As required by section 21 of the USGSA (7 U.S.C. 87j), as amended, the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) initially established the Advisory Committee on September 29, 1981, to provide advice to the AMS Administrator on implementation of the USGSA. As specified in the USGSA, members of the advisory committee shall be appointed to three-year terms and no member may serve, successively, for more than 2 terms. The final selection of Advisory Committee members is made by the Secretary.

The Advisory Committee consists of 15 members, appointed by the Secretary, who represent the interests of grain producers, processors, handlers, merchandisers, consumers, exporters, and scientists with expertise in research related to the policies in section 2 of the USGSA (7 U.S.C. 74). While members of the Advisory Committee serve without compensation, AMS reimburses them for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, for travel away from their homes or regular places of business in performance of Advisory Committee service (see 5 U.S.C. 5703).

A list of current Advisory Committee members and other relevant information are available on the USDA website at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/facas-advisory-councils/giac.

The grain industry that utilizes Official Inspection and Weighing services for barley, canola, corn, flaxseed, oats, rye, soybeans, sorghum, sunflower seed, triticale, wheat, and mixed grain is diverse. AMS is seeking nominations for the Advisory Committee that will reflect the diversity of the grain industry, including, but not limited to, grain producers, processors, handlers, merchandisers, consumers, exporters, and scientists. Therefore, when making recommendations for appointments, the industry must consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.

USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information ( e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

Equal opportunity practices in accordance with USDA's policies will be followed in all appointments to the Committee. To ensure that the recommendations of the Committee have taken into account the needs of the diverse groups served by the Department, membership shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, cultures, and beliefs of the American people, including underserved communities. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is modifying an existing system of records notice for Wildlife Services Management Information System, USDA/APHIS-9. The system will be renamed Wildlife Services Information Management System, USDA/APHIS-9. The system of records for Wildlife Services, USDA/APHIS-9, was last published on October 8, 2015, in its entirety in the Federal Register (80 FR 60872-60875, Docket No. APHIS-2014-0036). (To view the notice, go to www.regulations.gov, and enter APHIS-2014-0036 in the Search field.)

Wildlife Services Information Management System serves as the official record of Wildlife Services' (WS') work in wildlife damage management activities related to agriculture, human health and safety, natural resources, and human property. WS supports the APHIS mission to safeguard the health, welfare, and value of American agriculture and natural resources. This system, which currently includes the Management Information System (MIS), and will include the successor system, Operations and Reporting System (OARS), and any future successor system, serves as the official record of WS' work in wildlife damage management activities related to agriculture, human health and safety, natural resources, and human property. WS conducts work to manage damage related to wildlife, wildlife diseases, aviation safety, invasive species, blackbird management, and livestock, aquaculture, and other natural resource protection. This system improves WS' capability to monitor and measure its performance, provide timely information to decision makers, and document WS' work. WS' personnel enter wildlife damage management activities into the system, and WS uses the information to generate wildlife damage management reports for APHIS, its customers, stakeholders, and the public. System generated reports do not disclose personal identifying information or distinguishable private property locations.

APHIS is making the following changes to the system of records notice:

• Renaming the system to broaden the name that will include any information collection system WS uses in the future to collect the information described by this system of records notice;

• Updating the system location and system manager to reflect the current system locations and system manager;

• Updating the location of the authorities for maintenance of the system because the sections were reorganized in the United States Code;

• Updating the purpose of the system to more accurately describe the WS' activities and services provided for better reporting capabilities;

• Expanding the categories of individuals to include the individual entities more accurately for whom WS provides services and the government personnel involved in WS' associated services and activities to more accurately identify stakeholder groups;

• Expanding the categories of records to list the records maintained in the system by category;

• Expanding the record source categories to add additional information that may be added to the system by WS;

• Updating the policies and practices for storage and retention and disposal of records in the system to more accurately describe the storage and record retention times until the National Archives and Records Administration approves APHIS' requested records retention schedule;

• Updating the policies for retrieval of records to provide the elements by which records can be retrieved within the system;

• Updating the system safeguards to add reference to eAuthentication;

• Updating the notification, record access, and contesting record procedures to reference the subject regulations found in 7 CFR part 1; and

• Providing an updated full list of routine uses in the routine uses section of the document published with this notice. Each routine use includes an explanation as to the reason for the use.

Background

The Codex Alimentarius Commission was established in 1963 by two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Through adoption of food standards, codes of practice, and other guidelines developed by its committees, and by promoting their adoption and implementation by governments, Codex seeks to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.

The Terms of Reference of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) are:

(a) to develop principles and guidelines for food import and export inspection and certification systems with a view to harmonizing methods and procedures which protect the health of consumers, ensure fair trading practices and facilitate international trade in foodstuffs;

(b) to develop principles and guidelines for the application of measures by the competent authorities of exporting and importing countries to provide assurance where necessary that foodstuffs comply with requirements, especially statutory health requirements;

(c) to develop guidelines for the utilization, as and when appropriate, of quality assurance systems to ensure that foodstuffs conform with requirements and to promote the recognition of these systems in facilitating trade in food products under bilateral/multilateral arrangements by countries;

(d) to develop guidelines and criteria with respect to format, declarations and language of such official certificates as countries may require with a view towards international harmonization;

(e) to make recommendations for information exchange in relation to food import/export control;

(f) to consult as necessary with other international groups working on matters related to food inspection and certification systems; and,

(g) to consider other matters assigned to it by the Commission in relation to food inspection and certification systems.

