Department of Homeland Security October 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is establishing a special local regulation on the navigable waters of Hampton River, in the vicinity of the Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina in Hampton, Virginia. This regulated area will restrict vessel movement in the specified area during the revolutionary sea battle re-enactment Battle of Hampton. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life and property on the surrounding navigable waters during the re-enactment.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Metropolitan Ave. Bridge across the English Kills, mile 3.4, at Brooklyn, New York. This deviation is necessary to perform operating machinery installation. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed position for approximately 3 days.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone during the 2015 Fautasi Ocean Challenge in Pago Pago Harbor, American Samoa. This action is necessary to safeguard the participants and spectators, including all crews, vessels, and persons on the water in Pago Pago Harbor during the Fautasi Race. This regulation will functionally close the port to commercial vessel traffic during the start and finish of the race, but will not require the evacuation of any vessels from harbor. Entry into, transiting, or anchoring in the harbor is prohibited to all vessels not registered with the sponsor as participants or not part of the race patrol, unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Honolulu or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard is establishing a safety zone on the waters of Biscayne Bay, east of Bayfront Park, in Miami, Florida during the 2015 Ironman 70.3 Miami, a triathlon. The Ironman 70.3 Miami is scheduled to take place on October 25, 2015. Approximately 2,500 participants are anticipated to participate in the swim portion of the event. No spectators are expected to be present during the event. The safety zone is necessary to ensure the safety of participants, vessels, and the general public during the event. Persons and vessels, except those participating in the event, are prohibited from entering, transiting through, anchoring in, or remaining within the regulated area unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Miami or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard proposes additional updates and revisions to regulatory tables that were amended by an interim rule published in August 2013. The tables list liquid hazardous materials, liquefied gases, and compressed gases approved for maritime transportation in bulk, and indicate how each cargo is categorized by its pollution risk and safe carriage requirements. These proposals would correct errors in the interim rule and bring the tables current through December 2013. Updated information is of value to shippers and to the owners and operators of U.S.-flag tank and bulk cargo vessels in any waters, and most foreign-flag tank and oceangoing bulk cargo vessels in U.S. waters. The proposed rule promotes the Coast Guard's maritime safety and stewardship (environmental protection) missions.

This document provides notice that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') has issued a final determination concerning the country of origin of certain billiards tables. Based upon the facts presented, CBP has concluded in the final determination that the United States is the country of origin of the billiards tables for purposes of U.S. Government procurement.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Illinois Central Railroad Drawbridge across the Mississippi River, mile 579.9, at Dubuque, Iowa. The deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner time to replace the tender house essential to the continued safe operation of the drawbridge.

This document provides notice of substantive rules issued by the Coast Guard that were made temporarily effective between January 2015 and March 2015 but expired before they could be published in the Federal Register. This notice lists temporary safety zones, security zones, special local regulations, drawbridge operation regulations and regulated navigation areas, all of limited duration and for which timely publication in the Federal Register was not possible.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will submit the information collection abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget for review and clearance in accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The submission will describe the nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated burden (i.e., the time, effort and resources used by respondents to respond) and cost, and the actual data collection instruments FEMA will use.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Arthur Kill (AK) Railroad Bridge across Arthur Kill, mile 11.6, between Staten Island, New York and Elizabeth, New Jersey. Under this temporary deviation the bridge may remain in the closed position to facilitate scheduled maintenance. This deviation is necessary to facilitate tie and miter rail replacement on the lift span.

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 June 2, 2015, at 80 FR 31411, allowing for a 60-day public comment period. USCIS did not receive any comments in connection with the 60-day notice.

The Homeland Security Science and Technology Advisory Committee (HSSTAC) will meet on November 2-3, 2015 in Washington, DC. The meeting will be both in-person and virtual (webinar)open session.

This is a notice of the Presidential declaration of an emergency for the State of South Carolina (FEMA-3373-EM), dated October 3, 2015, and related determinations.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of South Carolina (FEMA-4241-DR), dated October 5, 2015, and related determinations.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of California (FEMA-4240-DR), dated September 22, 2015, and related determinations.

