June 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FMCSA proposes to amend the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to allow States to issue a commercial learner's permit (CLP) with an expiration date of up to one year from the date of initial issuance. CLPs issued for shorter periods may be renewed but the total period of time between the date of initial issuance and the expiration of the renewed CLP could not exceed one year. This proposed amendment would replace the current regulations, which require the States to issue CLPs initially for no more than 180 days, with the possibility of an additional 180-day renewal at the State's discretion.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) withdraws a proposed rule proposing to establish strict limits, termed ``hard caps,'' for the California/Oregon large-mesh drift gillnet (DGN) fishery on interactions with certain protected species under Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act authority. NMFS published the proposed rule in the Federal Register on October 13, 2016. After careful consideration, NMFS has decided that the proposed changes discussed in the proposed rule are not warranted at this time.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a review showing that inadequate clearance may exist between certain electrical wiring and nearby structures. This proposed AD would require an inspection of certain electrical wiring bundles and feeders, modifications, and corrective actions if necessary. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Model A300 series airplanes; Model A300 B4-600, B4-600R, and F4- 600R series airplanes, and Model A300 C4-605R Variant F airplanes (collectively called Model A300-600 series airplanes); and Model A310 series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a static analysis performed by Airbus that revealed that some areas of the wing structure cannot sustain the damage previously published in certain structural repair manuals. This proposed AD would require an inspection to determine that no repair or damage to certain wing areas is beyond the allowable limits; and repair if necessary. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The U.S. Copyright Office is issuing an interim rule that memorializes its special procedure for examining secure tests. The interim rule also includes a new workflow that will increase the efficiency of these examinations. Going forward, applicants must submit an online application, upload a redacted copy of the entire test to the electronic registration system, and complete and submit a brief questionnaire about the test. If the work appears to be eligible for the secure test process, the Office will contact the applicant and schedule an appointment to deliver the test to the Office in person. On the appointed date, the applicant must bring a copy of the application and a complete unredacted copy of the actual test. In addition, the applicant must bring a copy of the redacted version of the test, and a signed declaration confirming that this copy is identical to the redacted copy that was uploaded to the electronic registration system. If the Office confirms that the work qualifies as a secure test, it will examine the test as a whole to determine if it contains sufficient copyrightable authorship. If the Office registers the secure test, the registration will be effective as of the date that the Office received the application, filing fee, and the redacted copy of the entire test in proper form through the electronic registration system. The Office welcomes public comment on the interim rule.

We are superseding airworthiness directive (AD) 2016-20-04 for Airbus Helicopters Model SA341G and SA342J helicopters. AD 2016-20-04 prohibited autorotation training flights until the landing gear rear crosstube (crosstube) was inspected. This new AD adds additional part- numbered crosstubes to the applicability and revises the hardness criteria for the inspection. This AD is prompted by a determination that an additional part-numbered crosstube may have the same unsafe condition. The actions of this AD are intended to detect and prevent an unsafe condition on these helicopters.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Southern Media Holdings, Inc. (SMH), the former licensee of WFXG, Augusta, Georgia, requesting the substitution of channel 51 for channel 31 at Augusta. WFXG License Subsidiary, LLC (Licensee) is now the licensee of WFXG. Station WFXG was allotted channel 51 as its post- transition DTV channel and operated a licensed facility on that channel. In 2008, SMH filed a petition for rulemaking requesting that channel 31 be substituted for channel 51, and the Commission granted that request. SMH subsequently requested that the Commission change its channel back to channel 51 and we issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, which was contested. On April 28, 2017, Licensee filed a letter withdrawing its pending request to substitute channel 51 for channel 31, explaining that it had licensed the channel 31 facility and that WFXG was reassigned to channel 36 in connection with the post- incentive auction repacking of the broadcast television spectrum.

We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2016-11- 02, which applies to all Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701, & 702) airplanes; Model CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705) airplanes; Model CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes; and Model CL-600-2E25 (Regional Jet Series 1000) airplanes. AD 2016-11-02 requires repetitive inspections of the upper and lower engine pylons for protruding, loose, or missing fasteners; and repair if necessary. Since we issued AD 2016-11-02, we have determined that a terminating action is necessary to address the unsafe condition. This proposed AD would continue to require the repetitive inspections of the upper and lower engine pylons for protruding, loose, or missing fasteners; and repair if necessary. This proposed AD would also require replacement of affected fasteners, which terminates the inspections. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the U.S. 70 (Alfred C. Cunningham) Bridge across the Trent River, mile 0.0, at New Bern, NC. The deviation is necessary to accommodate the free movement of pedestrians and vehicles during the 2017 Mumfest celebration. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Chicago River, Chicago, IL. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life on the navigable waters of the United States immediately prior to, during, and after the filming of a motion picture from a low flying helicopter. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan.

As specifically mandated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017, this final rule revises the requirements contained in the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement regulations relating to maintaining a lease beyond its primary term through continuous operations by changing all of the references to the period of time before which a lease expires due to cessation of operations from ``180 days'' and ``180th day'' to a ``year'' and from ``180-day period'' to a ``1-year period.''

