March 25, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule adjusts the level of the maximum daily civil monetary penalty contained in the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) regulations for violations of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), in accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance. The civil penalty inflation adjustment, using a 1.02522 multiplier, accounts for one year of inflation spanning from October 2017 to October 2018.

The Coast Guard proposes to amend its recurring safety zones regulations in the Captain of the Port Detroit zone. This proposed rule would update 51 safety zone locations, dates, and sizes, add 3 safety zones, remove 6 established safety zones and reformat the regulations into an easier to read table format. These proposed amendments will protect spectators, participants, and vessels from the hazards associated with annual marine events and firework shows, and improve the clarity and readability of the regulation. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing fixed and moving security zones around the Motor Vessel (M/V) ARC ENDURANCE. The security zone encompasses all navigable waters within a 500-yard radius around the M/ V ARC ENDURANCE. The zone is needed to protect the vessel while transiting the Corpus Christi Ship Channel in Corpus Christi, TX with military cargo onboard. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Corpus Christi (COTP) or a designated representative.

This document contains proposed regulations to amend final regulations that prevent a corporate partner from avoiding corporate- level gain through transactions with a partnership involving equity interests of the partner or certain related entities. These regulations affect partnerships and their partners.

NMFS implements an accountability measure (AM) for the greater amberjack recreational sector in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) for the 2018-2019 fishing year through this temporary rule. NMFS has determined that for the 2018-2019 fishing year, the recreational annual catch target (ACT) for Gulf greater amberjack has been met; therefore, the greater amberjack recreational season in the Gulf EEZ will not re-open on May 1, 2019, and will remain closed for the remainder of the current fishing year. This closure is necessary to protect the Gulf greater amberjack resource.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to amend its regulations to address committal or memorial services and funeral honors. The proposed rule would reflect current VA practices relative to respecting the expressed wishes of the personal representative when making arrangements for the committal or memorial service. We would clarify the process for requesting committal or memorial services when requesting interment at VA national cemeteries and we would address access to public areas at VA national cemeteries. The proposed rule would also address when committal services may be conducted at a gravesite rather than in a committal shelter. We also propose measures to implement the statutory requirement that VA notify the personal representative of the funeral honors available to the deceased veteran.

We are amending the scrapie regulations by changing the risk groups and categories established for individual animals and for flocks, increasing the use of genetic testing as a means of assigning risk levels to animals, reducing movement restrictions for animals found to be genetically less susceptible or resistant to scrapie, and simplifying, reducing, or removing certain recordkeeping requirements. We are also providing designated scrapie epidemiologists with more alternatives and flexibility when testing animals in order to determine flock designations under the regulations. We are changing the definition of high-risk animal, which will change the types of animals eligible for indemnity, and to pay higher indemnity for certain pregnant ewes and does and early maturing ewes and does. The changes will also make the identification and recordkeeping requirements for goat owners consistent with those for sheep owners. These changes affect sheep and goat producers, persons who handle sheep and goats in interstate commerce, and State governments.

The NCUA Board (Board) is amending its regulations regarding loans to members and lines of credit to members to reduce regulatory burden, improve clarity, and make compliance easier. The amendments make the NCUA's regulations more user friendly by identifying in one section all of the various maturity limits applicable to federal credit union (FCU) loans, stating that the maturity date for a new loan under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) is calculated from the origination date of the new loan, and more clearly expressing the limits for loans to a single borrower or group of associated borrowers.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve portions of two state implementation plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of California to meet Clean Air Act (CAA or ``the Act'') requirements for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') in the San Joaquin Valley, California ozone nonattainment area. First, the EPA is approving the portion of the ``2016 Ozone Plan for the 2008 8-Hour Ozone Standard'' (``2016 Ozone Plan'') that addresses the requirement for a base year emissions inventory. Second, the EPA is approving the portions of the ``2018 Updates to the California State Implementation Plan'' (``2018 SIP Update'') that address the requirements for a reasonable further progress (RFP) demonstration and motor vehicle emissions budgets (MVEBs or ``budgets'') for the San Joaquin Valley for the 2008 ozone standards. Lastly, the EPA is conditionally approving the contingency measure element of the 2016 Ozone Plan, as modified by the 2018 SIP Update. The approval is conditional because a key portion of the element relies on commitments by the State air agency and regional air district to supplement the contingency measure element with submission of a specific contingency measure within one year of the EPA's final conditional approval.