July 29, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council has submitted Amendment 21 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan to NMFS. Amendment 21 proposes revisions to the summer flounder commercial state quota allocation percentages and the fishery management plan goals and objectives. Amendment 21 is intended to increase equity in state allocations when annual coastwide commercial quotas are at or above historical averages, while recognizing the economic reliance coastal communities have on the state allocation percentages currently in place.

This document amends the regulations under sections 3111 and 3221 of the Internal Revenue Code with the addition of temporary regulations issued under the regulatory authority granted by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to prescribe such regulations as may be necessary for reconciling advance payments of refundable employment tax credits provided under these acts and recapturing the benefit of the credits when necessary. Consistent with this authority, these temporary regulations authorize the assessment of any erroneous refund of the credits paid under sections 7001 and 7003 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, including any increases in such credits under section 7005 thereof, and section 2301 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The text of these temporary regulations also serves as the text of the proposed regulations (REG-111879-20) set forth in the notice of proposed rulemaking on this subject in the Proposed Rules section of this issue of the Federal Register.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Textron Aviation Inc. (Textron) (type certificate previously held by Beechcraft Corporation) Models F90, 65-90, 65-A90, B90, C90, H90 (T-44A), E90, 65-A90-1 (JU-21A, U-21A, RU-21A, RU-21D, U- 21G, RU-21H), 65-A90-2 (RU-21B), 65-A90-3 (RU-21C), 65-A90-4 (RU-21E, RU-21H), 99, 99A, 99A (FACH), A99, A99A, B99, C99, 100, A100 (U-21F), and B100 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of fatigue cracks in the lower forward wing fitting. This proposed AD would require a one-time inspection for the presence of washer part number (P/N) 90-380058-1 on the left-hand (LH) and right-hand (RH) lower forward wing bolt and, if applicable, removing washer P/N 90-380058-1, inspecting the wing fitting, bolt, and nut, replacing the wing fitting if it is cracked, and replacing the washer with washer P/N 90-380019-1. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone for emergency purposes for all waters of the Lower Mississippi River (LMR), extending from mile 660.0 to mile 663.0. This emergency safety zone is needed to protect persons, property, and infrastructure from the potential safety hazards associated with the diving and salvage effort of a sunken barge at Mississippi River Mile Marker (MM) 661.0, in the vicinity of the Helena Highway Bridge, Helena, Arkansas. Deviation from the safety zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Lower Mississippi River or a designated representative.

The Department of State is issuing this document to inform the public of an extension to certain temporary suspensions, modifications, and exceptions for the durations described herein to certain provisions of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) in order to provide for continued telework operations during the current SARS-COV2 public health emergency. These actions are taken in order to ensure continuity of operations within the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) and among members of the regulated community.

On June 2, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule entitled ``Clean Air Plans; 2008 8-Hour Ozone Nonattainment Area Requirements; Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona.'' That publication inadvertently omitted from the regulatory text the disapproval of the portion of the ``MAG 2017 Eight-Hour Ozone Moderate Area Plan for the Maricopa Nonattainment Area (December 2016)'' (``MAG 2017 Ozone Plan'') that addresses the requirements for contingency measures for failure to attain or to make reasonable further progress (RFP). This document corrects this error in the regulatory text.

As part of its ongoing efforts to more effectively administer the National Labor Relations Act (the Act) and to further the purposes of the Act, the National Labor Relations Board (the Board) proposes to amend its rules and regulations to eliminate the requirement that employers must, as part of the Board's voter list requirement, provide available personal email addresses and available home and personal cellular telephone numbers of all eligible voters. The Board believes, subject to comments, that elimination of this requirement will better balance employee privacy interests against those supporting disclosure of this information. The Board also proposes an amendment providing for absentee mail ballots for employees who are on military leave. The Board believes, subject to comments, that it should seek to accommodate such voters in light of congressional policies facilitating their participation in federal elections and protecting their employment rights. The Board further believes, subject to comments, that a procedure for providing such voters with absentee ballots can be instituted without impeding the expeditious resolution of questions of representation.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing approval of a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Missouri on January 15, 2019, and supplemented by letter on July 11, 2019. Missouri requests that the EPA remove a rule related to the control of emissions from polyethylene bag sealing operations in the St. Louis, Missouri area from its SIP. This removal does not have an adverse effect on air quality. The EPA's proposed approval of this rule revision is in accordance with the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its regulations that govern scholarship programs to certain health care professionals. This rulemaking implements the mandates of the VA MISSION Act of 2018 by establishing a Specialty Education Loan Repayment Program, which will assist VA in meeting the staffing needs of VA physicians in medical specialties for which VA has determined that recruitment or retention of qualified personnel is difficult.