2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2022-19-09, which applies to all Airbus Canada Limited Partnership Model BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 airplanes. AD 2022-19-09 requires repetitive inspections of the left and right main landing gear (MLG) lower spindle pins to detect corrosion, and applicable repair or replacement. Since the FAA issued AD 2022-19-09, the tracking of flight cycles for inspections was changed from the usage of the MLG to the usage of MLG lower spindle assemblies and a replacement was developed, which would terminate the inspections. This proposed AD continues to require certain actions in AD 2022-19-09, would change the tracking of flight cycles for inspections from the usage of the MLG to the usage of MLG lower spindle assemblies, and would require replacement of affected MLG lower spindle assemblies, as specified in a Transport Canada AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). This proposed AD also would remove airplanes from the applicability. This proposed AD would also prohibit the installation of affected parts under certain conditions. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is proposing requirements that would strengthen FDIC-insured depository institutions' (IDI) recordkeeping for custodial deposit accounts with transactional features and preserve beneficial owners' and depositors' entitlement to the protections afforded by Federal deposit insurance. The proposal is intended to promote the FDIC's ability to promptly make deposit insurance determinations and, if necessary, pay deposit insurance claims "as soon as possible" in the event of the failure of an IDI holding custodial accounts with transactional features. The proposed requirements also are expected to result in depositor and consumer protection benefits, such as promoting timely access by consumers to their funds, even in the absence of the failure of an IDI. The requirements described in this document would only apply to IDIs offering custodial accounts with transactional features and that are not specifically exempted as provided in this document.

This document corrects technical errors in the final rule that appeared in the August 6, 2024 Federal Register, titled "Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF); Updates to the Quality Reporting Program and Value-Based Purchasing Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2025" (referred to hereafter as the "FY 2025 SNF final rule"). The effective date of the FY 2025 SNF final rule is October 1, 2024.

This document corrects technical and typographical errors in the final rule that appeared in the August 6, 2024 Federal Register entitled "Medicare Program; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System for Federal Fiscal Year 2025 and Updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program" (referred to hereafter as the "FY 2025 IRF final rule"). The effective date of the FY 2025 IRF final rule is October 1, 2024.

In this notice of proposed rulemaking, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes deregulatory amendments to its regulations to modernize and streamline the application requirements for wine premises. The proposed amendments also relax some reporting requirements associated with changes to the business of proprietors of wine premises. The proposed amendments are a result of TTB's evaluation of its permit and registration application requirements and consideration of relevant public comments submitted to the Treasury Department in response to its request for recommendations concerning regulations that can be eliminated, modified, or streamlined to reduce burdens. TTB believes the amendments proposed in this document will significantly reduce the time needed to complete an application to establish and operate wine premises.

In this rule, the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to expand the Validated End User Authorization (VEU) program to include VEU Authorization for data centers located in specified destinations ("Data Center VEU" or "Data Center VEU Authorization"). This expansion of the VEU program to include Data Center VEU is intended to facilitate quick and reliable export or reexport of items on the Commerce Control List necessary for a data center, including advanced computing items, to preapproved trusted end users. Data Center VEU adopts much of the framework of the existing VEU program, with additional requirements. This expansion of eligibility is intended to update the VEU program to recognize the advancement and benefits of artificial intelligence. As under the original VEU Authorization Program, the U.S. government will rigorously review Data Center VEU candidates' applications subject to detailed and verifiable criteria.

In October 2023, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPR) to address risks of death and injury associated with infant suffocations, falls, and other hazards associated with infant and infant/toddler rockers (rockers). On August 22, 2024, CPSC published a notice of availability and request for comment (NOA) to announce the availability of, and to seek comment on, details about incident data relevant to the NPR. The NOA also sought comment on a standard tessellation language (STL) file for a firmness test fixture proposed in the NPR, and an amended version of the voluntary standard for rockers. The NOA invited the public to submit written comments during a 30-day comment period, beginning on the NOA publication date and ending on September 23, 2024. In response to a request for a 90-day extension of the NOA comment period, the Commission is reopening the comment period. Comments are now due November 7, 2024.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adopts with this rule OMB's Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, to include 12 existing HHS- specific modifications. This rule also repeals HHS' existing regulations governing the administration of HHS financial assistance awards. The existing HHS-specific modifications are described in the rule's preamble. Additionally, the rule will correct citations throughout all relevant HHS regulations.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to amend its regulations to implement a new authority requiring VA to establish a pilot program to assess the feasibility of awarding grants to eligible entities to establish new legal assistance clinics or enhance existing legal assistance clinics and pro bono efforts to provide certain legal assistance to veterans and individuals who served in the Armed Forces. This rulemaking provides proposed grant program eligibility criteria, application requirements, scoring criteria, constraints on the allocation and use of grant funds, and other requirements necessary to implement the grant program.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Bethany Beach firefly (Photuris bethaniensis), a firefly species from Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, 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 Bethany Beach firefly. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the species is warranted. We also propose protective regulations issued under section 4(d) of the Act to provide for the conservation of the Bethany Beach firefly. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to the species.

This document contains corrections to a final rule. The document being corrected is the regulations governing the Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the New England Wind Project, Offshore Massachusetts, published on June 21, 2024.

