Department of Commerce September 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to incidentally harass marine mammals during construction activities associated with the Baker Bay pile dike repair project in Baker Bay, Oregon. There are no changes from the proposed authorization in this final authorization.

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Amendment 2 to the Puerto Rico Fishery Management Plan (FMP), Amendment 2 to the St. Croix FMP, and Amendment 2 to the St. Thomas and St. John FMP (jointly Amendment 2), as prepared by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council). If implemented, this proposed rule and Amendment 2 would prohibit and restrict the use of certain net gear in U.S. Caribbean Federal waters and would require a descending device to be available and ready for use on vessels when fishing for federally managed reef fish species in U.S. Caribbean Federal waters. The purpose of this proposed rule and Amendment 2 is to protect habitats and species from the potential negative impacts associated with the use of certain net gear and to enhance the survival of released reef fish in U.S. Caribbean Federal waters.

NMFS is reallocating the projected unused amount of Pacific cod from catcher vessels using trawl gear to catcher vessels less than 60 feet (18.3 m) length overall (LOA) using hook-and-line or pot gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to allow the 2024 total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific cod to be harvested.

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 a request for extension of a currently approved information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

NMFS proposes to implement management measures described in Amendment 3 to the Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) for Puerto Rico, St. Croix, and St. Thomas and St. John, as prepared by the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (Council) (Amendment 3). If implemented, this proposed rule would establish new management measures for dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) and wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) in U.S. Caribbean Federal waters, including commercial and recreational minimum size limits and recreational bag and possession limits. The purpose of this proposed rule and Amendment 3 is to develop management measures to ensure dolphinfish and wahoo have adequate time to mature and reproduce and to take a precautionary approach to management to protect against overfishing.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that aluminum lithographic printing plates (printing plates) from Japan are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that aluminum lithographic printing plates (printing plates) from the People's Republic of China (China) are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value (LTFV). The period of investigation (POI) is January 1, 2023, to June 30, 2023.

Based on affirmative final determinations by the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), Commerce is issuing antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders on brass rod from Israel.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel (AP) October 15- 17, 2024 in Charleston, SC.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable (CVD) subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of ceramic tile from India. The period of investigation (POI) is April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024. Interested parties are invited to comment on this preliminary determination.

On August 7, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Privacy and Open Government issued a request for public comments (RFC) on improvements to the presentation of the Department's eighth Open Government Plan. That request sought public input on how to improve upon the organization, scope, form, and format of the Department's seventh Open Government Plan document, how to enhance readability and reach a broader audience, and how best to convey in the document how the Department's eighth Open Government Plan incorporates themes from the fifth U.S. Open Government National Action Plan that was issued on December 28, 2022. The comment period for the Open Government Plan closed on September 6, 2024. Unfortunately, the RFC was not available for public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https:// www.regulations.gov/. Accordingly, the Department hereby reopens the comment period for an additional 60 days.

In this notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), the Department of Commerce's (Department) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) proposes a rule to address undue or unacceptable risks to national security and U.S. persons posed by classes of transactions involving information and communications technology and services (ICTS) that are designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of certain foreign adversaries, and which are integral to connected vehicles, as defined herein. BIS is soliciting comment on this proposed rule, which builds on the advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) issued by BIS on March 1, 2024.

On July 29, 2024, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published in the Federal Register the proposed rule, "Proposed Amendments to End-Use and End-User Based Export Controls, Including U.S. Persons Activities Controls: Military and Intelligence End Uses and End Users" with comments originally due September 27, 2024. This notification extends the deadline for written comments to October 15, 2024. This extension is being made to allow for commenters to have additional time to review the proposed rule and to be informed by the public outreach that BIS is conducting on the rule in preparing their comments. Extending the public comment period will not in any way undermine the rule or national security of the United States.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels greater than or equal to 50 feet (15.2 meters (m)) length overall using hook-and-line (HAL) gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2024 total allowable catch (TAC) apportioned to catcher vessels greater than or equal to 50 feet (15.2 m) length overall using HAL gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA.

The SEDAR 87 assessment process of Gulf of Mexico white, pink, and brown shrimp will consist of a Data Workshop, and a series of assessment webinars, and a Review Workshop. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.