2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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

The Coast Guard will enforce various safety zones for maritime events in the Captain of the Port Northern Great Lakes. Enforcement of these safety zones is necessary to protect the safety of life and property on the navigable waters immediately prior to, during, and immediately after this event. During the period, the Coast Guard will enforce restrictions upon, and control movement of, vessels in a specified area immediately prior to, during, and immediately after events. During each enforcement period, vessels must stay out of the established safety zone and may only enter with permission from the designated representative of the Captain of the Port Northern Great Lakes.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2021-21- 02, which applied to certain Airbus SAS Model A318, A319, A320, A321, A330-200, A330-200 Freighter, A330-300, A330-800, A330-900, A340-200, A340-300, A340-500, A340-600, and A380-800 series airplanes. AD 2021- 21-02 required replacing certain parts manufacturer approval (PMA) Ni- Cd batteries with serviceable Ni-Cd batteries or maintaining the electrical storage capacity of those PMA Ni-Cd batteries during airplane storage or parking. This AD was prompted by a determination that the on-wing preservation procedures originally provided in that AD did not ensure the expected preservation of the battery capacity. This AD adds airplanes to the applicability and requires replacing each affected part with a serviceable part before release to service of an airplane after a storage or parking period, as applicable. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

On July 10, 2023, the Department of Education (Department) published in the Federal Register final regulations amending regulations related to income-driven repayment. This document corrects technical errors in the regulations and preamble. This document does not contain any substantive changes to the regulations.

On September 8, 2023, the Department of Justice ("Department") published a notice of proposed rulemaking ("NPRM") proposing to rescind an enjoined December 2020 rule (the "AA96 Final Rule") that imposed novel limits on the authority of immigration judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals ("BIA" or "Board") to efficiently dispose of cases. Because the AA96 Final Rule has been enjoined since shortly after its issuance, the proposed rule was designed to largely codify the currently operative status quo. After reviewing and considering the public comments received during the comment period, the Department is finalizing the proposed rule with the limited changes described in the preamble. The Department believes that this rule will promote the efficient and expeditious adjudication of cases, afford immigration judges and the Board flexibility to efficiently allocate their limited resources, and protect due process for parties before immigration judges and the Board.

HUD's HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME program or HOME) provides formula grants to States and units of general local government to fund a wide range of activities to produce and maintain affordable rental and homeownership housing and provides tenant-based rental assistance for low-income and very low-income households. This proposed rule would revise the current HOME regulations to update, simplify, or streamline requirements, better align the program with other Federal housing programs, and implement recent amendments to the HOME statute. This rule also includes minor revisions to the regulations for the Community Development Block Grant and Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Programs consistent with the implementation of proposed changes to the HOME program.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters of the Delaware River within a 500-yard radius of the EX-USS NEW JERSEY during active dead ship tow operations from Philadelphia, PA to Paulsboro, NJ, and then to Camden, NJ. The temporary safety zone, which will only be enforced during active towing operations, is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by the dead ship tow. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector Delaware Bay (COTP).

Notice is provided of the Commission's regulatory program fees and schedule of water charges for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a safety zone for the navigable waters of the Sector Delaware Bay Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone, to be enforced in the event of hurricanes, tropical storms, and other storms with high winds. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of the waters of the Sector Delaware Bay COTP Zone. It would establish actions to be completed by industry and vessels within the COTP Zone before and after hurricanes, tropical storms, and other storms with high winds threatening the States of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania make landfall. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

This action proposes to amend United States Area Navigation (RNAV) Routes Q-1 and Q-902, Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airway V-495, and Jet Route J-502; revoke Jet Route J- 589; and establish of United States RNAV Route T-487 and Canadian RNAV Route T-895 in Northwestern United States. The FAA is proposing these airspace actions due to the pending decommissioning of the Victoria, British Columbia (BC), Canada, VOR/Distance Measuring Equipment (VOR/ DME).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to correct 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.

