June 25, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 2020 fishing year, unless further action is taken. 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 FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-8 and 737-9 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report that certain exterior fairing panels on the top of the engine nacelle and strut (the thumbnail fairing and mid strut fairing panels) may not have the quality of electrical bonding necessary to ensure adequate shielding of the underlying wiring from the electromagnetic effects of high intensity radiated fields (HIRF), which could potentially lead to a dual-engine power loss event and/or display of hazardously misleading primary propulsion parameters. This AD requires a detailed inspection of the thumbnail fairing panels and mid strut fairing panels for excessive rework of the metallic (aluminum foil) inner surface layer, replacement of any excessively reworked panels, and modification of the thumbnail fairing assembly to ensure adequate bonding. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') is reopening the public comment period for its Request for Information (``RFI'') regarding test procedures for residential and commercial clothes washers. DOE published the RFI in the Federal Register on May 22, 2020, establishing a 30-day public comment period that ended June 22, 2020. On June 10, 2020, DOE received a comment requesting extension of the comment period by 30 days (and no less than two weeks). In addition, on June 11, 2020, DOE received a comment requesting extension of the comment period by 60 days. DOE is reopening the public comment period for submitting comments and data on the RFI to July 6, 2020.

The Coast Guard is modifying the special local regulations and annual recurring marine events and safety zones regulations for firework displays and swim events in the Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound Captain of the Port Zone. When enforced, these special local regulations and safety zones will restrict vessels from transiting regulated areas during certain annually recurring events. The special local regulations and safety zones are intended to expedite public notification and ensure the protection of the maritime public and event participants from the hazards associated with certain marine events.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is amending the existing Federal Home Loan Bank (Bank) Housing Goals regulation. The final rule replaces the existing regulation's four separate retrospective housing goals with a single prospective mortgage purchase housing goal with a target level of 20 percent. The final rule also establishes a separate small member participation housing goal with a target level of 50 percent. The final rule provides that a Bank may request FHFA approval of alternative target levels for either or both of the goals. The final rule also establishes that housing goals apply to each Bank that acquires any Acquired Member Assets (AMA) mortgages during a year, eliminating the existing $2.5 billion volume threshold that previously triggered the application of housing goals for each Bank. Enforcement of the final rule will phase in over three years.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) streamlines our rules and procedures to accelerate the successful conclusion of the Commission's 800 MHz band reconfiguration program, or rebanding. The 800 MHz rebanding initiative is a 14-year, $3.6 billion program, involving Sprint Corporation (Sprint) and 800 MHz licensees. At the conclusion of this initiative, public safety, critical infrastructure and other 800 MHz licensees will operate in a reconfigured 800 MHz band free of the interference that plagued first responders' mission-critical communications before the Commission instituted rebanding in the 800 MHz Report and Order.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to conditionally approve portions of two state implementation plan (SIP) submissions from the State of California to meet Clean Air Act (CAA or ``the Act'') requirements for the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS or ``standards'') in the Ventura County, California (``Ventura County'') ozone nonattainment area. The two SIP submissions include the ``Final 2016 Ventura County Air Quality Management Plan,'' and the Ventura County portion of the ``2018 Updates to the California State Implementation Plan.'' In this action, the EPA refers to these submittals collectively as the ``2016 Ventura County Ozone SIP.'' The 2016 Ventura County Ozone SIP addresses the nonattainment area requirements for the 2008 ozone NAAQS, including the requirements for an emissions inventory, attainment demonstration, reasonable further progress, reasonably available control measures, contingency measures, among others; and establishes motor vehicle emissions budgets. In a separate final rule, the EPA took final action to approve the 2016 Ventura County Ozone SIP as meeting all the applicable ozone nonattainment area requirements except for the contingency measures requirement. In this action, the EPA is taking final action to conditionally approve the contingency measures element of the 2016 Ventura County Ozone SIP.