2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the Organic Liquids Distribution (Non-Gasoline) (OLD) source category. The EPA is proposing amendments to the storage tank and equipment leak requirements as a result of the residual risk and technology review (RTR). The EPA is also proposing amendments to allow terminals the option to implement a fenceline monitoring program in lieu of the enhancements to the storage tank and equipment leak requirements; correct and clarify regulatory provisions related to emissions during periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM); add requirements for electronic reporting of performance test results and reports, performance evaluation reports, compliance reports, and Notification of Compliance Status (NOCS) reports; add operational requirements for flares; and make other minor technical improvements. We estimate that these proposed amendments would reduce emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) from this source category by 386 tons per year (tpy), which represents an approximate 16-percent reduction of HAP emissions from the source category.

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS, or the Agency) proposed to make changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Asisstance Program (SNAP) regulations to refine categorical eligibility requirements based on receipt of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. To aid the public's review of the rulemaking, FNS is providing an informational analysis regarding the potential impacts on participants in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The agency is extending the comment period to provide the public an opportunity to review and provide comment on this document as part of the rulemaking record. Comments that do not pertain to the issues referenced in this additional document are not germane to the extended comment period and will not be accepted.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters of the Allegheny River from mile 14.7 to mile 15. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by a barge-based fireworks display. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by Captain of the Port Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh or a designated representative.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to authorize changes California has made to its hazardous waste program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as amended. EPA reviewed California's application for authorization of these changes and determined that the changes satisfy all requirements. EPA seeks public comment prior to taking final action.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus SAS Model A310 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to amend its regulations to revise the process for lessees to seek and for the BLM to grant reductions of rental fees, royalty rates, and/or minimum production requirements associated with non-energy solid leasable minerals. The proposed rule would streamline the process for such reductions for non-energy solid minerals leased by the Federal Government and would codify the BLM's authority to issue an area- or industry-wide reduction on its own initiative. Existing regulatory requirements are overly restrictive, inflexible, and burdensome. A report from the Senate Committee on Appropriations on the 2019 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill encouraged the BLM to work with soda ash producers to reduce the Federal royalty rate, as appropriate. The proposed rule would give the BLM more flexibility to respond to changing market dynamics by improving the BLM's ability to boost production and support development of the Federal mineral estate when deemed necessary.

In this document, the Commission adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, in which it sought comment on proposals to change the rules governing local public notice given by broadcast station applicants. These specific rule changes were proposed based on responses to the Notice of Proposed Rule Making in this proceeding.

This interim final rule updates the Tribal Transportation Program regulations to delay the deadline for Tribes to comply with requirements to collect data on proposed roads for the National Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory (NTTFI).

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (collectively, the banking agencies), and the National Credit Union Administration (collectively, the agencies) are inviting public comment on a proposed interagency policy statement on allowances for credit losses (ACLs). The agencies are issuing this proposed interagency policy statement in response to changes to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) as promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-13, Financial InstrumentsCredit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments and subsequent amendments issued since June 2016. These updates are codified in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 326, Financial InstrumentsCredit Losses (FASB ASC Topic 326). This proposed interagency policy statement describes the measurement of expected credit losses under the current expected credit losses (CECL) methodology and the accounting for impairment on available-for-sale (AFS) debt securities in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 326; supervisory expectations for designing, documenting, and validating expected credit loss estimation processes, including the internal controls over these processes; maintaining appropriate ACLs; the responsibilities of boards of directors and management; and examiner reviews of ACLs.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing to exempt the Tongass National Forest from the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which prohibits tree harvest and road construction/reconstruction within inventoried roadless areas with certain limited exceptions. In addition, the proposed rule would provide an administrative procedure for correcting and modifying inventoried roadless area boundaries on the Chugach National Forest. The USDA invites written comments on the proposed rule and the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). The proposed rule would not directly authorize any ground-disturbing activities. Substantive comments received during the comment period will be considered in developing the final rule and final environmental impact statement (FEIS). The final rule will be published in the Federal Register.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by vessels using pot gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2019 Pacific cod total allowable catch apportioned to vessels using pot gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary moving safety zone in the Port of Charleston, SC around the vessel ZHEN HUA 28. This temporary safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of waterway users and the M/V ZHEN HUA 28 during the vessel's transit into the Port of Charleston, its stay at Columbus Street Terminal, and its transit to, and stay at, Wando Terminal. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Charleston.

