March 13, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing for the Commission's consideration concerning a negotiated service agreement. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

The Commission is proposing revisions to existing rules on non-public materials and revisions to existing rules on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This document informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A321-251NX, A321-252NX, A321-253NX, A321-271NX and A321-272NX airplanes. This AD was prompted by an emergency exit slide deployment test on an Airbus Cabin Flex (ACF) overwing emergency exit, the emergency exit slide did not deploy due to disconnected slide release cable junction. This AD requires a one-time detailed inspection of the installation of the ACF overwing emergency exit slide release mechanism for discrepancies, and applicable corrective actions, 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.

FSIS is proposing to amend its regulations to define the conditions under which the labeling of meat, poultry, and egg products, as well as voluntarily-inspected products, may bear voluntary label claims indicating that the product is of United States origin. The Agency is taking this action to resolve consumer confusion surrounding current voluntary label claims related to the origin of FSIS-regulated products in the U.S. marketplace. Under this proposal, establishments would not need to include these claims on the label, but if they chose to include them, they would need to meet the requirements in this rule.

Through this notice, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announces that the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) is extending the designation of Somalia for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, beginning on March 18, 2023, and ending on September 17, 2024. This extension allows existing TPS beneficiaries to retain TPS through September 17, 2024, so long as they otherwise continue to meet the eligibility requirements for TPS. Existing TPS beneficiaries who wish to extend their status through September 17, 2024, must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period described in this notice. The Secretary is also redesignating Somalia for TPS. The redesignation of Somalia allows additional Somali nationals (and individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Somalia) who have been continuously residing in the United States since January 11, 2023, to apply for TPS for the first time during the initial registration period described under the redesignation information in this notice. In addition to demonstrating continuous residence in the United States since January 11, 2023, and meeting other eligibility criteria, applicants for TPS under this designation must demonstrate that they have been continuously physically present in the United States since March 18, 2023, the effective date of this redesignation of Somalia for TPS.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) begins the process of implementing the Safe Connections Act, taking significant steps to improve access to communications services for survivors of domestic abuse and related crimes. We seek comment on the implementation of the Safe Connections Act's statutory requirement that mobile service providers separate the line of a survivor of domestic violence (and other related crimes and abuse), and any individuals in the care of the survivor, from a mobile service contract shared with an abuser within two business days after receiving a request from the survivor. We also seek comment on a proposal to require service providers to omit from consumer-facing logs of calls and text messages any records of calls or text messages to hotlines listed in a central database of hotlines that the Commission would create. We also seek comment on whether to designate the Lifeline program or the Affordable Connectivity Program as a means for providing survivors suffering financial hardship with emergency communications support for up to six months, as required by the Safe Connections Act.

The U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') amends its test procedure for consumer boilers established under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. This rulemaking fulfills DOE's obligation to review its test procedures for covered products at least once every seven years. The revisions include: incorporating by reference the latest versions of the industry standards currently referenced in the Federal test procedure; relocating the test procedure to a new appendix separate from the residential furnace test procedure; removing an extraneous definition from its regulatory definitions; and making clarifying corrections to calculations. These revisions will improve the representativeness of the test method and will not be unduly burdensome to conduct.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to reinstate certain requirements that were amended in 2020 regarding the application exclusion zone (AEZ) requirements of the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS). EPA has reconsidered the amended AEZ requirements and has determined that several aspects of the AEZ provisions, such as those regarding the applicability of the AEZ and distance determination criteria, should be revised to reinstate previous requirements that are protective of public health and to limit exposure for those who may be near ongoing pesticide applications.

The Commission on Civil Rights published a notice in the Federal Register concerning a meeting of the Tennessee Advisory Committee. The meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. (CT) is cancelled. The notice is in the Federal Register of Tuesday, February 28, 2023, in FR Doc. 2023-04004, on page 12653-12654 (2 pages).

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Employment and Training Administration (ETA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

An open meeting of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel's Taxpayer Assistance Center Improvements Project Committee will be conducted. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comments, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service. This meeting will still be held via teleconference.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the revocation of the Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) (the Authorizations) issued to Abbott Diagnostics Scarborough, Inc. (Abbott) for the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag 2 Card, and Standard BioTools, Inc. (Standard) for the Advanta Dx SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Assay and Advanta Dx COVID-19 EASE Assay. FDA revoked these Authorizations under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). The revocations, which include an explanation of the reasons for each revocation, are reprinted in this document.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the Agency. 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 of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on information collection associated with annual reporting for custom devices.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal Agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. Pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it can further reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.

This notice provides updated Administrative Guidelines (Guidelines) and requirements for Project-Based Voucher (PBV) Subsidy Layering Reviews (SLRs) and SLR requirements for Mixed-Finance projects that may or may not include PBV assistance. This updated notice provides transparency on HUD's expectations regarding cash flow, debt coverage ratios, net operating income, operating expense trending requirements, and expands guidance related to expense coverage ratios, when projects do not have hard debt. This notice also introduces a new mailbox (PBVSLRs@hud.gov) for SLRs requests to be performed by HUD HQ, and for SLR certifications and supporting documentation for SLRs the Housing Credit Agencies (HCAs) completed. Finally, the guidance expands the delegation of SLRs to HCAs to cases where PBV assistance is combined with other government assistance. Previously, the delegation only covered cases that included Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs). Otherwise SLR cases had to be completed by HUD (see overview chart in Section IV).

The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) of Canada, under international agreement, jointly publish and presently administer the St. Lawrence Seaway Tariff of Tolls in their respective jurisdictions. The Tariff sets forth the level of tolls assessed on all commodities and vessels transiting the facilities operated by the GLS and the SLSMC. The GLS is revising its regulations to reflect the fees and charges levied by the SLSMC in Canada starting in the 2023 navigation season, which are effective only in Canada.