Bureau of Industry and Security June 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Commerce, 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 Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) publishes this final rule to amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to implement the recommendations presented at the November 2013 Australia Group (AG) intersessional implementation meeting and later adopted pursuant to the AG silent approval procedure. Specifically, this rule amends the Commerce Control List (CCL) entry in the EAR that controls certain human and zoonotic pathogens and toxins, and removes the CCL entry that controls certain animal pathogens to reflect the merger of two AG common control lists based on recommendations presented at the AG intersessional implementation meeting. As a result of these recommendations, the AG ``List of Animal Pathogens for Export Control'' was merged with the AG ``List of Biological Agents for Export Control,'' creating a single AG common control list for these items (i.e., the AG ``List of Human and Animal Pathogens and Toxins for Export Control''). The scope of the controls on these human and animal pathogens and toxins was not affected by the merger of the two lists into a single AG common control list. This rule also makes conforming amendments to other provisions in the EAR to reflect these changes. In addition, this rule amends the CCL entry that controls chemical manufacturing facilities and equipment to reflect changes to the AG ``Control List of Dual-Use Chemical Manufacturing Facilities and Equipment and Related Technology and Software,'' based on the November 2013 AG intersessional recommendation to revise controls on certain valves, casings (valve bodies) designed for such valves, and preformed casing liners designed for such valves. This rule also amends this CCL entry to add a Technical Note clarifying how the terms ``multi-seal'' and ``seal-less'' are used with respect to the controls on pumps. In a change unrelated to any revisions to the AG common control lists or guidelines, this rule also amends this CCL entry to authorize the use of License Exception LVS for specified shipments. This rule does not contain changes based on the understandings reached at the June 2014 AG Plenary meeting, because no amendments to the EAR were required as a result of these understandings.

The Department of Commerce, 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.

This proposed rule is part of the Administration's Export Control Reform Initiative. The Initiative will enhance U.S. national and economic security, facilitate compliance with export controls, update the controls, and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens on U.S. exporters. As part of this effort, this rulemaking proposes revisions to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to include the definitions of ``technology,'' ``required,'' ``peculiarly responsible,'' ``proscribed person,'' ``published,'' results of ``fundamental research,'' ``export,'' ``reexport,'' ``release,'' ``transfer,'' and ``transfer (in-country)'' to enhance clarity and consistency with terms also found on the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which is administered by the Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC). This rulemaking also proposes amendments to the Scope part of the EAR to update and clarify application of controls to electronically transmitted and stored technology and software. DDTC is concurrently publishing comparable proposed amendments to the ITAR's definitions of ``technical data,'' ``required,'' ``peculiarly responsible,'' ``public domain,'' results of ``fundamental research,'' ``export,'' ``reexport,'' ``release,'' and ``retransfer'' for the same reasons. Finally, this rulemaking proposes conforming changes to related provisions.