2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending and updating its VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) in phased increments to revise or remove any policy superseded by changes in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), to remove procedural guidance internal to VA into the VA Acquisition Manual (VAAM), and to incorporate any new agency specific regulations or policies. These changes seek to align the VAAR with the FAR and remove outdated and duplicative requirements and reduce burden on contractors. The VAAM incorporates portions of the removed VAAR as well as other internal agency acquisition policy. VA will rewrite certain parts of the VAAR and VAAM, and as VAAR parts are rewritten, VA will publish them in the Federal Register. In particular, this rulemaking revises VAAR coverage concerning Special Contracting Methods as well as an affected part covering Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses.

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) 2018 to make inflation adjustments of statutory acquisition-related thresholds applicable to existing contracts and subcontracts in effect on the date of the adjustment that contain the revised clauses as proposed in this rulemaking.

The Coast Guard does not plan to enforce the Fleet Week Maritime Festival's Pier 66 Safety Zone in Elliott Bay, WA in 2019. The Captain of the Port has determined that enforcement of this regulation is not presently needed to ensure participant and spectator safety for this year's Fleet Week Maritime Festival. During this year's Fleet Week Maritime Festival, entry into, transit through, mooring, or anchoring within this safety zone is authorized unless directed otherwise by the Captain of the Port, Puget Sound, or her designated representative.

The Coast Guard will enforce Seattle's Seafair Fleet Week Moving Vessels security zones from 10 a.m. on July 29, 2019, through 6 p.m. on August 4, 2019. These security zones are necessary to help ensure the security of the vessels from sabotage or other subversive acts during Seafair Fleet Week Parade of Ships. The designated participating vessels are: HMCS NANAIMO (MM 702), HMCS EDMONTON (MM 703), and USCGC ACTIVE (WMEC 618). During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter or remain in the security zones without the permission of the Captain of the Port (COTP), Puget Sound or her designated representative. The COTP has granted general permission for vessels to enter the outer 400 yards of the security zones as long as those vessels within the outer 400 yards of the security zones operate at the minimum speed necessary to maintain course unless required to maintain speed by the navigation rules.

The Coast Guard is establishing a moving safety zone to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters in the Cuyahoga River, Cleveland, OH, during the Cuyahoga 50th Parade of Lights on June 22, 2019. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from the potential hazards created by 125 vessels transiting in the river with decorative lights not normally used as navigation lights. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Buffalo.

NMFS is adjusting the Swordfish General Commercial permit retention limits for the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. Caribbean regions for July through December of the 2019 fishing year, unless otherwise later noticed. The Swordfish General Commercial permit retention limits in each of these regions are increased from the regulatory default limits (either two or three fish) to six swordfish per vessel per trip. The Swordfish General Commercial permit retention limit in the Florida Swordfish Management Area will remain unchanged at the default limit of zero swordfish per vessel per trip, as discussed in more detail below. These adjustments apply to Swordfish General Commercial permitted vessels and to Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat permitted vessels with a commercial endorsement when on a non-for-hire trip. This action is based upon consideration of the applicable inseason regional retention limit adjustment criteria.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters of the Ohio River from mile 90.7 to mile 91.2. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by a land 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.

The Coast Guard will enforce a temporary safety zone for a fireworks display located on the navigable waters of the Lower Mississippi River between Mile Marker (MM) 94.3 and MM 95.3. This action is needed to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waterways during this event. During the enforcement period, the operator of any vessel in the safety zone must comply with directions from the Captain of the Port Sector New Orleans or a designated representative.

This final rule removes the Department of Defense (DoD) regulation, not updated since December 20, 1977, regarding the administrative policies and procedures on establishing and providing notice on advisory committee meetings of the Board of Regents (BOR), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (University). This includes definitions and instructions for both open and closed meetings. The BOR is now a federal advisory committee, and its policies and procedures do not require rulemaking. Therefore, this rule is outdated and unnecessary and can be removed from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Kamchatka flounder in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2019 Kamchatka flounder initial total allowable catch (ITAC) in the BSAI.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone around three barges moored in Milwaukee Harbor in the vicinity of Pier Wisconsin. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel and vessels from potential hazards created by the outfall of the fireworks display. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard will enforce the Navy Pier Southeast Safety Zone within the Chicago Harbor during specified times on October 23, 2019. This action is necessary and intended to protect the safety of life and property on navigable waters prior to, during, and immediately after firework displays. During the enforcement period listed below, entry into, transiting, or anchoring within the safety zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Lake Michigan or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish a temporary safety zone for certain waters of Lake Erie during the USA Triathlon National Championships. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters near Edgewater Park, Cleveland, OH during the swim events of the multiple triathlons over the course of three days. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Buffalo or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters of the Lower Mississippi River from mile marker (MM) 953.8 to MM 887.0, the Upper Mississippi River from MM 0.0 to MM 3.0, and the Ohio River from MM 981.5 to MM 978.5. This action is necessary to protect persons, property, and infrastructure from potential damage and the safety hazards associated with the demolition of federal levees on the Lower Mississippi River and utilization of the Bird's Point-New Madrid Floodway. This rule prohibits the entry of vessels or persons into this temporary safety zone unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Ohio Valley (COTP) or a designated representative.

