December 17, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all ATRGIE Avions de Transport R[eacute]gional Model ATR42-500 and ATR72 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of damage found on a wire bundle connecting an angle-of-attack (AOA) probe and a multi-function computer (MFC), which can inhibit activation of the stick pusher without any indication to the flight crew by the stall warning system. This AD requires a repetitive operational test for discrepancies of the stall warning system and stick pusher in the flight configuration, an inspection for discrepancies in the wiring bundles between AOA probes and MFCs, and corrective action if necessary, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

On July 16, 2019, the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (``DOJ,'' ``DHS,'' or, collectively, ``the Departments'') published an interim final rule (``IFR'') governing asylum claims in the context of aliens who enter or attempt to enter the United States across the southern land border between the United States and Mexico (``southern land border'') after failing to apply for protection from persecution or torture while in a third country through which they transited en route to the United States. This final rule responds to comments received on the IFR and makes minor changes to regulations implemented or affected by the IFR for clarity and correction of typographical errors.

NMFS closes the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) General category fishery for the December subquota period, and thus for the remainder of 2020. The intent of this closure is to prevent further overharvest of the adjusted December subquota, and the overall adjusted General category quota.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2017-19-25, which applies to all Airbus Defense and Space S.A. Model CN-235, CN-235-100, CN-235-200, and CN-235-300 airplanes; and Model C- 295 airplanes. AD 2017-19-25 requires repetitive inspections and operational checks of the affected fuel valves, and corrective actions if necessary. Since the FAA issued AD 2017-19-25, it has been determined that it is necessary to limit the installation of affected parts specified in AD 2017-19-25 to those parts that are maintained in accordance with certain instructions. This proposed AD would continue to require repetitive inspections and operational checks of the affected fuel valves, and corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD would also limit the installation of affected parts to those that that are maintained in accordance with certain instructions, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which will be incorporated by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Pennsylvania regulatory program (hereinafter, the Pennsylvania program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Through this proposed amendment, Pennsylvania is requesting to make changes to its regulations addressing four required amendments, one part not previously approved, and several program revisions submitted. The proposed amendment includes, but is not limited to, augmented seeding, bonding, haul roads, effluent limitations for bituminous underground mines, temporary cessation, definition of Surface Mining Activities, civil penalties, administrative requirements, and Employee Financial Interest Reporting Form, as well as other administrative updates and corrections. This document gives the times and locations that the Pennsylvania program and this proposed amendment to that program are available for your inspection, the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the amendment, and the procedures that we will follow for the public hearing, if one is requested.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the Wyoming Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation (AMLR) Plan (hereinafter, the Wyoming Plan) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Wyoming proposes extensive revisions to its Plan in response to a letter sent from OSMRE and to improve the Plan's readability and operational efficiency. These changes are being submitted in response to legislative and regulatory changes made under SMCRA. This document gives the times and locations that the Wyoming plan and proposed amendment to that plan are available for your inspection, the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the amendment, and the procedures that we will follow for the public hearing, if one is requested.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. After a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the monarch butterfly as an endangered or threatened species is warranted but precluded by higher priority actions to amend the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. We will develop a proposed rule to list the monarch butterfly as our priorities allow. However, we ask the public to submit to us any new information relevant to the status of the species or its habitat at any time.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is denying two petitions for rulemaking related to the fitness-for-duty program that were docketed as PRM-26-3, ``Professional Reactor Operator Society Fitness-for-Duty Programs,'' and PRM-26-5, ``Nuclear Energy Institute Fitness-for-Duty Programs,'' due to the discontinuation of the associated rulemaking.

This rule amends the regulations of the agencies listed above (``the Agencies'') to implement Executive Order 13831 of May 3, 2018 (Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative). This rule provides clarity about the rights and obligations of faith-based organizations participating in the Agencies' Federal financial assistance programs and activities. This rulemaking is intended to ensure that the Agencies' Federal financial assistance programs and activities are implemented in a manner consistent with the requirements of Federal law, including the First Amendment to the Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed regulation to revise its reduction-in-force (RIF) regulations to set forth the principle that agencies should prioritize performance over length of service when determining which employees will be retained in a RIF following regulations that OPM will issue. In addition, OPM is exercising its authority to modify the order of retention, clarify tenure group definitions, and modify how credit for performance is computed.

In this document, the Commission revises the rules governing the resolution of program carriage disputes between video programming vendors and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) and parallel procedural rules, which govern program access, open video system (OVS), and good-faith retransmission consent complaints. Specifically, the document amends the third prong of the statute of limitations for filing program carriage complaints so that it no longer undermines the fundamental purpose of a statute of limitations. To harmonize the rules, the document similarly amends the statutes of limitations for filing program access, OVS, and good-faith retransmission consent complaints. The document also revises the effective date and review procedures for initial decisions issued by an administrative law judge (ALJ) in program carriage, program access, and OVS proceedings to make them consistent with the Commission's generally applicable procedures and adopts an aspirational shot clock to encourage quick resolution of appeals of such decisions. The Commission concludes that these changes will help to ensure a clear and expeditious program access, program carriage, retransmission consent, and OVS complaint process for potential complainants and defendants.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or the Agency) is adopting a final rule (final rule) that establishes risk-based and leverage capital requirements for the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac, and with Fannie Mae, each an Enterprise). The final rule also makes conforming amendments to definitions in FHFA's regulations governing assessments and minimum capital and removes the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight's (OFHEO) regulation on capital for the Enterprises.