Department of Transportation 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action amends Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) Federal Airway V-216 and revokes VOR Federal Airways V-549 and V- 551. VOR Federal Airway V-380 was revoked by a separate airspace docket and is removed from this action. The FAA is taking this action due to the planned decommissioning of the VOR portion of the Mankato, KS (TKO), VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) navigational aid (NAVAID). The Mankato VOR is being decommissioned in support of the FAA's VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) program.

This action amends United States Area Navigation (RNAV) Routes Q-117 and Q-135 by changing the name of the "CUDLE", NC, waypoint (WP) to "RREGG". The FAA is taking this action due to a similarly pronounced and sounding route point (KALDA, VA) located 186 nautical miles (NM) northeast of the CUDLE WP. This action is an administrative change and does not affect the airspace boundaries or operating requirements.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) invites public comments on our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed collection OMB 2133-0541 (United States Marine Highway Program) (also known as America's Marine Highway Program) will be used to evaluate and review applications being submitted for grant award consideration. This collection was initially discontinued on August 28, 2023, due to the elimination of the project designation application for this program from the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. However, in order to facilitate the operation of the United States Marine Highway Program Grant Program (the Program), which provides funding to develop, expand, or promote marine highway transportation or shipper use of marine highway transportation, this collection is being reinstated. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new information collection, which is summarized below under Supplementary Information. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

FMCSA corrects its November 19, 2024, notice of final disposition granting exemptions for 11 individuals from the Agency's requirement interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers have "no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or any other condition which is likely to cause loss of consciousness or any loss of ability to control a CMV." The expiration date for the exemptions was incorrectly published as November 13, 2024. The correct expiration date is November 13, 2026.

This action amends Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface for Gainesville Regional Airport, Gainesville, FL, as new instrument approach procedures have been designed for Shands Cair Heliport and Shands Helistop Heliport, Gainesville, FL. This action also replaces the terms Notice to Airmen with Notice to Air Missions and Airport/Facility Directory with Chart Supplement in the Class D and Class E descriptions.

The FAA issues this document to assess interest in and invite public comment on the possible expansion of FAA's delegation program to include new certification tasks that might be accomplished by individual designees or Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) holders. The expanded tasks being considered are certification of all commuter and on-demand operator types, excluding 10 or more passenger operations. The effort may require the FAA to initiate rulemaking corresponding with additional certification tasks for individual designees and a revision to policy for additional ODA authorized functions.

This action proposes to establish Class E airspace at Buckeye, AZ. The FAA is proposing this action to support new instrument procedures and to support instrument flight rule (IFR) operations.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Helicopters Model EC225LP helicopters. The FAA previously sent this AD as an emergency AD to all known U.S. owners and operators of these helicopters. This AD was prompted by a report of a cracked main rotor hub (MRH) sleeve. This AD requires repetitively inspecting certain MRH sleeves and prohibits installing those MRH sleeves unless the inspection is done, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This proposed rule would amend the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to allow States to waive the hazardous materials (HM) endorsement requirement for holders of Class A commercial driver's licenses (CDL) who transport no more than 1,000 gallons of aviation grade jet fuel in support of seasonal agricultural operations.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announces its decision to deny an application from Polytech Plastic Molding, Inc. (Polytech, USDOT #1764512) for an exemption to allow it to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) equipped with a module manufactured by Intellistop, Inc. (Intellistop). The Intellistop module is designed to pulse the required rear clearance, identification, and brake lamps from a lower-level lighting intensity to a higher-level lighting intensity 4 times in 2 seconds when the brakes are applied and then return the lights to a steady-burning state while the brakes remain engaged. The Agency has determined that Polytech did not demonstrate that it would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level of safety achieved by the regulation.

The FAA proposes to rule and invite public comment on the release of land at the Laredo International Airport under the provisions of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, and the Surplus Property Act of 1944.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for a total of $5,000,000 from Fiscal Years (FY) 2022, 2023, and 2024 in Public Transportation Innovation Program funds for a competitive cooperative agreement to develop and manage a new FTA Technology Transfer (T2) Program.

This notice announces a virtual meeting of the MCSAC, which will take place via videoconference.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Robinson Helicopter Company Model R44 and R44 II helicopters. This AD was prompted by several reports of failed clutch actuators and failed rivets attaching the belt tension clutch actuator brackets (bracket) to the fan scroll housing. This AD requires inspecting each bracket and, depending on the results, accomplishing additional inspections or taking any necessary corrective actions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This document provides the public with notice that, on November 21, 2024, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) submitted a request for amendment (RFA) to its FRA-approved Positive Train Control Safety Plan (PTCSP) to provide supplemental information to its initial RFA, submitted October 16, 2024, which requested FRA's approval for an increase to the system maximum operational speed from 150 miles per hour (MPH) to 160 MPH. As this RFA may involve a request for FRA's approval of proposed material modifications to an FRA- certified positive train control (PTC) system, FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on Amtrak's RFA to its PTCSP.

This action delays the effective date of a final rule published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2024, establishing Class E airspace at Rose Hill, KS to support new public instrument procedures. The FAA is delaying the effective date to allow sufficient time for charting cut-off date compliance.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for eight individuals from the requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers have "no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or any other condition which is likely to cause loss of consciousness or any loss of ability to control a CMV." The exemptions enable these individuals who have had one or more seizures and are taking anti-seizure medication to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

FCA US LLC f/k/a Chrysler Group LLC (collectively referred to as "FCA US") has determined that certain model year (MY) 2018-2022 Alfa Romeo Stelvio motor vehicles do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 111, Rear Visibility. FCA US filed a noncompliance report dated September 21, 2021. FCA US subsequently petitioned NHTSA on October 14, 2021, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This notice announces receipt of FCA US' petition and amended petition.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2024-06-06, which applies to all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Model Trent7000-72 and Trent7000-72C engines. AD 2024-06-06 requires revising the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the operator's existing approved engine maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive tasks and limitations and associated thresholds and intervals for life-limited parts. Since the FAA issued AD 2024-06-06, the manufacturer has revised the engine time limits manual (TLM) to introduce new or more restrictive tasks and limitations and associated thresholds and intervals for life-limited parts, which prompted this AD. This proposed AD would require revising the ALS of the existing approved engine maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive tasks and limitations and associated thresholds and intervals for life-limited parts, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

FMCSA announces its final decision to renew the exemption granted to the National School Transportation Association (NSTA) for a period of two years to permit all commercial driver's license (CDL) applicants seeking a school bus endorsement to forgo the engine compartment portion of the pre-trip vehicle inspection skills testing requirement, known informally as the "under-the-hood" testing requirement. Drivers issued CDLs pursuant to the requested exemption are restricted to intrastate operation of school buses only.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2023-24- 06, which applies to certain Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Model Trent 1000 engines. AD 2023-24-06 required revising the airworthiness limitation section (ALS) of the operator's existing approved engine maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive tasks and limitations and associated thresholds and intervals for life-limited parts. This AD was prompted by the manufacturer revising the time limits manual (TLM) to introduce new or more restrictive tasks and limitations and associated thresholds and intervals for life-limited parts. This AD requires revisions to the ALS of the operator's existing approved engine maintenance or inspection program, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.