May 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

These special conditions are issued for the Airbus Helicopters (Airbus) Model H160-B helicopter. This helicopter has a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for helicopters. This design feature is the extended duration of continued safe flight and landing beyond 30 minutes after indication to the flightcrew of the loss of main gearbox lubrication. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

This action proposes special conditions for the Airbus Model A321neoXLR airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the technology envisaged by the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. This design feature is an integral rear center tank (RCT). The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for fire-safety performance of fuel-tank skin or structure in a post-crash external fuel-fed ground fire. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

The United States (U.S.) General Services Administration (GSA) is issuing a final rule amending the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) with respect to temporary quarters subsistence expenses (TQSE) allowances. Changes include implementing a third TQSE methodology, redefining the current TQSE methods, lowering the percentage multipliers for calculating TQSE maximum daily amounts, and prohibiting adjustments to TQSE percentage multipliers for househunting days. The final rule also exempts temporary quarters (TQ) located in Presidentially-Declared Disaster areas from the "reasonable proximity" requirement and allows agencies to authorize TQSE at the applicable locality per diem allowance or authorize actual expenses on an individual basis. This rule establishes an exception to authorizing actual expenses on an individual basis by which agencies can issue a blanket actual expense authorization for employees authorized to occupy TQ in Presidentially-Declared Disaster areas. The final rule will also update and clarify some TQSE sections and rearrange them into a more sequential order.

This rule finalizes an interim final rule that established the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program for Postal Service employees, Postal Service annuitants, and their eligible family members, pursuant to the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. This Program will include health benefits plans available to United States Postal Service (Postal Service) employees, Postal Service annuitants, and their eligible family members starting January 1, 2025. For these individuals, eligibility for enrollment or coverage in FEHB plans based on Postal Service employment will end on December 31, 2024, and they will be able to enroll in or be covered only by PSHB plans after that time. Open Season for enrollee selection of PSHB plans will occur from November 11 through December 9, 2024. OPM will publish the negotiated PSHB plan rates and benefits for the 2025 plan year in September 2024. This rule adopts the provisions of the interim final rule with minor clarifications on the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) implementation of the PSHB Program.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Model Trent 1000-A, Trent 1000-A2, Trent 1000-AE, Trent 1000-AE2, Trent 1000-C, Trent 1000-C2, Trent 1000-CE, Trent 1000-CE2, Trent 1000-D, Trent 1000-D2, Trent 1000- E, Trent 1000-E2, Trent 1000-G, Trent 1000-G2, Trent 1000-H, Trent 1000-H2, Trent 1000-J2, Trent 1000-K2, and Trent 1000-L2 engines. This AD was prompted by reports of wear in the combining spill valve (CSV) assembly of certain hydro-mechanical units (HMUs). This AD requires removing certain HMUs from service and replacing with a serviceable part. This AD also prohibits the installation of certain HMUs unless the HMU is a serviceable part or the CSV assembly has been replaced, 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.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Canada Limited Partnership Model BD-500-1A10 and BD- 500-1A11 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report that at various lavatory and galley locations within the airplane, incorrect terminal lugs were installed which are not compatible with the associated wire gauge. This proposed AD would require removing and replacing existing lug terminals at various lavatory and galley locations, 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 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission proposes to amend its regulations to incorporate by reference, with certain exceptions, the latest version (Version 004) of the Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities adopted by the Wholesale Electric Quadrant of the North American Energy Standards Board.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve a state implementation plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of Nevada addressing the nonattainment new source review (NNSR) requirements for the 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). This SIP revision addresses the Clark County Department of Environment and Sustainability ("Department") portion of the Nevada SIP. This action is being taken pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA or "Act") and its implementing regulations.

The United States Department of Agriculture (Department), Forest Service is making technical revisions to clarify regulations governing National Forest System Land Management Planning (planning). These purely technical changes to the names and definitions of terms used to describe information accrued by Tribes and Indigenous people align with guidance from the Executive Office of the President and are more consistent with language used in regulations of other Federal agencies.