Quality assurance means all those planned and systematic actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that a product or service will satisfy given requirements for quality (ISO-8402 Quality—Vocabulary).

The CCFICS is hosted by Australia. The United States attends the CCFICS as a member country of Codex.

The following items from the Provisional Agenda for the 27th Session of the CCFICS will be discussed during the public meeting:

• Matters arising from the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its subsidiary bodies

• Information on activities of the FAO and WHO and other international organizations relevant to the work of CCFICS

• Draft Consolidated Codex Guidelines related to Equivalence

• Draft Guidelines on the Prevention and Control of Food Fraud

• Draft revision and updating of the Principles for Traceability/Product Tracing as a Tool Within a Food Inspection and Certification System (CXG 60-2006)

• Discussion paper on guidance on appeals mechanism in the context of rejection of imported food

• Discussion paper on the standardization of sanitary requirements

• Review and update of Appendix A—the list of emerging global issues

• Other business

At the August 21, 2024, public meeting, draft U.S. positions on the agenda items will be described and discussed, and attendees will have the opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. Written comments may be offered at the meeting or sent to Dr. Michelle Catlin, U.S. Delegate to the 27th Session of the CCFICS, at michelle.catlin@usda.gov. Written comments should state that they relate to activities of the 27th Session of the CCFICS.

Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy development is important. Consequently, the U.S. Codex Office will announce this Federal Register publication on-line through the USDA Codex web page located at: http://www.usda.gov/codex, a link that also offers an email subscription service providing access to information related to Codex. Customers can add or delete their subscriptions themselves and have the option to password protect their accounts.

No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to discrimination any person in the United States under any program or activity conducted by the USDA.

To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at https://www.usda.gov/oascr/filing-program-discrimination-complaint-usda-customer, or write a letter signed by you or your authorized representative. Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410; Fax: (202) 690-7442; Email: program.intake@usda.gov. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

Special Milk Program for Children —Pursuant to section 3 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1772), the Department announces the rate of reimbursement for a half pint of milk served to non-needy children in a school or institution that participates in the Special Milk Program for Children. This rate is adjusted annually to reflect changes in the Producer Price Index for Fluid Milk Products, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor.

National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs —Pursuant to sections 11 and 17A of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, (42 U.S.C. 1759a and 1766a), and section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773), the Department annually announces the adjustments to the National Average Payment Factors and to the maximum Federal reimbursement rates for lunches and afterschool snacks served to children participating in the National School Lunch Program and breakfasts served to children participating in the School Breakfast Program. Adjustments are prescribed each July 1, based on changes in the Food Away From Home series of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor.

Lunch Payment Levels —Section 4 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1753) provides general cash for food assistance payments to States to assist schools in purchasing food. The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act provides two different section 4 payment levels for lunches served under the National School Lunch Program. The lower payment level applies to lunches served by school food authorities in which less than 60 percent of the lunches served in the school lunch program during the second preceding school year were served free or at a reduced price. The higher payment level applies to lunches served by school food authorities in which 60 percent or more of the lunches served during the second preceding school year were served free or at a reduced price.

To supplement these section 4 payments, section 11 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759(a)) provides special cash assistance payments to aid schools in providing free and reduced-price lunches. The section 11 National Average Payment Factor for each reduced-price lunch served is set at 40 cents less than the factor for each free lunch.

As authorized under sections 8 and 11 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1757 and 1759a), maximum reimbursement rates for each type of lunch are prescribed by the Department in this Notice. These maximum rates are to ensure equitable disbursement of Federal funds to school food authorities.

Performance-based Reimbursement —In addition to the funding mentioned above, school food authorities certified as meeting the meal pattern and nutrition standard requirements set forth in 7 CFR parts 210 and 220 are eligible to receive performance-based cash assistance for each reimbursable lunch served (an additional nine cents per lunch available beginning July 1, 2024, and adjusted annually thereafter).

Afterschool Snack Payments in Afterschool Care Programs —Section 17A of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1766a) establishes National Average Payments for free, reduced price and paid afterschool snacks as part of the National School Lunch Program.

Breakfast Payment Factors —Section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) establishes National Average Payment Factors for free, reduced price, and paid breakfasts served under the School Breakfast Program and additional payments for free and reduced-price breakfasts served in schools determined to be in “severe need” because they serve a high percentage of free and reduced eligible children.

