2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule would make several changes to the ownership and control requirements for the 8(a) Business Development (BD) program, including recognizing a process for allowing a change of ownership for a former Participant that is still performing one or more 8(a) contracts and permitting an individual to own an applicant or Participant where the individual can demonstrate that financial obligations have been settled and discharged by the Federal Government. The rule also proposes to make several changes relating to 8(a) contracts, including clarifying that a contracting officer cannot limit an 8(a) competition to Participants having more than one certification and clarifying the rules pertaining to issuing sole source 8(a) orders under an 8(a) multiple award contract. The proposed rule would also make several other revisions to incorporate changes to SBA's other government contracting programs, including changes to implement a statutory amendment from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, include blanket purchase agreements in the list of contracting vehicles that are covered by the definitions of consolidation and bundling, and more clearly specify the requirements relating to waivers of the nonmanufacturer rule.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is publishing eleven general licenses (GLs) issued in the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions program: GLs 21, 21A, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30, each of which was previously made available on OFAC's website.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is publishing seven general licenses (GLs) issued in the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions program: GLs 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7, each of which was previously made available on OFAC's website.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is providing additional time for the public to submit comments and information that will inform policy development and future rulemaking proposals regarding the use of poultry grower ranking systems commonly known as tournaments in contract poultry production. AMS seeks this input in response to numerous complaints from poultry growers about the use of tournament systems. Comments in response to this request would help AMS tailor further rulemaking in addition to that already planned and under way to address specific industry practices in relation to tournament systems.

The FAA is superseding Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2022-18-51, which applied to all Airbus SAS Model A330-841 and -941 airplanes. Emergency AD 2022-18-51 required revising the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) to incorporate additional limitations prohibiting takeoff for certain airplane configurations; specified airplane dispatch restrictions using certain provisions of the A330 master minimum equipment list (MMEL) or amending the existing FAA- approved operator's minimum equipment list (MEL); and required obtaining and accomplishing instructions following certain maintenance messages. Since the FAA issued Emergency AD 2022-18-51, additional instructions and maintenance procedures have been developed to address failures of the high pressure valve (HPV). This AD continues to require the actions specified in Emergency AD 2022-18-51, and also requires maintenance actions, including an HPV seal integrity test, repetitive replacement of the HPV clips, revision of the existing AFM, and implementation of updates to the FAA-approved operator's MEL, 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.

In response to issues raised by a petition for reconsideration of the Risk Reduction Program (RRP) final rule, FRA is issuing this NPRM to solicit information to help determine whether FRA should retain or remove a provision in the RRP final rule clarifying that contractors who perform a significant portion of a railroad's operations are considered the railroad's directly affected employees for purposes of the RRP rule.

NMFS is transferring 90.5 metric tons (mt) of Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) quota from the Reserve category to the General category. With this transfer, the adjusted General category September 2022 subquota is 225.5 mt. This action is intended to account for an accrued overharvest of 20.5 mt from previous time period subquotas and to provide further opportunities for General category fishermen to participate in the September General category fishery, based on consideration of the regulatory determination criteria regarding inseason adjustments. This action applies to Atlantic tunas General category (commercial) permitted vessels and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat permitted vessels with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for BFT.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus SAS Model A350-941 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report indicating that the inflatable free aisle restrictor (IFAR) on certain single lane slide-rafts demonstrated inconsistent release behavior in aft wind conditions. This AD requires replacing an affected part with a serviceable part, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD also prohibits the installation of affected parts. 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 The Boeing Company Model 747-100, 747-100B, 747-100B SUD, 747- 200B, 747-200C, 747-200F, 747-300, 747-400, 747-400D, 747-400F, 747SR, and 747SP series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports that high temperature composite trim air diffuser ducts (TADD) showed composite degradation and signs of hot air leakage. This proposed AD would require a one-time low frequency eddy current (LFEC) inspection of certain center tank upper skin panels on the right and left side for any structural damage due to heat exposure, and repair 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 Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GVII-G500 and GVII- G600 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of two landing incidents in which the alpha limiter engaged in the landing flare in unstable air, resulting in high rate of descent landings and damage to the airplanes. This proposed AD would require updating the flight control computer (FCC) software. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

NMFS issues this final rule to establish a uniform, nationally consistent minimum insurance standard that would apply in regional regulatory programs that authorize an observer provider to deploy a person in any mandatory or voluntary observer program and that specify responsibilities of authorized providers. NMFS has concluded that this action is necessary to clarify the types of insurance that are appropriate to address the financial risks that observer coverage presents in any federally managed fishery that is subject to observer coverage. This rule also revises regional observer program regulations to reference the national minimum insurance standard. The rule does not modify existing regional observer program regulatory procedures that specify how an observer provider demonstrates compliance with insurance requirements.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's Amendment of the Commission's Rules for Unlicensed White Space Operations in the Television Bands, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. This document is consistent with the Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the rules related to the information collection.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 747-8 and -8F series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of cracking in stringers and splice fittings located at stringer splices at multiple body stations. This proposed AD would require an inspection of each free flange of the stringers at the stringer splice for the presence of radius fillers at fastener locations, an inspection for cracking of the stringers and stringer splice fittings at certain stringer splice locations, and applicable on-condition actions. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action amends Area Navigation (RNAV) route Q-81 to realign a portion of the route to improve traffic flows, and to remove Canadian RNAV route Q-947 at the request of NavCanada. These changes support the Northeast Corridor Atlantic Coast Route Project.

