Department of Homeland Security 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Rock Island Railroad and Highway Drawbridge across the Upper Mississippi River, mile 482.9, at Rock Island, Illinois. The deviation is necessary to allow the St. Patrick's Day Road Race to cross the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to be maintained in the closed-to-navigation position for two hours.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is withdrawing its proposed rule concerning proposed flood elevation determinations for Nicollet County, Minnesota, and Incorporated Areas.

Comments are requested on proposed flood hazard determinations, which may include additions or modifications of any Base Flood Elevation (BFE), base flood depth, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundary or zone designation, or regulatory floodway on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), and where applicable, in the supporting Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports for the communities listed in the table below. The purpose of this notice is to seek general information and comment regarding the preliminary FIRM, and where applicable, the FIS report that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided to the affected communities. The FIRM and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that the community is required either to adopt or to show evidence of having in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In addition, the FIRM and FIS report, once effective, will be used by insurance agents and others to calculate appropriate flood insurance premium rates for new buildings and the contents of those buildings.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for State of New Jersey (FEMA-4086-DR), dated October 30, 2012, and related determinations.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is withdrawing its proposed rule concerning proposed flood elevation determinations for Pierce County, Washington, and Incorporated Areas.

New or modified Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs), base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundaries or zone designations, and/or the regulatory floodway (hereinafter referred to as flood hazard determinations) as shown on the indicated Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) for each of the communities listed in the table below are finalized. Each LOMR revises the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), and in some cases the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports, currently in effect for the listed communities. The flood hazard determinations modified by each LOMR will be used to calculate flood insurance premium rates for new buildings and their contents.

The Coast Guard proposes to issue a rule containing its assessment framework for, and restating its position regarding, the federalism implications of regulations issued under the authority of various statutes within Titles 33 and 46 of the United States Code. This notice requests comments on the proposal and, pursuant to Executive Order 13132, invites State and local governments to consult during its development.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be submitting 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. The information collection notice was previously published in the Federal Register on October 22, 2013, at 78 FR 62645, allowing for a 60-day public comment period. USCIS did receive one comment in connection with the 60-day notice.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit Information Collection Requests (ICRs) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting approval of a revision to the following collection of information: 1625-0030, Oil and Hazardous Materials Transfer Procedures. Our ICRs describe the information we seek to collect from the public. Before submitting these ICRs to OIRA, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

The Coast Guard is revising its regulations to implement section 301 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004. This Act authorized the Commandant to waive the statutory requirement to mark sunken vessels with a light at night if the Commandant determines that placing a light would be impractical and waiving the requirement would not create an undue hazard to navigation. The Commandant has delegated to the Coast Guard District Commander in whose district the sunken vessel is located the authority to grant this waiver.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the bascule span of the Route 71 Bridge across Shark River (South Channel), mile 0.8, at Belmar, NJ. The deviation is necessary to facilitate the replacement of motor seals and instrumentation on the drawbridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed to navigation position during the rehabilitation project.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all waters of the Lower Mississippi River from mile marker 94.1 to mile marker 95.1 above head of passes (AHP). This safety zone is necessary to protect persons and vessels from potential safety hazards associated with a fireworks display in the Lower Mississippi River at mile marker 94.6 AHP. Entry into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port New Orleans or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard issues this final rule to implement the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended (STCW Convention), as well as the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Code (STCW Code), to address the comments received from the public in response to the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM), and to incorporate the 2010 amendments to the STCW Convention that came into force on January 1, 2012. In addition, this final rule makes other changes not required by the STCW Convention or Code, but necessary to reorganize, clarify, and update these regulations.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a revision of a currently approved information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning the collection of Individual Assistance customer satisfaction survey responses and information for assessment and improvement of the delivery of disaster assistance to individuals and households.

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 Documents Required Aboard Private Aircraft. This request for comment is being made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13; 44 U.S.C. 3507).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on a revision of a currently approved information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning information required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to amend or revise National Flood Insurance Program maps to remove certain property from the 1-percent annual chance floodplain.

The Coast Guard will enforce the City of Mobile New Year's Eve Celebration safety zone in the Mobile Channel, Mobile, AL from 11:30 p.m. December 31, 2013 until 12:30 a.m. January 1, 2014. This safety zone has been implemented in past years but the fireworks display will move to a new location in the Mobile Channel beginning with the December 31, 2013 display. This safety zone is necessary for the safeguard of participants and spectators, including all crews, vessels, and persons on navigable waters during the City of Mobile New Year's Eve Celebration fireworks display. During the enforcement period, entry into, transiting or anchoring in the Safety Zone is prohibited to all vessels not registered with the sponsor as participants or official patrol vessels, unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Mobile or a designated representative.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be submitting 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. The information collection notice was previously published in the Federal Register on September 12, 2013, at 78 FR 56240, allowing for a 60-day public comment period. USCIS did receive one comment in connection with the 60-day notice.

This document announces that CBP will convene only one Symposium in 2014, the East Coast Trade Symposium, which will be held in Washington, DC on Thursday, March 6 and Friday, March 7, 2014. The East Coast Trade Symposium will feature panel discussions involving agency personnel, members of the trade community and other government agencies, on the agency's role in international trade initiatives and programs. This marks our thirteenth year convening the Trade Symposium. Members of the international trade and transportation communities and other interested parties are encouraged to attend.

The Coast Guard seeks public comment on a petition that requests the Coast Guard to initiate a rulemaking to address the problem of overhead clearance (air-draft) accidents. In its petition, which calls for vessel masters to be provided with accurate vertical air draft information, a maritime organization has described 16 overhead clearance accidents that it says were avoidable and that resulted in damage to or destruction of waterway infrastructure and inconvenienced the public. The Coast Guard will consider all comments received in response to this notification in determining whether or not to initiate the requested rulemaking.

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 Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2006 (``Haiti HOPE Act''). This request for comment is being made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13; 44 U.S.C. 3507).

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Chambers Creek Railway Bridge across Chambers Creek, mile 0.0, at Steilacoom, WA. The deviation is necessary to allow BNSF to perform maintenance and upgrade items to this vertical lift bridge in support of Positive Train Control requirements per the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. This will require locking the bridge in the closed position and locking out the power to the drive system while the work is conducted. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position for 45 days during the maintenance and upgrade work.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the Menominee River in Marinette, Wisconsin. This zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Menominee River during the launching of a 400-foot vessel from Marinette Marine Corporation on December 18, 2013. This temporary safety zone is necessary to protect the surrounding public and vessels from the hazards associated with the launching of a large vessel.

This final rule affects persons eligible to file a single customs declaration. The final rule expands the definitions of family members residing in one household. As a result of this expansion, more U.S. returning resident and non-resident visitor families will be eligible to file a single customs declaration, and correspondingly, more U.S. returning resident family members may group their personal duty exemptions.

The Coast Guard proposes to temporarily change the operating schedule that governs the S37 Bridge, at NJICW mile 14.1 over Barnegat Bay, at Seaside Heights, NJ. Over the span of two and half years, the bridge will be closed to navigation for three four-month closure periods. Extensive replacement of parts and repairs to the bridge necessitate these closures.