2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rules agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) in this Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2024-07. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG), follows this FAC.

Under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFC Implementation Act), NMFS issues this final rule to shorten the duration of fish aggregating device (FAD) closure periods for the U.S. purse seine fishery. This action is necessary to satisfy the obligations of the United States under the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention), to which it is a Contracting Party.

This document is issued under the joint authority of DoD, GSA, and NASA. This Small Entity Compliance Guide has been prepared in accordance with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. It consists of a summary of the rules appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2024-07, which amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Interested parties may obtain further information regarding these rules by referring to FAC 2024-07, which precedes this document.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending a Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision to align the penalties language with the equivalent penalties language at an associated FAR clause.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) proposes to establish the 32,360-acre "Rancho Guejito" American viticultural area (AVA) in San Diego County, California. The proposed AVA is located entirely within the existing South Coast AVA and would partially overlap the existing San Pasqual Valley AVA. TTB designates viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase. TTB invites comments on these proposals.

In accordance with the statutory provisions enacted by the Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960, on August 5, 2024, the Coast Guard published a notice of proposed rulemaking the Coast Guard is proposing new pilotage rates for 2025. The Coast Guard is extending the comment period of the Great Lakes Pilotage Rates2025 Annual Review notice of proposed rulemaking for 15 days. The extension is intended to keep the comment window open until after the Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory Committee meeting on September 6, 2024. Participation in this meeting will allow stakeholders to better understand the issues at play and to submit more informed public comments.

We, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), published a document in the Federal Register on March 18, 2024, approving in part, and not approving in part, amendments to the West Virginia regulatory program (the West Virginia program) under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA or the Act).

This action establishes Class E airspace at Utopia, TX. The FAA is taking this action to support new public instrument procedures.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain MD Helicopters, LLC, Model 369 (Army YOH-6A), 369A (Army OH-6A), 369D, 369E, 369F, 369FF, 369H, 369HE, 369HM, 369HS, 500N, and 600N helicopters. This proposed AD was prompted by multiple reports of cracked tail rotor (T/R) pedal support brackets. This proposed AD would require repetitively inspecting certain part-numbered T/R pedal support brackets and depending on the results, replacing the T/R pedal support bracket or refinishing any exposed areas. This proposed AD would also prohibit installing certain part-numbered T/R pedal support brackets. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Department of State (the Department) is correcting an interim final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on August 20, 2024 creating an exemption for defense trade and cooperation among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States and related amendments.

NMFS adjusts the 2024 Winter II commercial scup quota and per- trip Federal landing limit. This action is necessary to comply with regulations implementing Framework Adjustment 3 to the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan that established the rollover of unused commercial scup quota from the Winter I to the Winter II period. This notification informs the public of the quota and trip limit changes.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment two related draft Regulatory Guides (DGs) namely DG- 1420, "Criteria for Power Systems for Nuclear Power Plants," and DG- 1354, "Criteria for the Protection of Class 1E Power Systems and Equipment for Nuclear Power Plants." DG-1420 is proposed Revision 4 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.32 of the same name and DG-1354 is newly proposed Revision 0 of RG 1.238. DG-1420 describes an approach that is acceptable to the NRC staff to meet regulatory requirements for the design, operation, and testing of electric power systems in nuclear power plants. DG-1354 describes an approach that is acceptable to the NRC staff for use in complying with NRC regulations that address the protection of Class 1E power systems and equipment at nuclear power plants.

The Coast Guard will enforce a special local regulation for the Olympia Harbor Days Tugboat Races from 12 until 3 p.m. on September 1, 2024, to ensure the safety of life on the navigable waters of Budd Inlet during the event. During the enforcement period, no person or vessel may enter the regulated area without permission from the on- scene patrol craft.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Embraer S.A. Model EMB-135ER, -135KE, -135KL, and -135LR airplanes; and Model EMB-145, -145EP, -145ER, -145LR, -145MP, -145MR, and -145XR airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a structural assessment that indicated certain central fuselage longitudinal splices are subjected to fatigue damage on multiple sites due to loose fasteners, which may reduce the structural residual strength below the required levels. This proposed AD would require performing repetitive inspections of certain upper central fuselage longitudinal splices and reporting the inspection results, as specified in an Ag[ecirc]ncia Nacional de Avia[ccedil][atilde]o Civil (ANAC) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). This proposed AD would also require performing corrective actions if necessary. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

In this final rule, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) makes changes to the Russian and Belarusian sanctions under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This final rule expands the scope of the Russia/Belarus-Military End User (MEU) Foreign-Direct Product (FDP) rule, and renames it accordingly, so that the rule will also apply to transactions involving entities on the Entity List that pose a significant risk of involvement in the supply or diversion of items subject to the EAR to procurement networks for Russia's and Belarus's defense industry or intelligence services. This final rule also adds controls on the export, reexport, or transfer (in-country) to or within Russia or Belarus of "software" for the operation of computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools. In addition, this final rule makes corrections and clarifications to certain aspects of the EAR's Russia and Belarus sanctions.

