November 16, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), recently proposed to reclassify the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker (Dryobates borealis) as a threatened species with a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. We announced a 60-day public comment period on the proposed rule, ending December 7, 2020. We now announce a public informational meeting and public hearing on the proposed rule.

As stipulated by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is hereby giving notice that the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) will hold a virtual meeting. The meeting will be open to the public and public comment will be heard during the meeting.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of a final guidance entitled ``Certificates of Confidentiality; Guidance for Sponsors, Sponsor-Investigators, Researchers, Industry, and Food and Drug Administration Staff.'' This guidance is intended to explain FDA implementation of the revised statutory provisions applicable to the request for, and issuance of, a Certificate of Confidentiality (CoC). The 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act) amended the statutory provisions relating to the issuance of CoCs. A CoC is intended to help protect the privacy of human subject research participants from whom sensitive and identifiable information is being collected or used in furtherance of the research. Historically, a CoC generally protected a researcher from being compelled in a legal proceeding to disclose identifiable sensitive information about the research participant, created or compiled for the research. As amended, a CoC prohibits a researcher from disclosing such information unless a specified exception applies. This guidance finalizes the draft guidance of the same title issued on November 25, 2019.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Forest Service (Agency), is issuing a proposed directive for the Agency's State and Private Forestry Landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) Program. The Landscape Scale Restoration Program (LSR) is a USDA, Forest Service State and Private Forestry (S&PF) competitive grant program that promotes collaborative, science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its 138th Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC), Pelagic and International Standing Committee, Executive and Budget Standing Committee, and 184th Council meetings to take actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region. A portion of the Council's Executive and Budget Standing Committee meeting will be closed to the public.

This document announces the reapportionment of 40,000 metric tons of Pacific whiting from the tribal allocation to the non-tribal commercial fishery sectors via automatic action on September 16, 2020. This reapportionment is to allow full utilization of the Pacific whiting resource.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are proposing to renew an information collection.

Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed revision of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, FinCEN invites comments on the proposed renewal, without change, of a currently approved information collection found in existing Bank Secrecy Act regulations. Specifically, FinCEN invites comment on a renewal, without change, of existing information collection requirements concerning reports of foreign financial accounts and FinCEN Report 114, Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). This request for comments is made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (``PBGC'') intends to request that the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') extend approval, under the Paperwork Reduction Act, of a collection of information on the disclosure of termination information under its regulations for distress terminations, and for PBGC-initiated terminations. This notice informs the public of PBGC's intent and solicits public comment on the collection of information.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below is being forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on August 27, 2020.

This temporary rule implements an interim catch limit (ICL) of 13,000 lb of American Samoa bottomfish for fishing years 2020 and 2021 during the effective period of the rule. NMFS will monitor catches, and if the fishery reaches the ICL within a fishing year, we will close the fishery in Federal waters through the end of the fishing year, or through the end of the effective period of this rule, whichever comes first. These interim management measures are necessary to reduce overfishing of American Samoa bottomfish while minimizing socio- economic impacts to fishing communities. This temporary rule supports the long-term sustainability of American Samoa bottomfish.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the collection of information described below. The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requires federal agencies to publish a notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information before submission to OMB and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice complies with that requirement.