2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Energy (DOE) is amending its regulations for the timely coordination of Federal authorizations for proposed interstate electric transmission facilities pursuant to the Federal Power Act (FPA). Specifically, DOE is establishing an integrated and comprehensive Coordinated Interagency Transmission Authorizations and Permits Program (CITAP Program); making participation in the Integrated Interagency Pre-Application (IIP) Process a pre-condition for assistance under the CITAP Program; re-establishing the IIP Process as an iterative and collaborative process between the proponent of a proposed electric transmission project and Federal and State agencies to develop information needed for Federal authorizations; requiring the project proponent to engage in robust engagement with the public, communities of interest, and Indian Tribes during the IIP Process; aligning and harmonizing the IIP Process and implementation of the FPA with the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act; and ensuring that DOE may carry out its statutory obligation to prepare a single environmental review document sufficient for the purposes of all Federal authorizations necessary to site a proposed project.

NMFS is opening directed fishing for sablefish by vessels using trawl gear in the Bering Sea subarea and the Aleutian Islands subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). This action is necessary to fully use the 2024 sablefish total allowable catch (TAC) allocated to vessels using trawl gear in the Bering Sea subarea and the Aleutian Islands subarea of the BSAI.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain MHI RJ Aviation ULC Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701 & 702); CL-600-2C11 (Regional Jet Series 550); CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705); and CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes. This AD was prompted by a determination that a potential crack of the tombstone fitting lug cannot be detected as the bushings remain in place during accomplishment of the special detailed inspection (SDI) required by a certain airworthiness limitation (ALI) task. This AD requires inspecting the tombstone fitting lug with a new SDI sub-surface ultrasound procedure when accomplishing the ALI task, as specified in a Transport Canada AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD also requires corrective actions if necessary. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 757-200, 757-200CB, and 757-300 airplanes. This AD was prompted by cracks on both sides of the airplane in the station (STA) 1640 frame web between S-14 and S-15. This AD requires an inspection or maintenance records check for existing liner holes in the STA 1640 frame web between S-14 and S-15, and applicable on-condition actions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Selective Service System (SSS) is finalizing revisions to its Privacy Act regulations to ensure processes and procedures for requesting access and amendments to records by electronic means and appeals from denials of request for access to or amendments of records is clearly spelled out within the SSS regulations.

NMFS is revising regulations that implement the Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Council) Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This final action removes the rebuilding plan for Snohomish River coho salmon from regulation, as this stock has been rebuilt and is no longer required to be managed under a rebuilding plan.

This action proposes to revoke the Class E airspace at Gibson City, IL. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of the instrument procedures being cancelled and the airspace no longer being required.

This action proposes to amend the Class E airspace at Llano, TX, and Mason, TX. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of an airspace review conducted due to the decommissioning of the Llano very high frequency omnidirectional range (VOR) as part of the VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program. The geographic coordinates of the Llano Municipal Airport, Llano, TX, would also be updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database. This action will bring the airspace into compliance with FAA orders and support instrument flight rule (IFR) procedures and operations.

This action proposes to amend the Class E airspace at Beloit, KS. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of an airspace review conducted due to the decommissioning of the Mankato very high frequency omnidirectional range (VOR) as part of the VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program. The geographic coordinates of the airport would also be updated to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database. This action will bring the airspace into compliance with FAA orders and support instrument flight rule (IFR) procedures and operations.

The Coast Guard will enforce special local regulations for the Low Country Splash event on May 18, 2024, to provide for the safety of life on navigable waterways during this event. Our regulation for marine events within the Captain of the Port Charleston identifies the regulated area for this event in Charleston and Mt. Pleasant, SC. During the enforcement periods, no person or vessel may enter, transit through, anchor in, or remain within the regulated area unless authorized by the Coast Guard Patrol Commander or a designated representative.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is granting a treatment variance, requested by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in an August 1, 2023, petition, from the Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR) treatment standards for approximately 2,000 gallons of mixed hazardous low-activity radioactive waste from DOE's Test Bed Initiative (TBI) for the Hanford Site in Washington State. The petition requested approval for DOE to treat the TBI waste to the LDR technology standard of stabilization (STABL) with verification of meeting LDR concentration-based and Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure- based standards as applicable for the relevant waste codes.

This document contains final regulations concerning the election under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to transfer certain tax credits. The regulations describe rules for the election to transfer eligible credits in a taxable year, including definitions and special rules applicable to partnerships and S corporations and regarding excessive credit transfer or recapture events. In addition, the regulations describe rules related to a required IRS pre-filing registration process. These regulations affect eligible taxpayers that elect to transfer eligible credits in a taxable year and the transferee taxpayers to which eligible credits are transferred.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of New Hampshire. The revisions establish NOX reasonably available control technology (RACT) requirements for coal-fired cyclone boilers located in the state, portions of New Hampshire's NOX RACT certifications for the 2008 and 2015 ozone standards that pertain to requirements for coal-fired cyclone boilers, and withdrawal from the SIP of two previously issued RACT orders. This action is being taken in accordance with the Clean Air Act (CAA).