The following specific section 4, section 11, and section 17A National Average Payment Factors and maximum reimbursement rates for lunch, the afterschool snack rates, and the breakfast rates are in effect from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Due to a higher cost of living, the average payments and maximum reimbursements for Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands are higher than those for all other States. The District of Columbia uses figures specified for the contiguous States. These rates do not include the value of USDA Foods or cash-in-lieu of USDA Foods which schools receive as additional assistance for each meal served to participants under the Program. A notice announcing the value of USDA Foods and cash-in-lieu of USDA Foods is published separately in the Federal Register .

Adjustments to the national average payment rates for all lunches served under the National School Lunch Program, breakfasts served under the School Breakfast Program, and afterschool snacks served under the National School Lunch Program are rounded down to the nearest whole cent.

For the period July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, the rate of reimbursement for a half pint of milk served to a non-needy child in a school or institution that participates in the Special Milk Program is 27.00 cents. This change is based on the 2.91 percent increase in the Producer Price Index for Fluid Milk Products from May 2023 to May 2024.

As a reminder, schools or institutions with pricing programs that elect to serve milk free to eligible children continue to receive the average cost of a half pint of milk (the total cost of all milk purchased during the claim period divided by the total number of purchased half pints) for each half pint served to an eligible child.

Overall, payments for the National School Lunch Program and the Afterschool Snack Program increased due to a 4.03 percent increase in the national average payment rates for schools and residential child care institutions for the period July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025 in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the Food Away From Home series during the 12-month period May 2023 to May 2024 (from a level of 352.892 in May 2023, as previously published in the Federal Register to 367.099 in May 2024).

These changes are reflected below.

Section 4 National Average Payment Factors —In school food authorities that served less than 60 percent free and reduced-price lunches in School Year (SY) 2022-2023, the payments for meals served are: Contiguous States —paid rate—42 cents (2 cents increase from the 2023-2024 rate), free and reduced price rate—42 cents (2 cents increase), maximum rate—50 cents (2 cents increase); Alaska —paid rate—69 cents (3 cents increase), free and reduced price rate—69 cents (3 cents increase), maximum rate—79 cents (3 cents increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands —paid rate—55 cents (2 cents increase), free and reduced price rate—55 cents (2 cents increase), maximum rate—64 cents (3 cents increase).

In school food authorities that served 60 percent or more free and reduced price lunches in School Year 2022-2023, payments are: Contiguous States —paid rate—44 cents (2 cents increase), free and reduced price rate—44 cents (2 cents increase), maximum rate—50 cents (2 cents increase); Alaska —paid rate—71 cents (3 cents increase), free and reduced price rate— 71 cents (3 cents increase), maximum rate—79 cents (3 cents increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —paid rate—57 cents (2 cents increase), free and reduced price rate—57 cents (2 cents increase), maximum rate—64 cents (3 cents increase).

School food authorities certified to receive the performance-based cash assistance will receive an additional 9 cents (adjusted annually) added to the above amounts as part of their section 4 payments.

Section 11 National Average Payment Factors — Contiguous States —free lunch—4 dollars and 1 cent (16 cents increase from the SY 2023-2024 rate), reduced price lunch—3 dollars and 61 cents (16 cents increase); Alaska —free lunch—6 dollars and 49 cents (25 cents increase), reduced price lunch—6 dollars and 9 cents (25 cents increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —free lunch—5 dollars and 21 cent (20 cents increase), reduced price lunch—4 dollars and 81 cents (20 cents increase).

Afterschool Snacks in Afterschool Care Programs —The payments are: Contiguous States —free snack—1 dollar and 21 cents (4 cents increase from the SY 2023-2024), reduced price snack—60 cents (2 cents increase), paid snack—11 cents (1 cent increase); Alaska —free snack—1 dollar and 97 cents (8 cent increase), reduced price snack—98 cents (4 cents increase), paid snack—18 cents (1 cent increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —free snack—1 dollar and 58 cents (6 cents increase), reduced price snack—79 cents (3 cents increase), paid snack—14 cents (1 cent increase).

Overall, payments for the National School Breakfast Program increased due to a 4.03 percent increase in the national average payment rates for schools and residential child care institutions for the period July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers in the Food Away from Home series during the 12-month period May 2023 to May 2024 (from a level of 352.892 in May 2023, as previously published in the Federal Register to 367.099 in May 2024).

These changes are reflected below.

For schools “not in severe need” the payments are: Contiguous States —free breakfast—2 dollars and 37 cents (9 cents increase from the SY 2023-2024 rate), reduced price breakfast—2 dollars and 7 cents (9 cents increase), paid breakfast—39 cents (1 cent increase); Alaska free breakfast—3 dollars and 80 cents (14 cents increase), reduced price breakfast—3 dollars and 50 cents (14 cents increase), paid breakfast—60 cents (2 cents increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —free breakfast—3 dollars and 6 cents (11 cents increase), reduced price breakfast—2 dollars and 76 cents (11 cents increase), paid breakfast—49 cents (2 cents increase).

