January 14, 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is required to amend its regulations annually to adjust for inflation the maximum civil penalty for failure to provide certain notices or other material information and for failure to provide certain multiemployer plan notices.

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management has designated certain Connecticut state-owned lands and portions of public trust waters of the Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound, Connecticut River, and Thames River as the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve (Connecticut Reserve). On January 11, 2022, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, Dr. Richard W. Spinrad, signed a Record of Decision pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and the findings of designation for the Connecticut Reserve pursuant to Section 315 of the CZMA and its implementing regulations. A copy of the Record of Decision and the findings of designation are available for public review from NOAA's Office for Coastal Management at coast.noaa.gov/czm/compliance. Additionally, NOAA hereby provides notice of the results of the consistency determination for the designation of the Connecticut Reserve.

In accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 and further amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvement Act of 2015, this final rule incorporates the penalty inflation adjustments for the civil monetary penalties set forth in the United States Code, as codified in our regulations.

As required by the ``Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2021,'' the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is hereby giving notice of Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) in certain benefit rates. These COLAs affect the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) program. The rate of the adjustment is tied to the increase in Social Security benefits effective December 1, 2021, as announced by the Social Security Administration (SSA). SSA has announced an increase of 5.9%.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, and to allow a second opportunity for public comment on the notice. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and to hold a virtual public scoping meeting in connection with possible impacts related to a project proposed by Speedway Solar LLC (Speedway Solar). The primary scope of the EIS is to evaluate the environmental impacts of and alternatives to Speedway Solar's application for financial assistance to develop the Speedway Solar Project (Project), a 199-megawatt (MW) solar array using photovoltaic (PV) modules on private, primarily agricultural lands in Shelby County, Indiana. RUS is considering funding this application, thereby making the proposed Project an undertaking subject to review under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). RUS has determined that a loan for the Project would be a federal action and is, therefore, subject to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is seeking public comment on a draft regulatory issue summary (RIS) Operational Leakage. The NRC staff seeks to clarify regulatory requirements for all licensees of boiling and pressurized water reactors that apply to operational leakage. This draft RIS is a clarification for the NRC requirements for evaluation, control, and treatment of operational leakage in systems required to be operable by plant technical specifications (TS).

The Department of Defense has submitted to OMB for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

The Federal Maritime Commission (Commission) is publishing this final rule to adjust for inflation the civil monetary penalties assessed or enforced by the Commission, pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (2015 Act). The 2015 Act requires that agencies adjust and publish their new civil penalties by January 15 each year.

The Department of Defense has submitted to OMB for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

The Department of Defense has submitted to OMB for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

This action adds service(s) to the Procurement List that will be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities, and deletes products(s) from the Procurement List previously furnished by such agencies.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces the award of approximately $2,000,000, with an expected total funding of approximately $10,000,000 over a five-year period, to AIIMS, New Delhi. The award will support research to estimate the incidence of influenza and other respiratory viruses (such as SARS-CoV-2) among working-age adults and other priority populations in India to strengthen the evidence base and inform influenza vaccine policy in India.

The Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Dell Creek and Forest Park Feedgrounds: Long-Term Special Use Permit project. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission (WGFC) has applied for continued use of facilities on National Forest System lands to conduct their elk management activities, including providing hay to wintering elk at Dell Creek and Forest Park feedgrounds between mid-November and the end of April. The Dell Creek feedground is in the Big Piney Ranger District on Dell Creek Road (Forest Service Road 30600) about 4 miles east of Highway 191/189, in Bondurant, Wyoming, and has been maintained by the WGFC under a Forest Service special use permit since 1975. The Forest Park feedground is in the Greys River Ranger District along the Greys River Road (Forest Service Road 10138) about 33 miles from Alpine, Wyoming, and has been maintained by the WGFC under a Forest Service special use permit since 1979. The Forest Service action is to determine whether to authorize the requested long-term use and if so, under what conditions.

As required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is hereby giving notice that the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders will hold a virtual, two-day meeting on February 3 and February 4, 2022. The meeting is the first in a series of federal advisory committee meetings regarding the development of recommendations to promote equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities. No registration is required. The meeting is open to the public and will be live streamed at www.hhs.gov/live. The Commission, co-chaired by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and the U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, will advise the President on: (i) The development, monitoring, and coordination of executive branch efforts to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities in the United States, including efforts to close gaps in health, socioeconomic, employment, and educational outcomes; (ii) policies to address and end anti-Asian bias, xenophobia, racism, and nativism, and opportunities for the executive branch to advance inclusion, belonging, and public awareness of the diversity and accomplishments of AA and NHPI people, cultures, and histories; (iii) policies, programs, and initiatives to prevent, report, respond to, and track anti-Asian hate crimes and hate incidents; (iv) ways in which the Federal Government can build on the capacity and contributions of AA and NHPI communities through equitable Federal funding, grantmaking, and employment opportunities; (v) policies and practices to improve research and equitable data disaggregation regarding AA and NHPI communities; (vi) policies and practices to improve language access services to ensure AA and NHPI communities can access Federal programs and services; and (vii) strategies to increase public- and private-sector collaboration, and community involvement in improving the safety and socioeconomic, health, educational, occupational, and environmental well-being of AA and NHPI communities.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

NMFS implements regulations to clarify terms used in the Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act of 2020 (Descend Act). Section 3 of the Descend Act requires commercial and recreational fishermen to have a descending device or a venting tool on the vessel and ready for use when fishing for federally managed reef fish species in Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) Federal waters. The purpose of this final rule is to clarify the definitions of descending device and venting tool in the Descend Act.