Search Results for type:"Proposed Rule"

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing changes to the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan for the waters off Washington, Oregon, and California. These changes include adjustments to recreational fishery seasons and allocations for 2025. New measures are also proposed to transfer unused fishing quotas from Northern California to areas south of Point Arena to help maintain opportunities for anglers. The public is invited to provide comments on these proposed rules by January 27, 2025.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to designate critical habitats for four species of freshwater mussels: the rayed bean, sheepnose, snuffbox, and spectaclecase. These designations spread across 17 states in the United States, covering approximately 3,974 river miles. The critical habitats are aimed at protecting key environmental features essential for the mussels' survival, such as suitable water flow, quality, and host fish presence. The agency is inviting comments on this proposal until February 11, 2025, and has also released an economic analysis regarding the designations.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to disapprove West Virginia's plan to address regional haze in national parks and wilderness areas. The EPA argues that West Virginia didn't properly analyze which pollution control measures are necessary to make reasonable progress toward improving visibility, as required by the Clean Air Act. The EPA's proposed disapproval doesn’t immediately impose any penalties on West Virginia, but it does start a two-year period during which the EPA must create its own plan if West Virginia doesn't correct the identified issues. Public comments on this proposal are being accepted until February 20, 2025.

In this Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking public comments on changes to how they assess regulatory fees for space and earth stations. This includes proposals to charge fees on stations once they are authorized rather than waiting until they are operational and ideas for adjusting fee structures for different types of satellite systems based on their size and complexity. The FCC aims to make the process fairer and more sustainable by considering the workload and costs associated with regulating these systems. They are also looking into whether to create separate fee categories for different types of earth station licenses.

The Cost Accounting Standards Board (CAS Board) is seeking public feedback on proposed changes that would align two Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The standards in question, CAS 404 and CAS 411, deal with the capitalization of tangible assets and acquisition costs of material, respectively. The Board suggests removing much of the existing CAS 404 and CAS 411 because their requirements largely overlap with GAAP. One exception within CAS 404 will be moved to another section to ensure the government's interests are still protected. Public comments on these proposed changes are invited until March 18, 2025.

The Coast Guard is proposing a new rule to change how often the Blackburn Point Bridge in Osprey, Florida, opens during busy weekday traffic. The goal is to reduce road congestion by limiting the bridge openings to three times an hour from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays while allowing on-demand openings at other times. The rule has received mixed feedback from the public, and the Coast Guard is inviting comments until February 7, 2025. This proposal aims to improve traffic flow while still allowing safe navigation for boats.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing updates to the fees charged under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for fiscal years 2022 to 2024. This proposal aims to adjust existing fees and introduce new fee categories to ensure the fees offset a portion of the costs of the EPA's responsibilities under TSCA. New exemptions are also proposed for certain manufacturers to reduce the burden on smaller entities and those engaged in specific activities, like research and development. EPA seeks to redistribute the fees more equitably among manufacturers based on production volume, aiming to refine the fee process from previous implementations and ensure industries that contribute to chemical manufacturing support EPA's oversight and evaluation efforts.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing changes to how airline passenger data is collected and processed in the Origin-Destination Survey. These changes aim to modernize data collection by aligning it with current airline business practices, increasing the sample size to enhance the accuracy of data on smaller markets, and reducing the time delay before data is released. The proposal also intends to reduce administrative burdens for airlines by moving data reporting to the airline that issues the ticket and improving data accuracy with additional details like dwell times and total tax amounts. The department is seeking public comment on these proposed changes.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing a new voluntary plan to use the 900 MHz band for broadband purposes. This plan seeks input on changing current rules and procedures to allow the entire ten megahertz of the band to be used for broadband, if applicants reach private agreements. The proposal includes ways to protect existing narrowband operations while supporting new broadband developments and involves substantial changes to application and eligibility criteria. The FCC invites comments on these proposals, with an aim to boost the availability and efficiency of broadband services, especially in critical areas like utilities and infrastructure.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed a rule change to allow individuals with vision impairments in one eye to operate commercial motor vehicles without needing an exemption. Currently, these individuals need an exemption to drive interstate. The new rule suggests using a standard that includes a road test instead of requiring three years of intrastate driving experience. This change aims to simplify the qualification process and improve employment opportunities for drivers while maintaining safety standards.