Pursuant to the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the section 111(d) Plan submitted by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) on May 25, 2017, to regulate landfill gas and its components, including methane, from existing municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. The Plan is submitted to implement and enforce the Emissions Guidelines (EG) for existing landfills in New Mexico, except Albuquerque-Bernalillo County. We are also proposing to approve revisions to the section 111(d) Plan submitted by the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) on behalf of the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board on May 24, 2017, to implement and enforce the EG for existing MSW landfills in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. The EG requires States to develop plans to reduce air emissions from all affected MSW landfills within their jurisdiction.

The Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (Board) amends its rules of procedure to include arbitration of disputes between applicants for public assistance grants and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding disasters after January 1, 2016. The Board is promulgating a final regulation after considering the one set of comments received on the proposed rules.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440), CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701 & 702), CL-600- 2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705), CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900), and CL-600-2E25 (Regional Jet Series 1000) airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of power control unit (PCU) rod end fractures due to pitting corrosion. This proposed AD would require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. This proposed AD would also require detailed inspections of the elevator PCU rod ends and applicable corrective actions. This proposed AD would also prohibit using certain aircraft maintenance manual tasks. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This rule removes special regulations for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area about rock climbing and commercial vehicles that are no longer necessary.

The OCC, the Board, and the FDIC (collectively, the agencies) are issuing a final rule to implement section 205 of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act by expanding the eligibility to file the agencies' most streamlined report of condition, the FFIEC 051 Call Report, to include certain insured depository institutions with less than $5 billion in total consolidated assets that meet other criteria, and establishing reduced reporting on the FFIEC 051 Call Report for the first and third reports of condition for a year. The OCC and Board also are finalizing similar reduced reporting for certain uninsured institutions that they supervise with less than $5 billion in total consolidated assets that otherwise meet the same criteria. This document also includes a Paperwork Reduction Act notice to further reduce the amount of data required to be reported on the FFIEC 051 Call Report for the first and third calendar quarters, and other related changes. The agencies are committed to exploring further burden reduction and are actively evaluating further revisions to the FFIEC 051 Call Report, consistent with guiding principles developed by the FFIEC. The agencies also are considering ways to simplify the Call Report forms and instructions.

As part of its ongoing fee study, the Copyright Office proposes limited revisions to its previously proposed fee schedule relating to document recordation and new prospective group registration options. The proposed modifications would adjust the fee structure for document recordation from a fee formula based on the number of titles to a formula based on the number of works and alternate titles and registration numbers to which a document pertains, and make certain other clarifications. The Office is also noticing its intention to issue fees for its previously-proposed group registration options for short online literary works and for works contained on an album of music. The Office is providing an opportunity to the public to comment on these specific proposed changes before the Office's fee schedule is submitted to Congress.

In response to petitions for rulemaking from the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVAmerica), NHTSA is proposing to amend the visual inspection labeling requirement in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 304, ``Compressed natural gas fuel container integrity,'' to state that CNG fuel containers used on heavy vehicles should be inspected at least once every 12 months. NHTSA is proposing this change because CNG heavy vehicles are typically used in high-mileage commercial fleet operations and following the current mileage-based inspection interval on the label means conducting multiple visual inspections per year. NHTSA has tentatively concluded multiple visual inspections per year based solely on mileage would not improve vehicle safety for these high-mileage CNG heavy vehicles, and could potentially reduce safety. Because the current periodic visual inspection interval is intended for light vehicles and is consistent with the operation of these vehicles, no change is proposed to the periodic visual inspection interval for CNG fuel containers on light vehicles.

On June 21, 2018, Congress enacted the Small Business 7(a) Lending Oversight Reform Act of 2018, (``Act''). The purpose of the legislation was to increase the Small Business Administration's (``SBA'' or ``Agency'') oversight capabilities and to ensure the integrity of the 7(a) Loan Program. The Act contains several new and strengthened authorities. Section 3 of the Act requires SBA to promulgate regulations to implement certain of the Act's provisions. SBA is proposing this rule to implement the Act and to update the Agency's regulations on supervision of all lenders participating in SBA's business loan programs.

This document contains proposed regulations regarding the treatment of domestic partnerships for purposes of determining amounts included in the gross income of their partners with respect to foreign corporations. In addition, this document contains proposed regulations under the global intangible low-taxed income provisions regarding gross income that is subject to a high rate of foreign tax. The proposed regulations would affect United States persons that own stock of foreign corporations through domestic partnerships and United States shareholders of foreign corporations.

In this document, which is part of the Commission's Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative, the Commission proposes to modify the leased access rate formula so that rates will be specific to the tier on which the programming is carried. The Commission also seeks comment on whether it should make additional adjustments to the formula. Finally, it also seeks comment on whether leased access requirements can withstand First Amendment scrutiny in light of video programming market changes.

This document summarizes procedures and announces upfront payment amounts and minimum opening bids for the auction of certain cross-service FM translator construction permits. The Public Notice summarized here is intended to familiarize applicants with the procedures and other requirements for participation in Auction 100.