Office of the Secretary February 7, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of Transportation proposes to update and reissue a current Department of Transportation system of records titled, ``Department of Transportation/Office of the SecretaryDOT/OST 102Aviation Consumer Complaint Application Online System of Records.'' This system of records allows the Department of Transportation/Office of the Secretary to collect and maintain records on service-related consumer complaints, inquiries, opinions, and compliments regarding air carriers or air travel companies. The records and information collected and maintained in this system are used to verify compliance with Department's aviation consumer protection requirements. The system receives and is used to process informal complaints regarding aviation consumer issues. The Aviation Consumer Complaint Application Online System of Records utilizes the Department's electronic case management and tracking system to generate reports. It also allows the Department to manage information provided during the course of its investigations and, in the process, to facilitate its management of investigations and investigative resources. Through this system, the Department can enter, update, review, analyze, and manage information regarding case projects and enforcement elements in addition to the ability to run a variety of reports to better manage tracking current and expiring cases. Furthermore, it allows DOT employees to track actions taken to resolve violations, provide a system for creating and reporting statistical information, and tracking government property and other resources used in investigative activities. This system of records notice has been updated within the system location, system manager, categories of records in the system, record source categories, routine uses, storage, retrievability, retention and disposal, safeguards, notification procedures, exemptions, and history. Additionally, the Department of Transportation is issuing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to exempt this system of records from certain provisions of the Privacy Act, elsewhere in the Federal Register. Furthermore, this notice includes non-substantive changes to simplify the formatting and text of the previously published notice. It also updates the SORN to reflect changes in the heading names and order as required by the reissuance of Circular A-108 by the Office of Management and Budget. This updated system will be included in the Department of Transportation's inventory of record systems.

This final rule is being issued to adjust for inflation each civil monetary penalty (CMP) provided by law within the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Commerce (Department of Commerce). The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 and the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, required the head of each agency to adjust for inflation its CMP levels in effect as of November 2, 2015, under a revised methodology that was effective for 2016 which provided for initial catch up adjustments for inflation in 2016, and requires adjustments for inflation to CMPs under a revised methodology for each year thereafter. The 2018 adjustments for inflation to CMPs to the Department of Commerce's CMPs were published in the Federal Register on January 8, 2018, and became effective January 15, 2018. The annual methodology provides for the improvement of the effectiveness of CMPs and to maintain their deterrent effect. Agencies' annual adjustments for inflation to CMPs shall take effect not later than January 15. The Department of Commerce's 2019 adjustments for inflation to CMPs apply only to CMPs with a dollar amount, and will not apply to CMPs written as functions of violations. The Department of Commerce's 2019 adjustments for inflation to CMPs apply only to those CMPs, including those whose associated violation predated such adjustment, which are assessed by the Department of Commerce after the effective date of the new CMP level.