Civil Penalty Adjustments for 2025, 106607-106608 [2024-30963]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 249 / Monday, December 30, 2024 / Notices ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 officials or their authorized representatives. This Request for Comments also will be posted to the agency’s website. Subject issues for consultation and related questions are listed below. 1. NEA Resources The NEA, established by Congress in 1965, is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA aims to foster and sustain an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. This is accomplished primarily by providing resources to support the creative lives of all communities in the United States. Grants are awarded for specific projects to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, federally recognized tribes, or units of state or local government. Individual makers, artists, and culture bearers are recognized and supported through programs such as the NEA National Heritage Fellowships, NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships, and Creative Writing Fellowships. Forty percent of the NEA’s program budget is granted to State Arts Agencies and Regional Arts Organizations, which make subgrants to support additional arts activities across the nation. i. What is your awareness of our agency’s efforts in your community and nationally? ii. Have NEA resources affected your tribal community? If so, how? iii. To what extent do you see the arts and cultural activities of your tribal community reflected in the resources we offer? iv. The review criteria for our primary grant program, Grants for Arts Projects, includes artistic excellence, which is defined as ‘‘The quality of the artists and other key individuals, creative process, works of art, organizations, arts education providers, artistic partners, and/or services involved in the project and their relevance to the audience or communities the project aims to serve.’’ Does this definition of artistic excellence resonate with the artistic and cultural activities of your tribal community? How could this criteria better assess the creative projects of applicants from your community? 2. Executive Order 14112 The NEA is committed to adhering to the provisions outlined in E.O. 14112: Reforming Federal Funding and Support for Tribal Nations To Better Embrace Our Trust Responsibilities and Promote VerDate Sep<11>2014 23:58 Dec 27, 2024 Jkt 265001 the Next Era of Tribal SelfDetermination, dated December 11, 2023. The NEA has made progress on those commitments as outlined in our Equity Action Plan, outreach to Native communities to participate in our Grants for Arts Projects grant opportunities, and our overall tribal consultation approach. As we continue to improve our outreach to Native communities, we will provide updates on changes that are implemented to better serve Native constituents. The NEA is in the process of recruiting a new NEA Director of Native Arts & Tribal Affairs to lead agency efforts to better reach and serve the tribal communities. i. How can the NEA best prioritize its support for tribal sovereignty and selfgovernance? ii. How can NEA programs provide your community with the flexibility to improve its economic growth and address your community’s specific needs? iii. What funding and programmatic needs do you have? 3. Tribal Engagement In recent years, the NEA has made grants to tribal governments and Tribal Colleges & Universities (TCUs). We also have recognized Indigenous artists with NEA National Heritage Fellowships. These direct grants to tribes, tribal citizens, and TCUs are in addition to the grants we make to Native-serving nonprofits. i. How can the NEA expand on this engagement with tribes and increase awareness of these opportunities? ii. If the NEA has the resources to send staff representatives to in-person events (e.g. national conferences and regional convenings of importance to tribal communities), where would our participation be most effective? Can you provide a point-of-contact for follow up? 4. Federal Resources for Native Arts & Cultural Activities The NEA has previously provided annual updates of the Federal Resources for Native Arts & Cultural Activities, which is a consolidation of opportunities offered by federal agencies for organizations looking for funding and other resources to support Native arts and cultural activities. i. Have you ever accessed this publication? Is this publication a useful resource to make available to tribal communities? 