This action amends 4 VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airways, (V-7, V-9, V-106, and V-214); and removes 5 VOR Federal Airways, (V-58, V-130, V-149, V-445, V-451) in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operation Network (MON) project.

This action corrects a final rule published by the FAA in the Federal Register on August 29, 2022, that amends United States Area Navigation (RNAV) route T-232 in the vicinity of Fairbanks, AK, in support of a large and comprehensive T-route modernization project for the state of Alaska. The final rule identified the IMARE, AK, route point as a waypoint (WP), in error. This action makes an editorial correction to the references of the IMARE, AK, WP to change it to be reflected as a Fix and match the FAA's aeronautical database information.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus SAS Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by unclear and incomplete placard instructions for the doghouse door lock. This AD requires installing improved handling instruction placards on affected doghouses and re-identifying the doghouses, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD also prohibits the installation of affected doghouses under certain conditions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

In this final rule, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') amends the existing test procedures for battery chargers to reorganize certain subsections, clarify symbology and references, correct an incorrect cross reference and section title, update the list of battery chemistries, and terminate an existing test procedure waiver because the covered subject models have been discontinued. This final rule also establishes in new appendix Y1 a new a test procedure for battery chargers that expands coverage to include inductive wireless battery chargers and establishes associated definitions and test provisions; establishes a new test procedure approach that relies on separate metrics for active mode, standby mode, and off mode; and updates the EPS selection criteria. The new test procedure Y1 will be used for the evaluation and issuance of updated efficiency standards, as well as to determine compliance with the updated standards, should such standards be established.

The Federal Election Commission is seeking additional public comment on previously proposed rules that would modernize the agency's regulations in light of technological advances in communications, recordkeeping, and financial transactions, and that would eliminate and update references to outdated technologies and address similar technological issues.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is correcting a final rule that published September 1, 2022, in the Federal Register. The document amended the regulations for the annual registration fees States collect from motor carriers, motor private carriers of property, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies for the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan and Agreement for the 2023 registration year and subsequent registration years.

The General Services Administration (GSA) published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on July 7, 2022, seeking public feedback pertaining to the use of plastic consumed in both packaging and shipping, as well as other single-use plastics for which the agency contracts. The deadline for submitting comments is being extended from September 6, 2022, to September 27, 2022, to provide additional time for interested parties to provide inputs.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Revision 1 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 5.77, ``Insider Mitigation Program,'' to provide licensees and applicants with agency approved guidance for complying with NRC regulations. RG 5.77 applies to nuclear power reactors that contain protected or vital areas. Licensees should use defense-in-depth methodologies to minimize the potential for an insider to adversely affect, either directly or indirectly, the licensee's capability to prevent significant core damage or spent fuel sabotage.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is publishing four general licenses (GLs) issued in the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions program: GLs 8, 8A, and 8B, which were previously issued on OFAC's website and are now expired, and GL 8C, which was also issued on OFAC's website and expires December 5, 2022.

This document corrects the final rules portion of Federal Register documents published on March 31, 2014, and August 23, 2016. These Federal Register documents inadvertently listed several erroneous cross-references and a typographical error. This document corrects the final regulation.

The FAA proposes to supersede airworthiness directive (AD) 77- 04-06, which applies to Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm (MBB) (now Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (AHD)) Model BO-105A and BO-105 C helicopters; AD 2002-13-06, which applies to certain Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH (ECD) (now Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (AHD)) Model BO-105A, BO-105C, BO-105 C-2, BO-105 CB-2, BO-105 CB-4, BO-105 CS-2, BO-105 CBS-2, BO-105S, and BO-105LS A-1 helicopters; AD 2016-25- 14, which applies to certain Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (AHD) Model BO-105LS A-3 helicopters; and AD 2021-10-14, which applies to certain Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (AHD) Model BO-105A, BO- 105C, BO-105S, and BO-105LS A-3 helicopters. AD 77-04-06 requires reducing the life limit on certain main rotor gearbox (MGB) supports. AD 2002-13-06 requires determining the calendar age, number of flights, and flight hours time-in-service (TIS) on certain tension-torsion (TT) straps; revising the Airworthiness Limitations Schedule (ALS) of the existing maintenance manual; removing and replacing each TT strap that has exceeded its life limit, or if the TT strap's total hours TIS or number of flights and age are not known; and modifying certain parts. AD 2016-25-14 requires establishing a life limit for certain TT straps and removing certain parts that have exceeded the new life limit. AD 2021-10-14 requires replacement of certain TT straps with serviceable parts, and implementation of a new storage life limit for certain TT straps. Since the FAA issued those ADs, new and more restrictive airworthiness limitations have been issued. This proposed AD would require incorporating into existing maintenance records requirements (airworthiness limitations) as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). This proposed AD would also prohibit the installation of certain part-numbered TT straps. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.