February 2, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Copyright Office is issuing a final rule to allow authors and claimants to replace or remove personally identifiable information (``PII'') from the Office's online registration catalog. This rule allows authors and claimants, or their authorized representatives, to request the replacement or removal of certain PII that is requested by the Office and collected on a registration application, such as a home addresses or personal phone numbers, from the Office's internet-accessible public catalog, while retaining that information in the Office's offline records as required by law. The rule also codifies an existing practice that removes extraneous PII, such as driver's license numbers, social security numbers, banking information, and credit card information, on the Office's own volition or upon request by authors, claimants, or their authorized representatives.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) describes the information that must be provided in periodic progress reports (FCC Form 2100Schedule 387 (Transition Progress Report)) by full power and Class A television stations that are eligible to receive payment of relocation expenses from the TV Broadcast Relocation Fund in connection with their being assigned to a new channel through the Incentive Auction. The Commission previously determined that reimbursable stations must file reports showing how the disbursed funds have been spent and what portion of the stations' construction in complete. These Transition Progress Reports will help the Commission, broadcasters, those involved in construction of broadcast facilities, other interested parties, and the public to assess how disbursed funds have been spent and to monitor the construction of stations.

The Commission approves Reliability Standard BAL-002-2 (Disturbance Control StandardContingency Reserve for Recovery from a Balancing Contingency Event) submitted by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). Reliability Standard BAL-002-2 is designed to ensure that balancing authorities and reserve sharing groups balance resources and demand and return their Area Control Error to defined values following a Reportable Balancing Contingency Event. In addition, the Commission directs NERC to develop modifications to Reliability Standard BAL-002-2 to address concerns regarding extensions of the 15-minute period for Area Control Error recovery and contingency reserve restoration. The Commission also directs NERC to collect and report on data regarding additional megawatt losses following Reportable Balancing Contingency Events during the Contingency Reserve Restoration Period and to study and report on the reliability risks associated with megawatt losses above the most severe single contingency that do not cause energy emergencies.

This document temporarily postpones the effective date of a recently published final rule amending the test procedures for central air conditioners and heat pumps.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has received a petition from the Foundation for Resilient Societies requesting the Commission initiate a rulemaking to require an enhanced reliability standard to detect, report, mitigate, and remove malware from the Bulk Power System, all as more fully explained in its petition.

As required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, the Federal Election Commission is adjusting for inflation the civil monetary penalties established under the Federal Election Campaign Act, the Presidential Election Campaign Fund Act, and the Presidential Primary Matching Payment Account Act. The civil monetary penalties being adjusted are those negotiated by the Commission or imposed by a court for certain statutory violations, and those imposed by the Commission for late filing of or failure to file certain reports required by the Federal Election Campaign Act. The adjusted civil monetary penalties are calculated according to a statutory formula and the adjusted amounts will apply to penalties assessed after the effective date of these rules.