5. Tribal Consultation The NEA’s Tribal Consultation Policy, formally established in October 2021, is PO 00000 Frm 00202 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 106607 being reviewed for any necessary updates. In order to assist us in our review of the Policy, please share your thoughts on the following questions: i. What recommendations do you have regarding the NEA’s Tribal Consultation Policy? Dated: December 20, 2024. RaShaunda Thomas, Deputy Director, Office of Administrative Services & Contracts, National Endowment for the Arts. [FR Doc. 2024–31224 Filed 12–27–24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7537–01–P NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES National Endowment for the Humanities Civil Penalty Adjustments for 2025 National Endowment for the Humanities; National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities. ACTION: Notice of civil penalty adjustments for 2025. AGENCY: The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is giving notice of the adjusted maximum and minimum civil monetary penalties that may be imposed for violations of its New Restrictions on Lobbying and Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act regulations to reflect the requirements of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. The updated penalty amounts are adjusted for inflation and are effective from January 15, 2025, through January 14, 2026. DATES: The updated civil penalties in this notice are applicable to penalties assessed on or after January 15, 2025, if the associated violations occurred after November 2, 2015. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Voyatzis, Deputy General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, National Endowment for the Humanities, 400 7th Street SW, Room 4060, Washington, DC 20506; (202) 606– 8322; gencounsel@neh.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: 1. Background The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (the Inflation Adjustment Act) 1 directs each Executive agency to make an annual inflation adjustment for each 1 28 E:\FR\FM\30DEN1.SGM U.S.C. 2461 note. 30DEN1 106608 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 249 / Monday, December 30, 2024 / Notices civil monetary penalty provided by law within the jurisdiction of the agency, and to publish notice of each such adjustment in the Federal Register. An agency adjusts a civil monetary penalty by increasing the maximum amount of such penalty (or the range of minimum and maximum amounts, as applicable) by the percentage by which the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI–U) for the month of October preceding the date of adjustment (in this case, October 2024) exceeds the CPI–U for the October one year prior to the October immediately preceding the date of the adjustment (in this case, October 2023), then rounding each amount to the nearest dollar. NEH administers two civil monetary penalties subject to adjustment pursuant to the Inflation Adjustment Act: A civil monetary penalty that NEH may impose for violation of its New Restrictions on Lobbying regulation (the Lobbying Civil Monetary Penalty) 2 and a civil monetary penalty that NEH may impose under its Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act Regulations (the PFCRA Civil Monetary Penalty).3 NEH made the initial ‘‘catch-up’’ adjustments to the Lobbying Civil Monetary Penalty for years 2016–2020 when it amended its New Restrictions on Lobbying regulation on April 21, 2020,4 and to the PFCRA Civil Monetary Penalty for years 2016–2021 when it adopted its Program Fraud Civil Monetary Penalties Act regulations on August 13, 2021.5 NEH then adjusted the amount of those civil monetary penalties accordingly when it codified the statutory formula for inflation adjustments in NEH’s New Restrictions on Lobbying and Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act regulations on March 30, 2023.6 Each regulation provides for subsequent annual adjustment of its respective civil monetary penalty by notice in the Federal Register.7 ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 2. 2025 Adjustments for Inflation OMB has issued guidance on implementing and calculating the 2025 adjustment under the Inflation Adjustment Act.8 Per this guidance, the CPI–U adjustment multiplier for this annual adjustment is 1.02598.9 The post-adjustment penalty or range is obtained by multiplying the preadjustment penalty or range by the 2 45 CFR 1168.400(a), (b), (e). CFR 1174.3(a), (b). 4 85 FR 22025. 5 86 FR 44626. 6 88 FR 18998. 7 45 CFR 1168.400(g), (h), 1174.3(f), (g). 