March 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule authorizes the use of midwater long-leader gear for recreational fishing in waters seaward of a boundary line approximating the 40 fathoms depth contour off the coast of Oregon. Both charter and private vessels are authorized to use midwater long- leader gear seaward of the 40 fathom seasonal depth closure, while being monitored with the existing Oregon Ocean Recreational Boat Sampling (ORBS) program. The use of midwater long-leader gear is intended to limit bycatch of overfished and rebuilding rockfish species, such as bottom-dwelling yelloweye rockfish, while still allowing for the catch of abundant midwater species such as yellowtail and widow rockfish. The season will occur between April and September, months currently subject to depth restrictions.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has been preparing an amendment to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, known as the ``Comprehensive Summer Flounder Amendment,'' to modify aspects of the fishery management plan related to summer flounder commercial and recreational management. To avoid delaying the amendment while waiting for updated recreational information, the Council is now splitting several issues within this original action, including fishery management plan goals and objectives, commercial allocation, commercial moratorium permits, and commercial framework provisions into a separate action that will continue to be developed as an EIS. The Council is taking comments on this modified action, which is now being referred to as the ``Summer Flounder Commercial Issues Amendment.'' Following completion of this ``Commercial Issues'' amendment, the Council may then develop at least one future action relating to recreational fishery issues and commercial/recreational allocation to incorporate updated recreational fishery data when it becomes available later this year. The purpose of this notification is to alert and seek comment from the public about the Council's consideration of splitting this amendment, by delaying some issues to be pursued via later actions.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information (including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information) and to allow 60 days for public comment on the proposed action. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding our burden estimates or any other aspect of this collection of information, including the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

NASA hereby gives notice of its intent to grant an exclusive patent license in the United States to practice the invention described and claimed in U.S. Provisional 62/616,479 entitled, ``A Corrected BMI for Improved Assessment of Human Weight-Related Pathology'' to AQ Digital Health, having its principal place of business in Baltimore, MD.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announces a forthcoming public advisory committee meeting of the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee. The general function of the committees is to provide advice and recommendations to FDA on regulatory issues. The meeting will be open to the public. FDA is establishing a docket for public comment on this document.

The Department of the Treasury will submit the following information collection requests to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. The public is invited to submit comments on these requests.

The Department of Justice (Department) proposes to amend the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives regulations to clarify that ``bump fire'' stocks, slide-fire devices, and devices with certain similar characteristics (bump-stock-type devices) are ``machineguns'' as defined by the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), because such devices allow a shooter of a semiautomatic firearm to initiate a continuous firing cycle with a single pull of the trigger. Specifically, these devices convert an otherwise semiautomatic firearm into a machinegun by functioning as a self-acting or self-regulating mechanism that harnesses the recoil energy of the semiautomatic firearm in a manner that allows the trigger to reset and continue firing without additional physical manipulation of the trigger by the shooter. Hence, a semiautomatic firearm to which a bump-stock-type device is attached is able to produce automatic fire with a single pull of the trigger. With limited exceptions, primarily as to government agencies, the GCA makes it unlawful for any person to transfer or possess a machinegun unless it was lawfully possessed prior to the effective date of the statute. The bump-stock-type devices covered by this proposed rule were not in existence prior to the GCA's effective date, and therefore would fall within the prohibition on machineguns if this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) is implemented. Consequently, current possessors of these devices would be required to surrender them, destroy them, or otherwise render them permanently inoperable upon the effective date of the final rule.

This request for information notice replaces the version published in the Federal Register on March 22, 2018 (83 FR 12529), to make technical corrections to the prior version. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) requests information on matters related to the development and potential use of automated technologies for surface modes (i.e., highway and rail) in hazardous materials transportation. In anticipation of the development, testing, and integration of Automated Driving Systems in surface transportation, PHMSA is issuing this request for information on the factors the Agency should consider to ensure continued safe transportation of hazardous materials without impeding emerging surface transportation technologies.

We are proposing to amend the regulations to allow the importation of fresh pummelo fruit from Thailand into the continental United States. As a condition of entry, fresh pummelo fruit from Thailand would be subject to a systems approach that would include irradiation treatment, packinghouse processing requirements, and port of entry inspection. The fruit would also be required to be imported in commercial consignments and be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the national plant protection organization of Thailand. This action would allow for the importation of fresh pummelo fruit from Thailand while continuing to provide protection against the introduction of plant pests into the continental United States.

In accordance with the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, Red Fork (USA) Investments, Inc., timely filed a petition for reinstatement of competitive oil and gas leases OKNM 127909, OKNM 127910, OKNM 127911, OKNM 127912, OKNM 127913, and OKNM 127920, in Payne County, Oklahoma, and OKNM 127917, in Noble County, Oklahoma. The lessee paid the required rentals accruing from the date of termination. No new leases were issued that affect these lands. The Bureau of Land Management proposes to reinstate these leases.

This rule implements a recommendation from the Texas Valley Citrus Committee (Committee) to decrease the assessment rate established for the 2017-18 and subsequent fiscal periods for oranges and grapefruit handled under Marketing Order 906. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated. This rule also makes administrative revisions to the subpart headings of the Order.

This rule identifies communities where the sale of flood insurance has been authorized under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that are scheduled for suspension on the effective dates listed within this rule because of noncompliance with the floodplain management requirements of the program. If the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) receives documentation that the community has adopted the required floodplain management measures prior to the effective suspension date given in this rule, the suspension will not occur and a notice of this will be provided by publication in the Federal Register on a subsequent date. Also, information identifying the current participation status of a community can be obtained from FEMA's Community Status Book (CSB). The CSB is available at https:// www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program-community-statu s-book.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation Advisory Council will hold its spring meeting on April 17 2018. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for agenda and other information.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act that the Oregon Advisory Committee (Committee) will hold a meeting via web conference on Tuesday, April 3, 2018, from 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. PST for the purpose of hearing public testimony on human trafficking issues in the state.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all ATR-GIE Avions de Transport R[eacute]gional Model ATR42 and Model ATR72 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of cracking in main landing gear (MLG) universal joints (U-joints). This proposed AD would require repetitive detailed inspections of the affected U-joints for cracks, and replacement if necessary. This proposed AD would also provide an optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Postal Service gives notice of filing a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission to add a domestic shipping services contract to the list of Negotiated Service Agreements in the Mail Classification Schedule's Competitive Products List.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the Agency, or we) is announcing the following public workshop entitled ``FY 2018 Generic Drug Regulatory Science Initiatives.'' The purpose of the public workshop is to provide an overview of the status of regulatory science initiatives for generic drugs and an opportunity for public input on these initiatives. FDA is seeking this input from a variety of stakeholdersindustry, academia, patient advocates, professional societies, and other interested partiesas it fulfills its commitment under the Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2017 (GDUFA II) to develop an annual list of regulatory science initiatives specific to generic drugs. FDA will take the information it obtains from the public workshop into account in developing its fiscal year (FY) 2019 regulatory science initiatives.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is amending its good guidance practices regulation to inform the public on how to electronically submit a draft of a proposed guidance to the Agency. This technical amendment is nonsubstantive.