2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Education (Department) proposes priorities and requirements under the State Personnel Development Grants (SPDG) program, Assistance Listing Number 84.323A. The Department may use these priorities and requirements for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2024 and later years. We take this action to focus attention on assisting States in reforming and improving their systems for personnel preparation and personnel development in order to improve results for children with disabilities.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for Pacific cod by American Fisheries Act (AFA) trawl catcher/processors (CPs) in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully use the 2024 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod allocated to AFA trawl CPs in the BSAI.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters of the Anclote River in Tarpon Springs, FL for the removal of a dredging pipe. The safety zone will encompass all waters within a 200-yard radius of the dredge vessel DIAMOND 6 and the tug vessel LADY LAFON. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by dredge work and removal of a dredging pipe. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port St Petersburg.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all GE Aviation Czech s.r.o. (GEAC) (type certificate previously held by WALTER Engines a.s., Walter a.s., and MOTORLET a.s.) Model M601D-11, M601E-11, M601E-11A, M601E-11AS, M601E-11S, and M601F engines. This AD was prompted by a report of a crack on the centrifugal compressor case mount pad weld area, caused by a non-conforming welding (lack of welding penetration). This AD requires a one-time detailed visual inspection of the compressor case pad welds for any crack, and replacement of the compressor case if necessary, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference (IBR). The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') recently published a notice of proposed rulemaking (``NPRM'') in the Federal Register, titled ``Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees,'' which would prohibit unfair or deceptive practices relating to fees for goods or services, specifically, misrepresenting the total costs of goods and services by omitting mandatory fees from advertised prices and misrepresenting the nature and purpose of fees. The NPRM announced the opportunity for interested parties to present their positions orally at an informal hearing. Seventeen commenters requested to participate at the informal hearing. The Commission's Chief Presiding Officer, the Chair, has appointed an Administrative Law Judge for the Federal Trade Commission, the Honorable Jay L. Himes to serve as the presiding officer of the informal hearing.

GSA is proposing to amend the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to remove the requirement for lease offerors to have an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration when submitting offers and instead allow offers up until the time of award to obtain an active SAM registration.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve, under the Clean Air Act (CAA), two limited maintenance plans (LMPs) submitted by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP), on behalf of the State of West Virginia. The LMPs are revisions to West Virginia's state implementation plan (SIP) and address the Charleston, West Virginia area (Charleston Area) and the West Virginia portion of the Steubenville-Weirton, Ohio-West Virginia area (West Virginia portion of the Steubenville-Weirton Area). EPA is proposing to approve the Charleston Area LMP and the West Virginia portion of the Steubenville-Weirton Area LMP because they provide for the maintenance of the 2006 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) through the end of the second 10-year maintenance periods. In addition, EPA is initiating the process to find the LMPs adequate for transportation conformity purposes.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Embraer S.A. Model EMB-545 and EMB-550 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of a hard landing event with substantial damage to the airplane, in which the angle of attack (AOA) limiter was engaged during the final approach phase in unstable air conditions and remained engaged until the airplane touched down on the runway. This AD requires revising the Limitations and Normal Procedures sections of the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) to incorporate new operational airspeed limitations, and flight control limitations and approach procedures when AOA limiter protection is engaged, as specified in an Ag[ecirc]ncia Nacional de Avia[ccedil][atilde]o Civil (ANAC) AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD also requires inspecting records for instances of AOA limiter engagement during a certain phase of flight and reporting findings to the FAA. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

NMFS announces that the Commonwealth of Virginia is transferring a portion of its 2024 commercial summer flounder quota to the State of North Carolina. This adjustment to the 2024 fishing year quota is necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised 2024 commercial quotas for Virginia and North Carolina.

This final rule adopts a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on February 16, 2024, without change. The final rule updates regulations of the Federal Labor Relations Authority's (FLRA) Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP) to establish revised methods by which the public may obtain specific forms from the FSIP, and then file, or formally submit, those forms and other documents during the course of FSIP proceedings.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Revision 1 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.234, ``Evaluating Deviations and Reporting Defects and Noncompliance.'' This RG describes methods that the staff of the NRC considers acceptable for complying with the provisions of NRC regulations.

This action proposes to amend Alaskan Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airway V-477 in the vicinity of Ambler, AK. The FAA is proposing this amendment due to the pending decommissioning of the Ambler, AK, Nondirectional Radio Beacon (NDB).

