Agencies and Commissions January 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document is issued under the joint authority of DOD, GSA, and NASA. This Small Entity Compliance Guide has been prepared in accordance with section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. It consists of a summary of the rule appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2020-04, which amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). An asterisk (*) next to a rule indicates that a regulatory flexibility analysis has been prepared. Interested parties may obtain further information regarding this rule by referring to FAC 2020-04, which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the internet at https:// www.regulations.gov.

This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rule agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) in this Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2020-04. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG), follows this FAC. The FAC, including the SECG, is available via the internet at https://www.regulations.gov.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission proposes to designate 988 as a simple, easy-to-remember, 3-digit dialing code for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. We propose that all telecommunications carriers and interconnected VoIP providers be required to implement 988 in their networks within 18 months. We seek comment on these proposals and related issues, such as technical barriers to implementation and costs.

We are proposing amendments to the definition of ``accredited investor'' in our rules to add new categories of qualifying natural persons and entities and to make certain other modifications to the existing definition. The proposed amendments are intended to update and improve the definition in order to identify more effectively institutional and individual investors that have the knowledge and expertise to participate in our private capital markets and therefore do not need the additional protections of registration under the Securities Act of 1933. We are also proposing amendments to the qualified institutional buyer definition in Rule 144A under the Securities Act that would expand the list of entities that are eligible to qualify as qualified institutional buyers.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (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.

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice.

The Commission hereby gives notice of the scheduling of an expedited review pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930 (``the Act'') to determine whether revocation of the antidumping duty order on steel threaded rod from China would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the NEA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed information collection for the Survey of American Artists Participating in International Exchanges. Copies of this ICR, with applicable supporting documentation, may be obtained by visiting www.Reginfo.gov.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is soliciting public comment on draft NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR Edition,'' Branch Technical Position (BTP) 7-19, ``Guidance for Evaluation of Potential Common Cause Failure Due to Latent Software Defects in Digital Instrumentation and Control Systems.''

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (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.

The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') is implementing adjustments to the civil penalty amounts within its jurisdiction to account for inflation, as required by law.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is providing notice of its maximum civil money penalties as adjusted for inflation.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the ``Board'') is issuing a final rule amending its rules of practice and procedure to adjust the amount of each civil money penalty (``CMP'') provided by law within its jurisdiction to account for inflation as required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (the FCC or Commission) proposes to adopt new rules consistent with Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to Agencies on Government Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement)(the Guidelines). The Commission proposes that such new rules be applied to transactions under the Universal Service Fund (USF) and Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) programs and the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP). The Commission also proposes certain modifications to the Guidelines, including as appropriate transitional mechanisms for situations in which the suspended or debarred entity may be the sole source for the service involved. The Commission proposes that any new rules for suspension and debarment be put into a new Part 16 in title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission) is amending its rule governing the maximum amount of civil monetary penalties to adjust for inflation. This rule sets forth the maximum, inflation-adjusted dollar amount for civil monetary penalties (CMPs) assessable for violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and Commission rules, regulations, and orders thereunder. The rule, as amended, implements the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the ``Commission'') is publishing this notice (the ``Notice'') pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (the ``2015 Act''). This Act requires all agencies to annually adjust for inflation the civil monetary penalties that can be imposed under the statutes administered by the agency and publish the adjusted amounts in the Federal Register. This Notice sets forth the annual inflation adjustment of the maximum amount of civil monetary penalties (``CMPs'') administered by the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the ``Exchange Act''), the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and certain penalties under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. These amounts are effective beginning on January 15, 2020, and will apply to all penalties imposed after that date for violations of the aforementioned statutes that occurred after November 2, 2015.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an exemption in response to a request from the licensee that would permit Holtec Pilgrim, LLC and Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC to reduce the required level of primary offsite liability insurance from $450 million to $100 million and to eliminate the requirement to carry secondary financial protection for Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station.