Office of the Secretary September 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule creates an exception to the usual rule that TRICARE Prime enrollment fees are uniform for all retirees and their dependents and responds to public comments received to the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on June 7, 2013. Survivors of Active Duty Deceased Sponsors and Medically Retired Uniformed Services Members and their Dependents are part of the retiree group under TRICARE rules. In acknowledgment and appreciation of the sacrifices of these two beneficiary categories, the Secretary of Defense has elected to exercise his authority under the United States Code to exempt Active Duty Deceased Sponsors and Medically Retired Uniformed Services Members and their Dependents enrolled in TRICARE Prime from paying future increases to the TRICARE Prime annual enrollment fees. The Prime beneficiaries in these categories have made significant sacrifices for our country and are entitled to special recognition and benefits for their sacrifices. Therefore, the beneficiaries in these two TRICARE beneficiary categories who enrolled in TRICARE Prime prior to 10/1/ 2013, and those since that date, will have their annual enrollment fee frozen at the appropriate fiscal year rate: FY2011 rate $230 per single or $460 per family, FY2012 rate $260 or $520, FY2013 rate $269.38 or $538.56, or the FY2014 rate $273.84 or $547.68. The future beneficiaries added to these categories will have their fee frozen at the rate in effect at the time they are classified in either category and enroll in TRICARE Prime or, if not enrolling, at the rate in effect at the time of enrollment. The fee remains frozen as long as at least one family member remains enrolled in TRICARE Prime and there is not a break in enrollment. The fee charged for the dependent(s) of a Medically Retired Uniformed Services Member would not change if the dependent(s) was later re-classified a Survivor.

The Department of Defense is publishing the unclassified text of a section 36(b)(1) arms sales notification. This is published to fulfill the requirements of section 155 of Public Law 104-164 dated July 21, 1996.

The Department of Defense is publishing the unclassified text of a section 36(b)(1) arms sales notification. This is published to fulfill the requirements of section 155 of Public Law 104-164 dated July 21, 1996.

In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, announces plans to submit a new Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 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. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including any of the following subjects: (1) The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Application of the Employee Polygraph Protection Act,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use, without change, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

On September 30, 2014, the Department of Labor (DOL) will submit the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) sponsored information collection request (ICR) revision titled, ``Rehabilitation Action Report,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The U.S. Transportation Command proposes to alter a system of records, F024 AF USTRANSCOM D DoD, entitled ``Defense Transportation System Records'' in its existing inventory of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. This system is transferring from the Department of the Air Force to the U.S. Transportation Command. This system be used to schedule the movement of individuals, and the movement and storage of personal property being transported in the DTS; to manifest and screen individuals and personal property being transported; to verify eligibility for transportation for customs, immigration and transportation security purposes, as well as to manage and optimize DoD transportation resources; to identify and trace lost shipments; to submit claims for damaged or lost shipments; to facilitate payment of commercial transportation service providers; and to monitor effectiveness of traffic management functions.

The Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary is announcing a public meeting of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Public Advisory Committee.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) sponsored information collection request (ICR) revision titled, ``Federal Contractor Veterans' Employment Report,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service proposes to alter a system of records notice, T7340, entitled ``Defense Joint Military Pay SystemActive Component'' in its inventory of record systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended. This system will ensure accurate and timely military pay and allowances to active component military members (including those who are enrolled at a military academy and those who participate in voluntary separation pay, Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program, basic military trainees or payment to a financial organization through electronic fund transfer program (including allotments and issuance and cancellation of United States treasury checks and bonds)); to document and account for military pay and allowance disbursements and collections; to verify and account for system input transactions; to identify, correct, and collect overpayment; to establish, control, and maintain member indebtedness notices and levies; and to provide timely, complete master individual pay account review; and to provide internal and external managers with statistical and monetary reports and to maintain a record of related personnel data.

