2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to establish the 2,415-acre ``Wanapum Village'' American viticultural area (AVA) in Grant County, Washington. The proposed AVA area is located entirely within the existing Columbia Valley AVA. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. TTB invites comments on these proposals.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are listing two Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), a grassland bird known from southeastern Colorado, western Kansas, eastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma, and the Texas Panhandle. We determine threatened status for the Northern DPS and endangered status for the Southern DPS. This rule adds the DPSs to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We also finalize a rule under the authority of section 4(d) of the Act that provides measures that are necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the Northern DPS.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') is adopting rule and form amendments that require open-end management investment companies to transmit concise and visually engaging annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders that highlight key information that is particularly important for retail investors to assess and monitor their fund investments. Certain information that may be more relevant to financial professionals and investors who desire more in- depth information will no longer appear in funds' shareholder reports but will be available online, delivered free of charge upon request, and filed on a semi-annual basis on Form N-CSR. The amendments exclude open-end management investment companies from the scope of the current rule that generally permits registered investment companies to satisfy shareholder report transmission requirements by making these reports and other materials available online and providing a notice of that availability. The amendments also require that funds tag their reports to shareholders using the Inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language (``Inline XBRL'') structured data language to provide machine-readable data that retail investors and other market participants may use to more efficiently access and evaluate investments. Finally, the Commission is adopting amendments to the advertising rules for registered investment companies and business development companies to promote more transparent and balanced statements about investment costs.

This action proposes to amend VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal airways V-126, V-156, V-233, and V-422, and revoke VOR Federal airways V-340 and V-371. The FAA is proposing this action due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Knox, IN (OXI), VOR/ Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/DME) navigational aid (NAVAID). The Knox VOR is being decommissioned in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A350-1041 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of rejected take-offs after transient engine N1 shaft speed exceedance. This AD requires replacing certain hydro-mechanical units (HMUs) with serviceable HMUs before reaching a reduced life limit, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD also limits the installation of affected parts under certain conditions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2020-21- 11, which applied to certain Airbus SAS Model A318 series airplanes; Model A319-111, -112, -113, -114, -115, -131, -132, -133, -151N, and - 153N airplanes; and Model A320 and A321 series airplanes. AD 2020-21-11 required revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This AD continues to require the actions in AD 2020-21-11 and requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate additional new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, 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.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing an approval and a limited approval and limited disapproval of a revision to the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDAQMD or ``District'') portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP). We are proposing approval of five rules and a limited approval and limited disapproval of five rules. These revisions concern the District's New Source Review (NSR) permitting program for new and modified sources of air pollution under part D of title I of the Clean Air Act (CAA or ``Act''). If finalized, this action will update the MDAQMD's current SIP with ten revised rules. We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.

The Coast Guard will enforce the special local regulation for the Savannah Harbor Boat Parade of Lights and Fireworks. This action is necessary to ensure safety of life on navigable waters of the Savannah River during the Savannah Harbor Boat Parade of Lights and Fireworks displays. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter, transit through, anchor in, or remain within the designated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Savannah or a designated representative.

These special conditions are issued for Airbus SAS (Airbus) Model A380-800 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. This design feature is a digital systems architecture with several connected networks that will allow access from external sources (e.g., operator networks, wireless devices, internet connectivity, service provider satellite communications, electronic flight bags, etc.) to the airplane's internal electronic components. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

