Department of Commerce May 10, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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.