Agencies and Commissions January 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) proposes to withdraw as an accounting authority and transition its functions and duties to private accounting authorities. The Commission seeks comment on a transition plan and a timetable to implement an orderly transition to the privatization of the accounts- settlement function.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission amends its rules to update various sections implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to reflect changes in the law made by the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, to making conforming edits to reflect existing Commission FOIA practice, to streamline the Commission's FOIA procedures, and to provide for clerical corrections.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement section 857 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. `Buck' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. This section provides additional requirements relative to the allowability of costs incurred by a contractor in connection with a Congressional investigation or inquiry.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement a section of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, that prohibits the use of funds, appropriated or otherwise made available, for a contract with an entity that requires employees or subcontractors to sign an internal confidentiality agreement that restricts such employees or subcontractors from lawfully reporting waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated Government representative authorized to receive such information.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to establish uniform use of line items in Federal procurement.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a renewal of Facility Operating License No. R-95, held by the Rhode Island Atomic Energy Commission (RINSC or the licensee) for the continued operation of its Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center reactor for an additional 20 years from the date of issuance. The facility is located on the Narragansett Bay Campus of the University of Rhode Island in Narragansett, Rhode Island.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a renewal of Facility Operating License No. R-103, held by the Curators of the University of MissouriColumbia (the licensee), for the continued operation of its University of MissouriColumbia Research Reactor (MURR or the reactor) at a maximum steady-state power level of 10 megawatts thermal (MWt) for an additional 20 years from the date of issuance. The MURR facility is located in the University Research Park, adjacent to the main campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia, in Boone County, Columbia, Missouri.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve a new information collection requirement regarding OMB Control No: 3090-00XX; Alliant2 Greenhouse Gas Disclosure. A notice was published in the Federal Register at 81 FR 57911 on August 24, 2016. Three comments were received.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number.

The Licensing Support System Advisory Review Panel was established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as a Federal Advisory Committee in 1989. Its purpose was to provide advice on the fundamental issues of design and development of an electronic information management system to be used to store and retrieve documents relating to the licensing of a geologic repository for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste, and on the operation and maintenance of the system. This electronic information management system was known as the Licensing Support System (LSS). In November 1998, the Commission approved amendments to title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations part 2 that renamed the Licensing Support System Advisory Review Panel as the Licensing Support Network Advisory Review Panel. The Licensing Support Network (LSN) was shut down in 2011 and the document collection was submitted to the Office of the Secretary. The document collection was made publically available in the NRC's ADAMS system in August 2016 and contains over 3.69 million documents associated the proposed high-level waste facility at Yucca Mountain. Membership on the Panel will continue to be drawn from those whose interests that could be affected by the use of the LSN document collection, including the Department of Energy, the NRC, the State of Nevada, the National Congress of American Indians, affected units of local governments in Nevada, the Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force, and nuclear industry groups. Federal agencies with expertise and experience in electronic information management systems may also participate on the Panel. The NRC has determined that renewal of the charter for the LSNARP until January 5, 2019, is in the public interest in connection with duties imposed on the Commission by law. This action is being taken in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act after consultation with the Committee Management Secretariat, General Services Administration.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review an initial determination (``ID'') (Order No. 10) of the presiding administrative law judge (``ALJ'') granting a joint motion to terminate the investigation based upon settlement. The investigation is terminated.

The National Science Foundation (NSF or Foundation) is providing notice of its adjusted maximum civil monetary penalties, effective January 15, 2017. These adjustments are required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (the 2015 Act).