Office of the Secretary July 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This agenda provides summary descriptions of significant and not significant regulations being developed in agencies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in conformance with Executive Orders (E.O.) 12866, ``Regulatory Planning and Review,'' and 13563, ``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review.'' The agenda also describes regulations affecting small entities as required by section 602 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, Public Law 96-354. This agenda also identifies regulatory actions that are being reviewed in compliance with section 610(c) of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. We invite public comment on those actions as well as any regulation consistent with Executive Order 13563. USDA has attempted to list all regulations and regulatory reviews pending at the time of publication except for minor and routine or repetitive actions, but some may have been inadvertently missed. There is no legal significance to the omission of an item from this listing. Also, the dates shown for the steps of each action are estimated and are not commitments to act on or by the date shown. USDA's complete regulatory agenda is available online at www.reginfo.gov. Because publication in the Federal Register is mandated for the regulatory flexibility agendas required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 602), USDA's printed agenda entries include only: (1) Rules that are likely to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities; and (2) Rules identified for periodic review under section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

The internet has become the means for disseminating the entirety of the Department of Labor's semiannual regulatory agenda. However, the Regulatory Flexibility Act requires publication of a regulatory flexibility agenda in the Federal Register. This Federal Register Notice contains the regulatory flexibility agenda.

This regulatory agenda is a semiannual summary of projected regulations, existing regulations, and completed actions of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its components. This agenda provides the public with information about DHS's regulatory and deregulatory activity. DHS expects that this information will enable the public to be more aware of, and effectively participate in, the Department's regulatory and deregulatory activity. DHS invites the public to submit comments on any aspect of this agenda.

The Secretary of Education publishes a semiannual agenda of Federal regulatory and deregulatory actions. The agenda is issued under the authority of section 4(b) of Executive Order 12866, ``Regulatory Planning and Review.'' The purpose of the agenda is to encourage more effective public participation in the regulatory process by providing the public with early information about the regulatory actions we plan to take.

This notice amends STRL Personnel Demonstration Project reduction-in-force (RIF) procedures. STRL RIF procedures will ensure employees involuntarily separated through a RIF are separated primarily based on performance, as determined under any applicable performance- management system.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (Department or DOT) is giving notice that a virtual public meeting of the Air Ambulance and Patient Billing (AAPB) Advisory Committee will take place on August 11, 2021. The AAPB Advisory Committee will discuss the impact of the Airline Deregulation Act (ADA) on States' ability to regulate air ambulance operations and whether to recommend that the ADA be amended as a means of improving the regulation of air ambulance providers.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness 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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness 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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Chief Information Officer 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.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Defense Health Agency 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.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (Department or DOT) is proposing to mandate refunds for delayed checked baggage and ancillary fees for services related to air travel that passengers did not receive. DOT is required by law to issue regulations mandating both refunds.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer (DoD CIO) 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.

Consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its implementing regulations, this document provides notice DoD is submitting an Information Collection Request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to inform the Department's briefing to the House and Senate Committees on the Armed Services on the implementation and effect of a section of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18). DoD requests emergency processing and OMB authorization to collect the information after publication of this notice for a period of six months.

This final rule removes DoD's regulations concerning the Commercial Activities Program. The regulations are obsolete since they have been superseded by statute, regulation, and policy and, therefore, can be removed from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness 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.

The Office of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (the Secretary) is providing notice of an increase in the fiscal year (FY) 2021 specialty sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ) of 40,000 metric tons raw value (MTRV).

The Department of Defense is amending the TRICARE regulation to allow an ECHO program beneficiary to receive, when authorized, up to sixteen (16) hours of respite care per month without a prerequisite to receive other authorized non-respite care during the same month. Currently, Active Duty Family Members who are eligible for the ECHO program can receive a maximum of 16 hours of respite care per month, in any calendar month in which the beneficiary receives other non-respite ECHO benefits (referred to as ``concurrent'' care). As the specific requirement for a concurrent ECHO benefit, which was originally implemented to ensure optimal medical management of the beneficiary's ECHO-qualifying condition, is no longer necessary and may serve as an inappropriate barrier to receipt of respite services for some families, this final rule will eliminate the concurrent ECHO benefit requirement and allow an ECHO beneficiary to receive up to a maximum of 16 hours of respite care per month, regardless of whether another ECHO benefit is received in the same month.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness 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.

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

The Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS) provides notice of the extension of the designation issued on February 1, 2021, under Executive Order 13910 (Executive Order) and section 102 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (the Act), as amended, designating health and medical resources necessary to respond to the spread of the virus associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) that are scarce or the supply of which would be threatened by excessive accumulation by people or entities not needing the excess supplies. These designated materials are subject to the hoarding prevention measures authorized under the Executive Order and the Act.

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

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