For schools in “severe need” the payments are: Contiguous States —free breakfast—2 dollars and 84 cents (11 cents increase from the SY 2023-2024), reduced price breakfast—2 dollars and 54 cents (11 cents increase), paid breakfast—39 cents (1 cent increase); Alaska —free breakfast—4 dollars and 56 cents (17 cents increase), reduced price breakfast—4 dollars and 26 cents (17 cents increase), paid breakfast—60 cents (2 cents increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —free breakfast—3 dollars and 67 cents (14 cents increase), reduced price breakfast—3 dollars and 37 cents (14 cents increase), paid breakfast—49 cents (2 cents increase).

The following chart illustrates the lunch National Average Payment Factors with the sections 4 and 11 already combined to indicate the per lunch amount; the maximum lunch reimbursement rates; the reimbursement rates for afterschool snacks served in afterschool care programs; the breakfast National Average Payment Factors including severe need schools; and the milk reimbursement rate. All amounts are expressed in dollars or fractions thereof. The payment factors and reimbursement rates used for the District of Columbia are those specified for the contiguous States.

This action is not a rule as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612) and thus is exempt from the provisions of that Act. This notice has been determined to be exempt under Executive Order 12866.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507), no new recordkeeping or reporting requirements have been included that are subject to approval from the Office of Management and Budget.

National School Lunch, School Breakfast, and Special Milk Programs are listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under No. 10.555, No. 10.553, and No. 10.556, respectively, and are subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials (See 2 CFR 415.3-415.6).

Authority: Sections 4, 8, 11, and 17A of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 1753, 1757, 1759a, 1766a) and sections 3 and 4(b) of the Child Nutrition Act, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 1772 and 42 U.S.C. 1773(b)).

Pursuant to sections 4, 11, and 17 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1753, 1759a and 1766), section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) and 7 CFR 226.4, 226.12 and 226.13 of the Program regulations, notice is hereby given of the new payment rates for institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. As provided for under the law, all rates in the Child and Adult Care Food Program must be revised annually, on July 1, to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor, for the most recent 12-month period. These rates are in effect during the period of July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

The following national average payment factors and food service payment rates for meals and snacks are in effect from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. All amounts are expressed in dollars or fractions thereof. Due to a higher cost of living, the reimbursements for Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands are higher than those for all other States. The District of Columbia uses the figures specified for the contiguous States. These rates do not include the value of USDA Foods or cash-in-lieu of USDA Foods, which institutions receive as additional assistance for each lunch or supper served to participants under the Program. A notice announcing the value of USDA Foods and cash-in-lieu of USDA Foods is published separately in the Federal Register .

Adjustments to the national average payment rates for all meals served under the Child and Adult Care Food Program are rounded down to the nearest whole cent.

The changes in the national average payment rates for centers reflect a 4.03 percent increase during the 12-month period from May 2023 to May 2024 (from 352.892 in May 2023, as previously published in the Federal Register , to 367.099 in May 2024) in the Food Away From Home series of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.

Payments for breakfasts served are: Contiguous States —paid rate—39 cents (1 cent increase from the 2023-2024 rate), reduced price rate—2 dollar and 7 cents (9 cents increase), free rate—2 dollars and 37 cents (9 cents increase); Alaska —paid rate—60 cents (2 cents increase), reduced price rate—3 dollars and 50 cents (14 cents increase), free rate—3 dollars and 80 cents (14 cents increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —paid rate—49 cents (2 cents increase), reduced price rate—2 dollars and 76 cents (11 cents increase), free rate—3 dollars and 6 cents (11 cents increase).

Payments for lunch or supper served are: Contiguous States —paid rate—42 cents (2 cents increase), reduced price rate—4 dollars and 3 cents (18 cents increase), free rate—4 dollars and 43 cents (18 cents increase); Alaska —paid rate—69 cents (3 cents increase), reduced price rate—6 dollars and 78 cents (28 cents increase), free rate—7 dollars and 18 cents (28 cents increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —paid rate—55 cents (2 cents increase), reduced price rate—5 dollars and 36 cents (22 cents increase), free rate—5 dollars and 76 cents (22 cents increase).

Payments for snack served are: Contiguous States —paid rate—11 cents (1 cents increase), reduced price rate—60 cents (2 cents increase), free rate—1 dollar and 21 cents (4 cents increase); Alaska —paid rate—18 cents (1 cent increase), reduced price rate—98 cents (4 cent increase), free rate—1 dollar and 97 cents (8 cents increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —paid rate—14 cents (1 cents increase), reduced price rate—79 cents (3 cents increase), free rate—1 dollar and 58 cents (6 cents increase).

The changes in the food service payment rates for day care homes reflect a 1.04 percent increase during the 12-month period from May 2023 to May 2024 (from 302.535 in May 2023, as previously published in the Federal Register , to 305.679 in May 2024) in the Food At Home series of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.

Payments for breakfast served are: Contiguous States —Tier I—1 dollar and 66 cents (1 cent increase from the 2023-2024 rate) and Tier II—60 cents (1 cents increase); Alaska —Tier I—2 dollars and 66 cents (3 cents increase) and Tier II— 93 cents (1 cent increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —Tier I—2 dollar and 14 cents (2 cents increase) and Tier II—76 cents (1 cent increase).

