Department of Commerce – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, invites comments on the extension of an existing information collection: 0651-0077 (National Summer Teacher Institute (NSTI) and Master Teacher in Intellectual Property Program (MTIP)). The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the information collection to OMB.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting via webinar of its Habitat Advisory Panel to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This meeting will be held in-person with a webinar option. Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, its implementing regulations, and NMFS' MMPA Regulations for Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Anadarko) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the GOM.

NMFS received a request from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) for the renewal of their currently active incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to the Debris Dock Replacement Project in Sausalito, California. ACOE activities are identical to those covered in the current authorization. ACOE's activities will not be completed prior to the renewal authorization. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), prior to issuing the currently active IHA, NMFS requested comments on both the proposed IHA and the potential for renewing the initial authorization if certain requirements were satisfied. The renewal requirements have been satisfied, and NMFS is now providing an additional 15-day comment period to allow for any additional comments on the proposed renewal not previously provided during the initial 30- day comment period.

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA), is announcing one upcoming trade mission that will be recruited, organized, and implemented by ITA. This mission is: U.S. Industry Program (USIP) at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, AustriaSeptember 15-18, 2024. A summary of the mission is found below. Application information and more detailed mission information, including the commercial setting and sector information, can be found at the trade mission website: https:// www.trade.gov/trade-missions. For this mission, recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the Commerce Department trade mission calendar (https://www.trade.gov/trade-missions-schedule) and other internet websites, press releases to general and trade media, direct mail, broadcast fax, notices by industry trade associations and other multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, symposia, conferences, and trade shows.

In accordance with the Coastal Zone Management Act and its implementing regulations, notice is hereby given that NOAA's Office for Coastal Management approves a boundary expansion for the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve in Charleston, Oregon to add 1,771 acres, which consist of 30 acres added as a correction to account for changes in GIS-mapping technologies since the reserve was established in 1974; 1,541 acres of parcels currently owned by the Oregon Division of State Lands outside the existing boundary; and 200 acres of state-owned South Slough waters located adjacent to the expansion parcels, resulting in a new total area for the reserve of 6,542 acres. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, NOAA prepared a draft environmental assessment (draft EA) to analyze the effects of the requested expansion and solicited public comment on the draft EA. NOAA determined that the boundary expansion would not have significant environmental effects. Therefore, after considering the comments it received, NOAA issued a final environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact (FONSI).

On May 6, 2024, the Binational Panel issued its Decision in the matter of Certain Softwood Lumber Products from Canada: Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination (Secretariat File Number: USA-CDA-2017-1904-02). The Binational Panel affirmed in part and remanded in part the Department of Commerce's Final Determination.

NMFS received a request from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University (L-DEO) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to a marine geophysical survey at the Reykjanes Ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activities. NMFS is also requesting comments on a possible one-time, 1-year renewal that could be issued under certain circumstances and if all requirements are met, as described in Request for Public Comments at the end of this notice. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

NMFS issues regulations to implement management measures described in Amendment 56 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico. This final rule revises catch levels for gag, accountability measures for its recreational harvest, and the recreational fishing season. In addition, Amendment 56 establishes a rebuilding plan for the overfished stock, and revises the stock status determination criteria and sector harvest allocations. The purpose of this action is to implement a rebuilding plan for gag and revised management measures to end overfishing and rebuild the stock.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that sales of steel concrete reinforcing bar (rebar) from Mexico were made at less than normal value during the period of review (POR), November 1, 2021, through October 31, 2022.

The SEDAR 88 assessment of Gulf of Mexico red grouper will consist of a series of webinars. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The SEDAR 84 assessment process of U.S. Caribbean yellowtail snapper and stoplight parrotfish will consist of a Data Workshop, and a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

The National Construction Safety Team (NCST) Advisory Committee (Committee) will hold a virtual meeting via web conference on Thursday, September 12, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The primary purposes of this meeting are to update the Committee on the progress of the NCST investigation focused on the impacts of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and on the progress of the NCST investigation focused on the Champlain Towers South partial building collapse that occurred in Surfside, Florida. The final agenda will be posted on the NIST website at https://www.nist.gov/topics/disaster-failure-studies/ national-construction-safety-team-ncst/advisory-committee-mee tings.

The USPTO proposes to amend the rules of practice to add a new requirement for an acceptable terminal disclaimer that is filed to obviate (that is, overcome) nonstatutory double patenting. The proposed rule change would require terminal disclaimers filed to obviate nonstatutory double patenting to include an agreement by the disclaimant that the patent in which the terminal disclaimer is filed, or any patent granted on an application in which a terminal disclaimer is filed, will be enforceable only if the patent is not tied and has never been tied directly or indirectly to a patent by one or more terminal disclaimers filed to obviate nonstatutory double patenting in which: any claim has been finally held unpatentable or invalid as anticipated or obvious by a Federal court in a civil action or by the USPTO, and all appeal rights have been exhausted; or a statutory disclaimer of a claim is filed after any challenge based on anticipation or obviousness to that claim has been made. This action is being taken to prevent multiple patents directed to obvious variants of an invention from potentially deterring competition and to promote innovation and competition by allowing a competitor to avoid enforcement of patents tied by one or more terminal disclaimers to another patent having a claim finally held unpatentable or invalid over prior art.

NMFS is implementing fishing periods and fishing period limits for the 2024 Pacific halibut non-tribal directed commercial fishery off the West Coast south of Point Chehalis, WA. This action establishes two fishing periods, June 25-27 and July 9-11, 2024. NMFS is also implementing vessel catch limits applicable to eight vessel size classes. These actions are intended to conserve Pacific halibut and provide fishing opportunity where available.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that no companies under review qualify for a separate rate and that these companies are, therefore, considered to be part of the People's Republic of China (China)-wide entity. Additionally, Commerce is partially rescinding this review with respect to: companies for which all review requests were timely withdrawn; and a company with no entries of subject merchandise during the period of review (POR), August 1, 2022, through July 31, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by vessels using jig gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2024 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod by vessels using jig gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

On April 19, 2024, BIS published in the Federal Register an interim final rule (IFR), "Export Control Revisions for Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) Enhanced Trilateral Security Partnership." The April 19 IFR removed license requirements, expanded the availability of license exceptions, and reduced the scope of end- use and end-user-based license requirements for exports, reexports, and transfers (in-country) to or within Australia and the United Kingdom (UK) to enhance technological innovation among the three countries and support the goals of the AUKUS Trilateral Security Partnership. This correction revises a footnote included in the April 19 IFR to add greater specificity for the Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCN) referenced, so only portions of those 0x5zz ECCNs in the footnote that were previously controlled for national security column 1 (NS1) or regional stability column 1 (RS1) reasons for control for the destinations of Australia and the United Kingdom will continue to require a license to Australia and the United Kingdom based on the license requirements specified in this footnote.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Pacific Northwest Crab Industry Advisory Committee (PNCIAC) will meet May 22, 2024.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is issuing these amended final results pursuant to a settlement agreement with Interpipe Ukraine LLC and North American Interpipe Inc. with respect to the final results of the administrative review of oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from Ukraine during the period of review (POR) July 10, 2019, through June 30, 2020.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that aluminum extrusions from Thailand are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is October 01, 2022, through September 30, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that aluminum extrusions from Malaysia are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.