Department of Homeland Security 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 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 of 1995 (PRA). The information collection is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, 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 a revision of an instrument for the Public Assistance (PA) program eligibility determinations, grants management, and compliance with Federal laws and regulations.

The Coast Guard is amending the temporary safety zone for the M/V GENIUS STAR XI navigable waters from 1 nautical mile radius to a \1/2\ nautical mile radius. The safety zone is needed to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards created by a fire onboard the M/V GENIUS STAR XI. Entry of vessels or persons into this zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port, Western Alaska (COTP).

Through this notice, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announces that the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) is extending the designation of Syria for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 months, beginning on April 1, 2024, and ending on September 30, 2025. This extension allows existing TPS beneficiaries to retain TPS through September 30, 2025, if they otherwise continue to meet the eligibility requirements for TPS. Existing TPS beneficiaries who wish to extend their status through September 30, 2025, must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period described in this notice. The Secretary is also redesignating Syria for TPS. The redesignation of Syria allows additional Syrian nationals (and individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Syria) who have been continuously residing in the United States since January 25, 2024, 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 January 25, 2024, 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 April 1, 2024, the effective date of this redesignation of Syria for TPS.

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).

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).

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. FEMA invites the general public to take this opportunity to comment on an extension of a currently approved information collection. In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning information required by FEMA to revise National Flood Insurance Program Maps.

CISA is publishing this notice to announce the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) meeting on March 7, 2024. This meeting is open to the public.

The Coast Guard proposes to establish 179 temporary 500-meter safety zones around the construction of 176 wind turbine generators and three offshore substations in Federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf, east-northeast of Virginia Beach, Virginia. This action would protect life, property, and the environment during construction of their foundations and their subsequent installation, from May 1, 2024, to May 1, 2027. When subject to enforcement, only attending vessels and those vessels specifically authorized by the Fifth Coast Guard District Commander, or a designated representative, are permitted to enter or remain in the temporary safety zones.

The Coast Guard will enforce a temporary safety zone for the Riverwalk Marketplace/Lundi Gras fireworks display on February 12, 2024, to provide for the safety of life on navigable waterways during this event. Our regulation for annual fireworks displays and other events in the Eighth Coast Guard District requiring safety zones identifies the regulated area for this event on the navigable waters of the Lower Mississippi River between Mile Marker (MM) 93 and MM 96, New Orleans, LA. During the enforcement period, entry into this zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or a designated representative. All persons and vessels shall comply with the instructions of the Captain of the Port or designated representative. Designated representatives include commissioned, warrant, and petty officers of the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary moving safety zone around the M/V ZHEN HUA 36 while it transits to the Port Long Beach, CA, to Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT), Pier 22, then through the Port of Los Angeles to Everport, Pier LA 227. This safety zone is necessary to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment from potential hazards associated with oversized cargo transfer operations of three quay cranes, which will extend more than 200 feet out from the transiting vessels. Entry of persons or vessels into this safety zone is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Los Angeles-Long Beach, or their designated representative.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a temporary safety zone for the Ohio River several days in January and February 2024 at mile marker 2.5 to mile marker 3 from 8 a.m. through 6 p.m. each day. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of life on the navigable waters during a helicopter operation to install aerial transverse wirelines. This rule prohibits persons and vessels from being in the safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Pittsburgh (COTP) or a designated representative.

The Coast Guard will enforce a safety zone for a fireworks display at ``The Wharf DC'' in Washington, DC, on February 10, 2024, or if necessary due to inclement weather, on February 17, 2024, to provide for the safety of life on navigable waterways during this event. Our regulation, ``Safety Zones; Fireworks Displays within the Fifth Coast Guard District,'' identifies its precise location. During the enforcement period, vessels may not enter, remain in, or transit through the safety zone unless authorized to do so by the COTP or his representative, and vessels in the vicinity must comply with directions from the Patrol Commander or any Official Patrol displaying a Coast Guard ensign.

The Coast Guard is altering the operating schedule that governs the Metro-North (Cos Cob) Bridge, across Mianus River, mile 1.0, at Greenwich, CT. The bridge owner, Metro-North Railroad (MNR), submitted a request on May 5, 2022, to modify the regulation to align with the Metro-North ``WALK'' Bridge train schedule and avoid bridge openings during peak transit hours. It is expected that this change to the regulations will better serve the needs of the community while continuing to meet the reasonable needs of navigation.

