2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rulemaking would implement a recommendation from the Avocado Administrative Committee (Committee) to change the maturity requirements under the marketing order for avocados grown in South Florida. This action would update the avocado maturity shipping schedule to allow certain sizes and weights of the Beta avocado variety to be shipped earlier. A corresponding change would be made to the avocado import regulation as required under the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937.

On March 12, 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ("NOAA") received a petition from the Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Center at the University of Houston Law Center, the Institute for Responsible Carbon Management, and a collection of environmental law professors and environmental policy experts (collectively "Petitioners") to amend NOAA's reporting regulations under the Weather Modification Reporting Act of 1972. Through this notification, NOAA seeks comment on the topics contained in the petition, as well as any data or information that could be used in the Agency's determination whether to grant the petition. By seeking comment on whether to grant this petition, NOAA takes no position at this time regarding the merits of the suggested rulemaking or the assertions in the petition.

This document contains proposed regulations regarding the Federal income tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 for certain costs relating to qualified alternative fuel vehicle refueling property that is placed in service within a low-income community or within a non-urban census tract. These proposed regulations would affect eligible taxpayers who place qualified property into service during a taxable year.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is approving a revision to the State of New York's State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) related to a Source-specific SIP (SSSIP) revision for the Sylvamo Ticonderoga Mill (formerly known as International Paper), located at 568 Shore Airport Rd., Ticonderoga, New York (the Facility). The control options in this SSSIP revision implement Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) for nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions from the relevant Facility sources, which include one power boiler, one lime kiln, and one recovery furnace. This SSSIP revision is intended to implement NOX RACT for the relevant Facility sources in accordance with the requirements for implementation of the 2008 and 2015 ozone NAAQS. This action will not interfere with ozone NAAQS requirements and meets all applicable requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA). The EPA proposed to approve this rule on May 23, 2024, and received two comments, neither of which were relevant to the rulemaking.

This action corrects a final rule published in the Federal Register of August 30, 2024, that amends Jet Route J-133 and establishes Area Navigation Route (RNAV) Q-801 in the vicinity of Anchorage, AK. This action corrects a typographical error in the preamble and in the regulatory text for J-133.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Piper) Model PA-28-140, PA-28-150, PA-28-160, PA-28-180, PA-28S-160, PA-28S-180, PA-28-236, PA-28-201T, PA-32-300, PA-32R-300, PA-32RT-300, PA-32RT-300T, PA-32-301FT, PA-32- 301XTC, PA-32R-301 (HP), PA-32R-301 (SP), PA-32R-301T, PA-32-301, and PA-32-301T airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of a wing separation caused by fatigue cracking in a visually inaccessible area of the lower main wing spar cap and additional reports of fatigue cracking in the wing spars of airplanes that share common type design features. This proposed AD would require reviewing airplane maintenance records to determine if an eddy current inspection of the lower main wing spar bolt holes was done and, depending on the result, doing a one-time eddy current inspection of the lower wing spar bolt holes for crack(s), and replacing any cracked main wing spar. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is correcting the erroneous incorporation of cross-references into the North Carolina State Implementation Plan (SIP) using the Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) error correction provision. EPA has determined that portions of its May 23, 2019, July 17, 2020, and March 1, 2021, final SIP rulemaking actions were in error and that it is appropriate to correct those actions by removing specific cross-references in the permitting rules from the SIP.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act), the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), Departmental Offices gives notice of a proposed exemption for a new system of records entitled "Department of the Treasury, Departmental Offices .413Outbound Investment Security Program Notification System" from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. The Outbound Investment Security Program Notification System is being established for information collected in connection with the implementation of the Executive order of August 9, 2023. The exemption is intended to comply with the legal prohibitions against the disclosure of certain kinds of information and to protect certain information maintained in this system of records.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), proposes to amend the current Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP) regulation to change the requirements for the length of time a prior Agency loss is considered significant derogatory credit and address seasoning requirements and payment performance for refinance transactions. This proposed rule intends to establish a seven-year time frame for the applicant to re-establish credit after a prior loss claim with the Agency before that loss would no longer be considered significant derogatory credit. This proposed rule also intends to clarify the seasoning requirements and expected payment history requirements for all three refinance submission types within the SFHGLP and identify when applicants are eligible to refinance their current mortgage.

This final rule amends the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's regulation on Allocation of Assets in Single-Employer Plans to prescribe the spreads component of the interest assumption under the asset allocation regulation for plans with valuation dates of October 31, 2024-January 30, 2025. These interest assumptions are used for valuing benefits under terminating single-employer plans and for other purposes.

NMFS is prohibiting retention of "other rockfish" in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary because the 2024 "other rockfish" total allowable catch (TAC) in the Aleutian Islands subarea of the BSAI has been reached.

The Board updates for 2024 the fees that the public must pay to file certain cases and pleadings with the Board. Pursuant to this update, 95 of the Board's 136 fees will increase, and 41 fees will remain at their current levels.

NMFS issues regulations to implement management measures described in an abbreviated framework action under the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP) as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule modifies the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) lane snapper catch limits. The purpose of this final rule is to modify the Gulf lane snapper catch limits based on the best scientific information available. This final rule also revises reporting and compliance requirements for Gulf reef fish commercial permit holders using vessel monitoring systems (VMS).

