June 21, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is taking direct final action to amend the EPA Acquisition Regulation (EPAAR) by removing Mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] clause requirement and the corresponding provision and clause, ``Mentor Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program'' and ``Procedures for Participation in the EPA Mentor Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program''.

The Coast Guard is establishing nine temporary safety zones for fireworks displays within the Captain of the Port (COTP) Long Island Sound (LIS) Zone. This temporary final rule is necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during these events. Entry into, transit through, mooring or anchoring within these limited access areas is prohibited unless authorized by the COTP LIS.

The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone on the Kewaunee River in Kewaunee, WI for the Holiday Celebration Fireworks on July 3, 2018. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life on navigable waters immediately prior to, during, and after the fireworks display. During the enforcement period, entry into, transiting, or anchoring within the safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard will enforce the safety zone on the Milwaukee Harbor, Milwaukee, WI for annual fireworks displays in the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan zone at specified times from June 27, 2018 through September 8, 2018. This action is necessary and intended to ensure safety of life on navigable waterways before, during and after this event. During the enforcement period, entry into, transiting, or anchoring within the safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan or a designated representative.

The Copyright Office is extending the deadline for the submission of written comments in response to its May 24, 2018 notice of proposed rulemaking proposing the adoption of a new fee schedule.

FMCSA amends its regulations to delay the compliance date from June 22, 2018, to June 22, 2021, for several provisions of its April 23, 2015 Medical Examiner's Certification Integration final rule. This action is being taken to provide FMCSA additional time to complete certain information technology (IT) system development tasks for its National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (National Registry) and provide the State Driver's Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) sufficient time to make the necessary IT programming changes after upgrades to the National Registry.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Honeywell International Inc. (Honeywell) TPE331 turboprop and TSE331 turboshaft engines. This AD was prompted by recent reports of failures of the direct drive fuel control gears and bearings in the hydraulic torque sensor gear assembly, part number (P/N) 3101726-3. This AD requires initial and repetitive engine oil filter sampling and analysis of the affected engines and inspections of certain hydraulic torque sensor gear assemblies. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This document contains a final regulation under Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) that establishes additional criteria under ERISA section 3(5) for determining when employers may join together in a group or association of employers that will be treated as the ``employer'' sponsor of a single multiple- employer ``employee welfare benefit plan'' and ``group health plan,'' as those terms are defined in Title I of ERISA. By establishing a more flexible ``commonality of interest'' test for the employer members than the Department of Labor (DOL or Department) had adopted in sub- regulatory interpretive rulings under ERISA section 3(5), and otherwise removing undue restrictions on the establishment and maintenance of Association Health Plans (AHPs) under ERISA, the regulation facilitates the adoption and administration of AHPs and expands access to affordable health coverage, especially for employees of small employers and certain self-employed individuals. At the same time, the regulation continues to distinguish employment-based plans, the focal point of Title I of ERISA, from commercial insurance programs and other service provider arrangements. The final rule also sets out the criteria that would permit, solely for purposes of Title I of ERISA, certain working owners of an incorporated or unincorporated trade or business, including partners in a partnership, without any common law employees, to qualify as employers for purposes of participating in a bona fide group or association of employers sponsoring an AHP and also to be treated as employees with respect to a trade, business or partnership for purposes of being covered by the AHP. The regulation would affect AHPs, bona fide groups or associations of employers sponsoring such plans, participants and beneficiaries with health coverage under an AHP, health insurance issuers, and purchasers of health insurance not purchased through AHPs.