Agencies and Commissions January 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published a final rule in the Federal Register on July 18, 2017, to incorporate by reference recent editions of and addenda to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Codes for nuclear power plants. The final rule contained a minor error when referring to a table related to certification requirements for non-destructive examination personnel. In addition, the final rule contained a minor error in a requirement for check valve monitoring. This document corrects the final rule by revising the section that contains these errors.

The U.S. Copyright Office is modernizing its practices to increase the efficiency of the group registration option for photographs. This final rule modifies the procedure for registering groups of published photographs (GRPPH), and establishes a similar procedure for registering groups of unpublished photographs (GRUPH). Applicants will be required to use a new online application specifically designed for each option, instead of using a paper application, and will be allowed to include up to 750 photographs in each claim. The ``unpublished collection'' option (which allows an unlimited number of photographs to be registered with one application), and the ``pilot program'' (which allows an unlimited number of published photographs to be registered with the application designed for one work) will be eliminated. The corresponding ``pilot program'' for photographic databases will remain in effect for the time being. The final rule modernizes the deposit requirements by requiring applicants to submit their photographs in a digital format when using GRPPH, GRUPH, or the pilot program for photographic databases, along with a separate document containing a list of the titles and file names for each photograph. The final rule revises the eligibility requirements for GRPPH and GRUPH by providing that all the photographs must be created by the same ``author'' (a term that includes an employer or other person for whom a work is made for hire), and clarifying that they do not need to be created by the same photographer or published within the same country. It also confirms that a group registration issued under GRPHH or GRUPH covers each photograph in the group, each photograph is registered as a separate work, and the group as a whole is not considered a compilation or a collective work.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopted an Order that closes Lockbox 979091 and modifies the relevant rule provisions of filing and making fee payments in lieu of closing the lockbox.

The United States Copyright Office is issuing a final rule, amending regulations that govern the deposit requirements for certain types of literary works and musical compositions. The final rule is adopted as proposed in the notice of proposed rulemaking, though the Office provides some clarification regarding the rule's application.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, CNCS is proposing to renew an information collection.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) published a document in the Federal Register of January 3, 2018 seeking comment on how to strengthen the Rural Health Care Program and improve access to telehealth in rural America. The document contained an incorrect reply comment date.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to incorporate by reference (IBR) the latest revisions of three regulatory guides (RGs) approving new, revised, and reaffirmed Code Cases published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). This action allows nuclear power plant licensees and applicants for construction permits, operating licenses, combined licenses, standard design certifications, standard design approvals and manufacturing licenses to voluntarily use the Code Cases listed in these RGs as alternatives to engineering standards for the construction, inservice inspection (ISI), and inservice testing (IST) of nuclear power plant components. These engineering standards are set forth in the ASME's Boiler and Pressure Vessel (BPV) Codes and ASME Operation and Maintenance (OM) Codes, which are currently incorporated by reference into the NRC's regulations. This final rule announces the availability of the final versions of the three RGs that are being incorporated by reference. Further, the final rule announces the availability of a related RG, not incorporated by reference into the NRC's regulations that lists Code Cases that the NRC has not approved for use.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has adopted a final rule making inflation adjustments to civil monetary penalties within its jurisdiction. This final rule represents the annual 2018 inflation adjustments of monetary penalties. These adjustments are required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), as part of a continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the following extension of currently approved collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The U.S. Copyright Office is further extending the deadline for the submission of written comments in response to its June 12, 2017 and November 13, 2017 interim rules, regarding changes to the special procedure for examining secure tests, and the creation of a new group registration option for secure tests, respectively.

The information collection requirements described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The FTC seeks public comments on its proposal to extend for three years the current PRA clearances for information collection requirements contained in the Commission's rules and regulations under the Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939 (Wool Rules). The clearance expires on April 30, 2018.