The Commission is acknowledging a recent Postal Service filing requesting the Commission initiate a rulemaking proceeding to consider changes to analytical principles relating to periodic reports (Proposal Three). This document informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

In this document, the Space Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks to refresh the record concerning the rules proposed in a 2020 Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) adopted in the Mitigation of Orbital Debris in the New Space Age rulemaking that sought comment on additional amendments to the Commission's rules related to satellite orbital debris mitigation.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (operating as AmeriCorps) is revising its regulations governing the AmeriCorps State and National program to provide programmatic and grantmaking flexibilities while protecting program integrity and safeguarding taxpayer funds. This rule limits AmeriCorps State and National grantees' required share of program costs (known as "match" or "cost share") to a scale that starts at 24 percent for the first three-year grant cycle and increases more incrementally with each successive three-year grant cycle, until it reaches 30 percent in the fourth three-year grant cycle (that is, the tenth year of the grant) and beyond; simplifies the criteria that allow AmeriCorps to waive match for AmeriCorps State and National grantees; allows AmeriCorps to grant waivers of education hour limitations under certain circumstances to permit members serving with AmeriCorps State and National grantees to spend an increased number of hours on education and training activities; and removes the four-term limit on service in AmeriCorps State and National programs, with a clarification of the number of terms for which AmeriCorps will fund member benefits. Non-substantive changes in this rule are updates to nomenclature to reflect that the Corporation for National and Community Service operates as AmeriCorps, deletion of provisions that were based on a statutory provision that has since been deleted, and updates to outdated citations.

On February 14, 2024, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC" or "Commission") published an interim final rule amending its procedural and recordkeeping regulations to include references to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act ("PWFA"). That document included a few references to the PWFA in sections where they should not have been included, and this document removes those references from the regulations.

The Coast Guard is establishing 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 rule prohibits 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.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish specific areas of the Hudson and East Rivers where safety zones will be enforced on the navigable waters beneath aerial drone shows. This action is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by aerial drone displays. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector New York or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

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.

NMFS is adjusting the General category bluefin tuna (BFT) daily retention limit from the default of one large medium or giant BFT to three large medium or giant BFT. This daily retention limit applies to Atlantic Tunas General category (commercial) permitted vessels and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat permitted vessels with a commercial sale endorsement when fishing commercially for BFT. This adjustment will be effective for the June through August subquota time period or until further modified. Additionally, NMFS is modifying the Harpoon category BFT daily retention limit from the default of no more than 10 large medium and giant BFT to 5 large medium or giant BFT. The incidental catch limit of two large medium BFT per vessel per day/trip remains unchanged. These retention limits apply to Atlantic Tunas Harpoon category permitted vessels for the remainder of the 2024 Harpoon category fishing season, which concludes on November 15, 2024, or until further modified.

We, NMFS, announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), or any evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) that may exist in the petitioned area, as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and to designate critical habitat concurrent with the listing. We find that the petition, viewed in the context of information readily available in our files, presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Therefore, we are commencing a review of the status of Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon to determine whether listing under the ESA is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial information regarding this species from any interested party.

The ASD(HA) is issuing this direct final rule to remove certain temporary regulation changes put in place in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that were automatically terminated by the end of the President's national emergency and the associated Health and Human Services (HHS) Public Health Emergency (PHE). This rule is being published as a direct final rule as the Department does not expect to receive any adverse comments. If such comments are received, and are significant, this direct final rule will be withdrawn and a proposed rule for comments will be published.

The FAA announces the special class airworthiness criteria for the Archer Aviation, Inc. (Archer) Model M001 powered-lift. This document sets forth the airworthiness criteria the FAA finds to be appropriate and applicable for the powered-lift design.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify and establish additional requirements regarding the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program, which was established pursuant to the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. This proposed rule expands on previous regulations concerning the PSHB Program and is intended to provide greater detail and clarity necessary to properly implement PSHB in 2025 and beyond. In particular, this proposed rule includes details on: reconsideration of PSHB eligibility decisions, various applications of the Medicare Part B enrollment requirement, allocation of reserve credits, calendar year alignment of Government contribution requirements, financial reporting and actuarial calculations, premium payment prioritization from the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund, and Medicare Part D integration.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bell Textron Canada Limited Model 429 helicopters. The FAA previously sent this AD as an emergency AD to all known U.S. owners and operators of these helicopters. This AD was prompted by multiple reports of tail rotor (T/R) blade abrasion strip cracks. This AD requires repetitively inspecting and checking the T/R blade abrasion strip on certain T/R blades and, depending on results, replacing or marking the T/R blade. This AD also prohibits installing affected T/R blades on any helicopter. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.