2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising the regulations governing regulated small municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permits to respond to a remand from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Environmental Defense Center, et al. v. EPA, 344 F.3d 832 (9th Cir. 2003). In that decision, the court determined that the regulations for providing coverage under small MS4 general permits did not provide for adequate public notice and opportunity to request a hearing. Additionally, the court found that EPA failed to require permitting authority review of the best management practices (BMPs) to be used at a particular MS4 to ensure that the small MS4 permittee reduces pollutants in the discharge from their systems to the ``maximum extent practicable'' (MEP), the standard established by the Clean Water Act (CWA) for such permits. The final rule establishes two alternative approaches a permitting authority can use to issue National Pollutant Discharge Elimination (NPDES) general permits for small MS4s and meet the requirements of the court remand. The first option is to establish all necessary permit terms and conditions to require the MS4 operator to reduce the discharge of pollutants from its MS4 to the MEP, to protect water quality, and to satisfy the appropriate water quality requirements of the Clean Water Act (``MS4 permit standard'') upfront in one comprehensive permit. The second option allows the permitting authority to establish the necessary permit terms and conditions in two steps: A first step to issue a base general permit that contains terms and conditions applicable to all small MS4s covered by the permit and a second step to establish necessary permit terms and conditions for individual MS4s that are not in the base general permit. Public notice and comment and opportunity to request a hearing would be necessary for both steps of this two-step general permit. This final rule does not establish any new substantive requirements for small MS4 permits.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the public comment period for the proposed rule titled ``Interstate Transport of Fine Particulate Matter: Revision of Federal Implementation Plan Requirements for Texas'' published in the Federal Register on November 10, 2016.

We, NMFS, announce a 12-month finding and listing determination on a petition to list the Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We have completed a Status Review report of the Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whale in response to a petition submitted by the Natural Resources Defense Council. After reviewing the best scientific and commercial data available, including the Status Review report, and consulting with the Society for Marine Mammology's Committee on Taxonomy, we have determined that the Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whale is taxonomically a subspecies of the Bryde's whale thus meeting the ESA's definition of a species. Based on the Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whale's small population (likely fewer than 100 individuals), its life history characteristics, its extremely limited distribution, and its vulnerability to existing threats, we believe that the species faces a high risk of extinction. Based on these considerations, described in more detail within this action, we conclude that the Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whale is in danger of extinction throughout all of its range and meets the definition of an endangered species. We are soliciting information that may be relevant to inform both our final listing determination and designation of critical habitat.

The Department of Homeland Security is giving concurrent notice of a newly established system of records pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 for the ``Department of Homeland Security/United States Coast Guard-031 USCG Law Enforcement (ULE) System of Records'' and this proposed rulemaking. In this proposed rulemaking, the Department proposes to exempt portions of the system of records from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act because of criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement requirements.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all M7 Aerospace LLC Models SA226-AT, SA226-T, SA226-T(B), SA226-TC, SA227-AC (C-26A), SA227-AT, SA227-BC (C-26A), SA227-CC, SA227-DC (C-26B), and SA227-TT airplanes. This AD was prompted by corrosion and stress corrosion cracking of the pitch trim actuator upper attach fittings of the horizontal stabilizer front spar. This AD requires repetitive inspections with replacement of fittings as necessary. We are issuing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

The Secretary amends the regulations implementing academic assessment requirements under title I, part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to implement changes to the ESEA by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) enacted on December 10, 2015.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or Department), through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), proposes to exempt, from certain requirements of the Privacy Act, a subset of records in a new system of records, System No. 09-25-0225, NIH Electronic Research Administration (eRA) Records (NIH eRA Records), which covers records used in managing NIH research and development applications and awards throughout the award lifecycle. Elsewhere in today's Federal Register, HHS has published a proposed System of Records Notice (SORN) for System No. 09-25-0225 for public notice and comment. The subset of records proposed to be exempted is material that would inappropriately reveal the identities of referees who provide letters of recommendation and peer reviewers who provide written evaluative input and recommendations to NIH about particular funding applications under an express promise by the government that their identities in association with the written work products they authored and provided to the government will be kept confidential. Only material that would inappropriately reveal a particular referee or peer reviewer as the author of a specific work product (e.g., reference or recommendation letters, reviewer critiques, preliminary or final individual overall impact/priority scores, and/or assignment of peer reviewers to an application and other evaluative materials and data compiled by NIH/OER) is proposed to be exempted. The exemptions would protect not only an author's name in association with their written work product but any content that could enable the author to be identified from context. The Privacy Act provisions from which the material is proposed to be exempted are those that require the agency to provide an accounting of disclosures, access and amendment, and notification, which are contained in subsections (c)(3) and (d) of the Privacy Act.

