Agencies and Commissions October 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled Certain Shaker Screens for Drilling Fluids, Components Thereof, and Related Marketing Materials, DN 3416; the Commission is soliciting comments on any public interest issues raised by the complaint or complainant's filing pursuant to the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure.

This Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') statement (``Statement'') is intended to facilitate the development of proposals that will improve secondary market trading for equity securities that trade in lower volume (``thinly traded securities''). The Commission's interest in considering proposals for improvement in this segment of the secondary market extends to proposals that could include the suspension or termination of unlisted trading privileges (``UTP'') and/or exemptive relief from Regulation NMS and other rules under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act'').

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) is inviting comment on a proposal to establish risk-based capital requirements for depository institution holding companies that are significantly engaged in insurance activities. The Board is proposing a risk-based capital framework, termed the Building Block Approach, that adjusts and aggregates existing legal entity capital requirements to determine an enterprise-wide capital requirement, together with a risk- based capital requirement excluding insurance activities, in compliance with section 171 of the Dodd-Frank Act. The Board is additionally proposing to apply a buffer to limit an insurance depository institution holding company's capital distributions and discretionary bonus payments if it does not hold sufficient capital relative to enterprise-wide risk, including risk from insurance activities. The proposal would also revise reporting requirements for depository institution holding companies significantly engaged in insurance activities.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the ``Commission'') is adopting a new rule under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the ``Investment Company Act'' or the ``Act'') that will permit exchange- traded funds (``ETFs'') that satisfy certain conditions to operate without the expense and delay of obtaining an exemptive order. In connection with the final rule, the Commission will rescind certain exemptive relief that has been granted to ETFs and their sponsors. The Commission also is adopting certain disclosure amendments to Form N-1A and Form N-8B-2 to provide investors who purchase and sell ETF shares on the secondary market with additional information regarding ETF trading and associated costs, regardless of whether such ETFs are structured as registered open-end management investment companies (``open-end funds'') or unit investment trusts (``UITs''). Finally, the Commission is adopting related amendments to Form N-CEN. The final rule and form amendments are designed to create a consistent, transparent, and efficient regulatory framework for ETFs that are organized as open- end funds and to facilitate greater competition and innovation among ETFs. The Commission also is adopting technical amendments to Form N- CSR, Form N-1A, Form N-8B-2, Form N-PORT, and Regulation S-X.

In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces a new matching program with the Department of Labor (DOL). The matching agreement (agreement) establishes the terms, conditions, and safeguards under which DOL will disclose the DOL- administered Part C Black Lung (BL) benefit data to SSA. SSA will match DOL's Part C BL data with SSA's records of persons receiving Social Security disability benefits to verify that Part C BL beneficiaries are receiving the correct amount of Social Security disability benefits.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the Earth Science Advisory Committee (ESAC). This Committee functions in an advisory capacity to the Director, Earth Science Division, in the NASA Science Mission Directorate. The meeting will be held for the purpose of soliciting, from the science community and other persons, scientific and technical information relevant to program planning.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) previously published consumer product safety standards for non-full-size baby cribs (NFS cribs) and play yards under section 104 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). The standards incorporated by reference the ASTM voluntary standard for NFS cribs and play yards, with modifications. ASTM recently revised the voluntary standard for NFS cribs and play yards. The CPSIA provides a process for when a voluntary standards organization updates a standard that the Commission incorporated by reference in a section 104 rule. Consistent with that process, this direct final rule revises the mandatory standards for NFS cribs and play yards to incorporate by reference the updated version of the ASTM standard.

The Commission hereby gives notice of the continuation of the final phase of antidumping investigation No. 731-TA-747 (Final) pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930 (``the Act'') to determine whether 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 fresh tomatoes from Mexico preliminarily determined by the Department of Commerce (``Commerce'') to be sold at less than fair value (``LTFV''). This notice also provides the revised schedule for the final phase.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review an initial determination (``ID'') (Order No. 33) issued by the presiding administrative law judge (``ALJ'') granting a motion to terminate the investigation based on a settlement agreement and a withdrawal of the complaint.