2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and -900ER (Model 737 NG) series airplanes (although the scope of the AD requirements is limited to operation at specific runways in the U.S., Colombia, and Guyana). This AD requires revising the airplane flight manual (AFM) to prohibit selection of certain runways for airplanes equipped with certain software. This AD was prompted by reports of display electronic unit (DEU) software errors on airplanes with a selected instrument approach to a specific runway. 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 Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports that during airplane wing fatigue testing, fatigue cracks were found on the lower right-hand-side wing plank at the end of the integrally machined stringers, which led to a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This proposed AD would require, for certain airplanes, revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This final rule revises standards relating to oversight of Exchanges established by states and periodic data matching frequency. This final rule also includes new requirements for certain issuers related to the collection of a separate payment for the portion of a plan's premium attributable to coverage for certain abortion services.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (``EPCA''), directs DOE to initiate a rulemaking for general service lamps (``GSLs'') that, among other requirements, determines whether standards in effect for general service incandescent lamps (``GSILs,'' a subset of GSLs) should be amended. On September 5, 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') published a notice of proposed determination (``NOPD'') in which DOE initially determined that energy conservation standards for GSILs do not need to be amended. In this final determination, DOE responds to comments received on the September 2019 GSIL NOPD and does not adopt amended energy conservation standards for GSILs. DOE has determined that amended energy conservation standards for GSILs would not be economically justified.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on adding a goal of broadband adoption to the Lifeline program, making additional program integrity improvements to the program, and establishing privacy training requirements for entities accessing Lifeline subscribers' personal information.

This final rule sets forth a comprehensive revision and update of the Department's regulations on rulemaking procedures and consolidates all of the Department's existing administrative procedures in one location. This final rule also incorporates and reflects the Department's current policies and procedures relating to the issuance of rulemaking documents. In addition, this update codifies the Department's internal procedural requirements governing the review and clearance of guidance documents and the initiation and conduct of enforcement actions, including administrative enforcement proceedings and judicial enforcement actions brought in Federal court.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Connecticut that addresses the interstate transport of air pollution requirements of the Clean Air Act for the 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) (i.e., ozone transport SIP). The intended effect of this action is to propose approval of the transport SIP as a revision to the Connecticut SIP. This action is being taken in accordance with the Clean Air Act.

The Federal Register document of November 13, 2019, promulgating a final rule that provides for a simple measure of capital adequacy for certain community banking organization had two erroneous amendment instructions. This document corrects these errors.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone in the Captain of the Port, Sault Sainte Marie zone in Mackinac City, MI. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect the public and private contractors from potential hazards associated with remotely operated underwater vehicle operations in the Straits of Mackinac. During the effective dates of the rule, vessels will not be able to operate in certain U.S. navigable waters in the Straits of Mackinac within 500 yards of the Tug Nancy Anne and Deck Barge MM-142 without authorization from the Captain of the Port.

NMFS published a final rule that implemented Amendment 28 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan in the Federal Register on November 19, 2019 (84 FR 63966). The final rule changed boundaries of closed areas that affect commercial vessels fishing under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan with bottom contacting gear in Federal waters off of Washington, Oregon, and California.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submission, provided by the State of Tennessee, through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), through a letter dated September 13, 2018, for inclusion into the Tennessee SIP. This action pertains to the infrastructure requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) for the 2015 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). Whenever EPA promulgates a new or revised NAAQS, the CAA requires that each state adopt and submit a SIP for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of each NAAQS promulgated by EPA. TDEC certified that the Tennessee SIP contains provisions that ensure the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS is implemented, enforced, and maintained in Tennessee. EPA has determined that portions of Tennessee's SIP submission satisfy certain required infrastructure elements for the 2015 8-hour ozone NAAQS.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency) published a proposed rule on August 23, 2018, proposing to implement changes to the single family housing guaranteed loan program (SFHGLP) regulation to streamline the loss claim process for lenders who have acquired title to property through voluntary liquidation or foreclosure; clarify that lenders must comply with applicable laws, including those within the purview of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); and better align loss mitigation policies with the mortgage industry. Through this action, RHS finalizes the rule largely as proposed with some revisions.

The Department of State amends the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to create a definition of ``activities that are not exports, reexports, retransfers, or temporary imports'' by combining existing text from the regulations with new text regarding secured unclassified technical data. The activities included in the new definition are: Launching items into space, providing technical data to U.S. persons within the United States or within a single country abroad, and moving a defense article between the states, possessions, and territories of the United States. The definition also clarifies that the electronic transmission and storage of properly secured unclassified technical data via foreign communications infrastructure does not constitute an export. Additionally, the Department amends the ITAR to create a definition of ``access information'' and revise the definition of ``release'' to address the provision of access information to an unauthorized foreign person.