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its regulations on representation of claimants for VA benefits to specifically permit additional delegations of authority within the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), update the titles of certain individuals and offices in OGC, and make a minor procedural clarification. These amendments are necessary to allow OGC to streamline the procedures related to representation of claimants and to ensure correct titles of certain individuals and offices in OGC are reflected in the regulations. In addition, a procedural clarification is being made by adding a sentence that was inadvertently omitted from a previous final rule.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the PATH Bridge across the Hackensack River, mile 3.0, at Jersey City, New Jersey. This temporary deviation is necessary to allow the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position to facilitate the replacement of rails and timbers across the length of the span of the bridge.

Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Texas that pertain to regulations to control air pollution from motor vehicles with mobile source incentive programs.

This proposed rule would amend the National Endowment for the Arts' (NEA) regulations implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The NEA proposes these amendments to update the NEA's current FOIA regulation. This proposed rule updates the NEA's regulations to reflect statutory changes to FOIA, current NEA organizational structure, and current NEA policies and practices with respect to FOIA. Finally, the rule uses current cost figures in calculating and charging fees.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to grant two, one-year extensions to the Moderate attainment date for the 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) Logan, Utah (UT)-Idaho (ID) nonattainment area. This action is based on the EPA's evaluation of air quality monitoring data and extension requests submitted by the State of Utah on May 2, 2017, and the State of Idaho on December 15, 2015, February 26, 2016, and April 25, 2017. The EPA is proposing to grant a one-year extension of the Moderate attainment date from December 31, 2015 to December 31, 2016, and is proposing to grant a second one-year extension of the Moderate attainment date from December 31, 2016 to December 31, 2017, in accordance with section 188(d) of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

We are seeking comments on Coast Guard regulations, guidance documents, and interpretative documents that you believe should be repealed, replaced, or modified. Also, we welcome your comments on our approved collections of information, regardless of whether the collection is associated with a regulation. We are taking this action in response to Executive Orders 13771, Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs; 13777, Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda; and 13783, Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth. We plan to use your comments to assist us in our work with the Department of Homeland Security's Regulatory Reform Task Force.

This document announces the Agency's receipt of several initial filings of pesticide petitions requesting the establishment or modification of regulations for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various commodities.

NMFS closes the Gulf of Mexico Angling category fishery for large medium and giant (``trophy'' (i.e., measuring 73 inches curved fork length or greater)) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT). This action is being taken to prevent any further overharvest of the Angling category Gulf of Mexico trophy BFT subquota.

Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) Emissions Banking and Trading Programs submitted for parallel processing on March 10, 2017. Specifically, we are proposing to approve revisions that clarify and expand the existing provisions for the generation and use of emission credits from area and mobile sources.

Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions of the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) pertaining to EPA's latest definition of volatile organic compounds (VOC), aligning the lead reporting threshold with the EPA's Annual Emissions Reporting Rule (AERR), shortening the distance from the shoreline for applicable offshore sources to report an emission inventory, and revising terminology and definitions for clarity or consistency with the EPA's AERR. EPA is proposing these actions under section 110 of the CAA through a direct final rulemaking.

We are revising this regulation to reflect changes instituted by the Presidential and Federal Records Acts Amendments of 2014 (2014 Amendments). These Amendments in part added new requirements to the Presidential Records Act (PRA), which went into effect in 2014. The changes to this regulation make clear that, when we maintain electronic Presidential records on behalf of the President before the President's term of office expires, the President retains exclusive control over the records. In addition, the proposed changes establish procedures that we will follow to notify an incumbent President and former President when we propose to disclose Presidential records to the public, Congress, the courts, or the incumbent President under the provisions of the PRA allowing for access to Presidential records otherwise subject to restrictions. We began the regulatory revision process in response to the 2014 Amendments to reduce confusion about access to Presidential records in light of these recent changes in the law. We published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register on December 28, 2016, with a public comment period ending on January 27, 2017. We received no comments.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for The Boeing Company Model 757-200 series airplanes with certain supplemental type certificates. This proposed AD was prompted by a report indicating that the main cargo door (MCD) forward-most cam latch on the forward center cam latch pair broke during flight. This proposed AD would require repetitive inspections for discrepancies of cam latches, latch pins, and latch pin cross bolts of the MCD; replacement of all alloy steel cross bolts through the latch pins with corrosion-resistant steel (CRES) cross bolts of the MCD; and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This proposed rule would revise the requirements that Long- Term Care (LTC) facilities must meet to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Specifically, it would remove provisions prohibiting binding pre-dispute arbitration and strengthen requirements regarding the transparency of arbitration agreements in LTC facilities. This proposal would support the resident's right to make informed choices about important aspects of his or her health care. In addition, this proposal is consistent with our approach to eliminating unnecessary burden on providers.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone along the navigable waters of the Columbia River in Goble, OR. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by vessel removal and remediation operations near the vessel RIVER QUEEN. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Columbia River or a designated representative.