2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Learjet Inc. (Learjet) Model 45 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of corrosion found on the upper surface of the lower center wing mid spar splice plate. This AD requires repetitively inspecting the center wing area for corrosion and deterioration of protective treatments, removing any corrosion, and treating any deteriorated areas. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau GmbH Model Ventus-2a and Ventus-2b gliders. This proposed AD was prompted by mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as severe corrosion on the inboard flaperon actuation push rods and ball bearing connecting the flaperon push rod to the bell crank inside the wing. This proposed AD would require inspecting the affected parts of the flaperon control in the wings and taking corrective actions if necessary. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is requesting a 3-year extension of the form OCSE-75 Tribal Child Support Enforcement Annual Data Report (OMB #0970-0320, expiration 01/31/2023). We are requesting changes to this form.

The Coast Guard is proposing to amend and update its list of recurring safety zone regulations that take place in the Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley area of responsibility (AOR). Through this rule the current list of recurring safety zones is proposed to be updated with revisions, additional events, and removal of events that no longer take place. This proposed rule would reduce administrative costs involved in producing separate proposed rules for each individual recurring safety zone and serve to provide notice of the known recurring safety zones throughout the year. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Surface Transportation Board (Board) is adopting a final rule establishing a new class exemption for emergency temporary trackage rights. The final rule also makes certain other related changes to the class exemptions for trackage rights and temporary trackage rights.

NMFS proposes 2022 and 2023 harvest specifications, apportionments, and Pacific halibut prohibited species catch limits for the groundfish fishery of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to establish harvest limits for groundfish during the 2022 and 2023 fishing years and to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska. The 2022 harvest specifications supersede those previously set in the final 2021 and 2022 harvest specifications, and the 2023 harvest specifications will be superseded in early 2023 when the final 2023 and 2024 harvest specifications are published. The intended effect of this action is to conserve and manage the groundfish resources in the GOA in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve certain changes to Wisconsin's State Implementation Plan (SIP). These changes include defining and removing terms, creating a more streamlined process for permit applications and reports submitted electronically, and clarifying rules to create a more efficient permit issuance process. Approving this revision also makes Wisconsin rules consistent with Federal rules.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, the Agency, or we) is proposing to amend the agricultural water provisions of the produce safety regulation that covered farms have found complex and challenging to implement. This proposal would replace the microbial criteria and testing requirements for pre-harvest agricultural water for covered produce (other than sprouts) with provisions for systems-based agricultural water assessments that are designed to be more feasible to implement across the wide variety of agricultural water systems, uses, and practices, while also being adaptable to future advancements in agricultural water quality science and achieving improved public health protections. Additionally, we are proposing to require expedited mitigation for hazards related to certain activities associated with adjacent and nearby lands, in light of findings from several recent produce outbreak investigations. These proposed revisions to the produce safety regulation, if finalized, would more comprehensively address a known route of microbial contamination that can lead to preventable foodborne illness that is a significant public health problem.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revised and renumbered certain provisions in its regulation establishing uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for Federal awards to non-Federal entities. This final rule amends the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) regulations on Programs to Help Develop Foreign Markets for Agricultural Commodities (``FMD regulation'') to make technical corrections to reflect the revised OMB regulations. This final rule also makes three minor changes to the FMD regulation: To modify the timing of the evaluation provision; to add one additional exemption for a USA Pavilion waiver request; and to add certain flexibilities to the sample shipment requirements.

This document contains proposed regulations providing that ``minimum essential coverage,'' as that term is used in health insurance-related tax laws, does not include Medicaid coverage that is limited to COVID-19 testing and diagnostic services provided under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The proposed regulations also would provide an automatic extension of time for providers of minimum essential coverage (including health insurance issuers, self-insured employers, and government agencies) to furnish individual statements regarding such coverage and would provide an alternative method for furnishing individual statements when the shared responsibility payment amount is zero. Additionally, the proposed regulations would provide an automatic extension of time for ``applicable large employers'' (generally employers with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees) to furnish statements relating to health insurance that the employer offers to its full-time employees. The proposed regulations would affect some taxpayers who claim the premium tax credit; health insurance issuers, self-insured employers, government agencies, and other persons that provide minimum essential coverage to individuals; and applicable large employers.

This final rule amends the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations to reflect an extension and amendment of import restrictions on certain archaeological material and the imposition of import restrictions on ethnological material of the Arab Republic of Egypt (Egypt). The restrictions on archaeological material, which were originally imposed by CBP Dec. 16-23, were extended and amended on November 30, 2021. The Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, United States Department of State, has made the requisite determinations for extending and updating the import restrictions that previously existed, and the Governments of the United States and Egypt entered into a new agreement to reflect the extension of these import restrictions. Additionally, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, United States Department of State, has made the requisite determinations for adding import restrictions on certain categories of ethnological material. The new agreement, which entered into force on November 30, 2021, supersedes the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that became effective on November 30, 2016, and enabled the promulgation of the existing import restrictions. Accordingly, the current import restrictions and new import restrictions will be effective until November 30, 2026, and the CBP regulations are being amended to reflect this extension and imposition. To fulfill the terms of the new MOU, the Designated List of cultural property, which was described in CBP Dec. 16-23, is amended in this document to reflect the addition and revision of categories of archaeological material of Egypt ranging in date from approximately 300,000 B.C. to A.D. 1750, and to include certain ethnological material ranging from A.D. 1517 to 1914.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) invites comment on a proposal to extend for three years, without revision, the Recordkeeping and Disclosure Requirements Associated with Regulation II (FR II; OMB No. 7100-0349).

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the CDC announces the following meeting for the Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics (BSC, NCHS). This meeting is open to the public.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that Deacero S.A.P.I. de C.V. (Deacero) did not make sales of subject merchandise in the United States at prices below normal value during the November 1, 2019, through October 31, 2020, period of review (POR). Additionally, Commerce has preliminarily assigned Grupo Simec an antidumping duty margin based on the application of adverse facts available. We invite interested parties to comment on these preliminary results.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of urea ammonium nitrate solutions (UAN) from the Russian Federation (Russia) for the period of investigation (POI) January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, its implementing regulations, and NMFS' MMPA Regulations for Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico, notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Anadarko) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of Mexico.

NMFS announces that the states of New Jersey, Delaware, and New Hampshire are transferring a portion of their 2021 commercial bluefish quota to the states of New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island, respectively. These quota adjustments are 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 New Jersey, New York, Delaware, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the USDA Forest Service is seeking comments from all interested individuals and organizations on the renewal of a currently approved information collection, currently titled the Public Lands Corps Tracking Sheet and proposed to change to Workforce Development Participant Tracking Form.

In accordance with the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (the Evidence Act), Public Law 115-435,\1\ the Department of Commerce has developed a draft Learning Agenda for FY 2022 to FY 2026. The Learning Agenda lists significant priority evidence/evaluation questions that will be researched over the next four years to help achieve the Department's Strategic Objectives. The final plan will be published in February 2022 and will be reviewed annually for possible updates and improvements.