The U.S. Department of Transportation (Department or DOT) is issuing a final rule to strengthen protections for consumers by ensuring that they have access to fee information for transporting baggage and changing or canceling a flight before ticket purchase. Under the final rule, U.S. air carriers, foreign air carriers, and ticket agents must clearly disclose passenger-specific or itinerary- specific fees for these services to consumers whenever fare and schedule information is provided for flights to, within, and from the United States. The Department is further requiring that carriers provide useable, current, and accurate information regarding fees for these critical ancillary services to any entity that is required to disclose critical ancillary service fee information to consumers. This final rule is in response to the Executive order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, which directs the Department to take various actions to promote the interests of American workers, businesses, and consumers. The rule will ensure that consumers have the information they need to understand the true costs of air transportation that apply to them, which will create a more competitive market with better outcomes for consumers.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) adopts as final, with changes, a proposed rule to amend its medical regulations regarding Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) coverage to remove the exclusion for audio-only telehealth, remove current quantitative limitations on mental health/ substance use disorder coverage, remove the current requirement for pre-authorization for outpatient mental health visits in excess of 23 per calendar year and/or more than two (2) sessions per week, and exempt certain contraceptive services and prescription and nonprescription contraceptive products that are approved, cleared, or granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from cost sharing requirements.

This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Utopia, TX. The FAA is proposing this action to support new instrument procedures at this airport.

On September 15, 2023 the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) published a notice of proposed rulemaking ("NPRM" or "proposed rule") to amend regulations governing SBA's business loan programs (7(a) Loan Program, 504 Loan Program, Microloan Program, Intermediary Lending Pilot Program (ILP), Surety Bond Guarantee Program, and the Disaster Loan Program (except for the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program) for criminal background reviews. The proposed rule introduced amendments to improve equitable access based on criminal background review of applicants seeking to participate in one or more of these programs. This final rule implements proposed regulatory changes and addresses comments SBA received.

This proposed rule would amend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations to incorporate three provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 by adding to the program purpose language assisting low-income adults in obtaining employment and increasing their earnings; updating and defining the exceptions from the able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) time limit; and adjusting the number of discretionary exemptions available to State agencies each year. This proposed rule would also amend the regulations to clarify procedures for how and when State agencies must screen for exceptions to the time limit and clarify the verification requirements.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopts rules to facilitate the deployment of supplemental coverage from space (SCS) in an effort to serve several important public interest goals for the Nation and expand the reach of communications services, particularly emergency services, so that connectivity and assistance is available in more remote places. In this document, to allow satellite communications on spectrum previously allocated only to terrestrial services, the Commission modifies the United States Table of Frequency Allocations to authorize bi- directional, secondary mobile-satellite service operations in certain spectrum bands that have no primary, non-flexible-use legacy incumbents, Federal or non-Federal. For these bands, we authorize SCS only where one or more terrestrial licenseestogether holding all licenses on the relevant channel throughout a defined geographically independent arealease access to their spectrum rights to a participating satellite operator, whose license reflects these frequencies and the geographically independent area in which they will offer SCS. In recognition that this new offering has the potential to bring life-saving connectivity to remote areas, the Commission also applies interim 911 call and text routing requirements to ensure that help is available to those who need it today while we work toward enabling automatic location-based routing of all emergency communications whether or not there is a terrestrial connection available.

In August 2023, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) accepted ASTM F3429/F3429M-23 for prefilled portable fuel containers as the mandatory standard under the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2020 (PFCSA). In January 2024, ASTM notified the Commission that ASTM F3429/F3429M-23 had been revised. The Commission has evaluated revised ASTM F3429/F3429M-24 and finds that the revisions to the standard carry out the purposes of the PFCSA. Accordingly, ASTM F3429/F3429M-24 will be incorporated into the mandatory standard for portable fuel containers.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters on the Lower Mississippi River from mile marker 364.5 to mile marker 365.5. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by waterborne fireworks display with a fallout zone of approximately 560 feet around the barge. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector Lower Mississippi River.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) is revising its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing procedures (regulations) to add a categorical exclusion for certain energy storage systems and revise categorical exclusions for upgrading and rebuilding powerlines and for solar photovoltaic systems, as well as to make conforming changes to related sections of DOE's NEPA regulations. These changes will help ensure that DOE conducts an appropriate and efficient environmental review of proposed projects that normally do not result in significant environmental impacts.

NMFS issues regulations to implement management measures described in Framework Amendment 2 to each of the Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas and St. John Fishery Management Plans (FMPs). This final rule modifies annual catch limits (ACLs) for spiny lobster in the U.S. Caribbean exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas and St. John. The purpose of this final rule is to update management reference points for spiny lobster under the FMPs, consistent with the best scientific information available to prevent overfishing and achieve optimum yield (OY).

This final rule removes existing regulations concerning procedures applicable to the issuance of OPM's guidance documents. OPM is taking this action because President Biden revoked the authority for the regulations in an Executive order (E.O.) on January 20, 2021. Furthermore, OPM finds that the current procedures are impracticable and lack the flexibility needed for issuing guidance internally.

The Coast Guard will enforce special local regulations for the RiverFest Power Boat Races on the Neches River in Port Neches, TX, from May 3, 2024 through May 5, 2024, to provide for the safety of life on navigable waterways during this event. Our regulation for annual marine events within the Eighth Coast Guard District identifies the regulated area for this event in Port Neches, TX. During the enforcement periods, the operator of any vessel in the regulated area must comply with directions from the Patrol Commander.