This document contains final regulations that provide guidance under section 987 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) regarding the determination of the taxable income or loss of a taxpayer with respect to a qualified business unit (QBU) subject to section 987, as well as the timing, amount, character, and source of any section 987 gain or loss. Taxpayers affected by these regulations are corporations and individuals that own QBUs subject to section 987. In addition, published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, temporary and proposed regulations (the temporary regulations) are being issued under section 987 to address aspects of the application of section 987 not addressed in these final regulations.

Published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Treasury Department and the IRS are issuing temporary regulations under section 987 of the Code relating to the recognition and deferral of foreign currency gain or loss under section 987 with respect to a qualified business unit (QBU) in connection with certain QBU terminations and certain other transactions involving partnerships. The temporary regulations also contain rules providing: An annual deemed termination election for a section 987 QBU; an elective method, available to taxpayers that make the annual deemed termination election, for translating all items of income or loss with respect to a section 987 QBU at the yearly average exchange rate; rules regarding the treatment of section 988 transactions of a section 987 QBU; rules regarding QBUs with the U.S. dollar as their functional currency; rules regarding combinations and separations of section 987 QBUs; rules regarding the translation of income used to pay creditable foreign income taxes; and rules regarding the allocation of assets and liabilities of certain partnerships for purposes of section 987. Finally, the temporary regulations contain rules under section 988 requiring the deferral of certain section 988 loss that arises with respect to related-party loans. The text of the temporary regulations serves as the text of these proposed regulations.

FMCSA establishes new minimum training standards for certain individuals applying for their commercial driver's license (CDL) for the first time; an upgrade of their CDL (e.g., a Class B CDL holder seeking a Class A CDL); or a hazardous materials (H), passenger (P), or school bus (S) endorsement for the first time. These individuals are subject to the entry-level driver training (ELDT) requirements and must complete a prescribed program of instruction provided by an entity that is listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry (TPR). FMCSA will submit training certification information to State driver licensing agencies (SDLAs), who may only administer CDL skills tests to applicants for the Class A and B CDL, and/or the P or S endorsements, or knowledge test for the H endorsement, after verifying the certification information is present in the driver's record.

These special conditions are issued for the Embraer S.A. Model ERJ 190-300 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. This design feature is an automatic braking system with a pilot-selectable function that allows earlier braking at landing without pilot pedal input. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amends its medical regulations concerning the copayment required for certain medications. This rulemaking freezes copayments at the current rate for veterans in priority groups 2 through 8 through February 26, 2017.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters on the Upper Mississippi River from mile 179.2 to mile 180. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created during a fireworks display on and over the navigable waterway. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Upper Mississippi River or a designated representative.

