Department of Homeland Security October 27, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 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 FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs. While this information collection continues to include the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program, it includes updates to (1) introduce the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program; and (2) establish the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program as a legacy program. Under the FEMA's HMA grant programs, States, local communities, Tribes, and Territories (SLTTs) seek assistance to support disaster mitigation and provide opportunities to reduce or eliminate potential losses to SLTTs.

In accordance with the Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960, the Coast Guard is proposing new base pilotage rates for the 2021 shipping season. This proposed rule would adjust the pilotage rates to account for changes in district operating expenses, an increase in the number of pilots, and anticipated inflation. Additionally, this proposed rule would make one change to the ratemaking methodology to account for actual inflation, in step 4, and two policy changes. The first policy change would be to always round up numbers, as opposed to rounding to the nearest whole integer, in the staffing model. The second policy change would be to exclude litigation fees incurred in litigation against the Coast Guard regarding ratemaking from necessary and reasonable pilot association operating expenses. The Coast Guard estimates that this proposed rule would result in a 4-percent net increase in pilotage costs compared to the 2020 season. Finally, the Coast Guard is requesting comments on how apprentice pilots (a mariner with a limited registration) should be compensated in future rulemakings.

The Coast Guard proposes to modify the operating schedule that governs the National Steel Corporation Railroad Bridge, mile 0.40, the Delray Connecting Railroad Bridge, mile 0.34, and the Delray Connecting Railroad Bridge, mile 0.80. Delray Connecting Railroad Company, the owner and operator of these three bridges, has requested to stop continual drawtender service and to operate the two bridges only while trains are crossing the bridge, and one bridge upon signal if a 4-hour advance notice is received.