2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established a grant program (Veterans Employment Pay for Success (VEPFS)) to award grants to eligible entities to fund projects that are successful in accomplishing employment rehabilitation for Veterans with service- connected disabilities. VA will award grants on the basis of an eligible entity's proposed use of a Pay for Success (PFS) strategy to achieve goals. This final rule adopts with changes an interim final rule that established regulations for awarding a VEPFS grant, including the general process for awarding the grant, criteria and parameters for evaluating grant applications, priorities related to the award of a grant, and general requirements and guidance for administering a VEPFS grant program.

FMCSA amends two of the Agency's financial assistance programs. As required by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, FMCSA adopts a new funding formula based on recommendations from the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) Formula Working Group (working group), effective for fiscal year (FY) 2021 grant funds and beyond. This rule reorganizes the Agency's regulations to create a standalone subpart for the High Priority Program. It also includes other programmatic changes to reduce redundancies, require the use of 3-year MCSAP commercial vehicle safety plans (CVSPs), and align the financial assistance programs with FMCSA's current enforcement and compliance programs.

This document contains proposed regulations to implement legislative changes to section 274 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Specifically, the proposed regulations address the elimination of the deduction under section 274 for expenses related to certain transportation and commuting benefits provided by employers to their employees in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. The proposed regulations provide guidance to determine the amount of such expenses that is nondeductible and apply certain exceptions under section 274(e) that may allow such expenses to be deductible. These proposed regulations affect taxpayers who pay or incur such expenses.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region III is issuing a Notice of Intent to Delete the First Piedmont Rock Quarry (Route 719) Superfund Site (Site) located in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, from the National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comments on this proposed action. The NPL, promulgated pursuant to section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is an appendix of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The EPA and the Commonwealth of Virginia, through the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ), have determined that all appropriate response actions under CERCLA, other than operation and maintenance (O&M), monitoring, and five-year reviews, have been completed. However, this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Airbus Helicopters Model AS-365N2, AS 365 N3, EC 155B, EC155B1, and SA-365N1 helicopters. This proposed AD would require inspecting the tail rotor gearbox (TGB) housing recess, and depending on the inspection results, performing more in-depth inspections and removing certain parts from service. The proposed AD would also prohibit installing a TGB unless it has passed certain inspections and has a new TGB control rod bearing installed. This proposed AD was prompted by the discovery of a foreign object obstructing the oil duct of a TGB control bearing. The actions of this proposed AD are intended to address an unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Helicopters Model EC130B4 and EC130T2 helicopters. This AD was prompted by a report that a changed manufacturing process for the tail rotor blades (TRB) was implemented, affecting the structural characteristics of the blades and generating a new part number for these blades. This AD requires re-identifying each affected TRB having a certain part number and serial number and establishing a life limit for the new part numbers. This AD also prohibits installation of any affected TRB identified with the old part number on any helicopter. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action amends VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways V-91, V-123, V-431, V-489, and V-496 due to the planned decommissioning of the Glens Falls, NY, VORTAC navigation aid which provides navigation guidance for segments of the routes. The Glens Falls VORTAC is being decommissioned as part of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

This action proposes to amend the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Clarion Municipal Airport, Clarion, IA. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of an airspace review caused by the decommissioning of the Clarion non- directional beacon (NDB). The geographic coordinates of the airport would also be updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database.

This action proposes to amend the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface at Park Rapids Municipal Airport-Konshok Field, Park Rapids, MN. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of an airspace review caused by the decommissioning of the Park Rapids VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) navigation aid as part of the VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program. The name and geographic coordinates of the airport would also be updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database.

This action amends VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airway V-37 in the northeast United States to reflect changes made by NAV CANADA in Canadian airspace. The modification to V-37 is necessary due to the decommissioning of the Aylmer, Canada, VOR navigation aid (NAVAID), which provided navigation guidance for portions of V-37. The Aylmer VOR was decommissioned March 23, 2020, as part of NAV CANADA's NAVAID Modernization Program.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 is issuing a Notification of Intent to Delete the OU1Landfill Cap Area of the Douglass [sic] Road/Uniroyal, Inc. Landfill Superfund Site (Douglas Road Site or Site) located in Mishawaka, Indiana, from the National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comments on this proposed action. The NPL, promulgated pursuant to Section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is an appendix of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The EPA and the State of Indiana, through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), have determined that all appropriate response actions under CERCLA, other than operation and maintenance, monitoring, and five-year reviews, have been completed. However, this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 is issuing a Notice of Intent to Delete the Fridley Commons Park Well Field Superfund Site (Fridley Well Field Site or Site) located in Fridley, Minnesota, from the National Priorities List (NPL) and requests public comments on this proposed action. The NPL, promulgated pursuant to Section 105 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended, is an appendix of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The EPA and the State of Minnesota, through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), have determined that all appropriate response actions under CERCLA have been completed. However, this deletion does not preclude future actions under Superfund.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a Clean Air Act (CAA) section 111(d) plan submitted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ). This plan was submitted to fulfill the requirements of the CAA and in response to EPA's promulgation of Emissions Guidelines and Compliance Times for municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. The Virginia plan establishes emission limits for existing MSW landfills and provides for the implementation and enforcement of those limits.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate critical habitat for the Sonoyta mud turtle (Kinosternon sonoriense longifemorale) under the Endangered Species Act (Act). In total, 12.28 acres (4.97 hectares) in Pima County, Arizona, located entirely within the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. This rule extends the Act's protections to this subspecies' designated critical habitat.

