Energy Policy and New Uses Office, Agriculture Department – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule would revise the requirements that Long- Term Care facilities must meet to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. These proposed changes are necessary to reflect the substantial advances that have been made over the past several years in the theory and practice of service delivery and safety. These proposals are also an integral part of our efforts to achieve broad-based improvements both in the quality of health care furnished through federal programs, and in patient safety, while at the same time reducing procedural burdens on providers.

In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The ICR is for extending the use of the approved information collection assigned OMB control number 0990-0279, which expires on August 31, 2015. Prior to submitting that ICR to OMB, OS seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

Under the provisions of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review and approval of the information collection listed below. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on April 21, 2015 (80 FR 22211), and allowed 60-days for public comment. No public comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment. The National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health, may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Direct Comments to OMB: Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public burden and associated response time, should be directed to the: Office of Management and Budget, Office of Regulatory Affairs, OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov or by fax to 202-395-6974, Attention: NIH Desk Officer. Comment Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of the date of this publication.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is amending a regulation pertaining to canned Pacific salmon. The amendment removes a paragraph that contains an obsolete cross-reference.

This major proposed rule addresses changes to the physician fee schedule, and other Medicare Part B payment policies to ensure that our payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative value of services, as well as changes in the statute.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement, to add eight sections to designate items within which biobased products will be afforded Federal procurement preference, as provided for under section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (referred to in this document as ``section 9002''). USDA is also establishing minimum biobased contents for each of these items.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending its Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement, to add nine sections to designate items within which biobased products will be afforded Federal procurement preference, as provided for under section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA) (referred to in this document as ``section 9002''). USDA also is establishing a minimum biobased content for each of these items.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending the guidelines for designating biobased products for Federal procurement, to add eight sections to designate items, including subcategories, within which biobased products will be afforded Federal procurement preference, as provided for under section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. USDA also is establishing minimum biobased content for each of these items and subcategories.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending the guidelines for designating biobased products for Federal procurement, to add nine sections to designate items, including subcategories, within which biobased products will be afforded Federal procurement preference. USDA also is establishing minimum biobased content for each of these items and subcategories. In addition, USDA is amending the guidelines by providing exemptions to the Department of Defense and the National Aeronautic and Space Administration from the preferred procurement requirements. USDA is also making minor technical amendments to several sections of the guidelines to update information on the applicable Web site citation and to provide additional information on products that may overlap with products designated for preferred procurement under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Comprehensive Procurement Guideline for Products Containing Recovered Materials.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing to amend the guidelines for designating biobased products for Federal procurement, to add 10 sections to designate the following 10 items within which biobased products would be afforded Federal procurement preference, as provided for under section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002: Bath and tile cleaners; clothing products; concrete and asphalt release fluids; cutting, drilling, and tapping oils; de-icers; durable films; firearm lubricants; floor strippers; laundry products; and wood and concrete sealers. USDA also is proposing minimum biobased content for each of these items. Once USDA designates an item, procuring agencies are required generally to purchase biobased products within these designated items where the purchase price of the procurement item exceeds $10,000 or where the quantity of such items or the functionally equivalent items purchased over the preceding fiscal year equaled $10,000 or more.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing to amend 7 CFR part 2902, Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement, to add 10 sections to designate the following 10 items within which biobased products would be afforded Federal procurement preference, as provided for under section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002: 2-Cycle engine oils; lip care products; biodegradable films; stationary equipment hydraulic fluids; biodegradable cutlery; glass cleaners; greases; dust suppressants; carpets; and carpet and upholstery cleaners. USDA also is proposing minimum biobased content for each of these items. Once USDA designates an item, procuring agencies are required generally to purchase biobased products within these designated items where the purchase price of the procurement item exceeds $10,000 or where the quantity of such items or the functionally equivalent items purchased over the preceding fiscal year equaled $10,000 or more.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending 7 CFR part 2902, Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement, to add six sections to designate the following six items within which biobased products will be afforded Federal procurement preference, as provided for under section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002: Mobile equipment hydraulic fluids; roof coatings; water tank coatings; diesel fuel additives; penetrating lubricants; and bedding, bed linens, and towels. USDA also is establishing minimum biobased content for each of these items. Once USDA designates an item, procuring agencies are required generally to purchase biobased products within these designated items where the purchase price of the procurement item exceeds $10,000 or where the quantity of such items or of functionally equivalent items purchased over the preceding fiscal year equaled $10,000 or more. However, USDA is deferring the effective date for two items (water tank coatings and bedding, bed linens, and towels) until such time that more than one manufacturer of products in these two items is identified. USDA additionally is revising section 2902.2 to add definitions for ``biodegradability,'' ``EPA-designated recovered content product,'' and ``functional unit'' and section 2902.8 to adopt applicable ASTM International performance tests to verify biodegradability.