December 13, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule amends the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's regulations on Benefits Payable in Terminated Single- Employer Plans and Allocation of Assets in Single-Employer Plans to prescribe certain interest assumptions under the benefit payments regulation for plans with valuation dates in January 2020 and interest assumptions under the asset allocation regulation for plans with valuation dates in the first quarter of 2020. These interest assumptions are used for valuing benefits and paying certain benefits under terminating single-employer plans covered by the pension insurance system administered by PBGC.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the portions of New Jersey's State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submittal regarding infrastructure requirements for interstate transport of pollution with respect to the 2006 particulate matter of 10 microns ([mu]m) or less (PM10), 2008 lead, 2010 nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and 2011 carbon monoxide (CO) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

On November 15, 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') published a request for information (``RFI'') to solicit information from the public to help DOE determine whether amended standards for consumer refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers would result in a significant amount of additional energy savings and whether those standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified. The November 15, 2019 RFI also stated that public comments will be accepted until December 30, 2019. On November 21, 2019, the DOE received a request from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) to extend the public comment period by 60 days. DOE has reviewed this request and will be granting a 45 day extinction of the public comment period to allow public comments to be summited until February 13, 2020.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office published in the Federal Register on July 31, 2019 (delayed on October 2, 2019), a final rule amending its regulations to mandate electronic filing of trademark applications and all submissions associated with trademark applications and registrations, and to require the designation of an email address for receiving USPTO correspondence, with limited exceptions. This rulemaking clarifies the mandatory electronic filing regulation addressing the requirements for receiving a filing date, by amending it to remove the word ``domicile.'' This rulemaking also clarifies the mandatory electronic filing regulation addressing the requirements for a TEAS Plus application.

This document contains corrections to Treasury Decision 9879, which was published in the Federal Register on Thursday, October 31, 2019. Treasury Decision 9879 contained final regulations providing guidance on new information reporting obligations under section 6050Y related to reportable policy sales of life insurance contracts and payments of reportable death benefits and guidance on the amount of death benefits excluded from gross income under section 101 following a reportable policy sale.

This action amends Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Grove City Airport, Grove City, PA, by updating the geographic coordinates of this airport. Also, this action would update the name and geographic coordinates of Grove City Medical Center Heliport (formerly United Community Hospital Heliport). Controlled airspace is necessary for the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations in the area.

The Coast Guard will enforce the special local regulation for the Charleston Harbor Christmas Parade of Boats on December 14, 2019. This action is necessary to ensure safety of life on navigable waters of the United States during the Charleston Harbor Christmas Parade of Boats. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter, transit through, anchor in, or remain within the designated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston (COTP) or a designated representative.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) adopts as final, with changes based on subsequent statutory authority, an interim final rule providing for reimbursement of qualifying adoption expenses incurred by a veteran with a service-connected disability that results in the inability of the veteran to procreate without the use of fertility treatment. Under the Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act, VA may use funds appropriated or otherwise made available to VA for the ``Medical Services'' account to provide adoption reimbursement to these veterans. Under the law, reimbursement may be for the adoption-related expenses for an adoption that is finalized after the date of the enactment of this Act under the same terms as apply under the adoption reimbursement program of the Department of Defense (DoD), as authorized in DoD Instruction 1341.09, including the reimbursement limits and requirements set forth in such instruction. This rulemaking implements the new adoption reimbursement benefit for covered veterans.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Dassault Aviation Model MYSTERE FALCON 50, MYSTERE FALCON 900, and FALCON 900EX airplanes; and Model FALCON 2000 and FALCON 2000EX airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report that the Dassault maintenance planning document (MPD) of the related Dassault aircraft maintenance manual (AMM) states that the ``combined service/storage life'' of the fire extinguisher percussion cartridges is longer than it should be, and could have a safety impact in case of fire. This AD requires replacing the fire extinguisher percussion cartridges with serviceable parts. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A350-941 and -1041 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of incorrectly engaged lock washer tabs of the main landing gear (MLG) forward pintle bearing (FPB) at the forward face of the trunnion block. This proposed AD would require detailed inspections of the left-hand (LH) and right-hand (RH) side MLG FPB nuts and lock washer tabs, and depending on findings, accomplishment of repetitive detailed inspections or corrective actions, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which will be incorporated by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a second interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to require offerors to represent annually whether they offer to the Government equipment, systems, or services that include covered telecommunications equipment or services. These provisions implement section 889(a)(1)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (collectively, the agencies) are adopting a final rule to revise the definition of ``high volatility commercial real estate (HVCRE) exposure'' in the regulatory capital rule. This final rule conforms this definition to the statutory definition of ``high volatility commercial real estate acquisition, development, or construction (HVCRE ADC) loan,'' in accordance with section 214 of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (EGRRCPA). The final rule also clarifies the capital treatment for loans that finance the development of land under the revised HVCRE exposure definition.