Department of Commerce December 19, 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Office of internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG) administers the following grant programs: the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, the Digital Equity (DE) Grant Programs, the Broadband Infrastructure Program (BIP), the Connecting Minority Communities (CMC) Pilot Program, the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure (MM) Program, and the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP). NTIA will host seven (7) regional meetings for grantees of these programs between February and May 2025. These events will provide technical assistance and oversight and conclude with a regional roundtable that enables the public to engage with grantees, local experts, and other stakeholders working to address digital inequities. During these regional roundtables, attendees will participate in critical discussions on how the internet for All programs are impacting communities and strategies for making those investments and initiatives last. Each regional roundtable program will feature experts from local and State governments, public interest groups, academia, and industry. They will also provide platforms for public and private stakeholders to align on shared goals for every resident to experience the benefits of technology.

In response to a request from Compass Chemical International LLC (Compass, a domestic interested party), the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a country-wide circumvention inquiry to determine whether imports of 1-Hydroxyethylidene-1, 1-Diphosphonic Acid (HEDP) from the People's Republic of China (China), which has been altered in form or appearance in minor respects, are circumventing the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public meeting of its On-Demand Fishing Gear Conflict Working Group via webinar 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.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its second Recreational Initiative Working Group meeting in New Orleans, LA.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces that the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC or Committee) will meet virtually via web conference on January 28, 2025, from 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern time. The primary purpose of this meeting is for the Committee to report working group findings, identify actionable recommendations, and receive public briefings. The final agenda will be posted on the NIST website at https:// www.nist.gov/itl/national-artificial-intelligence-advisory-co mmittee- naiac.

This interim final rule makes an in-season adjustment to the 2025 Atlantic herring specifications and sub-annual catch limits for the four Atlantic herring management areas (including Area 1A, 1B, 2, and 3). This action is necessary to respond to updated scientific information from a 2024 herring management track stock assessment and achieve the goals and objectives of the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan. This action reduces current 2025 catch limits to lessen the risk overfishing and help rebuild the stock.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies were provided to BGH Edelstahl Siegen GmbH (BGH), a producer and exporter of forged steel fluid end blocks (fluid end blocks) from Germany. The period of review (POR) is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. In addition, Commerce is rescinding this review, in part, with respect to one company. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results.