2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, and to allow a second opportunity for public comment on the notice. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is seeking public comment on a draft memorandum titled, ``Improving Vulnerability Identification, Management, and Remediation.''

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirements of the coastwise trade laws to allow the carriage of no more than twelve passengers for hire on vessels, which are three years old or more. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

Pursuant to a delegation of authority from the Secretary of Transportation, the Maritime Administrator is authorized to issue waivers allowing documented vessels with registry endorsements or foreign flag vessels to be used in operations that treat aquaculture fish or protect aquaculture fish from disease, parasitic infestation, or other threats to their health when suitable vessels of the United States are not available that could perform those services. A request for such a waiver has been received by the Maritime Administration (MARAD). This notice is being published to solicit comments intended to assist MARAD in determining whether suitable vessels of the United States are available that could perform the required services. If no suitable U.S.-flag vessels are available, the Maritime Administrator may issue a waiver in accordance with USCG regulations on Aquaculture. A brief description of the proposed aquaculture support service is listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirements of the coastwise trade laws to allow the carriage of no more than twelve passengers for hire on vessels, which are three years old or more. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on August 16, 2019. The collection involves requesting that small on-demand operators voluntarily provide the number of revenue passengers that boarded their aircraft at each airport annually. This information is used in determining an airport's category and eligibility for federal funding on an annual basis. It is not available through any other federal data source.

NMFS announces renewal request applications for three exempted fishing permits. The applications, submitted by the San Francisco Community Fishing Association, Scott Cook, and Real Good Fish, request exemptions from prohibitions to fish for rockfish species inside the non-trawl Rockfish Conservation Areas during the 2020 fishing year. All three applicants request to test hook-and-line gear that selectively harvests underutilized, midwater rockfish species while avoiding bottom-dwelling, overfished rockfish species. NMFS previously evaluated these projects and issued exempted fishing permits for these applicants for the 2019 fishing year. NMFS requests public comment on these applications for the 2020 fishing year.

HUD is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information collection described below. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is requesting comment from all interested parties on the proposed collection of information. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is proposing a revision of an existing information collection.

The EPA is proposing to approve SNL's remote-handled transuranic waste characterization program based on the inspections conducted on June 24-25, 2014, and the offsite document review conducted April-July 2019. Until the Agency finalizes its baseline approval decision, the Carlsbad Field Office may not recertify SNL's waste characterization program and the site may not ship transuranic waste to the WIPP for disposal.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to modify the text of an existing clause prescription to require, instead of permit, the clause be included in applicable solicitations and contracts, pursuant to action taken by the Regulatory Reform Task Force.

This final rule implements a recommendation from the Washington Cherry Marketing Committee (Committee) to decrease the assessment rate established for the 2019-2020 and subsequent fiscal periods. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for the Suwannee moccasinshell (Medionidus walkeri) under the Endangered Species Act (Act). The Suwannee moccasinshell is a freshwater mussel species from the Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia. In total, approximately 306 kilometers (190 miles) of stream channels in Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Union Counties, Florida, and Brooks and Lowndes Counties, Georgia, fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this species' critical habitat. The effect of this regulation is to designate critical habitat for the Suwannee moccasinshell under the Act. We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis of the proposed designation.

Pursuant to an Executive order of May 15, 2019, entitled ``Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain,'' the Department of Commerce (the Department) proposes to implement regulations that would govern the process and procedures that the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) will use to identify, assess, and address certain information and communications technology and services transactions that pose an undue risk to critical infrastructure or the digital economy in the United States, or an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security or the safety of United States persons.

These proposed rules set forth proposed requirements for group health plans and health insurance issuers in the individual and group markets to disclose cost-sharing information upon request, to a participant, beneficiary, or enrollee (or his or her authorized representative), including an estimate of such individual's cost- sharing liability for covered items or services furnished by a particular provider. Under these proposed rules, plans and issuers would be required to make such information available on an internet website and, if requested, through non-internet means, thereby allowing a participant, beneficiary, or enrollee (or his or her authorized representative) to obtain an estimate and understanding of the individual's out-of-pocket expenses and effectively shop for items and services. These proposed rules also include proposals to require plans and issuers to disclose in-network provider negotiated rates, and historical out-of-network allowed amounts through two machine-readable files posted on an internet website, thereby allowing the public to have access to health insurance coverage information that can be used to understand health care pricing and potentially dampen the rise in health care spending. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also proposes amendments to its medical loss ratio program rules to allow issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to receive credit in their medical loss ratio calculations for savings they share with enrollees that result from the enrollee's shopping for, and receiving care from, lower-cost, higher-value providers.

The Department of Education (Department) issues these interim final regulations to amend and update the regulations for total and permanent disability student loan discharge for veterans by removing administrative burdens that may have prevented at least 20,000 totally and permanently disabled veterans from obtaining discharges of their student loans, as the law provides. These barriers create significant and unnecessary hardship for these veterans. Removing these barriers is a matter of pressing national concern. Although the Department construes its interim final rulemaking power narrowly, under these circumstances the Department finds good cause to implement the rule immediately.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on October 24, 2019, regarding Company-Run Stress Testing Requirements for FDIC-Supervised State Nonmember Banks and State Savings Associations. This correction replaces three additional references to ``subpart'' with ``part,'' in order to standardize the language in FDIC regulations.

Notice of receipt of request from Tunisia for cultural property protection.