NMFS closes the Angling category southern area fishery for large medium and giant ("trophy" (i.e., measuring 73 inches (185 centimeters (cm)) curved fork length or greater)) Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT). The southern New England area trophy fishery is defined as south of 42[deg] N lat. and north of 39[deg]18' N lat. This action applies to Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessels when fishing recreationally.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters within a 210-foot radius of Bicentennial Tower at Dobbins Landing in Erie, PA. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by the fireworks display. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter the respective safety zone without the permission of the Captain of Port Eastern Great Lakes or a designated representative.

This final rule amends the uniform procedures implementing the State Highway Safety Grant Program to waive, for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, the requirement that targets for the common performance measures be identical to targets in the State Highway Safety Improvement Program. This final rule makes a corresponding change to a similar requirement in the FHWA's performance management regulation.

The Food and Drug Administration is issuing a final rule to amend the agricultural water provisions of the produce safety regulation. This rule replaces the microbial criteria and testing requirements for pre-harvest agricultural water for covered produce (other than sprouts) with a regulatory approach that incorporates recent science and Food and Drug Administration outbreak investigation findings to achieve improved public health protections as compared to the earlier requirements. The rule requires systems-based assessments, with required testing in certain circumstances, that focus on key risk factors for contamination by pre-harvest agricultural water and will enable farms to implement effective preventive measures. The rule requires farms to take timely action based on risk and includes a new requirement for expedited mitigation for certain hazards. The requirements are adaptable to future scientific advancements and provide sufficient flexibility to be practicable for all sizes and types of farms to implement across the wide variety of agricultural water systems, uses, and practices. These revisions to the produce safety regulation will more comprehensively address a known route of microbial contamination that can lead to preventable foodborne illness that is a significant public health problem.

The Office of Financial Research (the "Office") within the U.S. Department of the Treasury ("Treasury") is adopting a final rule (the "Final Rule") establishing a data collection for certain non- centrally cleared bilateral transactions in the U.S. repurchase agreement ("repo") market. This collection requires daily reporting to the Office by certain brokers, dealers, and other financial companies with large exposures to non-centrally cleared bilateral repo ("NCCBR"). The collected data will be used to support the work of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (the "Council"), its member agencies, and the Office to identify and monitor risks to financial stability.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of the draft guidance entitled "Enforcement Policy for Certain In Vitro Diagnostic Devices for Immediate Public Health Response in the Absence of a Declaration under Section 564." In the context of emergent situations involving chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) threats, there may be a public health need for certain in vitro diagnostic devices (IVDs) to be available for immediate response purposes. When finalized, this guidance will describe the Agency's enforcement policy for certain laboratory manufacturers offering certain unauthorized IVDs for immediate response to CBRN agents in the absence of a declaration applicable to IVDs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). This draft guidance is not final nor is it for implementation at this time.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or the Department) is issuing this final rule regarding section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (section 1557). Section 1557 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in certain health programs and activities. Section 1557(c) of the ACA authorizes the Secretary of the Department to promulgate regulations to implement the nondiscrimination requirements of section 1557. The Department is also revising its interpretation regarding whether Medicare Part B constitutes Federal financial assistance for purposes of civil rights enforcement. Additionally, the Department is revising provisions prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in regulations issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) governing Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE); health insurance issuers and their officials, employees, agents, and representatives; States and the Exchanges carrying out Exchange requirements; agents, brokers, or web-brokers that assist with or facilitate enrollment of qualified individuals, qualified employers, or qualified employees; issuers providing essential health benefits (EHB); and qualified health plan issuers.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to withdraw from EPA regulation and management two designated ocean dredged material disposal sites, the Nome East and Nome West Sites (Sites), located near Nome, Alaska, pursuant to the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA), as amended. The EPA is taking this action because the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has not used the Sites for disposal of dredged material since 2009, has no plans to use the Sites for any future disposal of dredged material, and the Sites are no longer suitable for USACE's needs. This action will withdraw these sites from the regulations.

