Department of Homeland Security October 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On August 30, 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced in the Federal Register that CBP would conduct a Declaration Zone test at cruise terminal facilities at participating sea ports of entry (POEs) that would run for approximately two years. This document announces that CBP is extending the test period for an additional two years. In addition to the extension, this document announces that CBP intends to expand the Declaration Zone test to up to eighteen additional sea POEs, as well as to travelers being processed in Simplified Arrival for open loop cruises. The Declaration Zone test allows for streamlined processing by allowing a demonstrative initial declaration for arriving travelers in lieu of an oral or written declaration of all articles brought into the United States to a CBP officer as required by current CBP regulations.

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 purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.

Flood hazard determinations, which may include additions or modifications of Base Flood Elevations (BFEs), base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundaries or zone designations, or regulatory floodways on the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and where applicable, in the supporting Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reports have been made final for the communities listed in the table below. The FIRM and FIS report are the basis of the floodplain management measures that a 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 Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

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).

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).

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a temporary safety zone for certain waters of the Potomac River. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on these navigable waters at the old Governor Harry W. Nice/Senator Thomas ``Mac'' Middleton Memorial (US- 301) Bridge, during demolition operations from November 8, 2023 through January 30, 2024. This proposed rulemaking would prohibit persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port, Sector Maryland-National Capital Region or a designated representative. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for navigable waters within a 0.25 nautical miles radius around the Motor Vessel (M/V) BONNIE G grounded near the coast of Saint Thomas, U.S.V.I. This action is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by the M/V BONNIE G grounding. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port San Juan.

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 Federal Regulations. The currently effective community number is shown in the table below and must be used for all new policies and renewals.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of the Townsend Gut within a 50-yard radius from the center of the Southport Swing Bridge, in Southport, ME. When enforced, this regulation will prohibit waterside entry of vessels or persons into the safety zone unless authorized by Captain of the Port for Sector Northern New England or a designated representative. The safety zone is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and marine environment from potential hazards created by construction and remediation of the Southport Swing Bridge.

This notice announces that the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) is suspending certain regulatory requirements for F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Cameroon, regardless of country of birth (or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Cameroon), and who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current armed conflict and current humanitarian crisis in Cameroon. The Secretary is taking action to provide relief to these Cameroonian students who are in lawful F-1 nonimmigrant student status, so the students may request employment authorization, work an increased number of hours while school is in session, and reduce their course load while continuing to maintain their F-1 nonimmigrant student status. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will deem an F-1 nonimmigrant student granted employment authorization by means of this notice to be engaged in a ``full course of study'' for the duration of the employment authorization, if the nonimmigrant student satisfies the minimum course load requirement described in this notice.

The National Chemical Transportation Safety Advisory Committee (Committee) will conduct a series of meetings over three days in League City, TX, to discuss matters relating to the safe and secure marine transportation of hazardous materials. The subcommittee meetings will also be available by videoconference for those unable to attend in person, however the full committee meeting will be held in person only. All meetings will be open to the public.

This document adopts as final, without change, interim amendments made to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations by CBP Decision 16-26, as modified by a subsequent technical correction, CBP Decision 19-11. The interim amendments established the Centers of Excellence and Expertise (Centers) as a permanent organizational component of the agency. The interim amendments shifted certain trade functions to the Centers and identified other trade functions jointly carried out by port directors and Center directors. The interim amendments provided broad, centralized decision-making authority to the Centers to enable the Centers to facilitate trade, reduce transaction costs, increase compliance with applicable import laws, and achieve uniformity of treatment at ports of entry for identified industries.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is publishing this notice to document and request comments on its determination that a programmatic/class review is appropriate for six categories of activities in specific grant programs that do not have an adverse impact individually or cumulatively on floodplain values placing property and persons at risk.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone for all navigable waters in the Upper Mississippi River at Mile Marker (MM) 660.5 through 659.5. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from all potential hazards associated with the implosion of the Lansing Power Station. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Sector Upper Mississippi River (COTP) or a designated representative.

Through this notice, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announces that the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) is extending the designation of Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, beginning on March 11, 2024 and ending on September 10, 2025. This extension allows existing TPS beneficiaries to retain TPS through September 10, 2025, if they otherwise continue to meet the eligibility requirements for TPS. Existing TPS beneficiaries who wish to extend their status through September 10, 2025, must re- register during the re-registration period described in this notice. Separately, the Secretary is also redesignating Venezuela for TPS. The redesignation of Venezuela allows additional Venezuelan nationals (and individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Venezuela) who have been continuously residing in the United States since July 31, 2023, to apply for TPS for the first time during the initial registration period described under the redesignation information in this notice. In addition to demonstrating continuous residence in the United States since July 31, 2023, and meeting other eligibility criteria, initial applicants for TPS under this designation must demonstrate that they have been continuously physically present in the United States since October 3, 2023, the effective date of this redesignation of Venezuela for TPS. The Secretary's actions represent two distinct TPS designations of Venezuelathe first designation of Venezuela that was announced on March 9, 2021 (Venezuela 2021) and is being extended in this FRN, and this second action, redesignating Venezuela on October 3, 2023 (Venezuela 2023).

The Coast Guard is issuing this final rule to revise the training requirements for national Merchant Mariner Credential endorsements as master of towing vessels (limited) or mate (pilot) of towing vessels on inland waters or Western Rivers routes. Consistent with recommendations from two Federal advisory committees, this rule gives mariners seeking these endorsements the option of taking a modified basic firefighting course. That course excludes training on equipment that is not required to be carried on towing vessels operating on inland waters or the Western Rivers. Applicants who take the modified basic firefighting course will reduce their costs because it is shorter and less expensive than the basic firefighting course.

The Coast Guard proposes to temporarily modify the operating schedule that governs the Meadowbrook State Parkway Bridge, mile 12.8, across Sloop Channel, Nassau County, NY. The bridge owner, New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), submitted a request to operate the bridge under single leaf openings to perform bridge deck replacement. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The Coast Guard is establishing a special local regulation (SLR) for certain navigable waters of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) and Beaufort Inlet in Morehead City, North Carolina. This SLR, will be enforced annually for one weekend each September, and will restrict vessel traffic on the AICW and Beaufort Inlet during high-speed boat races. The restriction of vessel traffic movement in the SLR is for the purpose of protecting participants and spectators from the hazards posed by these events. Entry of vessels or persons into this regulated area will be prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP), North Carolina or a designated representative.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) proposes to amend its regulations to implement the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) and update the agency's 8-step decision-making process floodplain reviews. FEMA also proposes a supplementary policy that would further clarify how FEMA would apply the FFRMS. The proposed rule would change how FEMA defines a floodplain with respect to certain actions, and FEMA would use natural systems, ecosystem process, and nature-based approaches, where possible, when developing alternatives to locating the proposed action in the floodplain.

New or modified Base (1-percent annual chance) Flood Elevations (BFEs), base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) boundaries or zone designations, and/or regulatory floodways (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.