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

On October 3, 2017, the Postal Service (USPS) filed a notice of mailing services price adjustments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). The proposed price adjustments are scheduled to become effective on January 21, 2018. This proposed rule contains the revisions to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) that we would adopt to implement rule changes coincident with the price adjustments.

This action deletes products and services from the Procurement List previously furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities.

In this document, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeks comment on allowing the Commission to assign numbers by auction, on a first-come, first-served basis, by an alternative assignment methodology, or by a combination of methodologies. The NPRM seeks comment on allowing a secondary market for toll free numbers and on setting aside toll free numbers necessary to promote health and safety for use, without cost, by government agencies and non-profit health and safety organizations. The NPRM also seeks comment on whether to consider changes to overall toll free number administration. The intended effect of this NPRM is to make toll free numbers available on a more equitable and efficient basis by assigning mutually exclusive toll free numbers to the parties that value them most.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 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.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) proposes to eliminate rules that require certain broadcast and cable entities to maintain paper copies of Commission regulations.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a request for renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, ``Licensing Requirements for the Independent Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level Radioactive Waste and Reactor-Related Greater than Class C Waste.''

This final rule amends the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's regulation on Benefits Payable in Terminated Single-Employer Plans to prescribe interest assumptions under the regulation for valuation dates in November 2017. The interest assumptions are used for paying benefits under terminating single-employer plans covered by the pension insurance system administered by PBGC.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is withdrawing FTR Case 2016-301; Clarification of Payment in Kind for Speakers at Meetings and Similar Functions. This proposed rule is being withdrawn so that GSA can develop a comprehensive revision to the Federal Travel Regulation.

The Commission hereby gives notice of the institution of investigations and commencement of preliminary phase countervailing duty and antidumping duty investigation Nos. 701-TA-589 and 731-TA- 1394-1396 (Preliminary) pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930 (``the Act'') to determine whether there is a reasonable indication that an industry in the United States is materially injured or threatened with material injury, or the establishment of an industry in the United States is materially retarded, by reason of imports of forged steel fittings from China, Italy, and Taiwan, provided for in subheading 7307.99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, that are alleged to be sold in the United States at less than fair value and alleged to be subsidized by the Government of China. Unless the Department of Commerce extends the time for initiation, the Commission must reach a preliminary determination in countervailing duty and antidumping duty investigations in 45 days, or in this case by November 20, 2017. The Commission's views must be transmitted to Commerce within five business days thereafter, or by November 28, 2017.

This document contains proposed rules that would codify in the regulations and strengthen the Susquehanna River Basin Commission's (Commission) Access to Records Policy providing rules and procedures for the public to request and receive the Commission's public records.

The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing for the Commission's consideration concerning a negotiated service agreement. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

The U.S. Copyright Office is proposing to create a new group registration option for a limited number of unpublished works. To qualify for this group option, all the works must be created by the same author or the same joint authors, and the author or joint authors must be named as the copyright claimant for each work. The claim to copyright in each work must be the same, and each work must be registered in the same administrative class. In general, applicants will be allowed to include up to five works in each submission. Applicants will be required to submit an online application and upload their works to the electronic registration system, although the Office may waive these requirements in exceptional cases. This new group registration option will replace the current ``unpublished collections'' option, which the Office has determined is an ineffective mechanism for registration of multiple unpublished works; among other things, it allows applicants to register an essentially unlimited number of works. The proposed rule will allow the Office to more easily examine each work for copyrightable authorship, create a more robust record of the claim, and improve the efficiency of the registration process. The Proposed Rule also makes unrelated technical amendments to the ``unit of publication'' regulation.