Department of Homeland Security March 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is extending the effective period for temporary fixed and moving security zones around certain passenger vessels in the Sector Southeastern New England Captain of the Port Zone through October 1, 2011. Temporary section 33 CFR 165.T01-0864, which established these temporary security zones, was set to expire on April 1, 2011. Extending the effective period for these security zones provides continued and uninterrupted protection of passengers, vessels, and the public from destruction, loss, or injury from sabotage, subversive acts, or other malicious acts of a similar nature.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP) will submit the following Information Collection Request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

The Commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the SR 82 swing span bridge across the Mermentau River, mile 7.1, at Grand Chenier, Cameron Parish, Louisiana. This deviation is necessary for physical and mechanical repairs pertaining to the bridge's main span and components. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed to navigation for approximately 5 consecutive days, sometime within a nineteen day period.

The Coast Guard is amending special local regulations and establishing permanent safety zones in the Coast Guard Northern New England Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone for annual recurring marine events. When these special local regulations or safety zones are activated, and thus subject to enforcement, this rule restricts vessels from portions of water areas during annual events in the Northern New England COTP Zone. The revised special local regulations and safety zones reduce administrative overhead, expedite public notification of events, and ensure the protection of the maritime public and event participants from the hazards associated with firework displays, boat races, and other marine events.

The President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) will meet on Tuesday, April 19, 2011, via a conference call. The meeting will be open to the public.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, CBP invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on an information collection requirement concerning the Application for Waiver of Passport and/or Visa (Form I-193). This request for comment is being made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

The National Fire Academy Board of Visitors will meet on April 6-7, 2011. The meeting will be open to the public.

USCIS is developing an automated Integrated Operating Environment (IOE) to process benefit applications. The IOE will collect information by asking sequential questions using ``wizard'' technology. The IOE will allow immigration benefit requests to be filed directly via the internet or ``e-filed.'' In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) this notice provides the general public and Federal agencies with notice that USCIS will be submitting this information collection request to OMB and the public will have an opportunity to review and comment.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) invites public comment on one currently approved Information Collection Request (ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 1652-0039, abstracted below that we will submit to OMB for renewal in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The collection involves the submission of information from claimants in order to thoroughly examine and resolve tort claims against the agency.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the drawbridge operation regulations governing the operation of the Arthur Kill (AK) Railroad Bridge at mile 11.6, across Arthur Kill between Staten Island, New York and Elizabeth, New Jersey. This proposed rule would provide relief to the bridge owner from crewing their bridge by allowing the bridge to be operated from a remote location while continuing to meet the present and future needs of navigation.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of Utah (FEMA-1955-DR), dated February 11, 2011, and related determinations.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in the Federal Register of March 17, 2011, a document which adopted as a final rule, with some changes, interim amendments to the CBP regulations to revise, update, and consolidate the regulatory provisions relating to the country of origin of textile and apparel products. The final rule document contained two errors in the Background portion of the document. The first error concerns an inadvertent reference to imported ``antique Persian carpets'' in an example prepared by CBP. Because carpets of Iranian-origin are currently prohibited from importation into the United States, the example should not have referenced Persian antique carpets. The example is changed to reflect a non-prohibited articlea Turkish antique carpet. The second error consists of an outdated Internet address that was provided by CBP relating to certain instructions for the completion of CBP Form 7501. This document corrects these two errors.

The Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Commodore Schuyler F. Heim Drawbridge across Cerritos Channel, mile 4.9, at Long Beach, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the California Department of Transportation to perform critical repair and replacement of electrical components for drawspan operation.

The Coast Guard is removing the existing drawbridge operation regulation for the drawbridge across Buffalo Bayou, mile 4.3, Houston, Harris County, Texas. The bridge was replaced with a fixed bridge in 1991 and the operating regulation is no longer applicable or necessary.

This interim final rule amends Department of Homeland Security regulations to clarify that individuals holding British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) passports as a result of their connection to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong) are eligible for participation in the Guam-Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Visa Waiver Program. The Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program allows certain nonimmigrant aliens to enter Guam and/or the CNMI as nonimmigrant visitors for business or pleasure without a visa for a period of authorized stay not to exceed forty-five days. This interim final rule provides that beginning May 23, 2011, individuals holding BN(O) passports as a result of their connection to Hong Kong and traveling to Guam and/or the CNMI under the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program on such BN(O) passport must present it and a Hong Kong identification card.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish special local regulations during the reenactment portion of the ``Chestertown Tea Party Festival'', a marine event to be held on the waters of the Chester River, Chestertown, Maryland. These special local regulations are necessary to provide for the safety of life on navigable waters during the event. This action is intended to temporarily restrict vessel traffic in a portion of the Chester River during the event.

The Coast Guard is amending its regulations for Security Zones; Cruise Ships, Port of San Diego, California, by providing a common description of all security zones created by this section to encompass only navigable waters within a 100 yard radius around any cruise ship that is located within the San Diego port area landward of the sea buoys bounding the Port of San Diego. This final rule removes a reference to shore area that is no longer necessary to provide for the safety of the cruise ship, vessels, and users of the waterway. Entry into these security zones will be prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) San Diego, or a COTP designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes to remove an obsolete Naval explosives anchorage in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, and to add an offshore anchorage in Rhode Island Sound south of Brenton Point, Rhode Island, for use by vessels waiting to enter Narragansett Bay.

The Commander, First Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the SR127 Bridge at mile 0.0 across the Annisquam River and Blynman Canal. The deviation is necessary to facilitate a public event, the Yucan One- Mile Road Race, which will cross the SR127 Bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position during the deviation period.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the Townsends Inlet Bridge across, mile 0.3, at Avalon, NJ. The deviation is necessary to facilitate the cleaning and painting of the structure. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position for the deviation period.

This document adopts as a final rule, with some changes, interim amendments to title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations (``CFR'') to revise, update, and consolidate the Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') regulations relating to the country of origin of textile and apparel products. The regulatory amendments adopted as a final rule in this document reflect changes brought about, in part, by the expiration on January 1, 2005, of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (``ATC'') and the resulting elimination of quotas on the entry of textile and apparel products from World Trade Organization (``WTO'') members. The primary regulatory change consists of the elimination of the requirement that a textile declaration be submitted for all importations of textile and apparel products. In addition, to improve the quality of reporting of the identity of the manufacturer of imported textile and apparel products, this document adopts as a final rule an amendment requiring importers to identify the manufacturer of such products through a manufacturer identification code (``MID'').

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C), Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). DHS is soliciting comments concerning New Information Collection Request, Communications Unit Leader (COML) Prerequisite and Evaluation. DHS previously published this information collection request in the Federal Register on February 3, 2010, at 75 FR 5608-5609, for a 60-day public comment period. DHS received no comments. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.