This action proposes to modify the Class E airspace area extending upward from 700 feet or more above the surface of the earth at Yerington Municipal Airport, Yerington, NV. This action would support the airport's transition from visual flight rules (VFR) to instrument flight rules (IFR) operations.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) published a document in the Federal Register on January 26, 2024, concerning an Order on Reconsideration that addresses the Petition for Clarification and Partial Reconsideration (Petition) filed by CTIA and the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) (collectively, Petitioners) of the Commission's Report and Order regarding the ``Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative'' (MDRI) by extending the compliance deadline to implement elements of the MDRI to May 1, 2024. In its Order on Reconsideration, the Commission also agrees with the request to treat Roaming under Disaster arrangements (RuDs) as presumptively confidential when filed with the Commission. In this document, the Commission is withdrawing its previous Federal Register publication of the Order on Reconsideration and substituting the present document to correct certain information regarding the compliance date and effective date. In addition, this document announces that, on October 27, 2023, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved, for a period of three years, the information collection requirements associated with the rules adopted in the Report and Order. The OMB Control Number is 3060-1317. The Commission also announces that compliance with the rules will be required, and revises its rules to specify this date and to remove text advising that compliance was not required until OMB review was completed. This action is consistent with the 2023 Order on Reconsideration, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing a compliance date and revise the rule accordingly.

DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to incorporate revised thresholds for application of the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and the Free Trade Agreements, as determined by the United States Trade Representative.

DoD is proposing to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to remove a DFARS solicitation provision and modify the text of an existing DFARS contract clause to include the operative text of that DFARS provision.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus; hereafter ``pygmy sloth''), an arboreal mammal species from Panama, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This determination also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list the pygmy sloth. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the pygmy sloth as a threatened species with a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act (``4(d) rule''). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it will add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to the species.

The FAA is correcting an airworthiness directive (AD) that was published in the Federal Register. That AD applies to all ATR-GIE Avions de Transport Regional Model ATR42 and ATR72 airplanes. As published, the docket number specified in the preamble and regulatory text is incorrect. This document corrects that error. In all other respects, the original document remains the same.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2023-13-11, which applies to certain AVOX Systems Inc. (formerly Scott Aviation) oxygen cylinder and valve assemblies; and oxygen valve assemblies; installed on but not limited to various transport airplanes. AD 2023-13-11 requires an inspection of the oxygen valve assemblies, and oxygen cylinder and valve assemblies, to determine the serial number of the valve, cylinder, and entire assembly; and for certain assemblies and parts, a detailed inspection for correct spacing of the gap between the bottom of the packing retainer and top of the valve body on the assemblies and replacement of assemblies having unacceptable gaps. AD 2023-13-11 also limits the installation of affected parts under certain conditions and requires reporting inspection results and returning certain assemblies to the manufacturer. Since the FAA issued AD 2023-13-11, the manufacturer identified additional assemblies and parts subject to the unsafe condition. This proposed AD would continue to require the actions specified in AD 2023-13-11 and require similar actions for those additional assemblies and parts. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain General Electric Company (GE) Model GEnx-1B64/P1, GEnx- 1B64/P2, GEnx-1B67, GEnx-1B67/P1, GEnx-1B67/P2, GEnx-1B70, GEnx-1B70/ 75/P1, GEnx-1B70/75/P2, GEnx-1B70/P1, GEnx-1B70/P2, GEnx-1B70C/P1, GEnx-1B70C/P2, GEnx-1B74/75/P1, GEnx-1B74/75/P2, GEnx-1B76/P2, GEnx- 1B76A/P2, GEnx-2B67, GEnx-2B67B, and GEnx-2B67/P engines. This proposed AD was prompted by a manufacturer evaluation that determined a lower life limit is necessary for certain stages 6-10 compressor rotor spools (stages 6-10 spools) than allowed by the engine shop manual (ESM). This proposed AD would require a one-time inspection of the stages 6-10 spools for previously accomplished blend repairs, a one-time inspection of the blend repairs on the stages 6-10 spools for compliance with the updated allowable limits, and replacement if necessary. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

Pursuant to its authority under the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is amending its regulations to enhance, improve and strengthen its enforcement and administration of the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) laws. Specifically, Commerce is revising some of its procedures, codifying certain areas of its practice, and enhancing certain areas of its methodologies and analyses to address price and cost distortions, as well as certain countervailable subsidies, in different capacities.

This document contains proposed regulations that would identify certain charitable remainder annuity trust (CRAT) transactions and substantially similar transactions as listed transactions, a type of reportable transaction. Material advisors and certain participants in these listed transactions would be required to file disclosures with the IRS and would be subject to penalties for failure to disclose. The proposed regulations would affect participants in these transactions as well as material advisors but provide that certain organizations whose only role or interest in the transaction is as a charitable remainderman will not be treated as participants in the transaction or as parties to a prohibited tax shelter transaction subject to excise taxes and disclosure requirements. Finally, this document provides notice of a public hearing on the proposed regulations.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 757 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of several occurrences of a power transfer unit (PTU) control valve that failed to open when commanded. This proposed AD would require installing new relays and changing certain wire bundles leading to the PTU control valve. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a Regulated Navigation Area for certain waters of the Willamette River. This action is necessary to preserve the integrity of sampling ports at the NW Natural Gasco Sediments Site Project Area on these navigable waters near Portland, Oregon. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels in the designated area from activities that could disturb or damage the sampling ports unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Columbia River or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

These special conditions are issued for the Airbus SAS (Airbus) Model A350 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the applicable airworthiness standards. This design feature is seats with inertia locking devices (ILD). 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.