The Department of Defense is publishing this notice to announce the following Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the Judicial Proceedings since Fiscal Year 2012 Amendments Panel (``the Judicial Proceedings Panel'' or ``the Panel''). The meeting is open to the public.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Request for Assistance From the Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for continued use, without change, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) revision titled, ``Employment and Training Administration Disaster Unemployment Assistance Handbook,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Defense is publishing this notice to announce the following meeting of the Board of Regents, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (``the Board'').

This proposed rule would implement new authority authorizing an over-the-counter (OTC) drug program, make several administrative changes to the TRICARE Pharmacy Benefits Program regulation in order to conform it more closely to the statute, and clarify some procedures regarding the operation of the uniform formulary. Specifically, the proposed rule would: provide implementing regulations for the OTC drug program that has recently been given permanent statutory authority; conform the pharmacy program regulation to the statute regarding point- of-service availability of non-formulary drugs and copayments for all categories of drugs; clarify the process for formulary placement of newly approved drugs; and clarify several other uniform formulary practices.

Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has taken final action in the following case: Takao Takahashi, M.D., Ph.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center: Based on the report of an investigation conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern) and analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, ORI found that Dr. Takao Takahashi, currently a faculty member in the Department of Surgical Oncology, Gifu University, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan, and formerly a Visiting Scientist in the Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, UT Southwestern, engaged in research misconduct in research supported by National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant U01 CA084971. ORI found that Respondent knowingly, intentionally, and recklessly falsified data reported in four (4) publications:

This interim final rule establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes procedures for investigating and adjudicating eligibility to hold the DoD Common Access Card (CAC). The CAC is the DoD personal identity verification (PIV) credential. Individuals appropriately sponsored for a DoD CAC must be investigated and adjudicated in accordance with this part. Prior to this rule, DoD components have been implementing investigative and adjudicative requirements for Homeland Security Presidential Directive12 (HSPD-12) based solely on broad guidance issued by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This interim final rule elaborates on OPM guidance for component adjudicators who determine, based on review of investigative case files, whether to grant CAC eligibility to individuals who require: Physical access to DoD facilities or non-DoD facilities on behalf of DoD; logical access to information systems (whether on site or remotely); or remote access to DoD networks that use only the CAC logon for user authentication. The adjudicator's role is discussed further in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. The interim final rule provides the adjudicator with conditions that may be disqualifying and circumstances relevant to the determination of whether there is a reasonable basis to believe there is an unacceptable risk.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Department of Defense has submitted to OMB for clearance, the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

The Department of Defense is publishing this notice to announce a Federal advisory committee meeting of the Department of Defense Military Family Readiness Council. This meeting will be open to the public.

This document corrects errors that appeared in the notice published in the July 30, 2014, Federal Register entitled ``Findings of Research Misconduct.''

This final rule changes the meaningful use stage timeline and the definition of certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) to allow options in the use of CEHRT for the EHR reporting period in 2014. It also sets the requirements for reporting on meaningful use objectives and measures as well as clinical quality measure (CQM) reporting in 2014 for providers who use one of the CEHRT options finalized in this rule for their EHR reporting period in 2014. In addition, it finalizes revisions to the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs to adopt an alternate measure for the Stage 2 meaningful use objective for hospitals to provide structured electronic laboratory results to ambulatory providers; to correct the regulation text for the measures associated with the objective for hospitals to provide patients the ability to view online, download, and transmit information about a hospital admission; and to set a case number threshold exemption for CQM reporting applicable for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) beginning with FY 2013. Finally, this rule finalizes the provisionally adopted replacement of the Data Element Catalog (DEC) and the Quality Reporting Document Architecture (QRDA) Category III standards with updated versions of these standards.

The Office of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (the Secretary) announces the establishment of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 (October 1, 2014-September 30, 2015) in-quota aggregate quantity of raw cane sugar at 1,117,195 metric tons raw value (MTRV). The Secretary also announces the establishment of the FY 2015 in-quota aggregate quantity of certain sugars, syrups, and molasses (also referred to as refined sugar) at 127,000 MTRV.