July 2, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard will enforce five safety zones for annual firework displays in the Captain of the Port, Puget Sound Zone during the dates and times noted under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. This action is necessary to prevent injury and to protect life and property of the maritime public from hazards associated with the firework displays. During the enforcement periods, entry into, transit through, mooring, or anchoring within these safety zones is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, Puget Sound or their Designated Representative.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) PW150A model turboprop engines. This AD was prompted by a determination by the manufacturer that certain PW150A engine high-pressure (HP) centrifugal impellers may exhibit a material microstructure anomaly that has a potential to adversely affect the low cycle fatigue characteristics of the part. This AD requires replacement of the affected HP centrifugal impellers. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) invites comments on its proposed index level used to determine annual changes to oil pipeline rate ceilings. The Commission proposes to use the Producer Price Index for Finished Goods (PPI-FG) plus 0.09% as the index level for the five-year period commencing July 1, 2021. The Commission invites interested persons to submit comments regarding this proposal and any alternative methodologies for calculating the index level.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed rule to revise the table of reduction factors for early commencing dates of survivor annuities for spouses of separated employees who die before the date on which they would be eligible for unreduced deferred annuities, and to revise the annuity factor for spouses of deceased employees who die in service when those spouses elect to receive the basic employee death benefit in 36 installments under the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) Act of 1986. These rules are necessary to ensure that the tables conform to the economic and demographic assumptions adopted by the Board of Actuaries and published in the Federal Register on April 6, 2020.

This document corrects an inadvertent error in paragraph numbering in the final rule entitled ``Default Electronic Disclosure by Employee Pension Benefit Plans under ERISA,'' published in the Federal Register on May 27, 2020 (85 FR 31884). That rule adopted a new safe harbor for plan administrators to use to furnish information to participants and beneficiaries of retirement plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

GSA is amending the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) to make necessary editorial changes.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 to increase the threshold for requiring certified cost or pricing data.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 and several sections of the NDAA for FY 2018 that increase the micro- purchase threshold (MPT), increase the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT), and clarify certain procurement terms, as well as align some non-statutory thresholds with the MPT and SAT.

This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rules agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) in this Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2020-07. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG), follows this FAC.

This document makes amendments to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in order to make needed editorial changes.

The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL's or Department's) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) publishes this final rule to amend its regulations pertaining to its authority over TRICARE health care providers. The final rule is intended to increase access to care for uniformed service members and veterans and to provide certainty for health care providers who serve TRICARE beneficiaries. It is also anticipated that this final rule will result in cost savings for TRICARE providers. In a reconsideration of its legal position, the final rule provides that OFCCP lacks authority over Federal health care providers who participate in TRICARE. In the alternative, the final rule establishes a national interest exemption from Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 for health care providers with agreements to furnish medical services and supplies to individuals participating in TRICARE. Thus, even if OFCCP had authority over Federal health care providers who participate in TRICARE (which this rule clarifies it does not), OFCCP has determined that special circumstances in the national interest justify granting the exemption as it would improve uniformed service members' and veterans' access to medical care, more efficiently allocate OFCCP's limited resources for enforcement activities, and provide greater uniformity, certainty, and notice for health care providers participating in TRICARE. Under the final rule, OFCCP will retain authority over health care providers participating in TRICARE if they hold a separate covered Federal contract or subcontract that is not for providing health care services under TRICARE. TRICARE providers that fall outside of OFCCP's authority under this final rule remain subject to all other Federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination and providing for equal employment opportunity.