2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule would amend the regulations for certain HUD Public and Indian Housing and Housing Programs. The proposed amendments would revise existing regulations that govern admission for applicants with criminal records or a history of involvement with the criminal justice system and eviction or termination of assistance of persons on the basis of illegal drug use, drug-related criminal activity, or other criminal activity. The proposed revisions would require that prior to any discretionary denial or termination for criminal activity, PHAs and assisted housing owners take into consideration multiple sources of information, including but not limited to the recency and relevance of prior criminal activity. They are intended to minimize unnecessary exclusions from these programs while allowing providers to maintain the health, safety, and peaceful enjoyment of their residents, their staffs, and their communities. The proposed rule is intended to both clarify existing PHA and owner obligations and reduce the risk of violation of nondiscrimination laws.

The Coast Guard is establishing two temporary safety zones, a moving safety zone and a fixed safety zone, around the M/V HAPPY DIAMOND in the navigable waters of the Houston Ship Channel and its vicinity. The temporary safety zones are necessary to protect persons, property, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with the transfer of large gantry cranes. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within the safety zones unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Houston-Galveston or a designated representative.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve state implementation plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the State of Colorado to meet certain Clean Air Act (CAA) requirements related to the Denver Metro/North Front Range (DMNFR) area's classification as Marginal nonattainment for the 2015 8-hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). The revisions contain a base year emissions inventory for the nonattainment area and certify that the State's existing Air Pollutant Emissions Notice (APEN) program fulfills the CAA's emission statement rule requirement. The revisions also include a new requirement for annual certification of APEN reported emissions. Unrelated to Colorado's Marginal ozone nonattainment obligations, EPA is also proposing to approve the State's revisions to Regulation 3 concerning an update to the date of incorporation by reference of global warming potentials used in the computation of the carbon dioxide equivalent for comparing emissions from various greenhouse gases (GHGs). EPA is taking this action pursuant to the CAA.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the name and operating schedule that governs the Central Oregon and Pacific railroad bridge across the Umpqua River, mile 11.5, at Reedsport, OR. Coos Bay Rail Line, the bridge owner, requested to change the name of the bridge to a locally recognized name and to change the current operating schedule due to reduced marine traffic using the waterway. The modified rule would change the name of the bridge, allow the bridge to be maintained in the closed to navigation position and remove the requirement for fog signals at the bridge. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard will enforce the Desert Storm Poker Run Shootout special local regulations on the waters of Lake Havasu, Arizona on April 26, 2024, through April 28, 2024. These special local regulations are 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.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing a rule to abolish the Frederick, Maryland, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area and define Frederick County, MD, to the Anne Arundel, MD, NAF FWS wage area, and Berkeley County, West Virginia, to the Washington, DC, NAF FWS wage area. These changes are necessary because NAF FWS employment in the survey area is now below the minimum criterion of 26 wage employees to maintain a wage area, and the local activities no longer have the capability to conduct local wage surveys.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from vessels using jig gear to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length overall using hook-and-line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This action is necessary to allow the A season apportionment of the 2024 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Leonardo S.p.a Model AW169 helicopters. This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This AD requires revising the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the existing helicopter maintenance manual or instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA) for your helicopter and the existing approved maintenance or inspection program for your helicopter, as applicable, 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 General Services Administration (GSA) is issuing a correction to FMR Case 2023-02: Transportation Payment and Audit Regulations. The document contained an incorrect background paragraph. This document contains the correct paragraph.

This final rule updates the list of sources from which the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) derives appellate jurisdiction.

The Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC" or "Commission") is adopting amendments to the rule under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 that exempts certain investment advisers that provide advisory services through the internet ("internet investment advisers") from the prohibition on Commission registration, as well as related amendments to Form ADV. The amendments are designed to modernize the rule's conditions to account for the evolution in technology and the investment advisory industry since the initial adoption of the rule in 2002.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing final regulations to reinforce and clarify longstanding civil service protections and merit system principles, codified in law, as they relate to the involuntary movement of Federal employees and positions from the competitive service to the excepted service, or from one excepted service schedule to another. In this final rule, OPM adopts many of the provisions from the proposed rule with some modifications and clarifications based on comments received from the public. The final regulations will better align OPM regulations with relevant statutory text, congressional intent, legislative history, legal precedent, and OPM's longstanding practice.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all MHI RJ Aviation ULC Model CL-600-2E25 (Regional Jet Series 1000) airplanes. This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, as specified in a Transport Canada AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 7X airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a determination that non-conforming washers may have been installed in production on engine 1 and 3 forward yokes. This proposed AD would require a one-time inspection for non-conforming washers and, depending on findings, related investigative and corrective actions, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to promulgate a Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) chronic aquatic life ambient water quality criterion for waters under the state of Idaho's jurisdiction to protect aquatic life from the effects of exposure to harmful concentrations or levels of total mercury (i.e., including methylmercury and inorganic mercury). In 2008, the EPA disapproved the state's revision of its mercury aquatic life criteria. The state has not adopted and submitted revised mercury aquatic life criteria to the EPA to address the EPA's 2008 disapproval. Therefore, the EPA is proposing a Federal mercury criterion to protect aquatic life uses in Idaho.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Model RB211-524H-36 and RB211-524H-T-36 engines. This AD was prompted by reports of engine surges and a subsequent investigation which found that the surges may have been caused by material loss on the high-pressure compressor (HPC) stage 1 and stage 2 rotor path liners. This AD requires borescope inspections (BSIs) of the HPC stage 1 and stage 2 rotor path liners for material loss, 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 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT or Department) is amending its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) program regulations. The DBE and ACDBE programs are designed to allow small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals to compete fairly for DOT funded contracts let by State and local transportation agencies and in airport concession opportunities. The final rule improves program implementation in major areas, including by updating the personal net worth and program size thresholds for inflation; modernizing rules for counting of material suppliers; incorporating procedural flexibilities enacted during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; adding elements to foster greater usage of DBEs and ACDBEs with concurrent, proactive monitoring and oversight; updating certification provisions with less prescriptive rules that give certifiers flexibility when determining eligibility; revising the interstate certification process to provide for reciprocity among certifiers; and making technical corrections to commonly misinterpreted rules.

In a final rule published in the Federal Register on September 14, 2023, and effective on October 16, 2023, we amended the regulations governing the importation of equines to better align our regulations with international standards, as well as to clarify existing policy or intent, and correct inconsistencies or outdated information. However, in amending the regulations for horses that are refused entry, we neglected to account for rare and specific situations in which an imported horse's death during travel can be determined to be unrelated to foreign animal disease risk. Additionally, in aiming to improve the readability of the regulations governing equines imported from Canada, we inadvertently changed the regulations to incorrectly read that certificates for horses from Canada must be issued and endorsed, rather than issued or endorsed, by a salaried veterinarian of the Canadian Government. This document corrects those errors.

The Coast Guard is altering the operating schedule that governs the Charles Berry Bridge, mile 0.6, and the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge, mile 1.2, both over the Black River. The regulation has remained primarily unchanged since 1986 and needs to be updated to ensure the needs of all modes of transportation are being met.

The Coast Guard proposes to temporarily modify the operating schedule that governs the Cherry Street Bridge, mile 2.29, over the Milwaukee River. The City of Milwaukee has requested this temporary deviation to allow contractors to complete an extensive rehabilitation of the bridge. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The FAA is superseding airworthiness directive (AD) 2024-05- 51, which applied to certain General Electric Company (GE) Model CT7- 2E1, CT7-2F1, CT7-8A, CT7-8E, and CT7-8F5 engines, and various restricted category helicopters with GE Model T700-GE-700, -701A, - 701C, -701D/CC, -701D, -401, -401C, CT7-2D, or CT7-2D1 engines installed. AD 2024-05-51 required a phase array ultrasonic inspection of the torque reference tube magnetic insert braze joint of the power turbine (PT) drive shaft assembly for inadequate braze coverage, and repair or replacement of the PT drive shaft assembly if necessary. This AD was prompted by at least four reports of failures of the torque reference tube magnetic insert braze joint of the PT drive shaft assembly within the last several months. This AD retains the requirements of AD 2024-05-51 and expands the applicability to include a PT drive shaft assembly part number that was inadvertently omitted. The FAA previously sent an emergency AD to all known U.S. owners and operators of these engines and helicopters and is now issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) establishes the 1,421.8-acre "Comptche" American viticultural area (AVA) in Mendocino County, California. The Comptche AVA is excluded from the surrounding North Coast AVA due to significant differences in distinguishing features. 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.

This rule temporarily amends existing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations to provide that the automatic extension period applicable to expiring Employment Authorization Documents (Forms I-766 or EADs) for certain renewal applicants who have filed Form I- 765, Application for Employment Authorization (EAD application), will be increased from up to 180 days to up to 540 days from the expiration date stated on their EADs. DHS is taking these steps to help prevent renewal applicants from experiencing a lapse in their employment authorization and documentation.

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.

The U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE" or the "Department") is revising its "Procedures, Interpretations, and Policies for Consideration of New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards and Test Procedures for Consumer Products and Certain Commercial/Industrial Equipment." The revisions are consistent with current DOE practice and will allow DOE to better meet its statutory obligations under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act ("EPCA").