This action proposes to amend Alaskan Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airway V-510 in Alaska. This proposed action is due to the decommissioning of the Anvik Nondirectional Radio Beacon (NDB) in Alaska.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes to direct the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the Commission-certified Electric Reliability Organization, to develop and submit for Commission approval new or modified Reliability Standards that address the: sufficiency of responsible entities' supply chain risk management plans related to the identification of, assessment of, and response to supply chain risks, and applicability of Reliability Standards' supply chain protections to protected cyber assets.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is amending regulations governing SBA's 504 Loan Program for debt refinancing with expansion and debt refinancing without expansion with this direct final rule. The changes will streamline the loan application process, expand eligibility criteria for small businesses borrowers, and make minor corrections. The amendments include: removing the 50% cap on debt refinance without expansion to conform with current legislation; raising the loan to value requirement on debt refinancing without expansion projects that include other business expenses to 90% and eliminating the cap on Eligible Business Expenses; aligning the "substantially all" standard for 504 debt refinancing with expansion so it is consistent with the debt refinancing without expansion standard of 75%; eliminating the 10% substantial benefit test on 504 debt refinancing with expansion and 504 debt refinancing without expansion on refinancing other government debt; and allowing certain "other secured debt" to be included as an Eligible Business Expense.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing to amend its adjudication regulations to implement provisions of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT Act or Act). The statute amended procedures applicable to claims based on toxic exposure and modified or established presumptions of service connection related to toxic exposure. Pursuant to the Act, VA is proposing to remove the manifestation period requirement and the minimum compensable evaluation requirement from Persian Gulf War claims based on undiagnosed illness and medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses. VA is also proposing to expand the definition of a Persian Gulf veteran; update the list of locations eligible for a presumption of exposure to toxic substances, chemicals, or airborne hazards based on service during the Persian Gulf War; and add presumptions of service connection for 23 diseases associated with exposure to toxins. To implement additional provisions of the Act, VA is also proposing to codify the procedure for determining when medical examinations and nexus opinions are required for claims that cannot be considered on a presumptive basis and the evidence establishes participation in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA). Additional provisions of the PACT Act will be addressed in separate, future rulemakings.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the Las Vegas bearpoppy (Arctomecon californica) as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The Las Vegas bearpoppy is a plant in the poppy family. It is endemic to the eastern Mojave Desert in southern Nevada and northwest Arizona. After a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the Las Vegas bearpoppy 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 Las Vegas bearpoppy or its habitat.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing two actions related to attainment of the 2010 primary 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS or "standard"). First, the EPA is proposing to determine that the San Juan and Guayama-Salinas SO2 Nonattainment Areas (NAAs) failed to attain the 2010 primary 1-hour SO2 NAAQS by the applicable attainment date of April 9, 2023, based upon a technical analysis of various evidence available (i.e., weight-of-evidence analysis). If the EPA finalizes this determination as proposed, within one year, Puerto Rico will be required to submit revisions to the Puerto Rico State Implementation Plan (SIP) that, among other elements, provide for expeditious attainment of the 2010 SO2 standard no later than five years from the publication date of the final rule. Second, the EPA is proposing to approve certain elements of Puerto Rico's November 22, 2022, SIP revision (hereinafter referred to as the "plan"), which was submitted to demonstrate attainment of the 2010 primary 1-hour SO2 standard in the San Juan and Guayama-Salinas NAAs. Elements being proposed for approval include Puerto Rico's nonattainment new source review (NNSR) program and the base year emissions inventory. Finally, the EPA is proposing to approve in part, and conditionally approve in part, for SIP-strengthening purposes, other remaining elements of the plan, including amendments to Puerto Rico's Regulation for the Control of Atmospheric Pollution (or RCAP), which include control measures, emissions limitations, and reporting requirements for sources in the NAAs.

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPS) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure procedures (ODPs) for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

As required by the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (NDAA-23), this document proposes to reduce financial harm to civilians who are not covered beneficiaries of the Military Health System (MHS), and who receive healthcare services at DoD military medical treatment facilities (MTF). The rulemaking, once finalized, will implement the MHS Modified Payment and Waiver Program (MPWP) through which the DoD will apply a sliding fee scale and/or a catastrophic fee waiver to medical invoices of certain non-beneficiaries and will accept payments from health insurers of non-beneficiaries as full payment except for copays, coinsurance, deductibles, nominal fees and non-covered services.

The State of North Carolina (North Carolina) has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for final approval of revisions to its Underground Storage Tank Program (UST Program) under subtitle I of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Pursuant to RCRA, the EPA is proposing to approve revisions to North Carolina's UST Program. This action is based on the EPA's determination that the State's revisions satisfy all requirements for UST program approval. This action also proposes to codify North Carolina's revised UST Program and to incorporate by reference the State statutes and regulations that we have determined meet the requirements for approval.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is correcting the final guidance that appeared in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024. This document reverses a change to a title heading and makes technical amendments clarifying specific language in three parts.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), are approving an amendment to the Ohio Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Reclamation Plan (Ohio Plan or Plan) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act). Ohio proposed to amend its existing plan to reflect statutory, regulatory, policy, procedural, and organizational changes made since it was originally approved in 1982. Ohio also submitted relevant statutory provisions amended by the State legislature in 2016, as well as draft statutory revisions regarding what land and water resources are eligible for Federal grant funds and other proposed amendments for consistency with SMCRA, for OSMRE's review and consideration.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all BAE Systems (Operations) Limited Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ series airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of cracking on the radius of the rib 0 forward longeron at a certain frame. This AD requires a one-time inspection for defects of the radius, and repair 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 Airbus SAS Model A330-243, -302, -343, and -941 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a determination that a certain aft bulkhead cover panel may have been made with a non-conforming material. This AD requires replacing the aft bulkhead cover panel and prohibits the installation of affected parts, 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.