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) invites the public to comment on a new advisory opinion program (Proposed AO Program), and a proposed information collection associated with requests submitted by persons requesting advisory opinions under the Proposed AO Program, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This final rule removes a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulatory provision stating that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has 30 days from the date an asylum applicant files the initial Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, (EAD application) to grant or deny that initial employment authorization application. This rule also removes the provision requiring that the application for renewal must be received by USCIS 90 days prior to the expiration of the employment authorization.

NMFS is adjusting the commercial aggregated large coastal shark (LCS) and hammerhead shark management groups' retention limits for directed shark limited access permit holders in the Atlantic region from 36 LCS other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip to 55 LCS other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip. This action is based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments. The retention limit will remain at 55 LCS other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip in the Atlantic region through the rest of 2020 or until NMFS announces via a notice in the Federal Register another adjustment to the retention limit or a fishery closure. This retention limit adjustment affects anyone with a directed shark limited access permit fishing for LCS in the Atlantic region.

Through this document, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is making available a retrospective analysis of the data, assumptions, and methodology used to support the 2007 interim final rule for the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program. The purpose of the retrospective analysis is to provide an updated assessment of the costs and burdens of the CFATS program. Based on data observed by the program for over ten years, CISA estimates that the actual costs of the CFATS program is 83 percent lower than estimated in 2007. The retrospective analysis has been added to the docket for the CFATS Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) published in 2014.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the Missouri State Implementation Plan (SIP) received on March 20, 2019. The submission revises a Missouri regulation that restricts emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from industrial surface coating operations in Clay, Jackson, and Platte Counties in Missouri. Specifically, the revisions to the rule remove unnecessary restrictive words, adds exemptions, including definitions specific to the rule, corrects test method references, removes obsolete requirements specific to sources that have closed, changes sections to the standard rule format, and makes minor clarifications and grammatical changes. The new exemptions are consistent with the Control Techniques Guidelines (CTG) for several types of surface coating or apply to activities that are regulated under other federal or state regulations that limit emissions of VOCs. The new exemptions are needed to make the rule consistent with the St. Louis version of this rule, 10 Code of State Regulation (CSR) 10-5.330 Industrial Surface Coating Operations. These exemptions are not expected to result in an emission increase. The other revisions are administrative in nature and do not impact the stringency of the SIP or air quality. Approval of these revisions will ensure consistency between State and federally-approved rules.

This document corrects an inaccuracy in the proposed rule to modify the Department of Commerce's (Commerce's) regulations regarding the Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) system published on Monday, March 30, 2020.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVI airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report that the primary flight control actuation system (PFCAS) linear variable displacement transducer (LVDT) mechanical disconnect monitor may not trigger the disconnect of the affected control surfaces as required in the event of a control surface failure. This AD requires updating the software of each PFCAS remote electronics unit (REU), which includes an improvement to the LVDT. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Coast Guard is changing the location of the special local regulation for the annual Great Western Tube Float, which is held on the navigable waters of the Colorado River in Parker, AZ. The change of the location for the special local regulation is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters during the event. This action will restrict vessel traffic in certain waters of the Colorado River, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. one Saturday in June, from Buckskin Mountain State Park to La Paz County Park.

The U.S. Copyright Office is amending its regulations to establish a new group registration option for short online literary works. This final rule largely adopts the eligibility requirements set forth in the Office's December 2018 notice of proposed rulemaking, with certain updates. To qualify for this option, each work must contain at least 50 but no more than 17,500 words. The works must be created by the same individual, or jointly by the same individuals, and each creator must be named as the copyright claimant or claimants for each work. The works must all be published online within a three-calendar- month period. If these requirements have been met, the applicant may submit up to 50 works with one application and one filing fee. The applicant must complete an online application designated for a group of ``Short Online Literary Works'' and upload a .ZIP file containing a separate digital file for each work. The Office will examine each work to determine if it contains a sufficient amount of creative authorship, and if the Office registers the claim, the registration will cover each work as a separate work of authorship.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) acts on several proposals that will impact FY 2020 regulatory fees.

Pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA or Act), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to the State of Texas Underground Storage Tank (UST) program submitted by the State. This action is based on EPA's determination that these revisions satisfy all requirements needed for program approval. This action also proposes to codify EPA's approval of Texas's State program and to incorporate by reference those provisions of the State regulations that we have determined meet the requirements for approval. The provisions will be subject to EPA's inspection and enforcement authorities under sections 9005 and 9006 of RCRA subtitle I and other applicable statutory and regulatory provisions.