test procedures for consumer water heaters and certain commercial water heaters to those determined under the more recently adopted uniform energy factor test procedure. As required by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, DOE initially presented proposals for establishing a mathematical conversion factor in a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) published on April 14, 2015 (April 2015 NOPR). Upon further analysis and review of the public comments received in response to the April 2015 NOPR, DOE published a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking on August 30, 2016 (August 2016 SNOPR). These proposed rulemakings serve as the basis for the final rule.
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