Payments for lunch and supper served are: Contiguous States —Tier I—3 dollars and 15 cents (3 cents increase) and Tier II—1 dollar and 90 cents (2 cents increase); Alaska —Tier I—5 dollars and 10 cents (5 cents increase) and Tier II—3 dollars and 8 cents (3 cents increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —Tier I—4 dollars and 9 cents (4 cents increase) and Tier II—2 dollar and 47 cents (3 cents increase).

Payments for snack served are: Contiguous States —Tier I—93 cents (No Change) and Tier II—26 cents (1 cent increase); Alaska —Tier I—1 dollar and 52 cents (2 cents increase) and Tier II—42 cents (1 cent increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —Tier I—1 dollar and 22 cents (2 cents increase) and Tier II—33 cents (No Change).

The changes in the administrative reimbursement rates for sponsoring organizations of day care homes reflect a 3.27 percent increase during the 12-month period, May 2023 to May 2024 (from 304.127 in May 2023, as previously published in the Federal Register , to 314.069 in May 2024) in the series for all items of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.

Monthly administrative payments to sponsors for each sponsored day care home are: Contiguous States —Initial 50 homes—147 dollars (5 dollar increase from 2023-2024 annual level), next 150 homes—112 dollars (4 dollar increase), next 800 homes—87 dollars (2 dollar increase), each additional home—77 dollars (2 dollar increase); Alaska —Initial 50 homes—238 dollars (8 dollar increase), next 150 homes—181 dollars (5 dollar increase), next 800 homes—142 dollars (5 dollar increase), each additional home—125 dollars (4 dollar increase); Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands —Initial 50 homes—191 dollars (6 dollar increase), next 150 homes—145 dollars (4 dollar increase), next 800 homes—114 dollars (4 dollar increase), each additional home—100 dollars (3 dollar increase).

The following chart illustrates the national average payment factors and food service payment rates for meals and snacks in effect from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

This action is not a rule as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612) and thus is exempt from the provisions of that Act. This notice has been determined to be exempt under Executive Order 12866.

Child and Adult Care Food Program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under No. 10.558 and is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials. (See 2 CFR 415.3-415.6).

This notice imposes no new reporting or recordkeeping provisions that are subject to OMB review in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3518).

Authority: Sections 4(b)(2), 11a, 17(c) and 17(f)(3)(B) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1753(b)(2), 1759a, 1766(f)(3)(B) and section 4(b)(1)(B) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773(b)(1)(B)).

The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-11) of March 30, 2009, designated Cottonwood Creek, California as a National Wild and Scenic River, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Interior. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act requires that each federally administered river have a legally established boundary. As specified by law, the boundary will not be effective until ninety days after Congress receives the transmittal.

The Committee was established pursuant to section 14008 of the Food Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, Public Law 110-246, 122 Stat. 1651, 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2279), to ensure that socially disadvantaged farmers ( i.e., minority farmers) have equal access to USDA programs. The committee members also advise the Secretary on implementation of section 2501 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (the 2501 Program); maximizing the participation of minority farmers and ranchers in USDA programs; and civil rights activities within the Department relative to participants in its programs.

The Secretary appoints a diverse group of committee members who represent the broadest possible range of minority farmers, ranchers, and stakeholders—bringing their lived-experiences to the fore. These representative committee members look closely at challenges and issues adversely affecting many minority farming communities; consider ways to bridge the gap in customer service delivery; examine continued barriers to program participation ( e.g., how the USDA might lessen the burdens of process and procedure ); and needful action through which minority farmers and ranchers might finally attain equity in agricultural pursuits with USDA assistance.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family or parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Equal opportunity practices in accordance with USDA's policies will be followed in all appointments to the Committee. To ensure that the recommendations of the Committee have taken into account the needs of the diverse groups served by the Department, membership shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, cultures, and beliefs of the American people, including underserved communities.

Agenda: On Day 1 (July 23), the public meeting will begin with Committee member introductions and overview and comments from the Chairperson. The Committee will next hear from the USDA Equity Commission Co-Chairpersons, who will share about the Commission and its accomplishments in the first term and their shared vision for the USDA. Leadership from USDA's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights will follow with an opening keynote address. The first day of the public meeting will end at 1:00 p.m. after which the Committee members will visit with local producers in New York State.

On Days 2 and 3 (July 24 and 25), the Committee will review specific topics from its most recent set of recommendations (July 2023). The members will engage with USDA agencies on status updates, discussions on implementation and timelines for recommendations (as appropriate). The following agencies will report out and update the Committee over the course of two days: Farm Service Agency; Office Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, Rural Development; Agricultural Marketing Services; National Agricultural Statistics Service (Ag Census); Forest Services; National Institutes of Food and Agriculture; Office of the Secretary (OPPE) on topics in outreach and communications; history of the 1890 institutions; and several invited speakers will explore the history, current, and projected conditions affecting minority farming communities. On Day 3 (July 25) the public meeting will end with a moderated discussion led by Equity Commission Members on the topic of contracting with the USDA. On each day there will be opportunities for the public to make statements for the Committee's consideration and will be made a part of the record of both morning and afternoon sessions.

