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

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.

The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Education Program is a Department of Defense (DoD) scholarship for service program that was established in 2005 as a means to recruit and retain civilian scientists and engineers working at DoD laboratories and facilities. The initial pilot program was made permanent by Congress in 2006. From 2005 to 2017, the SMART program has awarded 2,386 scholarships across 19 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines (identified by DoD as critical workforce needs) and placed scholars from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico at 162 DoD laboratories and facilities. This notice informs the public that applicants are solicited annually to participate in the SMART Program.

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.

Findings of research misconduct have been made against Srikanth Santhanam, Ph.D. (Respondent), staff scientist in the Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL). Dr. Santhanam engaged in research misconduct in research supported by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants R01 DK109384, R03 DK100737, P30 DK052574, and T32 DK077653; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH, grants R01 AI126587 and U01 AI1095776; and National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH, grants R21 CA206039 and P30 CA091842. The administrative actions, including supervision for a period of two (2) years, were implemented beginning on December 14, 2018, and are detailed below.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposes to reissue, with updates, a system of records, ``Department of Transportation/OST-008 Departmental Advisory Committee Files.'' This system of records allows the Department to collect and maintain records submitted to the Department by or in connection with applicants for members on a Department of Transportation advisory committees to enable the Department to make decisions about committee membership and manage committees. The Department also consolidating an existing system of records notice, ``DOT/RSPA 08, Technical Pipeline Safety Committees for Natural Gas and Hazardous Liquids'' with this system and rescinding the notice for DOT/ RSPA 08.

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) proposes to establish a new system of records entitled ``Electronic Security System (ESS), K890.28'' to control physical access to DISA Headquarters. DISA, as a classified collateral open storage area, has security responsibilities mandated by DoD Manual 5200.01, volume 3, DoD Information Security Program: Protection of Classified Information. This includes the use of an integrated electronic access control system. The system identifies and verifies individuals through the use of data registered into the access control system from an individual's Common Access Card (CAC). The system tracks the entry/exit times of personnel who enter/exit the DISA Headquarters Complex and some rooms within the complex.

This final rule removes DoD's regulation which contains internal policy regarding criteria and training requirements for satisfactory participation by members of the Reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces, and uniform DoD policy for training members of such Reserve components who may be temporarily residing in sovereign foreign nations. This part is internal, has not been updated since 1979, and is obsolete. Current internal procedures will continue to be maintained and updated in a DoD issuance.