8 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M–25–02 (December 17, 2024). 9 Id. 3 45 VerDate Sep<11>2014 23:58 Dec 27, 2024 Jkt 265001 percent change in the CPI–U over the relevant time period and rounding to the nearest dollar. Between October 2023 and October 2024, the CPI–U increased by a multiplier of 102.598% Therefore, NEH will adjust each civil monetary penalty amount by multiplying it by 1.02598 and rounding to the nearest dollar. A. 2025 Adjustment to Lobbying Civil Monetary Penalty For 2024, the Lobbying Civil Monetary Penalty had a minimum amount of $24,496 and a maximum amount of $244,958. Therefore, the adjusted minimum Lobbying Civil Monetary Penalty for 2025 is $25,132 ($24,496 multiplied by 1.02598) and the adjusted maximum Lobbying Civil Monetary Penalty for 2025 is $251,322 ($244,958 multiplied by 1.02598). Thus, the Lobbying Civil Monetary Penalty, following the 2025 adjustment, has a minimum amount of $25,132 and a maximum amount of $251,322. B. 2025 Adjustment to PFCRA Civil Monetary Penalty For 2024, the PFCRA Civil Monetary Penalty had a maximum amount of $13,946. Therefore, the new, postadjustment maximum penalty for 2025 under NEH’s PFCRA regulation is $14,308 ($13,946 multiplied by 1.02598). Dated: December 20, 2024. Jessica Graves, Paralegal Specialist, National Endowment for the Humanities. [FR Doc. 2024–30963 Filed 12–27–24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7536–01–P NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Notice of Open to the Public Meetings of the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) National Coordination Office (NCO), National Science Foundation. ACTION: Notice of public meetings. AGENCY: The NITRD Joint Engineering Team (JET) and Middleware And Grid Interagency Coordination (MAGIC) Communities of Practice (COPs) hold meetings that are open to the public to attend. The JET and MAGIC COPs provide an opportunity for the public to engage and participate in information sharing with federal agencies. The JET and MAGIC COPs report to the NITRD Large Scale Networking Interagency Working Group. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00203 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 January 2025–December 2025. Paul Love for the JET COP and Mallory Hinks for the MAGIC COP at nco@nitrd.gov or (202) 459–9674. Mail: Attn: Paul Love or Mallory Hinks, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except for U.S. Federal Government holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Joint Engineering Team (JET) COP, established in 1997, provides an opportunity for information sharing among Federal agencies and nonFederal participants who have an interest in high-performance research and engineering or research and education networking (REN) and networking to support science applications. The MAGIC COP, established in 2002, provides an opportunity for information sharing among Federal agencies and non-Federal participants involved in middleware, grid, and cloud research and infrastructure; implementing or operating grids and clouds; or the use of grids, clouds, and middleware. The JET and MAGIC COPs’ meetings are hosted by the NITRD NCO with Zoom participation available for each meeting. Public Meetings Website: The JET and MAGIC COPs’ meetings are scheduled 30 days in advance of the meeting date. Please reference the NITRD Public Meetings web page (https:// www.nitrd.gov/public-meetings/) for each COP’s upcoming meeting dates and times, in addition to the agendas, minutes, and other meeting materials and information. Public Meetings Mailing Lists: Members of the public may be added to the mailing lists by sending their full name and email address to jet-signup@ nitrd.gov for JET and magic-signup@ nitrd.gov for MAGIC, with the subject line: ‘‘Add to JET’’ and/or ‘‘Add to MAGIC’’, respectively. Meeting notifications and information are shared via the mailing lists. Public Comments: The government seeks individual input; attendees/ participants may provide individual advice only. Members of the public are welcome to submit their comments for JET to jet-comments@nitrd.gov and for MAGIC to magic-comments@nitrd.gov . Please note that under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), all public comments and/or presentations will be treated as public DATES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: E:\FR\FM\30DEN1.SGM 30DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 249 (Monday, December 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 106607-106608]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-30963]