This rule amends, suspends, or removes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures 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 for the safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

This document announces the Agency's receipt of an initial filing of a pesticide petition requesting the establishment or modification of regulations for residues of pesticide chemicals in or on various commodities.

The FAA is amending certain airworthiness regulations to standardize the criteria for conducting safety assessments for systems, including flight controls and powerplants, installed on transport category airplanes. With this action, the FAA seeks to reduce risk associated with airplane accidents and incidents that have occurred in service, and reduce risk associated with new technology in flight control systems. The intended effect of this rulemaking is to improve aviation safety by making system safety assessment (SSA) certification requirements more comprehensive and consistent.

This action establishes United States Area Navigation (RNAV) Routes Q-147, Q-149, and T-484 in the eastern United States. This action supports FAA Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) efforts to provide a modern RNAV route structure to improve the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or we) is establishing the final frameworks from which States may select season dates, limits, and other options for the 2024-25 migratory game bird hunting season. We annually prescribe outside limits (which we call frameworks) within which States may select hunting seasons. Frameworks specify the outside dates, season lengths, shooting hours, bag and possession limits, and areas where migratory game bird hunting may occur. These frameworks are necessary to allow State selections of seasons and limits and to allow harvest at levels compatible with migratory game bird population status and habitat conditions. Migratory game bird hunting seasons provide opportunities for recreation and sustenance, and aid Federal, State, and Tribal governments in the management of migratory game birds.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) to establish enforceable emission limits for attaining the 2010 1-hour sulfur dioxide (SO2) primary national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for the Rusk and Panola Counties, Texas nonattainment area (Rusk-Panola area). The EPA is proposing the FIP to address deficiencies in Texas' 2022 Rusk-Panola area attainment State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision, as identified in the EPA's proposed limited approval and limited disapproval of that SIP, and which can be found in the same docket as this action. Under the limited approval, if finalized, the entire SIP submission would become federally enforceable. The limited disapproval, if finalized, would trigger the 2-year deadline for EPA to finalize a FIP that addresses the deficiencies in the SIP as well as the 18-month deadline to impose mandatory emission offsets and highway funding sanctions. The EPA is proposing to determine that the proposed FIP would provide for attainment of the 2010 1-hour primary SO2 NAAQS in the Rusk- Panola SO2 nonattainment area and meets the other applicable requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

We are revising our hearing regulations to provide that claimants may appear at hearings in one of four ways: by agency video, by online video, by audio, or in person. Those four manners will all be standard manners of appearance in our hearing process. For online video and audio appearances, claimants may appear for hearings remotely, using private electronic devices that we do not own, operate, or approve. For online video appearances, a claimant may appear for a hearing using approved online video conferencing applications, rather than conferencing options using equipment that we own or approve. Additionally, while our current regulations permit us to schedule claimants to appear by telephone in limited circumstances only, this final rule will allow us to schedule claimants to appear by audio without similar restrictions, if the claimant does not object to appearing in that manner. We expect that this final rule will provide us and claimants with additional flexibility, allowing us to manage our hearing process more efficiently.

The Coast Guard will enforce the San Diego Bayfair special local regulation on the waters of Mission Bay, California from September 13, 2024, through September 15, 2024. This special local regulation is necessary to provide for the safety of the participants, crew, spectators, sponsor vessels, and general users of the waterway. During the enforcement period, persons and vessels are prohibited from anchoring, blocking, loitering, or impeding within this regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, or his designated representative.

This action amends 14 CFR part 71 relating to airspace designations to reflect the approval by the Director of the Federal Register of the incorporation by reference of FAA Order JO 7400.11J, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points. This action also explains the procedures the FAA will use to amend the listings of Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas; air traffic service routes; and reporting points incorporated by reference.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) is announcing the availability of a guidance for industry entitled "Mammography Quality Standards Act and Regulation Amendments: Small Entity Compliance Guide." The Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992 (MQSA) final rule amended FDA's regulations to address, among other things, standards for accreditation bodies, certifying agencies, mammography equipment, quality assurance testing, and clinical image quality, as well as to require certain breast density information be provided by mammography facilities to patients and their healthcare providers. The small entity compliance guide (SECG) is intended to help small entities comply with the MQSA final rule.