Office of the Secretary October 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Defense Travel Management Office is publishing Civilian Personnel Per Diem Bulletin Number 307. This bulletin lists revisions in the per diem rates prescribed for U.S. Government employees for official travel in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands and Possessions of the United States when applicable. AEA changes announced in Bulletin Number 194 remain in effect. Bulletin Number 307 is being published in the Federal Register to assure that travelers are paid per diem at the most current rates.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) revision titled, ``DOL-Only Performance Accountability, Information, and Reporting System,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Sealing of Abandoned Areas Standard,'' 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). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) sponsored information collection request (ICR) revision titled, ``Rehabilitation Plan and Award,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval for use in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Public comments on the ICR are invited.

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 the unclassified text of an arms sales notification.

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 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is committed to delivering services to the public as efficiently and effectively as possible. Religious and faith-based organizations (hereafter ``faith-based organizations'') are important partners with unique expertise that is crucial to advancing HHS's mission of protecting and enhancing the health and well-being of Americans. HHS seeks comment from faith-based organizations and other interested parties to inform HHS on how it may best identify and remove regulatory or other barriers in order for these institutions to participate in HHS-funded or regulated programs, strengthen partnerships with faith- based organizations to improve service delivery to the American people, and ensure faith-based organizations are affirmatively accommodated and not excluded from publicly funded or conducted programs or activities because of HHS requirements that burden or interfere with their religious character or exercise.

The Office of the Secretary of Transportation invites the public to comment on the draft DOT Strategic Plan for FY 2018-2022.

The Department of Defense is publishing this notice to encourage feedback for the Section 809 Advisory Panel on Streamlining and Codifying Acquisition Regulations (hereafter ``the Panel''). The Panel meets on a monthly basis and will provide a final report to the Secretary of Defense and Congress in 2019. The agendas, meeting times, and contact information are posted on the Panel Web site: https:// www.section809panel.org. Public feedback can be submitted in the ``Contact Us'' section of the Web site as either general comments or specific recommendations.

The Department of Defense is publishing the unclassified text of an arms sales notification.

The Department of Defense is publishing the unclassified text of an arms sales notification.

In accordance with Executive Order 13777, ``Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda,'' the primary DoD Regulatory Reform Task Force is seeking input on existing DoD regulations that may be appropriate for repeal, replacement, or modification. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section in this notice for additional guidance.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Refuse Piles and Impoundment Structures Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements,'' 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). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Office of the Secretary, the Department of Commerce (DOC), announces the appointment of those individuals who have been selected to serve as members of the Performance Review Board. The Performance Review Board is responsible for (1) reviewing performance appraisals and ratings of Senior Executive Service (SES) members and Senior Level (SL) members and (2) making recommendations to the appointing authority on other performance management issues, such as pay adjustments, bonuses and Presidential Rank Awards. The appointment of these members to the Performance Review Board will be for a period of twenty-four (24) months.

The DoD is publishing this notice to announce that the following Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the Defense Innovation Board (DIB) will take place.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) announces a proposed public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: 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; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 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.

Department of Health and Human Services, The Office of the Secretary (OS), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public to take this opportunity to comment on the ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). This collection was developed as part of a Federal Government-wide effort to streamline the process for seeking feedback from the public on service delivery. This notice announces our intent to submit this collection to OMB for approval and solicits comments on specific aspects for the proposed information collection.

The Department of Defense is publishing this notice to announce the following Federal advisory committee meeting of the Government-Industry Advisory Panel. This meeting is open to the public.

The Department of Transportation (the Department) is withdrawing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) issued on March 6, 2015, that proposed to amend its regulations implementing the Government-wide Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards to permit recipients and subrecipients of certain DOT funds to impose geographic-based hiring preferences whenever not otherwise prohibited by Federal law. The Department is withdrawing this NPRM because, after review of all comments, the Department has determined that promulgating a provision to allow geographic-based hiring preferences is not practicable for the efficient and cost-effective delivery of projects. Additionally, this Notice rescinds two related pilot programs: 1. Innovative Contracting and 2. FHWA HUD Livability Local Hire Initiative.

