March 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Election Commission requests comment on two alternative proposals to amend its regulations concerning disclaimers on public communications on the internet that contain express advocacy, solicit contributions, or are made by political committees. The Commission is undertaking this rulemaking in light of technological advances since the Commission last revised its rules governing internet disclaimers in 2006, and questions from the public about the application of those rules to internet communications. The Commission's goal is to promulgate a rule that in its text and interpretation recognizes the paramount importance of providing the public with the clearest disclosure of the payor or sponsor of these public communications on the internet. Both proposals are intended to give the American public easy access to information about the persons paying for and candidates authorizing these internet communications, pursuant to the Federal Election Campaign Act. Both proposals would continue to require disclaimers for certain internet communications, and both would allow certain internet communications to provide disclaimers through alternative technology. The proposals differ, however, in their approach. The Commission requests comment on all elements of both proposals. The two proposals need not be considered as fixed alternatives; commenters are encouraged to extract the best elements of each, or suggest improvements or alternatives, to help the Commission fashion the best possible rule. The Commission also requests comment on proposed changes to the definition of ``public communication.'' The Commission has not made any final decisions on any of the issues or proposals presented in this rulemaking.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve elements of State Implementation Plan (SIP) submissions from Maine regarding the infrastructure requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) for the 2008 lead (Pb), 2008 ozone, and 2010 nitrogen dioxide (NO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). EPA is also proposing to conditionally approve one element of Maine's infrastructure SIP. Finally, EPA is proposing to approve several statutes submitted by Maine in support of its demonstrations that the infrastructure requirements of the CAA have been met. The infrastructure requirements are designed to ensure that the structural components of each state's air quality management program are adequate to meet the state's responsibilities under the CAA.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``General Provisions and Confined and Enclosed Spaces and Other Dangerous Atmospheres in Shipyard Employment Standards,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use, without change, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) revision titled, ``Workforce Flexibility (Workflex) Plan Submission and Reporting Requirements'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

PHMSA is publishing this notice to invite public comment on a request received from the Gulf South Pipeline Company for a special permit seeking relief from compliance with certain requirements in the Federal pipeline safety regulations. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will review the comments received on this notice as part of its evaluation to grant or deny the special permit request.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (``Commission'') hereby gives notice of the court-ordered remand of its final determination in the antidumping duty investigation of hydrofluorocarbon blends and components (``HFC'') from China. For further information concerning the conduct of these remand proceedings and rules of general application, consult the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure.

This action proposes to modify two VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways (V-72 and V-429) in the vicinity of Mattoon and Charleston, IL. The FAA is proposing this action due to the planned decommissioning of the Mattoon, IL (MTO), VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigation aid (NAVAID) which provides navigation guidance for portions of the affected ATS routes. The Mattoon VOR is being decommissioned in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

FMCSA requests public comments on existing Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that may need to be updated, modified, or eliminated to facilitate the safe introduction of automated driving systems (ADS) equipped commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) onto our Nation's roadways. To assist in this undertaking, FMCSA commissioned the U.S. Department of Transportation's John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe) to conduct a preliminary review of the FMCSRs to identify regulations that may relate to the development and safe introduction of ADS. The Agency requests comments on this report, including whether any of FMCSA's current safety regulations may hinder the testing and safe integration of ADS-equipped CMVs. Further, FMCSA requests comment on certain specific regulatory requirements that are likely to be affected by an increased integration of ADS-equipped CMVs. However, the Agency is not seeking comments on its financial responsibility requirements because they are not directly related to CMV technologies and because future insurance requirements will depend in part on the evolution of State tort law with respect to liability for the operation of ADS-equipped vehicles. In addition, to support FMCSA's effort to understand future impacts on the FMCSR's, FMCSA requests information, including from companies engaged in the design, development, testing, and integration of ADS-equipped CMVs into the fleet. Specifically, the Agency requests information about: The scenarios and environments where entities expect that ADS will soon be tested and integrated into CMVs operating on public roads or in interstate commerce; the operational design domains (ODD) in which these systems are being operated or would be tested and eventually deployed; and, measures they believe are required to ensure the protection of any proprietary or confidential business information they intend to share with the Agency.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'' or ``SEC'') is proposing to conduct a Transaction Fee Pilot for National Market System (``NMS'') stocks to study the effects that transaction- based fees and rebates may have on, and the effects that changes to those fees and rebates may have on, order routing behavior, execution quality, and market quality more generally. The data generated by the proposed pilot should help inform the Commission, as well as market participants and the public, about any such effects and thereby facilitate a data-driven evaluation of the need for regulatory action in this area.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing to amend and update its VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) in phased increments to revise or remove any policy superseded by changes in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), to remove any procedural guidance internal to VA into the VA Acquisition Manual (VAAM), and to incorporate any new agency specific regulations or policies. These changes seek to streamline and align the VAAR with the FAR and remove outdated and duplicative requirements and reduce burden on contractors. The VAAM incorporates portions of the removed VAAR as well as other internal agency acquisition policy. VA will rewrite certain parts of the VAAR and VAAM, and as VAAR parts are rewritten, we'll publish them in the Federal Register. VA will combine related topics, as appropriate. In particular, this rulemaking revises VAAR Parts 811 Describing Agency Needs and Part 832Contract Financing, as well as affected parts 801Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation System, 852Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses, and 870Special Procurement Controls.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking comment on the final Biological Opinion (BiOp) issued under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), regarding the potential effects of chlorpyrifos, malathion, and diazinon on federally listed threatened or endangered species (listed species) and their designated critical habitats.

The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to process and respond to the mining Plans of Operations within the Powder River Watershed submitted to the Whitman Ranger District of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

This document contains necessary amendments to apply a technical correction to the final rule with request for comments for the Nursery Crop Insurance Provisions which published in the Federal Register on January 31, 2018.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden and it includes the actual data collection instrument.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator signed an Order dated March 1, 2018, denying a Petition dated August 8, 2016 from the Environmental Integrity Project, Sierra Club, and Air Alliance Houston. The Petition requested that the EPA object to a Clean Air Act (CAA) title V operating permit issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to ExxonMobil Corporation (ExxonMobil) for its Baytown Olefins Plant located in Harris County, Texas.

The purpose of this notice is to announce the meeting of the Department of Justice's National Domestic Communications Assistance Center's (NDCAC) Executive Advisory Board (EAB). The meeting is being called to address the items identified in the Agenda detailed below. The NDCAC EAB is a federal advisory committee established pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE) of the Department of Energy gives notice that during February 2018, it issued orders granting or vacating authority to import and export natural gas, and to import and export liquefied natural gas (LNG). These orders are summarized in the attached appendix and may be found on the FE website at https:// www.energy.gov/fe/downloads/listing-doefe-authorizationsorder s-issued- 2018-1. They are also available for inspection and copying in the U.S. Department of Energy (FE-34), Division of Natural Gas Regulation, Office of Regulation and International Engagement, Office of Fossil Energy, Docket Room 3E-033, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9478. The Docket Room is open between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.