Department of Commerce May 26, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS is holding a public meeting via webinar session for the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and all interested stakeholders to receive an update and provide input on the development of the management strategy evaluation (MSE) for North Atlantic swordfish.

NMFS announces approval of a Marine Conservation Plan (MCP) for Pacific Insular Areas other than American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) seeks public comments on a proposed Track Three Pilot Program that would permit micro entity applicants to delay payment of the search fee and the examination fee for a period of 30 months from the earliest filing date claimed, under certain conditions. By lowering a barrier to intellectual property protection, the proposed Track Three Pilot Program reinforces the USPTO's commitment to providing the best and most accessible intellectual property system in the world. Under the proposed Track Three Pilot Program, micro entity applicants would need to submit a request to participate in the program when filing a nonprovisional utility or plant application, pay the basic filing fee, and satisfy other requirements, including the requirement that the application be in condition for publication to enable it to be published after the expiration of 18 months from the earliest filing date for which a benefit is sought. The USPTO is also exploring including in the Track Three Pilot Program an option that would permit micro entity applicants, under certain conditions, to obtain a pre- examination search report prior to the deadline for payment of the examination fee. The pre-examination search report would provide applicants with additional information as they consider potential commercialization and the value of their invention.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that certain producers/exporters of steel concrete reinforcing bar (rebar) from the Republic of Turkey (Turkey) received countervailable subsidies during the period of review (POR) January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020. Additionally, we are rescinding the review for 21 companies that had no shipments of subject merchandise to the United States during the POR.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Highly Migratory Species Advisory Subpanel (HMSAS) is holding an online meeting, which is open to the public.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a hyrbid meeting of its Scallop Advisory Panel to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.