On August 3, 2023, Commerce initiated an administrative review of the antidumping duty order on PC strand from Malaysia, in accordance with section 751(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act). 1 This review covers four producers/exporters of subject merchandise. On August 31, 2023, Commerce selected Kiswire Sdn. Bhd. (Kiswire) (Kiswire) and Wei Dat Steel Wire Sdn. Bhd. (Wei Dat) as mandatory respondents for individual examination. 2 On April 26, 2024, Commerce extended the deadline for the preliminary results to June 28, 2024. 3 For a complete description of the events that followed the initiation of this review, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. 4

The merchandise subject to the Order is prestressed concrete steel wire strand from Malaysia. For a full description of the scope, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum.

Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(d)(3), when there are no reviewable entries of subject merchandise during the POR subject to the antidumping duty order for which liquidation is suspended, Commerce may rescind an administrative review, in whole or only with respect to a particular exporter or producer. 5 At the completion of the administrative review, any suspended entries are liquidated at the assessment rate computed for the review period. 6 Therefore, for an administrative review to be conducted, there must be a reviewable, suspended entry to be liquidated at the newly calculated assessment rate.

On August 15, 2023, we released U.S. import data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the purpose of respondent selection. 7 These data showed that one company for which Commerce initiated an administrative review, Southern Steel Sdn. Bhd. (Southern Steel), had no reviewable, suspended entries of subject merchandise. 8 Accordingly, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(d)(3) and (d)(4), we are preliminarily rescinding this administrative review with respect to Southern Steel. Absent evidence of a shipment on the record from Southern Steel during the POR, Commerce intends to rescind its review of Southern Steel, pursuant to 19 CFR 351.213(d)(3).

Commerce is conducting this review in accordance with section 751(a)(1)(B) of the Act. We calculated export price in accordance with section 772(a) of the Act. We calculated NV in accordance with section 773 of the Act. For a full description of the methodology underlying these preliminary results, see the Preliminary Decision Memorandum. A list of the topics discussed in the Preliminary Decision Memorandum is included as an appendix to this notice. The Preliminary Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to registered users at https://access.trade.gov. In addition, a complete version of the Preliminary Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.

The Act and Commerce's regulations do not address the establishment of a rate to be applied to companies not selected for examination when Commerce limits its examination in an administrative review pursuant to section 777A(c)(2) of the Act. Generally, Commerce looks to section 735(c)(5) of the Act, which provides instructions for calculating the all-others rate in a market economy investigation, for guidance when calculating the rate for companies which were not selected for individual examination in an administrative review. Under section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act, the all-others rate is normally “an amount equal to the weighted average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for exporters and producers individually investigated, excluding any zero and de minimis margins, and any margins determined entirely {on the basis of facts available}.”

In this review, we preliminarily calculated weighted-average dumping margins of zero percent and 0.73 percent for Kiswire and Wei Dat, respectively. Therefore, in accordance with section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act, we are preliminarily applying Wei Dat's weighted-average dumping margin of 0.73 percent to the sole non-examined company, Southern PC Steel Sdn. Bhd., because this is the only rate that is not zero, de minimis, or based entirely on facts available.

We preliminarily determine that the following estimated weighted-average dumping margins exist for the period June 1, 2022, through May 31, 2023:

On May 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) initiated a countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of imports of certain high chrome cast iron grinding media (grinding media) from India. 1 Currently, the preliminary determination is due no later than July 22, 2024.

Section 703(b)(1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act), requires Commerce to issue the preliminary determination in a CVD investigation within 65 days after the date on which Commerce initiated the investigation. However, section 703(c)(1) of the Act permits Commerce to postpone the preliminary determination in a CVD investigation until no later than 130 days after the date on which Commerce initiated the investigation if: (A) the petitioner makes a timely request for an extension of the period within which the determination must be made; or (B) Commerce concludes that the parties concerned are cooperating, that the investigation is extraordinarily complicated, and that additional time is necessary to make the preliminary determination. Under 19 CFR 351.205(e), the petitioner must submit a request for postponement 25 days or more before the scheduled date of the preliminary determination and must state the reasons for the request. Commerce will grant the request unless it finds compelling reasons to deny the request.

On June 26, 2024, the petitioner  2 submitted a timely request to postpone the preliminary determination in the investigation. 3 The petitioner stated that postponement of the preliminary determination is necessary because the current schedule does not provide Commerce with adequate time to fully analyze the forthcoming questionnaire responses of the mandatory respondents and issue supplemental questionnaires, as necessary. 4

In accordance with 19 CFR 351.205(e), the petitioner submitted its request for postponement of the preliminary determination in this investigation 25 days or more before the scheduled date of the preliminary determination and stated the reasons for its request. Commerce finds no compelling reason to deny its request. Therefore, in accordance with section 703(c)(1)(A) of the Act, Commerce is postponing the deadline for the preliminary determination in this investigation to no later than 130 days after the date on which it initiated this investigation, i.e., September 23, 2024. Pursuant to section 705(a)(1) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(b)(1), the deadline for the final determination in this investigation will continue to be 75 days after the date of the preliminary determination.

