2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations regarding fitness for duty (FFD) programs for certain NRC licensees and other entities to more closely align the NRC's drug testing requirements with the updates made to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ``Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs'' in 2008, which became effective on October 1, 2010. The proposed rule would also incorporate lessons learned from implementation of the NRC's current FFD regulations. These changes would enhance the ability of NRC licensees and other entities to identify individuals using illegal drugs, misusing legal drugs, or attempting to subvert the drug testing process. The proposed rule would also provide additional protections to individuals subject to drug testing and would improve the clarity, organization, and flexibility of the NRC's FFD regulations. The NRC is also requesting comment on draft regulatory guide 5040.

This rule establishes provisions for providing agricultural disaster assistance as authorized by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, 2019 (Disaster Relief Act). The Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) will provide payments to eligible producers who suffered eligible crop, tree, bush, and vine losses resulting from hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms, and wildfires that occurred in the 2018 and 2019 calendar years. The On-Farm Storage Loss Program will provide payments to eligible producers who suffered uncompensated losses of harvested commodities stored in farm structures as a result of hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms, and wildfires that occurred in the 2018 and 2019 calendar years. The Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program (WHIP) Milk Loss Program will provide payments to eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market due to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, typhoons, volcanic activity, snowstorms, and wildfires that occurred in the 2018 and 2019 calendar years. This rule specifies the administrative provisions, eligibility requirements, application procedures, and payment calculations for WHIP+, On-Farm Storage Loss Program, and WHIP Milk Loss Program. As required by the Disaster Relief Act, this rule also expands eligibility for 2017 WHIP to include losses incurred from Tropical Storm Cindy, losses of peach and blueberry crops in calendar year 2017 due to extreme cold, and blueberry productivity losses in calendar year 2018 due to extreme cold and hurricane damage in calendar year 2017. This rule updates the regulations for the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) to provide assistance for eligible orchardists or nursery tree growers of pecan trees with a tree mortality rate that exceeds 7.5 percent (adjusted for normal mortality) and is less than 15 percent (adjusted for normal mortality) for losses incurred in calendar year 2018. Prevented planting supplemental disaster payments will provide support to producers who were prevented from planting eligible crops for the 2019 crop year due to excess precipitation, flood, storm surge, tornado, volcanic activity, tropical depressions, hurricanes, and cyclones in the 2019 calendar year. This rule specifies the administrative provisions, eligibility requirements, and payment calculations for prevented planting supplemental disaster payments.

This document provides notice of the re-establishment of a matching program between the Department of Education (Department or ED) and the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). ED seeks access to the information contained in the DHS-USCIS database (referred to as the Verification Information System (VIS)) for the purpose of verifying the immigration status of applicants for assistance for title IV federal student aid.

This notice announces the issuance of the August 2, 2019 single-source funding opportunity titled ``Drug Vial Size Report'' available solely to the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [the Academies] to conduct a study on the Federal healthcare costs, safety, and quality concerns associated with discarded drugs that results from weight-based dosing of medicines contained in single dose vials as stated in Senate report 114-274.

The Federal Salary Council will meet on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, at the time and location shown below. The Council is an advisory body composed of representatives of Federal employee organizations and experts in the fields of labor relations and pay policy. The Council makes recommendations to the President's Pay Agent (the Secretary of Labor and the Directors of the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management) about the locality pay program for General Schedule employees under Sec. 5304 of title 5, United States Code. The Council's recommendations cover the establishment or modification of locality pay areas, the coverage of salary surveys, the process of comparing Federal and non-Federal rates of pay, and the level of comparability payments that should be paid.

The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice announcing the availability of funds and the application deadline for eligible applicants for the 2019 Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations (2019 Restart) program under title VIII of the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (hereafter referred to as the Disaster Supplemental), Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.938A. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1810-0740.

The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice announcing the availability of funds and application deadline for the 2019 Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students (2019 Emergency Impact Aid) program under Title VIII of the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (hereafter referred to as the Disaster Supplemental), Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.938C. This notice relates to the approved information collection under OMB control number 1810-0739.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Ten West Link 500-Kilovolt (kV) Transmission Line Project and Amendments to the Yuma Field Office Resource Management Plan (RMP) and the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan and by this notice is announcing its availability.

This final rule removes the regulation concerning the DoD Transition Assistance Program (TAP). TAP provides information and training to ensure Service members and eligible spouses transitioning from active-duty are prepared for their next step in life, whether it is to pursue additional education, find a job in the public or private sector, or start their own business. This part summarizes the benefits in statute and internal policy. Therefore, this part is duplicative and unnecessary and should be removed from the CFR.

The Department of Justice (the Department), Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section (DRS), will submit the following information collection extension request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA).

As part of the Administration's commitment to improving customer service delivery, the General Services Administration (GSA), is coordinating the government wide development of the following proposed Information Collection Request ``Improving Customer ExperienceImplementation of Section 280 of OMB Circular A-11'' for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act. This notice announces GSA will be submitting on this collection to OMB for approval and solicits comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection.

This notice advises the public of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's record of decision for the final environmental impact statement titled ``Regulation of the Importation, Interstate Movement, and Intrastate Movement of Plant Pests.''

The Ouachita National Forest, in Arkansas, is proposing to charge new fees at two recreation sites: Little Missouri Falls Day Use Site and Wolf Pen Gap Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Trail Complex. These sites have had additional amenities added to improve services and experiences. Fees are assessed based on the level of amenities and service provided, cost of operation and maintenance, market assessment, and public comment. Funds from fees would be used for the continued operation and maintenance of these recreation sites. Improvements have been made to the picnicking area at Little Missouri Falls Day Use Site and a new access bridge, with new hardened trail surface, has been installed to allow visitors easier access down to the unique geological features and small wading pools below the series of waterfalls along the Little Missouri River. The proposed new fees to help maintain the Little Missouri Falls Day Use Site would be: $5.00 per motorized vehicle, to include OHV/ATV riders. Over the past few years, a series of new trail routes and improvements have been made at the Wolf Pen Gap OHV Trail Complex for off-highway vehicle (OHV) users. The proposed fees are to be phased in over a period from March 2021 to March 2025, beginning with a fee of $5.00 per ATV/UTV/OHV per day or $40.00 for an annual yearly pass, March 2021. In March 2023, the fee would increase to $8.00 per ATV/UTV/OHV per day or $50.00 for an annual pass. In March 2025, the final fee would increase to $10.00 per ATV/UTV/OHV per day or $60.00 for an annual pass.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'' or ``SEC'') is proposing amendments to the National Market System Plan Governing the Consolidated Audit Trail (``CAT NMS Plan''). The proposed amendments impose public transparency requirements on the self- regulatory organizations that are participants to the CAT NMS Plan (each, a ``Participant'' and collectively, the ``Participants''). The Participants would be required to file with the Commission and publish a complete implementation plan for the Consolidated Audit Trail (``CAT'') and quarterly progress reports, each of which must be approved by a supermajority vote of the Operating Committee of CAT NMS, LLC. The proposed amendments also establish financial accountability provisions.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or USFWS), are removing the Foskett speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus ssp.), a fish native to Oregon, from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife on the basis of recovery. This determination is based on a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the threats to the Foskett speckled dace have been eliminated or reduced to the point where it no longer meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we), are proposing to renew an information collection with revisions.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0028, Course Approval and Records for Merchant Marine Training Schools; without change. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Before submitting this ICR to OIRA, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

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 October 2019 and interest assumptions under the asset allocation regulation for plans with valuation dates in the fourth quarter of 2019. 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.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve a revision and renewal of a previously approved information collection requirement regarding contractors performing private security functions outside the United States.