Agencies and Commissions May 4, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to obtain input from stakeholders on the development of a regulatory basis for the NRC's regulations governing radioactive effluents from nuclear power plants. The regulatory basis would support potential changes to better align the NRC regulations governing dose assessments for radioactive effluents from nuclear power plant operations with the most recent terminology and dose-related methodology published by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) contained in the ICRP Publication 103 (2007). The NRC has identified specific questions and issues with respect to a possible revision of the NRC's current regulations and guidance governing radioactive gaseous and liquid effluents from nuclear power plants. The NRC seeks public and other stakeholder input on these questions and issues in order to develop the regulatory basis.

Illinois has scheduled special elections on July 7, 2015, and September 10, 2015, to fill the U.S. House of Representative seat in the 18th Congressional District vacated by Representative Aaron Schock. Committees required to file reports in connection with the Special Primary Election on July 7, 2015, shall file a 12-day Pre-Primary Report. Committees required to file reports in connection with both the Special Primary and the Special General Election on September 10, 2015, shall file a 12-day Pre-Primary Report, 12-day Pre-General Report and a Post-General Report.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (``CPSC'' or ``Commission'') is issuing a final rule to specify that seasonal and decorative lighting products that do not contain any one of three readily observable characteristics (minimum wire size, sufficient strain relief, or overcurrent protection), as addressed in a voluntary standard, are deemed a substantial product hazard under the Consumer Product Safety Act (``CPSA''). Additionally, the Commission is making a technical amendment to reformat incorporations by reference in this part.

The Copyright Royalty Judges (``CRJs''), acting pursuant to statute, referred novel material questions of substantive law to the Register of Copyrights for resolution. Those questions concerned the scope of the CRJs' authority, under the statutory grant of continuing jurisdiction over ratemaking determinations, to issue a clarifying interpretation of regulations adopted pursuant to such a determination. The Register resolved those questions in a written decision that was transmitted to the CRJs. That decision is reproduced below.

Notice is hereby given of the final approval of proposed information collections by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) under OMB delegated authority. Board-approved collections of information are incorporated into the official OMB inventory of currently approved collections of information. Copies of the Paperwork Reduction Act Submission, supporting statements and approved collection of information instrument(s) are placed into OMB's public docket files. The Federal Reserve may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.