Office of the Secretary of the Interior – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule revises U.S. Department of the Interior regulations implementing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act to provide for annual adjustments of civil penalties to account for inflation under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 and Office of Management and Budget guidance. The purpose of these adjustments is to maintain the deterrent effect of civil penalties and to further the policy goals of the underlying statute.

This rule revises U.S. Department of the Interior regulations implementing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act to provide for annual adjustments of civil penalties to account for inflation under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 and Office of Management and Budget guidance. The purpose of these adjustments is to maintain the deterrent effect of civil penalties and to further the policy goals of the underlying statutes.

This rule revises U.S. Department of the Interior regulations implementing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act to provide for annual adjustments of civil penalties to account for inflation under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 and Office of Management and Budget guidance. The purpose of these adjustments is to maintain the deterrent effect of civil penalties and to further the policy goals of the underlying statutes.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) proposes to promulgate regulations under the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act. Implementation of the proposed rule would preserve, manage, and protect paleontological resources on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and ensure that these federally owned resources are available for current and future generations to enjoy as part of America's national heritage. The proposed rule would address the management, collection, and curation of paleontological resources from federal lands using scientific principles and expertise, including collection in accordance with permits; curation in an approved repository; and maintenance of confidentiality of specific locality data. The Paleontological Resources Preservation Act authorizes civil and criminal penalties for illegal collecting, damaging, otherwise altering or defacing, or for selling paleontological resources, and the proposed rule further details the processes related to the civil penalties, including hearing requests and appeals of the violation or the amount of the civil penalties.

The Office of the Secretary of the Interior is correcting an interim final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on Tuesday June 28, 2016 (81 FR 41858). This rule adjusts the level of civil monetary penalties contained in U.S. Department of the Interior regulations implementing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act with an initial ``catch-up'' adjustment under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 and Office of Management and Budget guidance. The corrections are administrative and procedural related to submitting comments.

This final rule provides procedures for the disposition of unclaimed human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony excavated or discovered on, and removed from, Federal lands after November 16, 1990. It implements section 3(b) of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

This final rule revises regulations implementing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act for accuracy and consistency.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act provides for a three-person National Indian Gaming Commission. One member, the chairman, is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Two associate members are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. Before appointing members, the Secretary is required to provide public notice of a proposed appointment and allow a comment period. Notice is hereby given of the proposed appointment of Daniel J. Little as an associate member of the National Indian Gaming Commission for a term of 3 years.