This notice is issued and published pursuant to section 703(c)(2) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.205(f)(1).

On March 5, 2024, Commerce published the Preliminary Results and invited comments from interested parties. 1 We received no substantive comments by interested parties regarding our Preliminary Results . 2 Accordingly, as the final results remain unchanged from the Preliminary Results, there is no decision memorandum accompanying this notice.

Commerce conducted this administrative review in accordance with section 751 of the Tarriff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).

The subject merchandise covered by this Order is certain frozen warmwater shrimp. 4

The Act and Commerce's regulations do not address the establishment of a rate to be applied to companies not selected for individual examination when Commerce limits its examination in an administrative review pursuant to section 777A(c)(2) of the Act. Generally, Commerce looks to section 735(c)(5) of the Act, which provides instructions for calculating the all-others rate in a market economy investigation, for guidance when calculating the rate for companies which were not selected for individual examination in an administrative review. Under section 735(c)(5)(A) of the Act, the all-others rate is normally “an amount equal to the weighted average of the estimated weighted-average dumping margins established for exporters and producers individually examined, excluding any margins that are zero, de minimis ( i.e., less than 0.5 percent), or determined entirely on the basis of facts available.”

For these final results, because the rate calculated for RSA Marines is zero percent, we have assigned the rate calculated for NK Marine Exports LLP (NK Marine) ( i.e., 2.49 percent) to the non-selected companies.

For these final results, we determine that the following estimated weighted-average dumping margins exist for the respondents for the period February 1, 2022, through January 31, 2023:

Normally, Commerce will disclose to the parties in a proceeding the calculations performed in connection with the final results of review within five days of any public announcement or, if there is no public announcement, within five days of the date of publication of the notice of final results in the Federal Register , in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b). However, because we made no changes from the Preliminary Results, there are no new calculations to disclose.

Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act and 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1), Commerce has determined, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries of subject merchandise in accordance with the final results of this review. Commerce intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days after the date of publication of the final results of this review in the Federal Register . If a timely summons is filed at the U.S. Court of International Trade, the assessment instructions will direct CBP not to liquidate relevant entries until the time for parties to file a request for a statutory injunction has expired ( i.e., within 90 days of publication).

Pursuant to 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1), because both respondents reported the entered value for all of their U.S. sales, we calculated importer-specific ad valorem duty assessment rates based on the ratio of the total amount of antidumping duties calculated for the examined sales to the total entered value of the sales for which entered value was reported. Where either the respondent's weighted-average dumping margin is zero or de minimis within the meaning of 19 CFR 351.106(c), or an importer-specific rate is zero or de minimis, we will instruct CBP to liquidate the appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties.

Commerce's “automatic assessment” practice will apply to entries of subject merchandise during the POR produced by NK Marine or RSA Marines for which these companies did not know that the merchandise they sold to the intermediary ( e.g., a reseller, trading company, or exporter) was destined for the United States. In such instances, we will instruct CBP to liquidate unreviewed entries at the all-others rate if there is no rate for the intermediate company(ies) involved in the transaction. 6

For the companies listed in the appendix which were not selected for individual examination, we will assign an assessment rate based on the rate calculated for NK Marine, as noted above.

The following cash deposit requirements will be effective upon publication in the Federal Register of these final results of administrative review for all shipments of the subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date, as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) the cash deposit rate for the companies listed above will be the rates shown above, except if the rate is less than 0.50 percent and, therefore, de minimis within the meaning of 19 CFR 351.106(c)(1), in which case the cash deposit rate will be zero; (2) for previously reviewed or investigated companies not covered by this review, the cash deposit will continue to be the company-specific rate published for the most recently completed segment of this proceeding in which the company participated; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, or the less-than-fair-value (LTFV) investigation, but the manufacturer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recent segment for the manufacturer of the merchandise; and (4) the cash deposit rate for all other manufacturers or exporters will continue to be 10.17 percent, the all-others rate established in the LTFV investigation. 7 These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

This notice serves as a final reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in the Commerce's presumption that reimbursement of antidumping duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping duties.

This notice serves as the only reminder to parties subject to an administrative protective order (APO) of their responsibility concerning the disposition of proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3), which continues to govern business proprietary information in this segment of the proceeding. Timely written notification of the return or destruction of APO materials or conversion to judicial protective order is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and terms of an APO is a sanctionable violation.

This notice is issued and published in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(5).

On January 4, 2024, Commerce published the Preliminary Results of this administrative review and invited interested parties to comment on the Preliminary Results. 1 This administrative review covers one company, 2 CS Wind Malaysia Sdn Bhd and its parent company, CS Wind Corporation (collectively, CS Wind). 3 On May 6, 2024, Commerce held a public hearing limited to the issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs. 4 On May 31, 2024, Commerce fully extended the deadline for issuing the final results until July 2, 2024. 5 For a complete description of the events that occurred since the Preliminary Results, see the Issues and Decision Memorandum. 6

Commerce conducted this administrative review in accordance with section 751 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (the Act).