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2021-26- 05, which applied to all Saab AB Model SAAB 2000 airplanes. AD 2021-26- 05 required revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This AD continues to require certain actions in AD 2021-26-05 and requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, 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 is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of excessive thickness of the trailing edge of certain ailerons, which may affect the assembly of the rear spar with the lower and upper skins. This AD requires a one-time ultrasonic or visual inspection of the aileron rear spar and trailing edge areas, and applicable corrective actions, 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 is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Embraer S.A. Model EMB-545 and EMB-550 airplanes. This AD was prompted by occurrences of premature cracks in the outer layer of certain flight deck side windows caused by interference due to manufacturing tolerances. This AD requires initial and repetitive inspections of the flight deck side windows and applicable corrective actions, and prohibits the installation of affected flight deck side windows, as specified in an Ag[ecirc]ncia Nacional de Avia[ccedil][atilde]o Civil (ANAC) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office or USPTO) modifies its rules of practice governing amendment practice in trial proceedings under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) to make permanent certain provisions of the Office's motion to amend pilot program (MTA pilot program) and to revise the rules that allocate burdens of persuasion in connection with motions to amend (MTAs). These rules provide a patent owner with the option of issuance of preliminary guidance in response to an MTA and the option of filing one additional revised MTA. Further, these rules clarify that a preponderance of evidence standard applies to any new ground of unpatentability raised by the Board, and that when exercising the discretion to grant or deny an MTA or to raise a new ground of unpatentability, the Board may consider all evidence of record in the proceeding. The rules further provide that the Board may consider information identified in response to a Board-initiated request for examination assistance, and that the results of that assistance will be added to the record. The rules better ensure the Office's role of issuing robust and reliable patents, and the predictability and certainty of post-grant trial proceedings before the Board. These rules relate to the Office trial practice for inter partes review (IPR), post-grant review (PGR), and derivation proceedings that implemented provisions of the AIA providing for trials before the Office.

The Coast Guard is revising regulations associated with the approval, carriage, and maintenance of certain safety equipment required on board vessels and offshore units or facilities. We are taking this action to align these regulations with current industry practice and provide more transparent regulations for the regulated industry. These revisions eliminate outdated requirements, reduce inspection and testing requirements, and update standards incorporated by reference. Additionally, these revisions remove obsolete sections and align conflicting sections with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of Boston Inner Harbor within a 300-yard radius of the fireworks barge in the vicinity of Admiral's Hill, Mystic River, Chelsea, Massachusetts. This action is needed to protect the maritime public and event participants from potential hazards created by a fireworks event taking place in a heavily trafficked harbor scheduled for September 21, 2024, with a rain date of September 22, 2024. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Boston, or a designated representative.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) seeks comment on whether to require a winning bidder in the 5G Fund Phase I auction to demonstrate during the long- form application process that it has obtained the consent of the relevant Tribal government(s) for any necessary access to deploy network facilities using its 5G Fund support on Tribal lands within the area(s) of its winning bid(s).

This document contains proposed regulations regarding the exclusion from gross income of certain Tribal general welfare benefits. The proposed regulations address the requirements that would apply to determine whether the benefits that an Indian Tribal government program provides qualify as Tribal general welfare benefits. These proposed regulations would affect Indian Tribal governments, agencies or instrumentalities of such governments, Federally-recognized Tribes, members of such Tribes, such members' spouses and dependents, and other Tribal program participants. This document also requests comments on certain provisions and provides a notice of a public hearing on the proposed regulations that will be in addition to Tribal consultation on the proposed regulations.

This document contains proposed regulations that would amend the definition of "coverage month" and amend certain other rules in existing income tax regulations regarding the computation of an individual taxpayer's premium tax credit (PTC). The proposed coverage month amendment generally would provide that, in computing a PTC, a month may be a coverage month for an individual if the amount of the premium paid, including by advance payments of the PTC (APTC), for the month for the individual's coverage is sufficient to avoid termination of the individual's coverage for that month. The proposal also would amend the existing regulations relating to the amount of enrollment premiums used in computing the taxpayer's monthly PTC if a portion of the monthly enrollment premium for a coverage month is unpaid. Finally, the proposed regulations would clarify when an individual is considered to be ineligible for coverage under a State's Basic Health Program (BHP). The proposed regulations would affect taxpayers who enroll themselves, or enroll a family member, in individual health insurance coverage through a Health Insurance Exchange (Exchange) and may be allowed a PTC for the coverage. This document also provides a notice of a public hearing on these proposed regulations.

This document contains final regulations that provide guidance on the statutory requirement that a recipient's basis in certain property acquired from a decedent be consistent with the value of the property as finally determined for Federal estate tax purposes. In addition, the final regulations provide guidance on the statutory requirements that executors and other persons provide basis information to the IRS and to the recipients of certain property. The final regulations regarding the statutory consistent basis requirement affect recipients of property acquired from a decedent if the inclusion of the value of the property in the decedent's gross estate increases the Federal estate tax liability. The final regulations regarding the statutory basis reporting requirements affect executors and other persons required to file an estate tax return based on the value of the decedent's gross estate and the amount of decedent's lifetime adjusted taxable gifts, as well as trustees making in-kind distributions of property initially acquired from a decedent that was subject to the statutory basis reporting requirements.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters in the vicinity of General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego Bay, San Diego, CA, during the launch of the USNS Lucy Stone. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with the launching of the USNS Lucy Stone. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector San Diego.

This document cancels a public hearing on proposed regulations that would identify transactions that are the same as, or substantially similar to, certain basket contract transactions as listed transactions, a type of reportable transaction.