The Department of Justice is correcting an interim final rule titled "Implementation of HAVANA Act of 2021" that appeared in the Federal Register on April 19, 2024. The document implemented the HAVANA Act, which authorizes agency heads to provide payments to certain individuals who have incurred qualifying injuries to the brain. The interim final rule covers current and former Department of Justice employees and their dependents.

The United States Mint proposes to remove its regulations relating to the exchange of bent and partial coin. The proposed removal will end the exchange program for bent and partial coin. This document also withdraws the notice of proposed rulemaking relating to these same regulations that was published in the Federal Register for May 5, 2021.

FMCSA proposes amendments to its Hazardous Materials Safety Permits (HMSPs) regulations to incorporate by reference the updated Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) handbook containing inspection procedures and Out-of-Service Criteria (OOSC) for inspections of shipments of transuranic waste and highway route- controlled quantities (HRCQs) of radioactive material (RAM). The OOSC provide enforcement personnel nationwide, including FMCSA's State partners, with uniform enforcement tolerances for inspections. Currently, the regulations reference the April 1, 2023, edition of the handbook. Through this notice, FMCSA proposes to incorporate by reference the April 1, 2024, edition.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve revisions to a California statewide rule and six California air district rules into the California State Implementation Plan (SIP) under the Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act). These revisions concern emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from crude oil and natural gas facilities. Based on our proposed finding that these revisions correct previously-identified deficiencies in these rules, we are now proposing to fully approve the reasonably available control technology (RACT) requirement for the 2008 and 2015 ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for sources covered by the EPA's 2016 Control Techniques Guidelines for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry ("2016 Oil and Gas CTG") for the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD), San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD), Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD), and the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District (YSAQMD). We are also proposing to conditionally approve the RACT requirement for the 2008 and 2015 ozone NAAQS for sources covered by the EPA's 2016 Oil and Gas CTG for the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). We are taking comments on this proposal and plan to follow with a final action.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), establish a nonessential experimental population (NEP) of the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) within the U.S. portion of the North Cascades Ecosystem (NCE) in the State of Washington under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act or ESA). Establishment of this NEP is intended to support reintroduction and recovery of grizzly bears within the NCE and provide the prohibitions and exceptions under the Act necessary and appropriate to conserve the species within a defined NEP area. The geographic boundary of the NEP includes most of the State of Washington except for an area in northeastern Washington that encompasses the Selkirk Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone. The best available data indicate that reintroduction of the grizzly bear to the NCE, within the NEP area, is biologically feasible and will promote the conservation of the species.

This final rule amends the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (Uniform Act) regulations. The revisions are prompted by enactment of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), which increased statutory relocation benefits and reduced length of occupancy requirements. This final rule updates existing regulations on the use of those provisions. The FHWA is also updating the Uniform Act regulations in response to comments received during this rulemaking's public comment period and to reflect the agency's experience with the Federal-aid highway program since the last comprehensive rulemaking for the part, which occurred in 2005. The updates include streamlining processes to better meet current Uniform Act implementation needs and eliminating duplicative and outdated regulatory language.

In this action, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing revisions to the preconstruction permitting regulations that apply to modifications at existing major stationary sources in the New Source Review (NSR) program under the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act). The proposed revisions include revising the definition of "project" in the NSR regulations, adding additional recordkeeping and reporting requirements applicable to minor modifications at existing major stationary sources, and proposing to require that decreases accounted for in the Step 1 significant emissions increase calculation be enforceable.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters within a 500-yard radius of the vessels Ugle Duckling and Streak. The safety zone is necessary to protect vessels while a HAUV/ROV survey is conducted of the Enbridge Line 5 pipelines. Entry of vessels into this zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Northern Great Lakes (COTP).