The Department of the Treasury (Treasury) is issuing this interim final rule as part of its implementation of changes to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (Program) required by the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2015 (2015 Reauthorization Act). This interim final rule only addresses the process for certification of an act of terrorism, as published in proposed form on April 1, 2016, for public comment. Some clarifying changes have been made in this interim final rule in response to comments, and certain wording changes have also been made which are not intended to change the meaning of the rule as originally proposed. The proposed rule includes a more general revision to and renumbering of the Program rules which will be issued in full at a later date. Accordingly, for now, the new subpart is renumbered to avoid duplication with the existing rule numbers. Upon issuance of the final rules for the Program, the final rules will reflect the numbering sequence in the notice of proposed rulemaking published on April 1, 2016.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is announcing the availability of a guidance for industry and FDA staff entitled ``Third- Party Certification Body Accreditation for Food Safety Audits: Model Accreditation Standards.'' The guidance contains FDA recommendations on third-party certification body qualifications for accreditation to conduct food safety audits and to issue food and/or facility certifications under an FDA program required by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The guidance is intended to describe the standards for accreditation of third-party certification bodies as required under the final rule entitled ``Accreditation of Third-Party Certification Bodies to Conduct Food Safety Audits and to Issue Certifications.'' In addition, this guidance discusses specific clauses of ISO/IEC 17021: 2015 and industry practice that are currently being used by third-party certification bodies and that FDA recommends accreditation bodies consider as a model when making accreditation decisions.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) moderate nonattainment area Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision for the 2008 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS or standard). EPA is also approving revisions to the 2011 base year emissions inventory for the DFW moderate nonattainment area for the 2008 ozone NAAQS, the 2017 transportation conformity motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs), and the required contingency measures for failure to meet RFP. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the waters of the Delaware River in the vicinity of Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. The safety zone will temporarily restrict vessel traffic from transiting or anchoring in a portion of the Delaware River while rock blasting, dredging, and rock removal operations are being conducted to facilitate the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening project for the main navigational channel of the Delaware River. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by rock blasting, dredging, and rock removal operations. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port or his designated representatives.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) proposes to promulgate regulations under the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act. Implementation of the proposed rule would preserve, manage, and protect paleontological resources on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and ensure that these federally owned resources are available for current and future generations to enjoy as part of America's national heritage. The proposed rule would address the management, collection, and curation of paleontological resources from federal lands using scientific principles and expertise, including collection in accordance with permits; curation in an approved repository; and maintenance of confidentiality of specific locality data. The Paleontological Resources Preservation Act authorizes civil and criminal penalties for illegal collecting, damaging, otherwise altering or defacing, or for selling paleontological resources, and the proposed rule further details the processes related to the civil penalties, including hearing requests and appeals of the violation or the amount of the civil penalties.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is withdrawing its final rule to amend its test procedure for commercial packaged boilers which published in the Federal Register on Thursday, November 10, 2016. The final rule published on November 10, 2016 contained errors. Therefore, DOE is withdrawing the final rule in its entirety and will republish the final rule amending its test procedure for commercial packaged boilers.

This document contains proposed Income Tax Regulations under section 901(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) with respect to transactions that generally are treated as asset acquisitions for U.S. income tax purposes and either are treated as stock acquisitions or are disregarded for foreign income tax purposes. In the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register, temporary regulations are being issued under section 901(m) (the temporary regulations), the text of which serves as the text of a portion of these proposed regulations. These regulations are necessary to provide guidance on applying section 901(m). These regulations affect taxpayers claiming foreign tax credits.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (Airbus Helicopters) Model MBB- BK117 C-2 helicopters. This proposed AD would require inspecting the pilot collective wiring harness. This proposed AD is prompted by a report that a heat-shrinkable sleeve prevented the twist grip on the collective from being fully engaged during a flight test. The proposed actions are intended to prevent failure of the hoist or emergency landing gear flotation systems due to chafing of wiring caused by an incorrectly installed heat-shrinkable sleeve.

This rule amends the definition of immediate family for purposes of A, C-3, G, and NATO visa classifications in two ways: It revises the eligibility requirements for unmarried adult sons and daughters age 21 or older for these visa classifications, and clarifies for purposes of G-4 visa classification that the international organization employing the principal alien must recognize an individual as immediate family to be eligible for derivative U.S. visa status. Furthermore, this rule permits qualified immediate family members of A- 1, A-2, G-1, G-2, G-3, and G-4 nonimmigrants to be independently classified as NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, and NATO-6.

In this final rule, OIG amends the safe harbors to the anti- kickback statute by adding new safe harbors that protect certain payment practices and business arrangements from sanctions under the anti-kickback statute. The OIG also amends the civil monetary penalty (CMP) rules by codifying revisions to the definition of ``remuneration,'' added by the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111-148, 124 Stat. 119 (2010), as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (ACA). This rule updates the existing safe harbor regulations and enhances flexibility for providers and others to engage in health care business arrangements to improve efficiency and access to quality care while protecting programs and patients from fraud and abuse.

The NCUA Board is comprehensively amending its chartering and field of membership rules to maximize access to federal credit union services to the extent permitted by law, and to organize the rules in a more efficient framework. The amendments will implement changes in policy affecting: The definition of a local community, a rural district, and an underserved area; the chartering and expansion of a multiple common bond credit union; the expansion of a single common bond credit union that serves a trade, industry or profession; and the process for applying to charter, or to expand, a federal credit union.