November 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A319 series airplanes; Model A320-211, -212, -214, -231, - 232, and -233 airplanes; and Model A321-111, -112, -131, -211, -212, - 213, -231, and -232 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of cracks on frame forks and outer skin on the forward and aft cargo compartment doors. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the frame forks, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD also includes optional modifications that constitute terminating action. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific ocean perch in the Bering Sea subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2017 Pacific Ocean perch total allowable catch (TAC) in the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing a regulatory basis to support a rulemaking that would amend the NRC's regulations for the decommissioning of nuclear power reactors. The NRC's goals in amending these regulations would be to provide for an efficient decommissioning process; reduce the need for exemptions from existing regulations; address other decommissioning issues deemed relevant by the NRC staff; and support the principles of good regulation, including openness, clarity, and reliability.

The Coast Guard is canceling the temporary deviation concerning the Marine Parkway (Gil Hodges) Bridge across the Rockaway Inlet, mile 3.0, at Queens, NY. The deviation cancellation is necessary to accommodate Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) (the bridge owner) unexpected emergency repairs requiring a complete closure of the Bridge and an extension of time for their completion. This cancellation is necessary so a temporary interim rule may be approved due to the requested extension exceeding the 180 day limit for deviations. Existing federal regulations do not allow back-to-back deviations.

The Copyright Royalty Judges announce a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 2.0% in the royalty rates satellite carriers pay for a compulsory license under the Copyright Act. The COLA is based on the change in the Consumer Price Index from October 2016 to October 2017.

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on how best to move toward complete nationwide number portability (NNP) to promote competition among all service providers. The NPRM proposes to eliminate the N-1 query requirement, and also proposes to forbear from the dialing parity requirements for competitive LECs that remain after the 2015 USTelecom Forbearance Order as they apply to interexchange services. The NPRM asserts these changes will remove regulatory barriers to NNP and better reflect the competitive realities of today's marketplace. The NOI seeks to refresh the record in the 2013 Future of Numbering NOI. It also seeks comment on four NNP models proposed by ATIS: Nationwide implementation of local routing numbers (LRNs); non- Geographic LRNs (NGLRNs); commercial agreements; and iconectiv's GR- 2982-CORE. The NOI finally seeks comment on the implications of these proposals as they relate to public safety, access by individuals with disabilities, tariffs, and intercarrier compensation.

This final rule technical amendment amends the legal description of Class E Airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Hawthorne Industrial Airport, Hawthorne, NV, to correct a clerical error. The airspace legal description inadvertently omits the word ``radius'' and defined the airspace boundary ``within 3.6 miles of'' instead of ``within a 3.6-mile radius of'' the airport.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Fokker Services B.V. Model F.27 airplanes. This AD requires contacting the FAA to obtain instructions for addressing the unsafe condition on these products, and doing the actions specified in those instructions. This AD was prompted by reports indicating that certain exit signs have a hydrogen isotope that decays over time, causing the signs to lose their brightness. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Chilton County Airport (formerly Gragg-Wade Field Airport), Clanton, AL, to accommodate airspace reconfiguration due to the decommissioning of the Gragg-Wade non-directional radio beacon (NDB), and cancellation of the NDB approach. Controlled airspace is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the airport. This action also would update the geographic coordinates of the airport.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), a Rural Development Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter referred to as RUS or the Agency, is issuing a final rule to streamline, revise, and update the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program, to minimize the burden of applying for and awarding grants. The Agency's goal is to reduce the regulatory burden on grant applicants and to ensure that grant funds are awarded for projects with the most demonstrable need. The Agency will follow this final rule affording the public an opportunity to comment with a subsequent final rule.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing notice of the transfer of the state of Idaho's Underground Injection Control (UIC) program for Class II injection wells from Idaho to EPA, and is concurrently issuing a proposed rule to amend EPA's UIC regulations to reflect such transfer. This transfer would be effective upon publication in the Federal Register of a final rule revising such regulations. Idaho submitted a formal request that EPA transfer and directly implement the Class II UIC Program. Idaho would maintain primacy for Class I, III, IV, and V injection wells pursuant to their EPA-approved program in 1985.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on April 4, 2016. That document revised FCC Form 323, Ownership Report for Commercial Broadcast Stations, and FCC Form 323-E, Ownership Report for Noncommercial Broadcast Stations, and amended Sections 73.3615 and 74.797 of the Commission's rules. This document corrects the final regulations by replacing references to ``FCC Form 2100, Schedule 323'' with ``FCC Form 323'' and replacing references to ``FCC Form 2100, Schedule 323-E'' with ``FCC Form 323-E.''

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection requirements associated with the Commission's Second Report and Order and Report and Order, WT Docket Nos. 12-40 and 10-112, RM 11510 and 11660, FCC 17-27, including implementation of modified collection requirements on FCC Form 601, FCC Application for Radio Service Authorization. This document is consistent with the Second Report and Order and Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the requirements.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission adopts, on an emergency basis, temporary rules to provide immediate relief to schools and libraries contending with the devastation caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, which struck the United States and its territories in August and September 2017. These temporary rules make available targeted support to schools and libraries that are forced to rebuild facilities and replace equipment damaged by the Hurricanes, and provide increased flexibility for eligible services to be restored through service substitutions. The rules also provide support for schools that have increased their total student enrollments by 5 percent or more by taking in students displaced by the Hurricanes

This action delays until December 15, 2017, the initial submission deadline for calendar year 2016 data on Form 300A under the rule entitled Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses. The original electronic submission deadline was July 1, 2017. This delay will allow affected entities sufficient time to familiarize themselves with the electronic reporting system, which was not made available until August 1, 2017.

