Department of Commerce 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 119 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP) and Amendment 107 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA FMP). This proposed rule would require that the operator of a federally permitted catcher vessel using hook-and-line, pot, or jig gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska retain and land all rockfish (Sebastes and Sebastolobus species) caught while fishing for groundfish or Pacific halibut. This action is necessary to improve identification of rockfish species catch by vessels using electronic monitoring, provide more precise estimates of rockfish catch, reduce waste and incentives to discard rockfish, reduce overall enforcement burden, and promote more consistent management between State and Federal fisheries. This proposed rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the BSAI FMP, the GOA FMP, and other applicable laws.

On July 31, 2019, the United States Patent and Trademark Office published in the Federal Register a final rule amending the Rules of Practice in Trademark Cases and the Rules of Practice in Filings Pursuant to the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks. That final rule had an effective date of October 5, 2019. This action changes the effective date to December 21, 2019.

In accordance with the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), the Department of Commerce (Commerce) is automatically initiating the five-year reviews (Sunset Reviews) of the antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) order(s) listed below. The International Trade Commission (the Commission) is publishing concurrently with this notice its notice of Institution of Five-Year Reviews which covers the same order(s).

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) finds that sales of large residential washers from Mexico were made at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR) February 1, 2017 through January 31, 2018.

Notice is hereby given that Mystic Aquarium (Responsible Party: Stephen M. Coan, Ph.D.), has applied in due form for a permit to import five beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) for scientific research.

The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee (REEEAC or the Committee) will hold a meeting on Thursday, October 17, 2019, at the U.S. Department of Commerce Herbert C. Hoover Building in Washington, DC. The meeting is open to the public with registration instructions provided below.

NMFS announces that the States of North Carolina and Maine are transferring a portion of their respective 2019 commercial summer flounder quotas to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Connecticut. These quota adjustments are necessary to comply with the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan quota transfer provisions. This announcement informs the public of the revised commercial quotas for North Carolina, Virginia, Maine, and Connecticut.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Social Science Planning Team will hold a teleconference on Wednesday, November 6, 2019.

NMFS issues regulations to implement management measures described in a framework action to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council). This final rule reduces the red grouper commercial and recreational annual catch limits (ACLs) and annual catch targets (ACTs). The purpose of this rule is to continue the Gulf red grouper commercial and recreational ACL and ACT reductions implemented through emergency rulemaking in 2019 to protect the red grouper stock.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) hereby amends the Rules of Practice in Patent Cases and Trial Practice Before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) by removing provisions in the Code of Federal Regulations that are no longer necessary. This final rule removes the rules governing reservation clauses, petitions from the refusal of a primary examiner to admit an amendment, the publication of amendments to the regulations, and limits that the Director can impose on the number of inter partes reviews and post-grant reviews heard by the PTAB. USPTO has evaluated existing regulations to identify those that should be repealed, replaced, or modified because they are outdated, unnecessary, ineffective, costly, or unduly burdensome to both government and private-sector operations. USPTO carried out this work, in part, through its participation in the Regulatory Reform Task Force (Task Force), which the Department of Commerce (Department or Commerce) established in accordance with Executive Order 13777, ``Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda.'' Removal of the regulations identified in this final rule achieves the objective of making USPTO regulations more effective and more streamlined, while enabling the USPTO to fulfill its mission goals.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a request for comments in the Federal Register on August 27, 2019, seeking public comment on the subject of patenting artificial intelligence inventions. Through this notice, the USPTO is extending the period for public comment until November 8, 2019.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a four-day meeting to consider actions affecting the Gulf of Mexico fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of its Citizen Science Operations Committee via webinar October 25, 2019.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is conducting an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on chlorinated isocyanurates (chlorinated isos) from Spain for the period of review (POR) June 1, 2018 through May 31, 2019. The review covers one producer/exporter of the subject merchandise, Ercros S.A. (Ercros). We preliminarily determine that Ercros had no shipments of subject merchandise during the POR. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is rescinding the administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on stainless steel sheet and strip from the People's Republic of China for the period April 1, 2018, through March 31, 2019.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is correcting its notice of the final results of the fifth administrative review of the antidumping duty (AD) order on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules (solar cells), from the People's Republic of China (China). The period of review (POR) is December 1, 2016 through November 30, 2017.

NMFS issues this emergency action, a final temporary rule to revise the Atlantic migratory group king mackerel (Atlantic king mackerel) commercial trip limit within the Atlantic southern zone from October 1, 2019, through February 29, 2020, as requested by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). The purpose of this final temporary rule is to increase the commercial trip limit to allow for a significant economic opportunity that otherwise would be forgone and relieve an economic burden within the Atlantic king mackerel commercial sector without increasing the risk to the stock.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received one incidental take permit application for the Calaveras River Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. NMFS has also prepared a draft environmental assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) describing the potential effects of Stockton East Water District's (District) proposed Calaveras River HCP. The Calaveras River HCP was prepared and submitted by the District and describes their ongoing operations and monitoring activities in the Calaveras River. NMFS is furnishing this notice in order to allow other agencies and the public an opportunity to review and comment on the Calaveras River HCP and EA. All comments and other information received will become part of the public record and will be available for review.

The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, West Coast Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an exempted fishing permit application titled, ``Annual Vessel Limit Pooling for Groundfish IFQ Vessels Operating Under a Collective Enforcement Agreement in 2019-2020,'' contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The application, submitted by the Fort Bragg Association and the Half Moon Bay Groundfish Marketing Association, requests approval to test the use of a voluntary collective agreement to manage a pool of annual vessel limits of cowcod quota pounds using a risk pooling model. This exempted fishing permit project would allow individual vessels participating in the California Groundfish Collective to exceed their annual vessel limit for cowcod, however the collective pooled annual vessel limit would not be exceeded. The primary goal of this exempted fishing permit project is to reduce the operational risk of catching cowcod for participating vessels, while allowing participating vessels to increase landings of more abundant groundfish stocks. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed exempted fishing permit projects.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of dried tart cherries (cherries) from the Republic of Turkey (Turkey). The period of investigation is January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that dried tart cherries (cherries) from the Republic of Turkey (Turkey) are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

NMFS announces the availability of the revised application and Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) on the effects of issuing an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) (No. 21316) to Barney M. Davis L.P., pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended, for the incidental take of green (Chelonia mydas, North Atlantic Distinct Population Segment) and Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles associated with the otherwise lawful operation of the Barney M. Davis Power Station in Corpus Christi, TX. The facility is requesting the permit be issued for a duration of 10 years.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length overall (LOA) using pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2019 Pacific cod total allowable catch allocated to catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 feet (18.3m) LOA using pot gear in the BSAI.