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NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES

National Endowment for the Humanities


Civil Penalty Adjustments for 2025

AGENCY: National Endowment for the Humanities; National Foundation on 
the Arts and the Humanities.

ACTION: Notice of civil penalty adjustments for 2025.

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SUMMARY: The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is giving 
notice of the adjusted maximum and minimum civil monetary penalties 
that may be imposed for violations of its New Restrictions on Lobbying 
and Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act regulations to reflect the 
requirements of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 
1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment 
Act Improvements Act of 2015. The updated penalty amounts are adjusted 
for inflation and are effective from January 15, 2025, through January 
14, 2026.

DATES: The updated civil penalties in this notice are applicable to 
penalties assessed on or after January 15, 2025, if the associated 
violations occurred after November 2, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Voyatzis, Deputy General 
Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, National Endowment for the 
Humanities, 400 7th Street SW, Room 4060, Washington, DC 20506; (202) 
606-8322; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as 
amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act 
Improvements Act of 2015 (the Inflation Adjustment Act) \1\ directs 
each Executive agency to make an annual inflation adjustment for each

[[Page 106608]]

civil monetary penalty provided by law within the jurisdiction of the 
agency, and to publish notice of each such adjustment in the Federal 
Register. An agency adjusts a civil monetary penalty by increasing the 
maximum amount of such penalty (or the range of minimum and maximum 
amounts, as applicable) by the percentage by which the Consumer Price 
Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the month of October 
preceding the date of adjustment (in this case, October 2024) exceeds 
the CPI-U for the October one year prior to the October immediately 
preceding the date of the adjustment (in this case, October 2023), then 
rounding each amount to the nearest dollar.
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    \1\ 28 U.S.C. 2461 note.
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    NEH administers two civil monetary penalties subject to adjustment 
pursuant to the Inflation Adjustment Act: A civil monetary penalty that 
NEH may impose for violation of its New Restrictions on Lobbying 
regulation (the Lobbying Civil Monetary Penalty) \2\ and a civil 
monetary penalty that NEH may impose under its Program Fraud Civil 
Remedies Act Regulations (the PFCRA Civil Monetary Penalty).\3\ NEH 
made the initial ``catch-up'' adjustments to the Lobbying Civil 
Monetary Penalty for years 2016-2020 when it amended its New 
Restrictions on Lobbying regulation on April 21, 2020,\4\ and to the 
PFCRA Civil Monetary Penalty for years 2016-2021 when it adopted its 
Program Fraud Civil Monetary Penalties Act regulations on August 13, 
2021.\5\ NEH then adjusted the amount of those civil monetary penalties 
accordingly when it codified the statutory formula for inflation 
adjustments in NEH's New Restrictions on Lobbying and Program Fraud 
Civil Remedies Act regulations on March 30, 2023.\6\ Each regulation 
provides for subsequent annual adjustment of its respective civil 
monetary penalty by notice in the Federal Register.\7\
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    \2\ 45 CFR 1168.400(a), (b), (e).
    \3\ 45 CFR 1174.3(a), (b).
    \4\ 85 FR 22025.
    \5\ 86 FR 44626.
    \6\ 88 FR 18998.
    \7\ 45 CFR 1168.400(g), (h), 1174.3(f), (g).
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2. 2025 Adjustments for Inflation

    OMB has issued guidance on implementing and calculating the 2025 
adjustment under the Inflation Adjustment Act.\8\ Per this guidance, 
the CPI-U adjustment multiplier for this annual adjustment is 
1.02598.\9\ The post-adjustment penalty or range is obtained by 
multiplying the pre-adjustment penalty or range by the percent change 
in the CPI-U over the relevant time period and rounding to the nearest 
dollar. Between October 2023 and October 2024, the CPI-U increased by a 
multiplier of 102.598% Therefore, NEH will adjust each civil monetary 
penalty amount by multiplying it by 1.02598 and rounding to the nearest 
dollar.
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    \8\ Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-25-02 
(December 17, 2024).
    \9\ Id.
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A. 2025 Adjustment to Lobbying Civil Monetary Penalty

    For 2024, the Lobbying Civil Monetary Penalty had a minimum amount 
of $24,496 and a maximum amount of $244,958. Therefore, the adjusted 
minimum Lobbying Civil Monetary Penalty for 2025 is $25,132 ($24,496 
multiplied by 1.02598) and the adjusted maximum Lobbying Civil Monetary 
Penalty for 2025 is $251,322 ($244,958 multiplied by 1.02598).
    Thus, the Lobbying Civil Monetary Penalty, following the 2025 
adjustment, has a minimum amount of $25,132 and a maximum amount of 
$251,322.

B. 2025 Adjustment to PFCRA Civil Monetary Penalty

    For 2024, the PFCRA Civil Monetary Penalty had a maximum amount of 
$13,946. Therefore, the new, post-adjustment maximum penalty for 2025 
under NEH's PFCRA regulation is $14,308 ($13,946 multiplied by 
1.02598).

    Dated: December 20, 2024.
Jessica Graves,
Paralegal Specialist, National Endowment for the Humanities.
[FR Doc. 2024-30963 Filed 12-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7536-01-P
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