December 9, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
Results 1 - 12 of 12
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 2020 Commercial Closure for South Atlantic Snowy Grouper
NMFS implements an accountability measure for the commercial sector of snowy grouper in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the South Atlantic. NMFS projects commercial landings of snowy grouper will reach the commercial annual catch limit (ACL) for the July through December season by December 12, 2020. Therefore, NMFS closes the commercial sector for snowy grouper in the South Atlantic EEZ on December 12, 2020. This closure is necessary to protect the snowy grouper resource.
PTAB Rules of Practice for Instituting on All Challenged Patent Claims and All Grounds and Eliminating the Presumption at Institution Favoring Petitioner as to Testimonial Evidence
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) revises the rules of practice for instituting review on all challenged claims or none in inter partes review (IPR), post-grant review (PGR), and the transitional program for covered business method patents (CBM) proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) in accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in SAS Institute Inc. v. Iancu (SAS). Consistent with SAS, the Office also revises the rules of practice for instituting a review, if at all, on all grounds of unpatentability for the challenged claims that are asserted in a petition. Additionally, the Office revises the rules to conform to the current standard practice of providing sur-replies to principal briefs and providing that a reply and a patent owner response may respond to a decision on institution. The Office further revises the rules to eliminate the presumption that a genuine issue of material fact created by the patent owner's testimonial evidence filed with a preliminary response will be viewed in the light most favorable to the petitioner for purposes of deciding whether to institute a review.
Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Bluefish Fishery; Quota Transfer From MA to RI
NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is transferring a portion of its 2020 commercial bluefish quota to the State of Rhode Island. This quota adjustment is necessary to comply with the Atlantic Bluefish Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial bluefish quotas for Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Loan Guaranty: COVID-19 Veterans Assistance Partial Claim Payment Program
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to establish the COVID-19 Veterans Assistance Partial Claim Payment program (COVID- VAPCP), a temporary program to help veterans return to making normal loan payments on a VA-guaranteed loan (guaranteed loan) after exiting a Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) forbearance period. Under this proposed program, a servicer could consider a partial claim option after the servicer has evaluated all loss-mitigation options for feasibility. If the veteran qualifies and opts to move forward, VA would act as a mortgage investor of last resort by purchasing the amount of indebtedness necessary to bring the veteran's guaranteed loan current. The veteran would have up to 60 months to defer repayment to VA and up 120 months to repay the loan in full, with the interest rate fixed at 1 percent per annum.
Implementation of the Revoked 1997 8-Hour Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards; Updates to 40 CFR Part 52 for Areas That Attained by the Attainment Date; Withdrawal of Direct Final Rule
Due to the receipt of adverse comment, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is withdrawing the October 9, 2020, direct final rule to update the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to codify its findings that nine areas in four states attained the revoked 1997 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by the applicable attainment dates. The EPA will address all comments received in a subsequent final rule for which the EPA will not institute a second comment period.
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska; Modifying Seasonal Allocations of Pollock and Pacific Cod for Trawl Catcher Vessels in the Central and Western Gulf of Alaska; Correction
NMFS is correcting a final rule that published in the Federal Register on June 25, 2020, implementing Amendment 109 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA FMP) and a regulatory amendment to the regulations governing pollock fishing in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). The final rule's intent as to Pacific cod was to change the seasonal apportionments of Pacific cod for the trawl catcher vessel (CV) sector. However, in changing the seasonal apportionments, the final rule's regulatory text inadvertently affected the jig sector such that it became unclear if the new, overall seasonal apportionments apply to the jig sector. This correction is necessary to clarify seasonal apportionments of Pacific cod for the jig sector.
Amendment of V-6, V-30, V-58, V-119, and V-226 in the Vicinity of Clarion, PA
This action amends VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways V-6, V-30, V-58, V-119, and V-226 in the vicinity of Clarion, PA. The VOR Federal airway modifications are necessary due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Clarion, PA, VOR/ Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigation aid (NAVAID). The Clarion VOR/DME provides navigation guidance for portions of the affected ATS routes. The Clarion VOR is being decommissioned as part of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.
Radiation Exposure Compensation Act: Procedures for Claims Submitted at the Statutory Filing Deadline
The Department of Justice (``the Department'') is publishing this document to inform the public of the Department's procedures for filing claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (``RECA'') at the statutory filing deadline. RECA requires that claims shall be barred unless filed within 22 years after the date of enactment of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2000. The Department is publishing this document to articulate its policy that RECA claims that bear a date of July 11, 2022 on the postmark or stamp by another commercial carrier shall be deemed timely filed upon receipt by the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program. The Department will return untimely claims and will not accept electronic submissions. Consistent with the statutory requirement that the Department make a determination within 12 months of filing for timely filed claims, documentation to establish the eligibility of any potential beneficiary of an awarded claim must be provided by July 12, 2023, or the award shall be deemed rejected.
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; North Atlantic Swordfish Fishery
NMFS is adjusting the Swordfish General Commercial permit retention limits for the Northwest Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. Caribbean regions for January through June of the 2021 fishing year, unless otherwise later noticed. The Swordfish General Commercial permit retention limit in each of these regions is increased from the regulatory default limit (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.
Implementing Legal Requirements Regarding the Equal Opportunity Clause's Religious Exemption
The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL's) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) publishes this final rule to clarify the scope and application of the religious exemption. These clarifications to the religious exemption will help organizations with federal government contracts and subcontracts and federally assisted construction contracts and subcontracts better understand their obligations.
Revision of Method for Calculating Monetary Threshold for Reporting Rail Equipment Accidents/Incidents
FRA's accident/incident reporting regulation requires railroads to report to FRA all rail equipment accidents/incidents above the monetary reporting threshold (reporting threshold) applicable to that calendar year. In this final rule, FRA amends this regulation to modify the way it calculates periodic adjustments to the reporting threshold and the way it communicates each calendar year's threshold to railroads. This final rule will improve the accuracy of accident/ incident data gathered from the railroads.
Oil and Gas and Sulfur Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf-Revisions to the Requirements for Exploratory Drilling on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf
The Department of the Interior (DOI or Department), acting through BOEM and BSEE, has reviewed and is proposing to revise its existing regulations for exploratory drilling and related operations on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), to reduce unnecessary burdens on stakeholders while ensuring that energy exploration on the Arctic OCS is safe and environmentally responsible. In particular, this proposed rule would revise certain requirements promulgated through the rule entitled, Oil and Gas and Sulfur Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf-Requirements for Exploratory Drilling on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (``2016 Arctic Exploratory Drilling Rule''). This proposed rule would also add new provisions to BSEE's regulations pertaining to suspensions of operations (SOO), and BOEM's Exploration Plan (EP) and Development and Production Plan (DPP) regulations.
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