Office of the Secretary – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The DoD has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

The Department of Transportation (DOT or Department) proposes to amend its regulations for conducting workplace drug and alcohol testing for the federally regulated transportation industry to allow, but not require, electronic signatures on documents required to be created and utilized under the regulations, the use of electronic versions of forms, and the electronic storage of forms and data. The regulatory changes would apply to DOT-regulated employers and their contractors ("service agents") who administer their DOT-regulated drug and alcohol testing programs. Currently, employers and their service agents must use, sign and store paper documents exclusively, unless the employer is utilizing a laboratory's electronic Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form (electronic CCF) system that has been approved by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). DOT is required by statute to amend its regulations to authorize, to the extent practicable, the use of electronic signatures or digital signatures executed to electronic forms instead of traditional handwritten signatures executed on paper forms. This rulemaking also responds to an April 2, 2020, petition for rulemaking from DISA Global Solutions, Inc. (DISA), requesting that DOT regulations be amended to allow the use of an electronic version of the alcohol testing form (ATF) for DOT-authorized alcohol testing. The proposed regulatory amendments are expected to provide additional flexibility and reduced costs for the industry while maintaining the integrity and confidentiality requirements of the drug and alcohol testing regulations. In addition, DOT proposes to amend the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regulation for conformity and to make other miscellaneous technical changes and corrections.

Findings of research misconduct have been made against Bret Rutherford, M.D. (Respondent), who was formerly a Research Psychiatrist, New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI). Respondent engaged in research misconduct in research supported by U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) funds, specifically National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants R01 MH102293 and R61/R33 MH110029. The administrative actions, including debarment for a period of three (3) years followed by supervision for a period of three (3) years, were implemented beginning on September 27, 2024, and are detailed below.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Defense Logistics 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 DoD is publishing the unclassified text of an arms sales notification.

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

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

The DoD has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

This proposed rule includes payment parameters and provisions related to the HHS-operated risk adjustment and risk adjustment data validation (HHS-RADV) programs, as well as 2026 benefit year user fee rates for issuers that participate in the HHS-operated risk adjustment program and the 2026 benefit year user fee rates for issuers offering qualified health plans (QHPs) through Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) and State-based Exchanges on the Federal platform (SBE-FPs). This proposed rule also includes proposed requirements related to modifications to the calculation of the Basic Health Program (BHP) payment; and changes to the Initial Validation Audit (IVA) sampling approach and Second Validation Audit (SVA) pairwise means test for HHS- RADV. It also addresses HHS' authority to engage in compliance reviews of and take enforcement action against lead agents of insurance agencies for violations of HHS' Exchange standards and requirements; HHS' system suspension authority to address noncompliance by agents and brokers; an optional fixed-dollar premium payment threshold; proposed reconsideration standards for certification denials; proposed changes to the approach for conducting Essential Community Provider (ECP) certification reviews; a proposal to publicly share aggregated, summary-level Quality Improvement Strategy (QIS) information on an annual basis; and proposed revisions to the medical loss ratio (MLR) reporting and rebate requirements for qualifying issuers that meet certain standards.

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

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

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

This United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) amends the Agriculture Acquisition Regulation (AGAR) to align the AGAR with changes to acquisition law, regulations, and internal USDA policies since the AGAR's last major revision in 1996.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the Department of the Interior (DOI) is issuing a public notice of its intent to create a new Privacy Act system of records, INTERIOR/DOI-22, Archaeological Resources Preservation System. This system of records helps the DOI implement the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, as amended, and manage, preserve, and protect archaeological resources on Federal lands under DOI's jurisdiction. This newly established system will be included in the DOI's inventory of record systems.

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

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

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

The DoD is publishing this notice to announce that the following Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the Armed Forces Retirement Home Advisory Council (AFRHAC) will take place.

This document revises the delegations of authority from the Secretary of Agriculture and general officers of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reflect changes and additions to the delegations as summarized below.

As required by the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (NDAA-23), this document proposes to reduce financial harm to civilians who are not covered beneficiaries of the Military Health System (MHS), and who receive healthcare services at DoD military medical treatment facilities (MTF). The rulemaking, once finalized, will implement the MHS Modified Payment and Waiver Program (MPWP) through which the DoD will apply a sliding fee scale and/or a catastrophic fee waiver to medical invoices of certain non-beneficiaries and will accept payments from health insurers of non-beneficiaries as full payment except for copays, coinsurance, deductibles, nominal fees and non-covered services.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the OUSD(P&R) 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 Counterintelligence and Security 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.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) intends to rename, update, and reissue an existing system of records notice currently titled "DOT/ALL 24 Departmental Office of Civil Rights (DOCR) System." This Notice is necessary for DOT records that are not covered by the Government-wide System of Records Notices (SORNs) for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM/GOVT-1) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC/GOVT-1). OPM/GOVT-1 covers general personnel records pertaining to Federal employees. The EEOC/GOVT-1 covers equal employment opportunity records pertaining to claims by Federal employees and applicants for Federal employment who allege they have been discriminated against by a Federal agency under title VII of the Civil Act of 1964, as amended; section 15 of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; and the Equal Pay Act. The DOT system known as the DOCR General Support System (GSS) covers Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) appeal records and includes correspondence, inquiries, complaints, and appeals filed by individuals, small businesses, or representatives of individuals or small businesses who believe they have been subjected to prohibited discrimination or retaliation by a DOT federally assisted or federally conducted program or activity. Modification to DOT/ALL 24 is necessary due to updates, consolidation and processes used to manage the records in the system.

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

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