Notice is hereby given that the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) has taken final action in the following case: Azza El-Remessy, Ph.D., University of Georgia, College of Pharmacy: Based on the report of an investigation conducted by the University of Georgia, College of Pharmacy (UGCP) and additional analysis conducted by ORI in its oversight review, ORI found that Dr. Azza El-Remessy, former Associate Professor, Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, UGCP, engaged in research misconduct in research supported by National Eye Institute (NEI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants R01 EY011766, R01 EY022408, and R01 EY04618, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), NIH, grant R01 HL056259, and National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, grant K01 CA89689. ORI found that false Western blot data were included in: J Cell Sci. 118(Pt. 1):243-52, 2005 (hereafter referred to as ``J Cell Sci. 2005''). Retraction in: J Cell Sci. 129(16):3203, 2016. FASEB J. 21(10):2528-39, 2007 (hereafter referred to as ``FASEB J. 2007''). Retraction in: FASEB J. 31(1):421, 2017. PLoS One 8(8):e71868, 2013 (hereafter referred to as ``PLoS One 2013''). As a result of its investigation, UGCP recommended that PLoS One 2013 be corrected. As a result of the investigation, J Cell Sci. 2005 and FASEB J. 2007 have been retracted. ORI found that Respondent intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly used the same Western blot bands to represent different experimental results. Specifically, Respondent reused and relabeled bands in: 1. Figure 3B, J Cell Sci. 2005, to represent p38 bands from retinal cultured endothelial cells in high glucose in the absence of exogenous VEGF and also cells in peroxynitrite in the presence of exogenous VEGF. 2. Figure 4A, J Cell Sci. 2005, to represent nitrotyrosine immunoprecipitations from retinal endothelial cells cultured in normal glucose in the presence or absence of FeTTP; the Respondent also duplicated controls for p85 immunoprecipitation by using three bands representing 2 normal glucose and 1 high glucose treatments, flipping them horizontally (mirror images) to also represent 2 high glucose and 1 peroxynitrite treatments. 3. Figure 4B, J Cell Sci. 2005, to represent p85 immunoprecipitations from retinal endothelial cells stimulated with VEGF and also cells treated with either high glucose or peroxynitrite. 4. Figure 4A, PLoS One 2013, to represent immunoprecipitations for phosphorylated GSK-3 (p-GSK-3) in cells with normal glucose or high glucose for day 1 and to also represent cells treated with VEGF or VEGF+VEGFI (inhibitor); the Respondent also duplicated GSK-3 controls by using the same bands to represent high glucose treatment for day 1 and day 3 treatments, flipping them horizontally, to also represent for VEGF and VEGFRI treatments. 5. Figure 3, FASEB J. 2007, to represent phosphorylated VEGF2 (P- VEGF2) protein expression in microvascular endothelial cells in: Lanes 1 and 8, lanes 2 and 5, and lanes 6 and 7, where each lane represents different experimental conditions. Dr. El-Remessy entered into a Voluntary Settlement Agreement (Agreement) to resolve this matter without further expenditure of time or other resources. Dr. El-Remessy accepts ORI's findings of research misconduct as set forth above but neither admits nor denies ORI's findings of research misconduct. The settlement is not an admission of liability on the part of the Respondent. Dr. El-Remessy voluntarily agreed, beginning on September 12, 2017: (1) To have her research supervised for a period of three (3) years beginning with the effective date of the Agreement; Respondent agreed that prior to the submission of an application for U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) support for a research project on which the Respondent's participation is proposed and prior to Respondent's participation in any capacity on PHS-supported research, Respondent shall ensure that a plan for supervision of Respondent's duties is submitted to ORI for approval; the supervision plan must be designed to ensure the scientific integrity of Respondent's research contribution; Respondent agreed that she shall not participate in any PHS-supported research until such a supervision plan is submitted to and approved by ORI; Respondent agreed to maintain responsibility for compliance with the agreed upon supervision plan; (2) that for three (3) years beginning with the effective date of the Agreement, any institution employing her shall submit, in conjunction with each application for PHS funds, or report, manuscript, or abstract involving PHS-supported research in which Respondent is involved, a certification to ORI that the data provided by Respondent are based on actual experiments or are otherwise legitimately derived and that the data, procedures, and methodology are accurately reported in the application, report, manuscript, or abstract; (3) to exclude herself voluntarily from serving in any advisory capacity to PHS including, but not limited to, service on any PHS advisory committee, board, and/or peer review committee, or as a consultant for a period of three (3) years, beginning with the effective date of the Agreement; and (4) that as a condition of the Agreement, Respondent will request that PLoS One 8(8):e71868, 2013 be corrected or retracted.

On September 29, 2017, the Department of Labor (DOL) will submit the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) sponsored information collection request (ICR) titled, ``Mine Accident, Injury, and Illness Report and Quarterly Mine Employment and Coal Production Report,'' 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). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

This Notice implements Title II of the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (No FEAR Act of 2002). It is the annual obligation for Federal agencies to notify all employees, former employees, and applicants for Federal employment of the rights and protections available to them under the Federal Anti-discrimination and Whistleblower Protection Laws.