🥕Public Meeting Notice by U.S. Codex Office on Fresh Produce Standards
The U.S. Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on Feb 5, 2025. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the 22nd Session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV), which will meet in Mexico City, Mexico, from February 25-March 1, 2025. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 23rd Session of the CCFFV and to address items on the agenda.
Learn More⚖️2025 Civil Penalties Adjustments for Businesses Under NAGPRA
This rule revises U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) regulations implementing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) to provide for annual adjustments of civil penalties to account for inflation under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 and Office of Management and Budget guidance. The purpose of these adjustments is to maintain the deterrent effect of civil penalties and to further the policy goals of the underlying statute. This rule also updates the mailing address for the NAGPRA Program.
Learn More🌱Regulatory Notice on Importation of Fresh Wasabi from Indonesia
We are advising the public that we have prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation of fresh rhizomes of wasabi, Eutrema japonicum (Miq.) Koidz. (Brassicaceae), for consumption from Indonesia into the United States. Based on the analysis, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh rhizomes of wasabi from Indonesia into the United States. We are making the pest risk analysis available to the public for review and comment.
Learn More📜Notice of Inventory Completion and Repatriation Implications in Oklahoma
In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History (SNOMNH) has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.
Learn More🛡️New Regulations to Secure Connected Vehicle Supply
This final rule, published by the Department of Commerce's (Department) Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), sets forth regulations and procedures to address undue or unacceptable risks to national security and U.S. persons posed by classes of transactions involving information and communications technology and services (ICTS) that are designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of certain foreign adversaries and that are integral to connected vehicles as defined herein.
Learn More🌊New Regulations for Navy Activities and Marine Mammal Protections
NMFS, upon request from the U.S. Navy (Navy), issues these regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to the training and testing activities conducted in the Hawaii-Southern California Training and Testing (HSTT) Study Area between 2018 and 2025. In 2021, two separate U.S. Navy vessels struck unidentified large whales on two separate occasions, one whale in June 2021 and one whale in July 2021, in waters off Southern California. The takes by vessel strike of the two whales by the U.S. Navy were covered by the existing regulations and Letters of Authorization (LOAs), which authorize the U.S. Navy to take up to three large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike between 2018 and 2025. The Navy reanalyzed the potential of vessel strike in the HSTT Study Area, including the recent strikes, and as a result, requested two additional takes of large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike for the remainder of the current regulatory period. In May 2023, a U.S. Navy vessel struck a large whale in waters off Southern California. NMFS reanalyzed the potential for vessel strike based on new information, including the three strikes, and authorizes two additional takes of large whales by serious injury or mortality by vessel strike for the remainder of the current regulatory period (two takes in addition to the three takes authorized in the current regulations). The Navy's activities qualify as military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA).
Learn More📦USPS Notice
The Postal Service gives notice of filing a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission to add a domestic shipping services contract to the list of Negotiated Service Agreements in the Mail Classification Schedule's Competitive Products List.
Learn More⚖️MSPB's Proposal for Reasonable Accommodation Information Collection
The U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, intends to request approval of a new information collection from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. MSPB is submitting this Information Collection Request (ICR), entitled Accommodation Request Form, OMB Control No. 3124-0NEW, for approval in accordance with Federal regulations, and is requesting public comments. This collection was developed as part of MSPB's effort to streamline the process for collecting information from employees and applicants to MSPB, as well as participants in MSPB functions (parties and/or participants in MSPB appeals, respondents to surveys, and all other individuals engaged in activity conducted by the MSPB), who seek a reasonable accommodation in order for MSPB to carry out its functions with respect to these individuals. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
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