2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to establish three and amend three United States Area Navigation (RNAV) T-routes in the eastern United States. This action supports Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) which provides a modern RNAV route structure to improve the efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of a draft guidance for industry (GFI) #283 entitled ``Priority Zoonotic Animal Drug Designation and Review Process.'' This draft guidance is intended to assist sponsors pursuing priority zoonotic animal drug (PZAD) designation for a new animal drug. This draft guidance is intended to provide the eligibility criteria for PZAD designation, the process for requesting PZAD designation, and enhancements in the FDA review process for PZADs.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving revisions to the volatile organic compound (VOC) rules contained in the Indiana State Implementation Plan (SIP). The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (Indiana) modified its rules to allow the use of a VOC control device for cold cleaning degreasing operations as a compliance option to using low vapor pressure solvent for cleaning or degreasing machine parts. Rule language was also updated for clarity and consistency. EPA proposed to approve this action on August 30, 2023, and received no adverse comments.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (``EPCA''), prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including consumer furnaces. EPCA also requires the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'' or ``the Department'') to determine periodically whether more stringent standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result in significant energy savings. In this final rule, DOE is adopting amended energy conservation standards for consumer furnaces, specifically non-weatherized gas furnaces and mobile home gas furnaces. The Department has determined that the amended energy conservation standards for the subject products would result in significant conservation of energy, and are technologically feasible and economically justified.

The Commission has prepared and published annual reports in this series since 1996 under the investigation title Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade. The 2024 report, which the Commission plans to publish in May 2024, will provide aggregate data on cross-border trade in services for the period ending in 2022, and transactions by affiliates based outside the country of their parent firm for the period ending in 2021. The 2024 report's analysis will focus on financial services (including banking services, insurance services, and securities services). The Commission is inviting interested members of the public to furnish information and views in connection with the 2024 report.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts rules for commercial mobile service providers that have elected to participate in the Wireless Emergency Alert system (WEA) (Participating CMS Providers) to support WEA messages in the 13 most commonly spoken languages in the U.S. as well as English and American Sign Language. Participating CMS Providers are to support this expanded multilingual alerting by enabling mobile devices to display message templates that will be pre-installed and stored on the mobile device. The Commission also directs its Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau to seek comment on various implementation details of the multilingual alerting requirements and future expansion to additional languages. In addition, to help personalize emergency alerts, the Commission requires participating wireless providers to support the inclusion of maps in WEA messages that show the alert recipient's location relative to the geographic area where the emergency is occurring, and establishes a Commission-hosted database to provide the public with easy-to-access information on WEA availability. Wireless providers will be required to supply information on whether they participate in WEA and, if so, the extent of WEA availability in their service area and on the mobile devices that they sell. Last, to support more effective WEA performance and public awareness, the amended rules enable alerting authorities to send two local WEA tests per year that the public receives by default, provided that the alerting authority takes steps to ensure that the public is aware that the test is, in fact, only a test.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, and regulations implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality, the Department of the Navy (DoN)(including both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps) in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army, and U.S. Air Force, announces its intent to prepare the Hawaii-California Training and Testing (HCTT) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Overseas EIS (OEIS). The HCTT EIS/OEIS will include an analysis of range sustainment and modernization activities, training activities; and research, development, testing, and evaluation activities (hereafter referred to as ``testing'') that will be conducted in the HCTT Study Area. When discussed together, training and testing are also referred to as ``military readiness activities.'' The DoN is initiating a 45-day public scoping process to receive comments on the scope of the EIS/OEIS including identification of potential alternatives and environmental concerns, information and analyses relevant to the Proposed Action, issues the public would like to see addressed in the EIS/OEIS, and the project's potential to affect historic properties pursuant to section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (``SEC'' or ``Commission'') is adopting a set of rules and forms under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``SEA'') that would create a regime for the registration and regulation of security-based swap execution facilities (``SBSEFs'') and address other issues relating to security- based swap (``SBS'') execution generally. One of the rules being adopted implements an element of the Dodd-Frank Act that is intended to mitigate conflicts of interest at SBSEFs and national securities exchanges that trade SBS (``SBS exchanges''). Other rules being adopted address the cross-border application of the SEA's trading venue registration requirements and the trade execution requirement for SBS. In addition, the Commission is amending an existing rule to exempt, from the SEA definition of ``exchange,'' certain registered clearing agencies, as well as registered SBSEFs that provide a market place only for SBS. The Commission is also adopting a new rule that, while affirming that an SBSEF would be a broker under the SEA, exempts a registered SBSEF from certain broker requirements. Further, the Commission is adopting certain new rules and amendments to its Rules of Practice to allow persons who are aggrieved by certain actions by an SBSEF to apply for review by the Commission. Finally, the Commission is delegating new authority to the Director of the Division of Trading and Markets and to the General Counsel to take actions necessary to carry out the rules being adopted.