The Coast Guard is proposing to amend and update its list of recurring safety zone regulations that take place in the Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley area of responsibility (AOR). Through this rule the current list of recurring safety zones is proposed to be updated with revisions, additional events, and removal of events that no longer take place. This proposed rule would reduce administrative costs involved in producing separate proposed rules for each individual recurring safety zone and serve to provide notice of the known recurring safety zones throughout the year. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.

The National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee (Committee) will conduct a series of meetings over 2 days in New Orleans, LA to discuss matters relating to activities directly involved with, or in support of, the exploration of offshore mineral and energy resources, to the extent that such matters are within the jurisdiction of the United States Coast Guard. All meetings will be open to the public.

The Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act may not provide duplicative disaster assistance to individuals, businesses, including Private-Not- for Profits (PNPs), or other entities for the same disaster or emergency losses. DHS/FEMA and SBA will participate in a Computer Matching program to share federal records regarding financial/benefits award decisions of individuals, businesses, and/or other entities to verify eligibility for benefits, prevent duplicative aid from being provided in response to the same disaster or emergency, and recover aid when duplication of benefits is identified. This proposed Agreement re- establishes the Computer Matching program between DHS/FEMA and SBA that is set to expire on March 2, 2024.

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 proposing to establish shipping safety fairways (``fairways'') along the Atlantic Coast of the United States, identified in the Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study. Fairways would preserve the safe and reliable transit of vessels along well- established traffic patterns and routes. While vessels are not required to use them, fairways are designed to keep traditional navigation routes free from fixed structures that could impact navigation safety and impede other shared offshore activities. The Coast Guard recognizes that there is increasing interest in offshore commercial development, including offshore renewable energy installations, and believes this development is best served by the establishment of consistent and well- defined fairways. The proposed fairways would help ensure that offshore developments remain viable by allowing developers to construct and maintain installations without risk of impeding vessel traffic. The Coast Guard is also proposing to establish traffic separation schemes and precautionary areas along the Atlantic coast to further improve navigation safety.

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a safety zone for the navigable waters of the Sector Maryland-National Capital Region Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone, to be enforced whenever hurricanes, tropical storms, and other storms with high winds are expected. This action is taken to ensure the safety of these waters. It would establish actions to be completed by industry and vessels within the Zone, both in anticipation of hurricanes, tropical storms, and other severe high wind weather events threatening the State of Maryland, and after landfall.

This document republishes with modifications and supersedes a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) notice published in the Federal Register on August 13, 2019, announcing a test to allow certain low-value shipments, including those shipments subject to Partner Government Agency (PGA) data requirements, to be entered by filing a new type of informal entry electronically in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). The test is known as the ACE Entry Type 86 Test. This document modifies the ACE Entry Type 86 Test to clarify the waiver of certain regulations and consequences of misconduct by test participants. In addition, this document makes minor technical changes to the original notice.

This document amends the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations to reflect the extension and modification of import restrictions on certain archaeological and ecclesiastical ethnological material of Bulgaria. The Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, United States Department of State, has made the requisite determinations for extending and modifying the import restrictions originally imposed by CBP Dec. 14-01, and amended by CBP Decision 19-01. The restrictions are being extended through January 14, 2029. The CBP regulations are being amended to reflect these changes. The Designated List of materials to which the restrictions apply is published below.

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 seeks comments concerning the transition of the Survivor Shelter Assessment Tool (SSAT), renamed the Shelter Resident Assessment Tool V 2.0 (SRAT), to the Mass Care/Emergency Assistance Section and how the interview process was simplified and streamlined.

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).

This document amends the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations to extend import restrictions on certain archaeological material from China. The Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs, United States Department of State, has made the requisite determinations for extending the import restrictions, which were originally imposed by CBP Dec. 09-03 and last extended by CBP Dec. 19-02. Accordingly, these import restrictions will remain in effect for an additional five years, and the CBP regulations are being amended to reflect this further extension through January 14, 2029.