2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rule agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) in this Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2020-01. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG), follows this FAC. The FAC, including the SECG, is available via the internet at https://www.regulations.gov.

The OCC, the Board, and the FDIC (collectively, the agencies) are issuing a final rule that increases the thresholds in the major assets prohibition for management interlocks for purposes of the Depository Institution Management Interlocks Act (DIMIA). The DIMIA major assets prohibition prohibits a management official of a depository organization with total assets exceeding $2.5 billion (or any affiliate of such an organization) from serving at the same time as a management official of an unaffiliated depository organization with total assets exceeding $1.5 billion (or any affiliate of such an organization). DIMIA provides that the agencies may adjust, by regulation, the major assets prohibition thresholds in order to allow for inflation or market changes. The final rule increases both major assets prohibition thresholds to $10 billion to account for changes in the United States banking market since the current thresholds were established in 1996.

This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of indaziflam in or on the tropical and subtropical fruit (edible peel) group 23 and tropical and subtropical fruit (inedible peel) group 24. Interregional Research Project Number 4 (IR-4) requested these tolerances under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

This document contains proposed regulations related to the Internal Revenue Code (Code), which allows a State (or its agency or instrumentality) to establish and maintain a tax-advantaged savings program under which contributions may be made to an ABLE account for the purpose of paying for the qualified disability expenses of the designated beneficiary of the account. The affected Code section was amended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law on December 22, 2017. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act allows certain designated beneficiaries to contribute a limited amount of compensation income to their own ABLE accounts.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda for a meeting of the Ocean Exploration Advisory Board (OEAB). OEAB members will discuss and provide advice on Federal ocean exploration programs, with a particular emphasis on the topics identified in the section on Matters to Be Considered.

The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), ``Performance Evaluation Studies on Wastewater Laboratories'' (EPA ICR No. 0234.13, OMB Control No. 2080-0021) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through May 31, 2020. 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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Marine Corps announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The following public hearing on proposed amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure has been canceled: Appellate Rules Hearing on October 30, 2019, in Washington DC.

An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel's Taxpayer Assistance Center Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel's Tax Forms and Publications Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel's Taxpayer Communications Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of its continuing effort to reduce public burden and maximize the utility of government information, invites the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a proposed and/or continuing information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This notice invites comment on a proposed information collection project titled Application Form and Related Forms for the Operation of the National Death Index. The National Death Index (NDI) is designed to allow NCHS to collect mortality data, to support epidemiological research and to furnish mortality information.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request an extension and revision to the approved forms and generic information collection for marketing orders covering fruit crops.

On January 23, 2018, the President imposed a safeguard measure on imports of certain solar products pursuant to a section 201 investigation. On February 14, 2018, the U.S. Trade Representative established procedures for interested persons to request product- specific exclusions from application of the safeguard measure. On June 13, 2019, the U.S. Trade Representative published a notice granting certain requests for exclusions and excluding the products at issue from the safeguard measure's application. In particular, the U.S. Trade Representative excluded bifacial solar panels consisting only of bifacial solar cells. Since publication of that notice, the U.S. Trade Representative has evaluated this exclusion further and, after consultation with the Secretaries of Commerce and Energy, determined it will undermine the objectives of the safeguard measure. Accordingly, the U.S. Trade Representative has modified the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) to withdraw the exclusion of bifacial solar panels from application of the safeguard measure. The U.S. Trade Representative also has modified the HTSUS to make certain technical changes in connection with the safeguard measure.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that Zhongshan Geelong Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (Geelong), the sole producer subject to this administrative review of certain tool chests and cabinets (tool chests) from the People's Republic of China (China) received countervailable subsidies during the period of review (POR), September 15, 2017 through December 31, 2018. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results of review.