On August 17, 2017, the Board published in the Federal Register a proposed new rating system for its supervision of large financial institutions. To facilitate effective public comment on the proposal, the Board previously extended the comment period from October 16, 2017, to November 30, 2017. The Board has determined that a further extension of the comment period until February 15, 2018, is appropriate. This action will allow interested persons additional time to analyze the proposal and prepare their comments.

Through this final rule, NMFS announces approval of a regulatory amendment to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to reallocate quota shares (QS) of widow rockfish in the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program. In January 2011, NMFS implemented the trawl rationalization program, which includes an IFQ Program for limited entry (LE) trawl participants. At the time of implementation, the widow rockfish stock was overfished and QS were allocated to QS permit holders in the Shorebased IFQ Program (the Program) only to cover widow rockfish bycatch that may be associated with harvest of target species. Now that widow rockfish has been rebuilt, this action reallocates QS to initial recipients to reestablish a target widow rockfish fishery. The reallocation is based on a target species formula that more closely represents the fishing history of permit holders when widow rockfish was a targeted species. This final rule also removes the daily vessel limit for widow rockfish, allows the trading of widow rockfish QS, and sets a deadline for divestiture of excess QS should the reallocation of widow rockfish cause any QS permit holder to exceed an accumulation limit.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) amends the Catastrophic Risk Protection Endorsement, the Area Risk Protection Insurance Basic Provisions, and the Common Crop Insurance Policy Basic Provisions to revise and clarify policy provisions and reduce burden on producers choosing to insure their crops. The changes to the policy made in this rule are applicable for the 2018 and succeeding crop years for all crops with a 2018 contract change date on or after the effective date of the rule, and for the 2019 and succeeding crop years for all crops with a 2018 contract change date prior to the effective date of the rule.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2014-24-02 for Agusta S.p.A. (Agusta) Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters. AD 2014-24-02 required repetitively inspecting the main rotor (M/R) rotating scissors, removing certain lower half scissor spherical bearings (bearings) from service, and installing a special nut. This new AD revises the inspection requirements and requires replacing the bearings. This AD is prompted by a new report of a dislodged bearing of an M/R rotating scissor. The actions of this AD are intended to correct an unsafe condition on these products.

This document announces the extension of certain time frames under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code for group health plans, disability and other welfare plans, pension plans, participants and beneficiaries of these plans, and group health insurance issuers directly affected by Hurricane Maria.

Under the Congressional Review Act, Congress has passed and the president has signed a joint resolution disapproving a final rule published by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) on July 19, 2017, to regulate arbitration agreements in contracts for specified consumer financial products and services. Under the joint resolution and by operation of the Congressional Review Act, the arbitration agreements rule has no force or effect. The Bureau is hereby removing it from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Due to the receipt of an adverse comment, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is withdrawing the September 29, 2017 direct final rule (DFR) that approved a revision to the Maryland state implementation plan (SIP). The revision was in response to EPA's February 3, 2017 Findings of Failure to Submit for various requirements relating to the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). This SIP revision was specific to nonattainment new source review (NNSR) requirements. EPA stated in the direct final rule that if EPA received adverse comments by October 30, 2017, the rule would be withdrawn and not take effect. EPA subsequently received an adverse comment. EPA will address the comment received in a subsequent final action based upon the proposed action also published on September 29, 2017. EPA will not institute a second comment period on this action. This withdrawal action is being taken under section 110 of the Clean Air Act.

The Secretary of Homeland Security announces the annual fiscal year numerical limitations for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)-Only Transitional Worker (CW-1) nonimmigrant classification for the remainder of the transition period, which is scheduled to end on December 31, 2019. This document announces the mandated annual reduction of the CW-1 numerical limitation (also known as the CW-1 cap) and ensures that CNMI employers and employees have sufficient information regarding the maximum number of CW-1 transitional workers who may be granted status during the remainder of the transition period, which includes Fiscal Years (FYs) 2018-2019 and the first 3 months of FY 2020. For FY 2018, the cap is set at 9,998. For FY 2019, the cap is set at 4,999. For FY 2020, the cap is set at 2,499 and will be in effect until the end of the transition period on December 31, 2019.

This final rule adopts without changes an interim final rule with request for comments published in the Federal Register on March 23, 2017. On July 1, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug application for Syndros, a drug product consisting of dronabinol [(-)-delta-9-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC)] oral solution. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains FDA- approved products of oral solutions containing dronabinol in schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), announce the intention to review and potentially revise the regulations concerning enhancement-of-survival permits issued under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), associated with Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances. In a separate document published in today's Federal Register, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service announce the intention to review and potentially revise the Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances policy.