HUD is seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the information collection described below. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, HUD is requesting comment from all interested parties on the proposed collection of information. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a revision to the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) portion of the California State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning a rule submitted to address section 185 of the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act). We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.

The Salmon-Challis National Forest is proposing to establish several new recreation fee sites. Recreation fee revenues collected at the new recreation fee sites would be used for operation, maintenance, and improvement of the sites. An analysis of nearby recreation fee sites with similar amenities shows the recreation fees that would be charged at the new recreation fee sites are reasonable and typical of similar recreation fee sites in the area.

On November 17, 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published the Random Drug and Alcohol Testing Percentage Rates of Covered Aviation Employees for the Period January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024. In that document, the FAA inadvertently provided incorrect years in the supplementary information section. This document corrects that error.

This document contains proposed regulations to implement the advanced manufacturing production credit established by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to incentivize the production of eligible components within the United States. Eligible components include certain solar energy components, wind energy components, inverters, qualifying battery components, and applicable critical minerals. The proposed regulations would affect eligible taxpayers who produce and sell eligible components and intend to claim the benefit of an advanced manufacturing production credit, including by making elective payment or credit transfer elections. This document also provides notice of a public hearing on the proposed regulations.

This notice lists communities where the addition or modification of Base Flood Elevations (BFEs), base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundaries or zone designations, or the regulatory floodway (hereinafter referred to as flood hazard determinations), as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), and where applicable, in the supporting Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports, prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for each community, is appropriate because of new scientific or technical data. The FIRM, and where applicable, portions of the FIS report, have been revised to reflect these flood hazard determinations through issuance of a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR), in accordance with Federal Regulations. The currently effective community number is shown in the table below and must be used for all new policies and renewals.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment upon this proposed extension of a currently approved collection of information. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the information collection notice is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments regarding the nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated burden (i.e. the time, effort, and resources used by the respondents to respond), the estimated cost to the respondent, and the actual information collection instruments.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment upon this proposed extension of a currently approved collection of information. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the information collection notice is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments regarding the nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated burden (i.e., the time, effort, and resources used by the respondents to respond), the estimated cost to the respondent, and the actual information collection instruments.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is conducting a test to allow for the payment of certain commercial vessel taxes and fees with electronic methods, including credit cards. Payment can be made through the existing Mobile Collections & Receipts (MCR) system's payment portal at eCBP (https://e.cbp.dhs.gov) or at the ports of entry for any commercial vessel arriving at a maritime port of entry. Participation in the test is voluntary. CBP will continue to accept payments by cash or check at the ports of entry. This notice describes the test and invites public comment on any aspect of the test.

Public Meeting: U.S. Election Assistance Commission Local Leadership Council 2024 Annual Meeting.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Draft ANCSA 17(d)(1) Withdrawals Environmental Impact Statement.

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 the burden associated with the U.S. Income Tax Return Forms for Individual Taxpayers.

The Postal Service is proposing to amend Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail (Pub 52) by requiring specific outer packaging strength standards when mailing hazardous materials or dangerous goods and remove quantity restrictions for nonregulated toxic materials. Additionally, the Postal Service proposes to allow mailers to use poly or padded bags as outer packaging for shipments containing lithium batteries installed in the equipment they operate if the shipment does not display hazardous text, markings or labels as permitted in sections 349 and 622.

The Department of the Treasury will submit the following information collection requests to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. The public is invited to submit comments on these requests.