2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States (U.S.) Department of the Navy (DoN), after participating as a cooperating agency in the development and evaluation of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project (B2H Project), and carefully weighing the strategic, operational, and environmental consequences of the proposed action, announces its decision to adopt the Final EIS and implement real estate actions as set out in the selected alternative, identified as the Agency Preferred Alternative in the Final EIS dated November 2016.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application from the County of San Luis Obispo for an incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The permit, if issued, would authorize take of the federally endangered Morro shoulderband snail (Helminthoglypta walkeriana) and Morro Bay kangaroo rat (Dipodomys heermanni morroensis) and provide assurances for the federally endangered Indian Knob mountainbalm (Eriodictyon altissimum) and federally threatened Morro manzanita (Arctostaphylos morroensis). We invite public comment on the draft habitat conservation plan and a draft environmental assessment prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended.

The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') seeks public comment on the need for amendments to the Commission's ``Rule Concerning the Use of Prenotification Negative Option Plans'' (i.e., ``Negative Option Rule'' or ``Rule'') to help consumers avoid recurring payments for products and services they did not intend to order and to allow them to cancel such payments without unwarranted obstacles.

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Amendments 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D, 50E, and 50F to the Fishery Management Plan for Reef Fish Resources in the Gulf of Mexico (FMP), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council)(Amendments 50A-F). This proposed rule would delegate authority to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Texas (Gulf states), to establish specific management measures for the harvest of red snapper in Federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) by the private angling component of the recreational sector. The purposes of this proposed rule and Amendments 50A-F are to increase fishing opportunities and economic benefits by allowing each Gulf state to establish specific management measures for the recreational harvest of red snapper in Federal waters by private anglers landing in that state.

On July 26, 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule titled ``Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act.'' The EPA is reopening the comment period on the proposed rule that closed on September 24, 2019. The comment period will remain open until November 1, 2019 to allow additional time for stakeholders to review and comment on the proposal.

On July 31, 2019, the United States Patent and Trademark Office published in the Federal Register a final rule amending the Rules of Practice in Trademark Cases and the Rules of Practice in Filings Pursuant to the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks. That final rule had an effective date of October 5, 2019. This action changes the effective date to December 21, 2019.

This action extends the comment period for an NPRM that was published in the Federal Register on July 3, 2019. In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to amend certain airworthiness regulations for fire protection of interior compartments on transport category airplanes. The proposal would convert those flammability regulations from detailed, prescriptive requirements into simpler, performance-based standards. The proposal would divide these standards into two categories: those designed to protect the airplane and its occupants from the hazards of in-flight fires, and those designed to protect the airplane and its occupants from the hazards caused by post-crash fires. In addition, the proposal would remove test methods from the regulations and allow applicants, in certain cases, to demonstrate compliance either without conducting tests or by providing independent substantiation of the flammability characteristics of a proposed material. The proposal includes conforming changes to various FAA regulations. The proposal is necessary to eliminate unnecessary testing, increase standardization, and improve safety. The FAA is extending the closing date of the comment period to allow commenters time to adequately analyze the proposal and prepare responses.

This proposed rule would implement a recommendation from the Washington Apricot Marketing Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2019-2020 and subsequent fiscal periods. The assessment rate would remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

FMCSA proposes to amend its Hazardous Materials Safety Permits regulations to incorporate by reference the updated Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) handbook. The Out-of-Service Criteria provide enforcement personnel nationwide, including FMCSA's State partners, with uniform enforcement tolerances for roadside inspections. Currently, the regulations reference the April 1, 2018, edition of the handbook. Through this document, FMCSA proposes to incorporate by reference the April 1, 2019, edition.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement a section of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, which specifies the criteria that must be met in order to include lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) source selection criteria in a solicitation; and requires procurements predominantly for the acquisition of certain services and supplies to avoid the use of LPTA source selection criteria, to the maximum extent practicable.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 and several sections of the NDAA for FY 2018 that increase the micro-purchase threshold (MPT), increase the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), and clarify certain procurement terms, as well as align some non- statutory thresholds with the MPT and SAT.

This document contains proposed regulations relating to the modification of section 958(b) of the Internal Revenue Code (``Code'') by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was enacted on December 22, 2017. The proposed regulations affect United States persons that have ownership interests in or that make or receive payments to or from certain foreign corporations.

This final rule is issued to fulfill a requirement in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act of 2012 (MAP-21) that NHTSA establish regulations permitting states to adopt schemes that allow electronic odometer disclosure statements in conjunction with electronic titling systems associated with the transfer of interests in motor vehicles. Amendments in this final rule allow odometer disclosures in an electronic medium while maintaining and protecting the existing system(s) ensuring accurate odometer disclosures and aid law enforcement in prosecuting odometer fraud. To accomplish this goal, the final rule amends prior regulations governing transactions made on paper titles and similar documents allowing odometer disclosures to be made in a purely electronic environment or through using paper documents that are scanned and converted into electronic form and stored in a state data system. This final rule also adds new sections containing specific additional requirements only applying to electronic disclosures to ensure the secure creation and maintenance of electronic records. NHTSA is also amending the mileage disclosure exemption to vehicles that are 20 years old or older.

In accordance with the requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (''CERCLA''), notice is hereby given of the proposed settlement under CERCLA, between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA''), the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District (JVWCD), and the Guarantee Company of North America (GCNA) (collectively, ``Settling Parties'') to settle liabilities at the State Painting Site in West Valley City, Utah. For thirty (30) days following the date of publication of this notice, the Agency will receive written comments relating to the agreement. The Agency will consider all comments received and may modify or withdraw its consent to the agreement if comments received disclose facts or considerations that indicate that the agreement is inappropriate, improper, or inadequate.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve, or conditionally approve, all or portions of five state implementation plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of California to meet Clean Air Act (CAA or ``the Act'') requirements for the 1979 1-hour, 1997 8-hour, and 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') in the Los Angeles South Coast Air Basin, California (``South Coast'') ozone nonattainment area. The five SIP revisions include the ``Final 2016 Air Quality Management Plan,'' the ``Revised Proposed 2016 State Strategy for the State Implementation Plan,'' the ``2018 Updates to the California State Implementation Plan,'' the ``Updated Federal 1979 1-Hour Ozone Standard Attainment Demonstration,'' and a local emissions statement rule. In today's action, the EPA refers to these submittals collectively as the ``2016 South Coast Ozone SIP.'' The 2016 South Coast Ozone SIP addresses the nonattainment area requirements for the 2008 ozone NAAQS, including the requirements for an emissions inventory, attainment demonstration, reasonable further progress, reasonably available control measures, contingency measures, among others; establishes motor vehicle emissions budgets; and updates the previously-approved control strategies and attainment demonstrations for the 1-hour ozone NAAQS and the 1997 ozone NAAQS. The EPA is taking final action to approve the 2016 South Coast Ozone SIP as meeting all the applicable ozone nonattainment area requirements except for the reasonable further progress contingency measure requirement, for which the EPA is finalizing a conditional approval.

Notice is hereby given that Devon Massyn, Natural History Unit, 2118 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Unit B, Redondo Beach, CA 90278, has applied in due form for a permit to conduct commercial or educational photography on California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris).

The registrants listed below have applied for and been granted a registration by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a bulk manufacturer of various classes of schedule I and II controlled substances.