2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to renew an information collection.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) intends to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) extend approval, with modifications, under the Paperwork Reduction Act, of a collection of information under PBGC's regulations on Termination of Single- Employer Plans and Missing Participants. This notice informs the public of PBGC's intent and solicits public comment on the collection of information.

The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) announces the draft targets for updating the Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) National Action Plan, Phase 1, Acute Care Hospitals, for public comment. The HHS Core Group of the HAI National Action Plan reviewed data pre-pandemic and between 2020 and 2021 and developed potential 5-year targets based on assumptions that current HAI rates should return to pre-pandemic baseline rates within 2 years or within 3 years when determining these 5-year targets. The HHS HAI NAP Core Group recommends 5-year targets assuming a return to pre-pandemic baseline rates within 3 years based on two fundamentals: (1) pandemic-related challenges will likely persist in upcoming years, and (2) the pandemic has caused major strains on the health care system which make a 3-year timeline to achieve pre-pandemic Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR) the most appropriate choice. The draft targets are below.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is publishing the names of two individuals that have been placed on OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List) based on OFAC's determination that one or more applicable legal criteria were satisfied. All property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction of these persons are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

In compliance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) is soliciting public comment on the currently approved information collection, FERC-547 (Gas Pipeline Rates: Refund Report Requirements), which will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Marine Planning Committee (MPC) will hold a public meeting.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public webinar of its Scallop Advisory Panel to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its Groundfish Advisory Panel via webinar to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The Internal Revenue Service, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning information reporting for requesting a determination of the status of a worker under the common law rules for purposes of federal employment taxes and income tax withholding.

In this document, the Commission seeks to obtain detailed comment to enable it to make further progress toward ensuring that the rates, charges, and practices for and in connection with interstate and international inmate calling services meet applicable statutory standard. In this document FCC 22-76, the Commission seeks comment on whether to adopt a form of enterprise registration for IP CTS, whether to increase inmate services providers' TRS-related access obligations to include providing access to advanced forms of TRS in jurisdictions with an average daily population of less than 50 incarcerated persons, and whether inmate calling services providers should disclose their charges in an accessible format for disabled incarcerated people. The Commission also seeks comment on whether it should refine its rules concerning the treatment of unused funds in accounts that consumers use to pay for interstate and international inmate calling services and related ancillary services charges, on how it might improve its consumer disclosure rules, and on how the Commission should use the responses to the Third Mandatory Data Collection to establish reasonable, permanent caps on rates and ancillary service charges for interstate and international calling services for incarcerated people. The Commission seeks further comment on whether to allow inmate calling services providers to offer pilot programs that offer consumers the ability to purchase inmate calling services under alternative pricing structures. Last, the Commission also seeks comment on whether it should expand its definitions of ``Jail'' and ``Prison'' and on how its proposals may promote or inhibit advances in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

NMFS proposes specifications for the 2023 Atlantic bluefish fishery, as recommended by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. This action is necessary to establish allowable harvest levels for the stock that will prevent overfishing and promote rebuilding, using the best scientific information available. This rule is intended to inform the public of the proposed fishery specifications and provide an opportunity for comment on the proposed action.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amends its adjudication regulations by revising the definition of the Vietnam era, extending the payment of Medal of Honor special pension to an eligible surviving spouse, and extending eligibility for dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) to surviving spouses who remarry after age 55. These amendments incorporate legislative updates enacted by the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020. Amendments to regulations regarding the definition of Vietnam era and the retention of eligibility to DIC benefits following the remarriage of a surviving spouse after a certain age bring federal regulations into conformance with the statutory changes. Similarly, the Medal of Honor special pension regulatory amendments extend eligibility for that benefit to a surviving spouse of a Medal of Honor recipient as required by law.

This document announces the availability of the Federal Maritime Commission's (Commission's) draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) related to the proposed regulations on Demurrage and Detention Billing Requirements.

This document sets forth technical corrections to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations to reflect recent changes in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. The affected provisions, which are based in part on specified changes in tariff classification, comprise a codified system used for determining: the country of origin for marking purposes for goods imported under the Agreement Between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada (USMCA); determining the country of origin of imported goods for the purposes specified in paragraph 1 of Annex 311 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for outstanding pending NAFTA claims; determining whether an imported good is a new or different article of commerce under the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement and the United States-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement; and for determining the country of origin of textile and apparel products (other than those of Israel).

The Department of Transportation (DOT) seeks to maximize the use of American-made products and materials in all federally funded projects as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's implementation of the Build America, Buy America Act (the Act), which was included in the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The implementation of this law will transform DOT's approach to domestic procurement requirements and is designed to drive significant investment in domestic manufacturing, spur job creation and grow the economy. The Department is taking three concurrent actions: (1) DOT is not extending its temporary waiver for construction materials, making that requirement applicable effective November 10, 2022; (2) in a separate notice, DOT is proposing a narrow waiver for de minimis costs, small grants, and minor components; and (3) in this notice, DOT is proposing to take two actions to help transition to the new construction materials standard. First, for DOT awards obligated on or after the effective date of the final waiver, DOT is proposing to waive the construction materials requirements for any contracts entered into before November 10, 2022. Second, DOT is proposing to waive the construction materials requirements for any contracts entered into before March 10, 2023, that result from solicitations published before May 14, 2022.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, are amending the List of Endangered and Threatened Plants by removing Johnson's seagrass (Halophila johnsonii). We are also amending the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife by updating the entries for the Arctic subspecies of the ringed seal (Pusa hispida hispida) and the Beringia distinct population segment (DPS) of the Pacific bearded seal subspecies (Erignathus barbatus nauticus) to reflect the final designation of critical habitat for this subspecies and DPS, respectively. These amendments are based on previously published determinations by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, which has jurisdiction for these species.

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new information collection, which is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is publishing the names of one or more persons that have been placed on OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List) based on OFAC's determination that one or more applicable legal criteria were satisfied. All property and interests in property subject to U.S. jurisdiction of these persons are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with the domestic quarantine regulations for preventing the spread of plant pests and diseases within the United States.

FMCSA confirms its May 1, 2017, decision to withdraw its April 27, 2016, advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) concerning the establishment of requirements for States to implement annual inspection programs for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) designed or used to transport passengers (passenger-carrying CMVs). On November 15, 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was enacted, directing FMCSA to solicit additional comment on the 2016 ANPRM. The Agency solicited additional comments for 30 days, ending June 9, 2022. After reviewing the additional public comments received, FMCSA has determined there is not enough data and information available to support moving forward with a rulemaking action.