On October 12, 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rulemaking to revise the Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR), a collection of Federal Implementation Plans (FIPs) under the Clean Air Act for Indian reservations in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. In the preamble of that publication, the description of the proposed changes to one of the rules in the FARR, the general open burning rule, was inadvertently replaced with a duplicate of the description of the proposed changes to a different rule. We are publishing this document to supply the correct preamble description of the proposed changes to the general open burning rule to the public. We note that there are no corrections to the proposed amendments to the rule language.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) amends the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Small Grains Crop Insurance Provisions, Processing Sweet Corn Crop Insurance Provisions, Cabbage Crop Insurance Provisions, and the Fresh Market Tomato (Dollar Plan) Crop Insurance Provisions. The changes will allow revenue coverage for oats and rye under the Small Grains Crop Insurance Provisions and extend the end of the insurance period date for processing sweet corn from September 20 to September 30 in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This will benefit the producers in those states by providing them with an additional 10 days of coverage, consistent with the existing coverage for producers in Iowa. In addition, this final rule will make corrections to the Cabbage Crop Insurance Provisions and the Fresh Market Tomato (Dollar Plan) Crop Insurance Provisions. The changes will be effective for the 2023 and succeeding crop years for crops with a contract change date on or after November 30, 2022, and for the 2024 and succeeding crop years with a contract change date on or after June 30, 2023.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier, Inc., Model BD-700-2A12 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report that certain fasteners attaching the fuselage skin to a certain stringer may be missing. This proposed AD would require inspecting for missing fasteners and damage, including cracking, of the affected area, and repair or installation of fasteners if necessary. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited Model DHC-8-401 and -402 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by an investigation of incorrectly manufactured sleeves that were potentially installed in the main landing gear (MLG) forward door linkage assembly. This proposed AD would require review of technical records and inspections to determine if a discrepant sleeve is installed, replacement of any discrepant sleeve and re-identification of the MLG forward door linkage assembly. This proposed AD would also prohibit the installation of affected parts. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPS) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure procedures (ODPs) for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters of Bahia de San Juan, within a 200-yard radius of the tug MICHELE FOSS and barge FOSS PREVAILING WIND. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by the movement and berthing of two port facility cranes transiting inbound to Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) piers M, N and O, through Bahia de San Juan's main navigational channels. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector San Juan.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) is issuing this final rule amending an appendix for Regulation V, which implements the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The Bureau is required to calculate annually the dollar amount of the maximum allowable charge for disclosures by a consumer reporting agency to a consumer pursuant to FCRA section 609; this final rule establishes the maximum allowable charge for the 2023 calendar year.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), notify the public that we are requesting new information to update the Species Status Assessment (SSA) for the North American Wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus) occurring in the contiguous United States to make a final determination whether to list this species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). As a result of court action, the wolverine is now proposed for listing as a threatened species under the Act. The Service is updating the 2018 SSA and will reevaluate whether the North American wolverine occurring in the contiguous United States is a distinct population segment and, if so, whether the distinct population segment meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Act. We now request new information regarding the North American wolverine to inform our SSA update and reevaluation under the Act. As directed by the court, the Service is to make a final listing determination by the end of November 2023.

In this document, the Commission proposes requirements for Emergency Alert System (EAS) Participants to report compromises of their EAS equipment, communications systems, and services to the Commission. Additionally, this document proposes requirements for EAS Participants and Commercial Mobile Service (CMS) providers that participate in Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) to annually certify to having a cybersecurity risk management plan in place and to employ sufficient security measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their respective alerting systems. This document also proposes requirements for participating CMS providers to take steps to ensure that only valid alerts are displayed on consumer devices. These requirements would further protect the nation's communications systems from cybersecurity threats. With this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Commission seeks comment on the proposed rules and any suitable alternatives.

The Federal Trade Commission is delaying the effective date of portions of the amended Safeguards Rule as published on December 9, 2021.

The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]), to reflect the prices, product features, and classification changes to Competitive Services and other minor changes, as established by the Governors of the Postal Service.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing particulate matter (PM) emission standards and test procedures applicable to certain classes of engines used by civil subsonic jet airplanes (engines with rated output of greater than 26.7 kilonewtons (kN)) to replace the existing smoke standard for those engines. The EPA is adopting these standards under our authority in the Clean Air Act (CAA). These standards and test procedures are equivalent to the engine standards adopted by the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2017 and 2020 and will apply to both new type design aircraft engines and in-production aircraft engines. The EPA, as well as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), actively participated in the ICAO proceedings in which the ICAO requirements were developed. These standards reflect the importance of the control of PM emissions and U.S. efforts to secure the highest practicable degree of uniformity in aviation regulations and standards. Additionally, the EPA is migrating, modernizing, and streamlining the existing regulations into a new part in the Code of Federal Regulations. As part of this update, the EPA is also aligning with ICAO by applying the smoke number standards to engines less than or equal to 26.7 kilonewtons rated output used on supersonic airplanes.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary, 500-yard radius, moving security zone for a certain vessel carrying Certain Dangerous Cargoes (CDC) within the Corpus Christi Ship Channel and La Quinta Channel. The temporary security zone is needed to protect the vessels, the CDC cargo, and the surrounding waterway from terrorist acts, sabotage, or other subversive acts, accidents, or other events of a similar nature. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Corpus Christi or a designated representative.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received a petition for rulemaking from Ralph O. Meyer dated August 1, 2022, requesting that the NRC revise its regulations regarding the licensing safety analysis for loss-of-coolant accidents. The petition was docketed by the NRC on October 11, 2022, and has been assigned Docket No. PRM-50-124. The NRC is examining the issues raised in PRM-50-124 to determine whether they should be considered in rulemaking. The NRC is requesting public comment on this petition at this time.

The FAA is amending its regulations to require airmen hold a valid second-class medical certificate when exercising the privileges of a commercial pilot certificate in a balloon for compensation or hire except when conducting flight training in a balloon. In addition, the FAA makes miscellaneous amendments related to medical certification requirements for special medical flight tests and a minor change to the BasicMed regulations.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is finalizing amendments to its regulations under the Privacy Act. The revisions clarify and update procedural requirements on documents the Agency sends by mail which include Social Security numbers (SSNs). These revisions implement the Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act of 2017 restricting the inclusion of SSNs on documents sent by mail by the Federal Government.