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is publishing this agenda as part of the Fall 2019 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The Bureau reasonably anticipates having the regulatory matters identified below under consideration during the period from October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2020. The next agenda will be published in spring 2020 and will update this agenda through spring 2021. Publication of this agenda is in accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).

This Agenda announces the regulations that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will have under development or review during the 12-month period beginning fall 2019. The purpose in publishing the Department's regulatory agenda is to allow all interested persons the opportunity to participate in VA's regulatory planning.

The Regulatory and Deregulatory Agenda is a semiannual summary of all current and projected rulemakings, reviews of existing regulations, and completed actions of the Department. The intent of the Agenda is to provide the public with information about the Department of Transportation's regulatory activity planned for the next 12 months. It is expected that this information will enable the public to more effectively participate in the Department's regulatory process. The public is also invited to submit comments on any aspect of this Agenda.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board submits the following agenda of proposed regulatory activities which may be conducted by the agency during the next 12 months. This regulatory agenda may be revised by the agency during the coming months as a result of action taken by the Board.

This agenda contains a list of regulations that the Board is developing or proposes to develop in the next 12 months and regulations that are scheduled to be reviewed in that period.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is publishing its semiannual agenda of upcoming activities for Federal regulations, OMB Guidance, Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Policy Letters, and Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Board Cost Accounting Standards. OMB Guidance and OFPP Policy Letters are published in accordance with OMB's internal procedures for implementing Executive Order 12866 (October 4, 1993, 58 FR 51735). OMB policy guidelines are issued under authority derived from several sources, including: Subtitles I, II, and V of title 31, United States Code; Executive Order 11541; and other specific authority as cited. OMB Guidance and OFPP Policy Letters communicate guidance and instructions of a continuing nature to executive branch agencies. As such, most OMB Guidance and OFPP Policy Letters are not regulations. Nonetheless, because these issuances are typically of interest to the public, they are generally published in the Federal Register at both the proposed (for public comment) and final stages. For this reason, they are presented below in the standard format of ``pre-rule,'' ``proposed rule,'' and ``final rule'' stages. CASB Cost Accounting Standards are issued under authority derived from 41 U.S.C. 1501 et seq. Cost Accounting Standards are rules governing the measurement, assignment, and allocation of costs to contracts entered into with the United States Government. For purposes of this agenda, we have excluded directives that outline procedures to be followed in connection with the President's budget and legislative programs, as well as directives that affect only the internal functions, management, or personnel of Federal agencies.

The Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board is publishing the Regulatory Flexibility Agenda for fall 2019.

We are publishing our semiannual regulatory agenda (the Agenda) in accordance with Public Law 96-354, ``The Regulatory Flexibility Act,'' and Executive Order 12866, ``Regulatory Planning and Review.'' This Agenda issuance also contains our annual regulatory plan, which contains information on some of the more important regulatory actions that we are considering issuing in proposed or final form during Fiscal Year 2019. NRC's complete Agenda, available on the Office of Management and Budget's website at https://www.reginfo.gov, is a compilation of all rulemaking activities on which we have recently completed action or have proposed or are considering action. We have completed 6 rulemaking activities since publication of our last Agenda on June 24, 2019 (84 FR 29780). This issuance of our Agenda contains 28 active and 22 long-term rulemaking activities: 2 are Economically Significant; 16 represent Other Significant agency priorities; 28 are Substantive, Nonsignificant rulemaking activities; and 4 are Administrative rulemaking activities. In addition, 3 rulemaking activities impact small entities; the entries for these activities are printed in this document. We are requesting comment on the rulemaking activities as identified in this Agenda.

The Board is issuing this agenda under the Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Board's Statement of Policy Regarding Expanded Rulemaking Procedures. The Board anticipates having under consideration regulatory matters as indicated below during the period October 1, 2019, through March 31, 2020. The next agenda will be published in spring 2020.

The Commission publishes its semiannual regulatory flexibility agenda in this document. The document also includes an agenda of regulatory actions that the Commission expects to be under development or review by the agency during the next year. This document meets the requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and Executive Order 12866. The Commission welcomes comments on the agenda and on the individual agenda entries.

This regulatory agenda is a semiannual summary of projected regulations, existing regulations, and completed actions of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its components. This agenda provides the public with information about DHS's regulatory and deregulatory activity. DHS expects that this information will enable the public to be more aware of, and effectively participate in, the Department's regulatory and deregulatory activity. DHS invites the public to submit comments on any aspect of this agenda.