Department of State July 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given of the following determinations: I hereby determine that certain objects being imported from abroad pursuant to agreements with their foreign owners or custodians for temporary display in the exhibition "Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist and All That It Implies" at the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York; the National Gallery of Art, Washington, District of Columbia; The Art Institute of Chicago, in Chicago, Illinois; and at possible additional exhibitions or venues yet to be determined, are of cultural significance, and, further, that their temporary exhibition or display within the United States as aforementioned is in the national interest. I have ordered that Public Notice of these determinations be published in the Federal Register.

On September 6, 2022, notice was published in the Federal Register of determinations pertaining to certain objects to be included in an exhibition entitled "Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools: 300 Years of Flemish Masterworks." Notice is hereby given of the following determinations: I hereby determine that certain of those objects being re-imported from abroad, and certain additional objects being imported from abroad, pursuant to an agreement with their foreign owner or custodian for temporary display in the aforesaid exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, and at possible additional exhibitions or venues yet to be determined, are of cultural significance, and, further, that their temporary exhibition or display within the United States as aforementioned is in the national interest. I have ordered that Public Notice of these determinations be published in the Federal Register.

The Department of State will hold a virtual information session to provide an update on negotiations to modernize the Columbia River Treaty (CRT) regime, including information on the agreement in principle reached with Canada.

Pursuant to Department of State regulations, all parents or legal guardians of a U.S. passport applicant under 16 years old must appear in person to execute the minor's passport application unless the applying parent can demonstrate sole authority to obtain the passport. If one parent or legal guardian is unable to appear in person to execute the minor's application, such parent must provide a notarized statement/affidavit giving consent to the issuance of a U.S. passport to the minor. The Department will now allow a non-applying parent to sign the statement of consent before a notary public, or a passport specialist at one of the public passport agency/center counters located within the United States in circumstances that will be outlined by Department policy. This alternative to signing before a notary public will provide more flexibility for the non-applying parent, will improve the customer experience, and eliminate the added burden, time, and cost to the customer of seeking the services of a notary public. Department of State Form DS-3053, which is used to obtain the written consent from the parent or legal guardian of a minor passport applicant when they cannot be present at the time the application is executed, is being revised to be consistent with this rulemaking.

Notice is hereby given of the following determinations: I hereby determine that certain objects being imported from abroad pursuant to agreements with their foreign owners or custodians for temporary display in the exhibition "Wonders of Creation: Art, Science, and Innovation in the Islamic World" at the San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California; the McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College, Boston, Massachusetts; and at possible additional exhibitions or venues yet to be determined, are of cultural significance, and, further, that their temporary exhibition or display within the United States as aforementioned is in the national interest. I have ordered that Public Notice of these determinations be published in the Federal Register.

The State Department is publishing a Delegation of Authority signed by Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs on July 10, 2024.

Notice is hereby given of the following determinations: I hereby determine that certain objects being imported from abroad pursuant to agreements with their foreign owners or custodians for temporary display in the exhibition "Ancient Thrace and the Classical World: Treasures from Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece" at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Pacific Palisades, California, and at possible additional exhibitions or venues yet to be determined, are of cultural significance, and, further, that their temporary exhibition or display within the United States as aforementioned is in the national interest. I have ordered that Public Notice of these determinations be published in the Federal Register.

The Department of State (the Department) publishes a final rule revising the Code of Federal Regulations to amend requirements for accreditation and approval by the United States to provide adoption services in intercountry adoption cases. This rule amends regulations to provide clarification, updates, or other adaptation of familiar accreditation and approval standards for intercountry adoption. It also includes a new section with alternative procedures for primary providers that apply in intercountry adoption by relatives. The new regulations for adoption by relatives simplify and streamline the adoption process by limiting the number of adoption services the primary provider must provide. The final rule emphasizes that accredited agencies and approved persons comply with all applicable laws in foreign countries where they provide adoption services.

The State Department is publishing a Delegation of Authority signed by Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security on June 25, 2024.

The Department of State will hold an information session regarding the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).

Notice is hereby given of the following determinations: I hereby determine that certain objects being imported from abroad pursuant to agreements with their foreign owners or custodians for temporary display in the exhibition "Tamara de Lempicka" at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, de Young Museum, San Francisco, California; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in Houston, Texas; and at possible additional exhibitions or venues yet to be determined, are of cultural significance, and, further, that their temporary exhibition or display within the United States as aforementioned is in the national interest. I have ordered that Public Notice of these determinations be published in the Federal Register.

The U.S. Department of State and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) are providing notice that the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) intend to hold the fourth meetings of the Environmental Affairs Council (EAC) and Environmental Cooperation Commission (ECC) in Seoul, ROK on July 11 and 12, 2024. The purposes of the meetings, respectively, are to review implementation of the Environment Chapter (Chapter 20) of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and to review cooperative environmental activities undertaken under the United StatesRepublic of Korea Environmental Cooperation Agreement (ECA).

The "Communications Personnel Training Records, State-57" which is being rescinded, contains information which was used to determine current and future training requirements of those individuals who are professional communications personnel and who have been tasked to perform additional back-up communications duties at Foreign Service posts.

The Department of State has identified namecheck vetting as a critical tool that can be used, where appropriate, to mitigate the risk that U.S. government activities could inadvertently benefit terrorist groups, their members, or their supporters, and is crafting rules that will address the Department's namecheck vetting process, including setting out the requirements for including vetting provisions in Department of State solicitations and awards for both grants and contracts to allow for namecheck vetting of key individuals of implementing partners and sub-contractors or sub-grantees, beneficiaries of programs, or other identified categories of individuals, when deemed appropriate by the relevant Department official.