April 27, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The NCUA Board (Board) is issuing this interim final rule to make a conforming amendment to its capital adequacy regulation following the enactment of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act authorizes the Small Business Administration to create a loan guarantee program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), to help certain businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act requires that PPP loans receive a zero percent risk weighting under the NCUA's risk-based capital requirements. To reflect the statutory requirement, the interim final rule amends the NCUA's capital adequacy regulation to provide that covered PPP loans receive a zero percent risk weight. The interim final rule also provides that if the covered loan is pledged as collateral for a non-recourse loan that is provided as part of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System's (FRB) PPP Lending Facility, the covered loan can be excluded from a credit union's calculation of total assets for the purposes of calculating its net worth ratio. The interim final rule also makes a conforming amendment to the definition of commercial loan in the NCUA's member business loans and commercial lending rule. The Board has found good cause to issue the interim final rule without advance notice-and-comment procedures and with an effective date upon publication.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus SAS Model A350-941 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports that the latches for the forward and aft pressure relief doors could be opened during exposure to fire, leading to a breach in the engine core firewall. This proposed AD would require modification and re-identification of the affected thrust reversers (TRs) and latch access doors (LADs), as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which will be incorporated by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Gulfstream Aerospace LP Model Gulfstream G280 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of inadequate clearance between the fuel probes and forward fuel tank structure. This proposed AD would require measuring the clearance between certain fuel probes and the forward fuel tank structure, and reinstalling the probes if necessary, as specified in a Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI) AD, which will be incorporated by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of North Carolina, through the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality (DAQ), with letters dated September 18, 2009, September 16, 2016, and July 10, 2019. These SIP revisions amend several of North Carolina's rules regarding construction and operating permits. This action is being proposed pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act).

NMFS is proposing to adjust the current regulations for North Atlantic swordfish and shark retention limits for certain permit holders in U.S. Atlantic and Caribbean waters. This action considers modifying swordfish retention limits for highly migratory species (HMS) Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit holders, Swordfish General Commercial permit holders, and HMS Charter/Headboat permit holders with a commercial endorsement on a non-for hire (i.e., commercial) trip and modifying shark retention limits for HMS Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit holders. The action also considers adding regulatory criteria for inseason adjustment of swordfish and shark retention limits for the HMS Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit. This proposed action would better align swordfish management measures established for HMS Commercial Caribbean Small Boat permit holders under Amendment 4 with those established in Amendment 8 to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Swordfish General Commercial permit holders and HMS Charter/Headboat permit holders with a commercial sale endorsement on a commercial trip. A commercial trip in this document is defined as HMS Charter/Headboat permit holders with a commercial sale endorsement on a non-for hire trip catching swordfish with the intent to sell their catch.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to find that the Inland Sheboygan County, Wisconsin area is attaining the 2008 primary and secondary ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), and to act in accordance with a request from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to redesignate the area to attainment for the 2008 ozone NAAQS because the request meets the statutory requirements for redesignation under the Clean Air Act (CAA). WDNR submitted this request on October 9, 2019. EPA is proposing to approve, as a revision to the Wisconsin State Implementation Plan (SIP), the State's plan for maintaining the 2008 ozone NAAQS through 2030 in the Inland Sheboygan area. EPA finds adequate and is proposing to approve Wisconsin's 2020 and 2030 volatile organic compound (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX) Motor Vehicle Emission Budgets (MVEBs) for the Inland Sheboygan area. Finally, EPA is proposing to approve the Wisconsin SIP as meeting the applicable base year inventory requirement, emission statement requirements, VOC Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) requirements, motor vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) program requirements, and NOX RACT requirements.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove Cumberland sandwort (Arenaria cumberlandensis) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants (List). We also announce the availability of a draft post-delisting monitoring (PDM) plan for the Cumberland sandwort. We seek information, data, and comments from the public on this proposed rule and on the associated draft PDM plan. If this proposal is finalized, the Cumberland sandwort will be removed from the List.

This proposal invites comments on realigning the representation on the National Watermelon Promotion Board (Board) prescribed in the Watermelon Research and Promotion Plan (Plan) by reducing the number of production districts and reducing the number importers on the Board, accordingly. This action would contribute to effective administration of the program.

The Secretary proposes to waive the requirements in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations that generally prohibit project periods exceeding five years and project period extensions involving the obligation of additional Federal funds. The proposed waiver and extension would enable the Rehabilitation Short- Term Training to the CAP under Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 84.246K to receive funding for an additional performance period of one year, not to exceed September 30, 2021.

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) is issuing this interpretive rule to provide guidance to government agencies distributing aid to consumers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bureau concludes in this interpretive rule that certain pandemic-relief payments are not ``government benefits'' for purposes of Regulation E and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) and are therefore not subject to the compulsory use prohibition in EFTA, if certain conditions are met. Specifically, government benefits do not include payments from Federal, State, or local governments if those payments: Are made to provide assistance to consumers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic or its economic impacts; are not part of an already-established government benefit program; are made on a one-time or otherwise limited basis; and are distributed without a general requirement that consumers apply to the agency to receive funds.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is issuing a final rule to implement statutory provisions of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). The intent of this rule is to modify existing regulations to include the statutory revisions authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill.

The Coast Guard is revising existing regulations and consolidate into one table special local regulations for recurring marine events at various locations within the geographic boundaries of the Seventh Coast Guard District Captain of the Port (COTP) St. Petersburg Zone. Consolidating marine events into one table simplifies Coast Guard oversight and public notification of special local regulations within COTP St. Petersburg Zone.

In this document, the Commission announces an auction of flexible-use overlay licenses in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band (the 3.7 GHz Service), designated as Auction 107. This document proposes and seeks comment on competitive bidding procedures to be used for Auction 107.