Department of Commerce June 27, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On February 12, 2016, the Department of Commerce (the Department) received a countervailing duty (CVD) petition concerning imports of stainless steel sheet and strip (stainless sheet and strip) from the People's Republic of China (PRC).\1\ On May 6, 2016, the Department received timely allegations that critical circumstances exist with respect to imports of the merchandise under investigation.\2\ Based on information provided by Petitioners, data placed on the record of this investigation by the mandatory respondent, and data collected by the Department, the Department preliminarily determines that critical circumstances exist for imports of stainless sheet and strip from the PRC.

NIST is seeking comments on proposed regulations intended to foster the exchange of scientific and technical personnel among academia, industry, including particularly small businesses, and Federal laboratories. Such exchanges are an effective means for accelerating the transfer of Federal laboratory technology to benefit the United States economy. An objective of this rulemaking is to clarify the appropriate use of Cooperative Research and Development Agreement authority by a Federal laboratory for personnel exchanges where the Federal laboratory has an existing relationship with the potential partner through another legal mechanism, as well as in the context of joint research projects or the development of existing laboratory technology, and through use of the General Services Administration's Presidential Innovation Fellows program for Federal laboratory Entrepreneur-in-Residence programs. Another objective of this rulemaking is to remove outdated regulations addressing the licensing of inventions owned by the Department of Commerce. When the comment period is concluded, NIST will analyze the comments received, incorporate comments as appropriate, and publish a final regulation.