November 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commission will consider a Report and Order, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Order that would ensure that Universal Service Fund support is not used to purchase equipment or services from companies posing a national security threat to the integrity of communications networks or the communications supply chain, propose additional actions to address national security threats to USF- funded networks, and collect information to help assess the extent to which equipment from covered companies already exists in such networks. 2............................. Public Safety & Title: Wireless E911 Homeland Location Accuracy Security. Requirements (PS Docket No. 07-114). Summary: The Commission will consider a Fifth Report and Order and Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would adopt a vertical, or z-axis, location accuracy metric in connection with wireless E911 calls and propose additional measures to improve E911 location accuracy. 3............................. General Counsel Title: Modernizing and Wireline Suspension and Competition. Debarment Rules (GN Docket No. 19-309). Summary: The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would seek comment on updating its suspension and debarment rules to make them consistent with Office of Management and Budget guidelines, in order to better prevent bad actors from participating in Universal Service Fund programs, Telecommunications Relay Services programs, and the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program.

The Office of Head Start will further delay the compliance date for programs to meet the new comprehensive background checks requirements and to participate in their state or local Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS). We are delaying the compliance date for these standards, based on concerns states still will not have systems developed that can accommodate Head Start programs by the current compliance date. Head Start programs are still encouraged to conduct comprehensive background checks where state systems support Head Start requests and are required to meet the background check requirements in section 648A of the Head Start Act that requires them to obtain a State, tribal, or Federal criminal record check for all staff members prior to employment. The Office of Head Start also requests comments on the issues set out in this final rule.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is publishing the names of five entities and four persons that have been placed on OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List based on OFAC's determination that one or more applicable legal criteria were satisfied. All property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction of these persons are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing for the Commission's consideration concerning negotiated service agreements. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved information collection FERC- 574 (Gas Pipeline Certificates: Hinshaw Exemption) which will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a review of the information collection requirements.

The Coast Guard is seeking information and comments on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with a test schedule for the bridges crossing the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers and South Menomonee and Burnham Canals. The City of Milwaukee requested the regulations to be reviewed and updated to allow for a more balanced flow of maritime and land based transportation. The current regulation has been in place for over 30 years and is obsolete.

The Department of Labor (DOL or Department) is submitting the Employment and Training Administration (ETA)-sponsored Information Collection Request (ICR), titled, Attestation for Employers Seeking to Employ H-2B Nonimmigrant Workers Under Section 105 of Division H of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 Public Law 116-6 (Feb. 15, 2019) (OMB Control Number 1205-0535), to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

This is an amendment of the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) declaration for the State of Alaska, dated 10/08/2019. Incident: Swan Lake Fire. Incident Period: 06/05/2019 through 10/02/2019.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a renewed license to Portland General Electric (PGE), Eugene Water and Electric Board, and PacifiCorp (together ``licensee'') for Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) License No. SNM-2509 for the receipt, possession, transfer, and storage of spent fuel from the Trojan Nuclear Plant in the Trojan Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), located in Columbia County, Oregon on August 9, 2019. On October 23, 2019, the renewed license and technical specifications were corrected to reflect the current amendment and to remove obsolete pages from the technical specifications.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A350-941 airplanes. This AD was prompted by the results of a structural analysis, which identified that the upper frame fittings (UFFs) of the forward cargo door surrounding structure have a low fatigue life. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the forward cargo door UFFs and brackets for discrepancies and, depending on the findings, doing applicable corrective actions, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

On behalf of the National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC's) Joint Committee on the Research Environment (JCORE), the OSTP requests input on actions that Federal agencies can take, working in partnership with private industry, academic institutions, and non- profit/philanthropic organizations, to maximize the quality and effectiveness of the American research environment. Specific emphasis is placed on ensuring that the research environment is welcoming to all individuals and enables them to work safely, efficiently, ethically, and with mutual respect, consistent with the values of free inquiry, competition, openness, and fairness.

NMFS implements accountability measures (AMs) for the gray triggerfish commercial sector in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) through this temporary rule. NMFS projects that the 2019 commercial landings for gray triggerfish will reach the commercial annual catch target (ACT) (commercial quota) by November 26, 2019. Therefore, NMFS is closing the commercial sector for Gulf gray triggerfish on November 26, 2019, and it will remain closed through the end of the fishing year on December 31, 2019. This closure is necessary to protect the Gulf gray triggerfish resource.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Vermont. The SIP revision consists of a demonstration that Vermont meets the requirements of reasonably available control technology (RACT) for the two precursors for ground-level ozone, oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), set forth by the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) with respect to the 2008 and 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQSs or standards). This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted an information collection request (ICR), Pesticide Establishment Application, Notification of Registration, and Pesticide Production Reports for Pesticide-Producing and Device-Producing Establishments (EPA ICR Number 0160.12, OMB Control Number 2070-0078) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through January 31, 2020. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on May 6, 2019 during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. A fuller description of the ICR is given below, including its estimated burden and cost to the public. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

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 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will consider in its rulemaking process one issue raised in a petition for rulemaking, PRM-171-1, dated February 28, 2019, submitted by Dr. Michael D. Meier on behalf of the Southern Nuclear Operating Company (the petitioner), and is denying the remaining issue in PRM-171-1. The petitioner requested that the NRC amend its regulations related to the start of the assessment of annual fees for certain nuclear power plants.