April 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of State proposes to amend the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) by increasing and specifying the fees required for registration with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC).

The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) Executive Director invites the public and Federal agencies to comment on an existing information collection request (ICR) 3121-0002. The information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on January 19, 2024 for a 60-day public comment period. No comments were received for this information collection. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.

The Department of the Interior (the Department or DOI), acting through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), is amending its risk management and financial assurance regulations. This final rule revises criteria for determining whether oil, gas, and sulfur lessees, right-of-use and easement (RUE) grant holders, and pipeline right-of- way (ROW) grant holders are required to provide financial assurance above the current minimum bonding levels to ensure compliance with their Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) obligations. This final rule streamlines the criteria for evaluating the financial health of lessees and grantees, codifies the use of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's (BSEE) probabilistic estimates of decommissioning costs in setting the level of demands for supplemental financial assurance, removes restrictive provisions for third-party guarantees and decommissioning accounts, adds new criteria for cancelling supplemental financial assurance, and clarifies bonding requirements for RUEs serving Federal leases. BOEM estimates that a total of $6.9 billion in new supplemental financial assurance will be required from lessees and grant holders under this final rule to cover potential costs of decommissioning activities. This final rule significantly increases the amount of financial assurance available to the U.S. Government in the case of a lessee default and meaningfully reduces the risk to the government and consequently to the U.S. taxpayer. This final rulemaking does not apply to renewable energy activities.

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended ("EPCA"), prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including dishwashers. In this direct final rule, the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") is adopting amended energy conservation standards for dishwashers. DOE has determined that the amended energy conservation standards for these products would result in significant conservation of energy and are technologically feasible and economically justified.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), RCRA Section 3007 Survey for Drum Reconditioning Facilities (EPA ICR Number 2800.01, OMB Control Number 2050-NEW), to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a request for approval of a new collection. This notice allows for 60 days for public comments.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has submitted an information collection request (ICR), NSPS for Onshore Natural Gas Processing Plants (EPA ICR Number 1086.13, OMB Control Number 2060- 0120), to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through April 30, 2024. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on May 18, 2023, during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.

The NCUA Board (Board) is issuing this advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to solicit comments on ways the agency can improve and update its records preservation program regulation and accompanying guidelines in the NCUA regulations. The Board is particularly interested in obtaining stakeholder input on the content of the regulation, which has not been updated in 15 years and may be outdated or at odds with current best practices. The Board is also interested in feedback on the structure of the part which may be confusing as it currently contains a combination of regulatory requirements and guidance.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Department is proposing an extension without change of a currently approved information collection request (ICR).

The Helena-Lewis and Clark Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will hold a public meeting according to the details shown below. The committee is authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (the Act) and operates in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The purpose of the committee is to improve collaborative relationships and to provide advice and recommendations to the Forest Service concerning projects and funding consistent with Title II of the Act, as well as make recommendations on recreation fee proposals for sites on the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest within Broadwater, Teton, Lewis and Clark, Fergus, Judith Basin, Pondera, Meagher, and Wheatland counties, consistent with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

This rulemaking proposes to update authorities and responsibilities for the Stars and Stripes Media Organization (often abbreviated as Stripes) to reaffirm its editorial independence in providing media products not only to military service members and DoD civilian employees, but to U.S. veterans, families of veterans and current service members, and contractor personnel, particularly those serving overseas, based on changes in the consumption of news and information in a digital age. It additionally proposes to remove internal operational procedures of the Stars and Stripes Media Organization that do not require rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) is updating the CFPB's procedures for designating nonbank covered persons for supervision, to conform to a recent organizational change and to further ensure that proceedings are fair, effective, and efficient for all parties.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is revising its oil and gas leasing regulations. Among other changes, the final rule implements provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) pertaining to royalty rates, rentals, and minimum bids; updates the bonding requirements for leasing, development, and production; and revises some operating requirements. The final rule will improve the BLM's leasing process by ensuring proper stewardship of public lands and resources.

Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-108, notice is hereby given that the Environment and Natural Resources Division (hereinafter "ENRD" or "Division"), a component within the United States Department of Justice (DOJ or Department), proposes to modify a system of records last published in full on February 23, 2000, titled "Environment and Natural Resources Division Case and Related Files System," (JUSTICE/ ENRD-003).

This final rule revises HUD's regulations governing floodplain management and the protection of wetlands to implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) in accordance with the Executive Order titled "Establishing a Federal Flood Risk Management Standard and a Process for Further Soliciting and Considering Stakeholder Input." These revisions to HUD's regulations will improve the resilience of HUD-assisted or financed projects to the effects of climate change and natural disasters and provide for greater flexibility in the use of HUD assistance in floodways under certain circumstances. Among other revisions, this rule provides a process for determining the extent of the FFRMS floodplain, with a preference for a climate-informed science approach (CISA) to making this determination. The rule also revises HUD's floodplain and wetland regulations to streamline, improve overall clarity, and modernize standards. Also, this rule revises HUD's Minimum Property Standards for one-to-four-unit housing under HUD's mortgage insurance and low-rent public housing programs to require that the lowest floor in newly constructed structures located within the 1-percent-annual-chance (100-year) floodplain be built at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation (BFE) as determined by best available information. The rule also revises a categorical exclusion when HUD performs environmental reviews and updates various HUD environmental regulations to permit online posting of public notices.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the lake sturgeon as an endangered or threatened species is not warranted at this time. However, we ask the public to submit to us at any time any new information relevant to the status of the lake sturgeon or its habitat.

NextEra Energy Marketing, LLC (Applicant or NEM) has applied for renewed authorization to transmit electric energy from the United States to Canada pursuant to the Federal Power Act.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain MHI RJ Aviation ULC Model CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705) and CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a notice from a supplier reporting that torque wrenches used to install the air driven generator (ADG) downlock cam nut were out of calibration, which resulted in a higher torque level setting than required during the initial production installation of the affected cam nut. This proposed AD would require replacement of the affected ADG locking cam screw and cam nut, as specified in a Transport Canada AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before April 13, 2024, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) in January 2024 regarding a rulemaking to address suffocation, entrapment, fall, and other hazards associated with infant support cushions. CPSC is announcing the availability of, and seeking comment on, details about incident data relevant to the rulemaking that are associated with infants and the use of infant support cushions.

In this notice, OSHA announces the final decision to expand the scope of recognition of DEKRA Certification Inc., (DEKRA) as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). Additionally, OSHA announces the final decision to add one test standard to the NRTL List of Appropriate Test Standards.