Agencies and Commissions May 4, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On April 2, 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) posted an interim final rule announcing the implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act temporarily adds a new program, titled the ``Paycheck Protection Program,'' to the SBA's 7(a) Loan Program. The CARES Act also provides for forgiveness of up to the full principal amount of qualifying loans guaranteed under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP is intended to provide economic relief to small businesses nationwide adversely impacted by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). SBA posted additional interim final rules on April 3, 2020, April 14, 2020, April 24, 2020, and April 28, 2020, and the Department of the Treasury posted an additional interim final rule on April 28, 2020. This interim final rule supplements the previously posted interim final rules by limiting the amount of PPP loans that any single corporate group may receive and provides additional guidance on the criteria for non-bank lender participation in the PPP, and requests public comment.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) intends to request approval, from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the collection of information described below. The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requires federal agencies to publish a notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information before submission to OMB, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice complies with that requirement.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the collection of information described below. The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requires federal agencies to publish a notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information before submission to OMB, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice complies with that requirement.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is publishing this notice to comply with requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requires agencies to submit proposed reporting and recordkeeping requirements to OMB for review and approval, and to publish a notice in the Federal Register notifying the public that the agency has made such a submission. This notice also allows an additional 30 days for public comments.

On April 2, 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) posted an interim final rule (the First PPP Interim Final Rule) announcing the implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act or the Act). The Act temporarily adds a new program, titled the ``Paycheck Protection Program,'' to the SBA's 7(a) Loan Program. The Act also provides for forgiveness of up to the full principal amount of qualifying loans guaranteed under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP is intended to provide economic relief to small businesses nationwide adversely impacted by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). SBA posted additional interim final rules on April 3, 2020, April 14, 2020, and April 24, 2020. This interim final rule supplements the previously posted interim final rules with additional guidance. This interim final rule supplements SBA's implementation of the Act and requests public comment.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) is seeking public comment on its proposal to extend for an additional three years the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance for information collection requirements in its Fuel Rating Rule (the Rule). The current clearance expires on July 31, 2020.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission) announces that it is submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for a three-year extension without change of the Demographic Information on Federal Job Applicants, OMB No. 3046-0046.

The National Council on Disability published a notice in the Federal Register of April 27, 2020, concerning a conference call meeting of the Council. This document is intended to correct the omission of noting the conference call meeting as a Sunshine Act meeting and to ensure that it is properly categorized to be understood as open to the public. All other information from the original notice is accurate.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to incorporate by reference the 2015 and 2017 Editions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and the 2015 and 2017 Editions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants, Division 1: OM Code: Section IST, for nuclear power plants. The NRC is also incorporating by reference two revised American Society of Mechanical Engineers code cases. This action is in accordance with the NRC's policy to periodically update the regulations to incorporate by reference new editions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Codes and is intended to maintain the safety of nuclear power plants and to make NRC activities more effective and efficient.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) is proposing amendments to agency regulations on Commodity Pool Operators. Specifically, the proposal would eliminate the pool-specific reporting requirements in existing Schedules B and C of Form CPO-PQR, other than the pool schedule of investments, and amend the information in existing Schedule A of the form to request Legal Entity Identifiers (LEIs) for commodity pool operators (CPOs) and their operated pools that have them, and to eliminate questions regarding pool auditors and marketers. All CPOs would be required to file the resulting amended Form CPO-PQR quarterly, but would also be allowed to file NFA Form PQR, a comparable form required by the National Futures Association (NFA), in lieu of filing the revised Form CPO-PQR. Relatedly, the Commission would also no longer accept filing Form PF in lieu of the revised Form CPO-PQR. The Commission preliminarily believes that these amendments would focus Form CPO-PQR on data elements that facilitate the Commission's oversight of CPOs and their pools in connection with its use of other Commission data streams and regulatory initiatives while reducing overall data collection requirements for market participants.