Office of the Secretary – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is requesting input from the public on how it can advance racial justice and equity for underserved communities as part of its implementation of Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. USDA is requesting input to identify barriers that people of color and underserved communities and individuals may face in obtaining information from USDA. This includes accessing, enrolling, and participating in USDA programs and services, and engaging with USDA staff. USDA seeks to identify opportunities in current USDA policies, regulations, and guidance to address systemic inequities. USDA requests input on how to best engage external stakeholders and community members representing marginalized, vulnerable, or underserved communities in order to increase participation in USDA programs, services, committees and decision- making processes. In the months ahead, USDA will establish a Racial Equity Commission. The Racial Equity Commission will focus specifically on addressing systemic impediments to equity in USDA programs. USDA is asking for comments on any and all interactions with USDA programs. All comments will be aggregated, summarized, and shared with USDA Leadership and the Racial Equity Commission. The Racial Equity Commission may choose to seek additional input to meet its goals and objectives. USDA will continue to reach out to stakeholders and community members for the purposes of Executive Order 13985 and to fulfill its mission.

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.

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 is amending this part to remove the exemption rules associated with five systems of records established for the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) under the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. Elsewhere in today's issue of the Federal Register, the DoD is giving concurrent notice of the rescindment of these same five DMDC systems of records notices. The DoD is also amending this part to remove the exemption rules associated with eight Privacy Act system of records notices previously rescinded by the DoD. This rule is being published as a direct final rule as the Department does not expect to receive any adverse comments. If such comments are received, this direct final rule will be withdrawn and a proposed rule for comments will be published.

On June 7, 2021, the DoD published a document that provided notice DoD is submitting an Information Collection Request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to collect information on Service members, DoD Civilians, and DoD contractors in evaluating 20 high and low risk installations as directed in Immediate Action 2 in the Secretary of Defense Memorandum, ``Immediate Actions to Counter Sexual Assault and Harassment and the Establishment of a 90-Day Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military,'' February 26, 2021, DoD requests emergency processing and OMB authorization to collect the information after publication of this notice for a period of six months. Subsequent to publication of the notice, DoD is making a correction to the comment period end date.

On May 10, 2021, we published a final rule amending the U.S. Department of Agriculture's civil monetary penalty regulations by making inflation adjustments as mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. We are correcting an error that appeared in that final rule.

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 collect information on Service members, DoD Civilians, and DoD contractors in evaluating 20 high and low risk installations as directed in Immediate Action 2 in the Secretary of Defense Memorandum, ``Immediate Actions to Counter Sexual Assault and Harassment and the Establishment of a 90-Day Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military,'' February 26, 2021, DoD requests emergency processing and OMB authorization to collect the information after publication of this Notice for a period of six months.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security seeks applicants for appointment to the DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee.

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

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 collect information necessary for the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation to make and maintain grants to qualified applicants under the Defense Manufacturing Community Support Program. DoD requests emergency processing and OMB authorization to collect the information after publication of this Notice for a period of six months.

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment on the proposed extension of the standardized Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR), prior to the submission of the information collection request (ICR) to OMB for approval.

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.

To ensure equity of student counseling options available to educational institutions, the DoD is amending its Voluntary Education Programs regulation to cite current law and to remove the requirement that an educational institution must have a DoD installation student population of at least 20 military students before it qualifies to be authorized access on a DoD installation that is not overseas.

The DoD is proposing updates to this part to incorporate changes from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that were not available when the rule was last published on August 11, 2011. These proposed changes include administrative updates and clarifications to PSCs performing duties while under contract to DoD in support of a contingency operations, humanitarian or peace operations, or other military operations or exercises.

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

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Pentagon Force Protection 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 Office of the Secretary of Defense is finalizing the rule to exempt from the Privacy Act some records maintained in the DoD Defense Manpower Data Center system of records titled ``Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker Enterprise Suite (SPOT-ES) Records,'' A system of records notice for this system has been published in the Federal Register.

This final rule amends the U.S. Department of Agriculture's civil monetary penalty regulations by making inflation adjustments as mandated by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.

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 collect information on active duty military members, DoD civilians, and contractors, inform COVID-19 vaccine status and return to in-person work. DoD requests emergency processing and OMB authorization to collect the information.

This notice announces the voting age population estimates as of July 1, 2020, for each state and the District of Columbia. We are providing this notice in accordance with the 1976 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act. It is important to note that these estimates are based on the 2010 Census. Therefore, there may be differences between these estimates and results to be released from the 2020 Census.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the DoD is modifying and reissuing a current system of records titled, ``DoD Media Pool and Pentagon Correspondent Files,'' DPAD 12.0. This system of records was originally established by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) to collect and maintain records on news media representatives nominated by their respective bureaus to be members of the DoD Media Pool and Pentagon correspondents who may conduct interviews with Pentagon executive-level personnel. This system of records notice (SORN) is being updated to incorporate the DoD standard routine uses and support additional information sharing of these records outside of the DoD. The routine uses are proposed to be updated to allow for disclosure to the Department of State to issue passports/visas to these individuals, and to foreign embassies to obtain a foreign entry visa for these individuals. The DoD is also modifying various other sections within the SORN to improve clarity or update information that has changed.

In accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, this final rule provides the 2021 inflation adjustment to civil penalty amounts that may be imposed for violations of certain DOT regulations. In addition, this rule amends the Federal Aviation Administration regulations to set forth the new civil penalties established in Division V, Title I of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. The rule also corrects a rounding error in an FAA penalty.

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 Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Wage and Hour Division (WHD)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Consulting Group (FCG), is proposing to renew an information collection.