This rule identifies communities where the sale of flood insurance has been authorized under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that are scheduled for suspension on the effective dates listed within this rule because of noncompliance with the floodplain management requirements of the program. If the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) receives documentation that the community has adopted the required floodplain management measures prior to the effective suspension date given in this rule, the suspension will not occur and a notice of this will be provided by publication in the Federal Register on a subsequent date. Also, information identifying the current participation status of a community can be obtained from FEMA's Community Status Book (CSB). The CSB is available at https:// www.fema.gov/fema/csb.shtm.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to amend its F-1 nonimmigrant student visa regulations on optional practical training (OPT) for certain students with degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) from U.S. institutions of higher education. Specifically, the proposal would allow such F-1 STEM students who have elected to pursue 12 months of OPT in the United States to extend the OPT period by 24 months (STEM OPT extension). This 24-month extension would effectively replace the 17-month STEM OPT extension currently available to certain STEM students. The rule also improves and increases oversight over STEM OPT extensions by, among other things, requiring the implementation of formal mentoring and training plans by employers, adding wage and other protections for STEM OPT students and U.S. workers, and allowing extensions only to students with degrees from accredited schools. As with the current 17-month STEM OPT extension, the proposed rule would authorize STEM OPT extensions only for students employed by employers enrolled in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS') E-Verify employment eligibility verification program. The proposal also includes the ``Cap-Gap'' relief first introduced in 2008 for any F-1 student with a timely filed H-1B petition and request for change of status. This Cap-Gap relief allows such students to automatically extend the duration of F-1 status and any current employment authorization until October 1 of the fiscal year for which such H-1B visa is being requested. In addition to improving the integrity and value of the STEM OPT program, this proposed rule also responds to a court decision that vacated a 2008 DHS regulation on procedural grounds. The proposed rule includes changes to the policies announced in the 2008 rule to further enhance the academic benefit provided by STEM OPT extensions and increase oversight, which will better ensure that students gain valuable practical STEM experience that supplements knowledge gained through their academic studies, while preventing adverse effects to U.S. workers. By earning a functional understanding of how to apply their academic knowledge in a work setting, students will be better positioned to begin careers in their fields of study. These on-the-job educational experiences would be obtained only with those employers that commit to developing students' knowledge and skills through practical application. The proposed changes would also help ensure that the nation's colleges and universities remain globally competitive in attracting international STEM students to study and lawfully remain in the United States.

This notice lists communities where the addition or modification of Base Flood Elevations (BFEs), base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundaries or zone designations, or the regulatory floodway (hereinafter referred to as flood hazard determinations), as shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), and where applicable, in the supporting Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports, prepared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for each community, is appropriate because of new scientific or technical data. The FIRM, and where applicable, portions of the FIS report, have been revised to reflect these flood hazard determinations through issuance of a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR), in accordance with Title 44, Part 65 of the Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR part 65). The LOMR will be used by insurance agents and others to calculate appropriate flood insurance premium rates for new buildings and the contents of those buildings. For rating purposes, the currently effective community number is shown in the table below and must be used for all new policies and renewals.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Belt Line Railroad Bridge across the South Branch of the Elizabeth River, mile 2.6, between Portsmouth and Chesapeake, VA. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position to facilitate a tie replacement project.

The Coast Guard announces its acceptance of sewage treatment plants (also referred to as marine sanitation devices) for type- approval to International Maritime Organization resolution MEPC.227(64) as meeting the requirements for marine sanitation devices. This action will allow manufacturers as well as shipowners and operators the option to take advantage of building and using equipment that meets both domestic and international requirements while also benefitting the environment. The Coast Guard is also seeking information on simple on board checks to verify performance of sewage treatment plants.

This final rule makes non-substantive technical, organizational, and conforming amendments to existing regulations throughout Title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This rule will have no substantive effect on the regulated public.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Application for Exportation of Articles under Special Bond (CBP Form 3495). CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with no change to the burden hours or Information collected. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Coast Guard intends to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), requesting an extension of its approval for the following collection of information: 1625-0108, Standard Numbering System for Undocumented Vessels. Our ICR describe the information we seek to collect from the public. Before submitting this ICR to OIRA, the Coast Guard is inviting comments as described below.

FEMA gives notice of the maximum amount for assistance under the Individuals and Households Program for emergencies and major disasters declared on or after October 1, 2015.

FEMA gives notice of an increase of the maximum amount for Small Project Grants made to state, tribal, and local governments and private nonprofit facilities for disasters declared on or after October 1, 2015.