The Coast Guard is temporary safety zone for the navigable waters of the Kanawha River from mile marker (MM) 59.5 to MM 60.5. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards resulting from a fireworks display. Entry of vessels or persons into the zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Ohio Valley or designated represented.

We, NMFS, will hold five public hearings related to our proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Western North Pacific distinct population segment (DPS), the Central America DPS, and the Mexico DPS of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We will also hold three public hearings related to our proposed rule to revise the critical habitat designation for the Southern Resident killer whale DPS (Orcinus orca) under the ESA. Three of the public hearings will be joint hearings that address both of these proposed rules.

This proposed rule would address any undue regulatory impact and burden of the physician self-referral law. This proposed rule is being issued in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Patients over Paperwork initiative and the Department of Health and Human Services' (the Department or HHS) Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care. This proposed rule proposes exceptions to the physician self-referral law for certain value-based compensation arrangements between or among physicians, providers, and suppliers. It would also create a new exception for certain arrangements under which a physician receives limited remuneration for items or services actually provided by the physician; create a new exception for donations of cybersecurity technology and related services; and amend the existing exception for electronic health records (EHR) items and services. This proposed rule also provides critically necessary guidance for physicians and health care providers and suppliers whose financial relationships are governed by the physician self-referral statute and regulations.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announces the reopening of the public comment period for the proposed rule titled, Special Immigrant Juvenile Petitions, 76 FR 54978. DHS published the proposed rule on September 6, 2011, and accepted comments until November 7, 2011. To provide the public with further opportunity to comment on the proposed rule, DHS will reopen the comment period for an additional 30 days. DHS will consider comments received during the entire public comment period in its development of a final rule.

This document contains a final regulation relating to the election to accelerate the timing of a loss sustained by a taxpayer attributable to a federally declared disaster. Additionally, this document removes the temporary regulation.

This document proposes to amend the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations pertaining to importations of merchandise that violate or are suspected of violating the copyright laws, including the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), in accordance with Title III of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (TFTEA). The proposed amendments set forth in this document are intended to clarify the definition of ``piratical articles,'' simplify the detention process involving goods suspected of violating the copyright laws, and prescribe new regulations enforcing the DMCA.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Idaho State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted on July 31, 2018. Idaho's submission addresses specific Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements for the Idaho portion of the Logan, Utah-Idaho fine particulate matter (PM2.5) nonattainment area (Logan UT-ID area). The submission fulfills Idaho's commitment to submit Reasonable Further Progress and Quantitative Milestone attainment plan elements and updated Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets to the EPA. If this proposed approval is finalized, the EPA's prior conditional approval will be removed and these elements will become fully approved.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency) published a proposed rule December 12, 2018, proposing to amend its regulation to eliminate the requirement for the annual publication of Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). Through this action, RHS finalizes the proposed rule without any substantive revisions.

The Coast Guard will enforce a temporary safety zone between mile marker (MM) 96.7 and MM 95.7 above Head of Passes, Lower Mississippi River, LA. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters near New Orleans, LA, during a fireworks display. During the enforcement periods, the operator of any vessel in the regulated area must comply with directions from the Patrol Commander or any Official Patrol displaying a Coast Guard ensign.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for various transport airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of smoke and fumes in the flight deck. This AD requires modification of certain universal serial bus (USB) receptacles located in the flight deck. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This document provides a notice of public hearing on proposed regulations relating to the tax qualification of plans maintained by more than one employer. These plans, maintained pursuant to section 413(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code), are often referred to as multiple employer plans or MEPs.

Whenever a new or revised National Ambient Air Quality Standard is promulgated, the Clean Air Act requires states to submit plans for the implementation, maintenance, and enforcement of such standard, commonly referred to as infrastructure requirements. On October 25, 2018, the State of Alaska submitted such a plan for the ozone standard revised on October 1, 2015. In this action, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve the Alaska plan as meeting applicable infrastructure requirements.

This final rule amends the REAL ID regulation to clarify that the October 1, 2020, deadline by which Federal agencies may no longer accept non-compliant driver's licenses and identification cards for official purposes applies to all non-compliant cards, including state- issued driver's licenses and identification cards marked to indicate that they may not be used for official Federal purposes. This regulation is consistent with enforcement dates in previous DHS public statements, information posted on the DHS website, and communication with industry stakeholders.