2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this Notice announces the Rural Housing Service's (RHS) intention to request a revision for a currently approved information collection in support of the program for the Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) issue this early scoping notice to advise other agencies and the public that they intend to explore, through the early scoping process of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), proposed light rail transit in the West and Southeast Corridors, now known as the proposed LYNX Silver Line Project (SLP).

This notice lists the newspapers that will be used by all Ranger Districts, Grasslands, Forests, and the Regional Office of the Southwestern Region to publish legal notices. The intended effect of this action is to inform interested members of the public which newspapers the Forest Service will use to publish notices of proposed actions, notices of decision, and notices of opportunity to file an objection. This will provide the public with constructive notice of Forest Service proposals and decisions, provide information on the procedures to comment or object, and establish the date that the Forest Service will use to determine if comments or objections were timely.

Notice is hereby given of the following hearing of the U.S.- China Economic and Security Review Commission. The Commission is mandated by Congress to investigate, assess, and report to Congress annually on ``the national security implications of the economic relationship between the United States and the People's Republic of China.'' Pursuant to this mandate, the Commission will hold a public hearing in Washington, DC on September 9, 2020 on ``U.S.-China Relations in 2020: Enduring Problems and Emerging Challenges.''

Flood hazard determinations, which may include additions or modifications of Base Flood Elevations (BFEs), base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundaries or zone designations, or regulatory floodways on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and where applicable, in the supporting Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports have been made final for the communities listed in the table below. The FIRM and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a community is required either to adopt or to show evidence of having in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In addition, the FIRM and FIS report are used by insurance agents and others to calculate appropriate flood insurance premium rates for buildings and the contents of those buildings.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to comment on these applications. Before issuing any of the requested permits, we will take into consideration any information that we receive during the public comment period.

The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing for the Commission's consideration concerning negotiated service agreements. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) publishes a revised Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) Electronic Announcement (EA), originally posted May 6, 2020, that describes the public reporting requirements for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (the Department) is issuing this notice to announce the applicable minimum wage rate for workers performing work on or in connection with federal contracts covered by Executive Order 13658, Establishing a Minimum Wage for Contractors (the Executive Order or the Order), beginning January 1, 2021. Beginning on that date, the Executive Order minimum wage rate that generally must be paid to workers performing work on or in connection with covered contracts will increase to $10.95 per hour, while the required minimum cash wage that generally must be paid to tipped employees performing work on or in connection with covered contracts will increase to $7.65 per hour.

On August 13, 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking (``NOPR'') regarding proposals to amend the test procedures for showerheads and to request comment on the proposals. That NOPR also announced a webinar but did not announce a webinar date. DOE is announcing that the webinar will be held on September 3, 2020, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Additionally, on August 18, 2020, DOE received a request from Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) to extend the comment period for the NOPR by 30 days. DOE is announcing the comment period is extended to September 30, 2020.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on proposed information collections. This is a revision of currently approved information collection requirements associated with initiating collection actions against households who have received an overissuance in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) allows for specified persons to employ measures to deter marine mammals from damaging fishing gear and catch, damaging personal or public property, or endangering personal safety, as long as these measures do not result in death or serious injury of marine mammals. The MMPA directs the Secretary of Commerce, through NOAA's NMFS, to publish a list of ``guidelines'' for use in safely deterring marine mammals under NMFS' jurisdiction and to recommend ``specific measures,'' which may be used to nonlethally deter marine mammals listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). While the guidelines and specific measures are not mandatory, the MMPA provides protection from liability under the MMPA for take resulting from such deterrence measures by specifying that any actions taken to deter marine mammals that are consistent with the guidelines or specific measures are not a violation of the act. NMFS has not evaluated these deterrents for effectiveness. This rulemaking also includes prohibitions on certain deterrent methods that NMFS has determined, using the best available scientific information, would have a significant adverse effect on marine mammals.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to permit the use Defense Logistics Agency Energy as a source of fuel for contractors performing under certain contracts.

DoD is proposing to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, which amended the statutory presumption of development exclusively at private expense for commercial items in the procedures governing the validation of asserted restrictions on technical data.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to remove a clause that is no longer necessary.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 that increases the micro-purchase threshold for DoD from $5,000 to $10,000 and repeals a section in the United States Code.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), U.S. Department of Commerce, will host a virtual, online symposium on September 22, 2020, focusing on national spectrum policy development and the evolution of new techniques and technologies for federal spectrum management including spectrum sharing.