The products covered by this Order are wind towers from Malaysia. Merchandise covered by this order is currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under subheading 7308.20.0020 or 8502.31.0000. Wind towers of iron or steel are classified under HTSUS 7308.20.0020 when imported separately as a tower or tower section(s). Wind towers may be classified under HTSUS 8502.31.0000 when imported as combination goods with a wind turbine ( i.e., accompanying nacelles and/or rotor blades). While the HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the scope of this order is dispositive. For a full description of the scope, see the Issues and Decision Memorandum.

All issues raised in the case and rebuttal briefs are addressed in the Issues and Decision Memorandum. A list of the issues that parties raised and to which we responded in the Issues and Decision Memorandum is attached as an appendix to this notice. The Issues and Decision Memorandum is a public document and is on file electronically via Enforcement and Compliance's Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Centralized Electronic Service System (ACCESS). ACCESS is available to registered users at https://access.trade.gov. In addition, a complete version of the Issues and Decision Memorandum can be accessed directly at https://access.trade.gov/public/FRNoticesListLayout.aspx.

Based on a review of the record and comments received from interested parties, we made certain changes to the margin calculation for these final results. For a detailed discussion of these changes, see the Issues and Decision Memorandum.

Commerce determines that the following weighted-average dumping margin exists for the period October 13, 2021, through November 30, 2022:

Commerce intends to disclose under administrative protective order (APO) to interested parties the calculations performed in connection with the final results within five days of the date of publication of the notice of final results in the Federal Register , in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).

Pursuant to section 751(a)(2)(A) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.212(b)(1), Commerce shall determine, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shall assess, antidumping duties on all appropriate entries covered by this review. Because CS Wind's weighted-average dumping margin is not zero or de minimis ( i.e., less than 0.5 percent), Commerce has calculated importer-specific antidumping duty assessment rates based on the ratio of the total amount of dumping calculated for the examined sales to the total entered value of the sales. Where the importer's weighted-average assessment rate is either zero or de minimis ( i.e., less than 0.5 percent), we will instruct CBP to liquidate the appropriate entries without regard to antidumping duties. For entries of subject merchandise during the POR produced by CS Wind for which it did not know its merchandise was destined for the United States, we will instruct CBP to liquidate unreviewed entries at the all-others rate if there is no rate for the intermediate company(ies) involved in the transaction. 8

We intend to instruct CBP to take into account the “provisional measures deposit cap,” in accordance with 19 CFR 351.212(d). Commerce intends to issue assessment instructions to CBP no earlier than 35 days after the date of publication of the final results of this review in the Federal Register . If a timely summons is filed at the U.S. Court of International Trade, the assessment instructions will direct CBP not to liquidate relevant entries until the time for parties to file a request for a statutory injunction has expired ( i.e., within 90 days of publication).

The following cash deposit requirements will be effective for all shipments of the subject merchandise entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the publication date of the final results of this administrative review, as provided by section 751(a)(2)(C) of the Act: (1) the cash deposit rate for CS Wind will be equal to the weighted-average dumping margin established in the final results of this administrative review; (2) for merchandise exported by a company not covered in this administrative review but covered in a prior completed segment of the proceeding, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published for the most recently completed segment of this proceeding; (3) if the exporter is not a firm covered in this review, a prior review, or the original LTFV investigation, but the producer is, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established for the most recently completed segment of this proceeding for the producer of the subject merchandise; and (4) the cash deposit rate for all other producers and exporters will continue to be 0.00 percent, the all-others rate established in the LTFV investigation, adjusted for the export-subsidy rate in the companion countervailing duty investigation. 9 These cash deposit requirements, when imposed, shall remain in effect until further notice.

This notice serves as a final reminder to importers of their responsibility under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) to file a certificate regarding the reimbursement of antidumping and/or countervailing duties prior to liquidation of the relevant entries during this review period. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in Commerce's presumption that reimbursement of antidumping and/or countervailing duties occurred and the subsequent assessment of double antidumping duties, and/or an increase in the amount of antidumping duties by the amount of the countervailing duties.

This notice also serves as a final reminder to parties subject to APO of their responsibility concerning the return or destruction of proprietary information disclosed under APO in accordance with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3), which continues to govern business proprietary information in this segment of the proceeding. Timely written notification of the return or destruction of APO materials, or conversion to judicial protective order, is hereby requested. Failure to comply with the regulations and the terms of an APO is a sanctionable violation.

We are issuing and publishing this notice in accordance with sections 751(a)(1) and 777(i)(1) of the Act, and 19 CFR 351.221(b)(5) and 19 CFR 351.213(h)(1).

Section 315 of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) (16 U.S.C. 1445a) authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to establish advisory councils to advise and make recommendations regarding the designation and management of national marine sanctuaries. NOAA is establishing a new sanctuary advisory council for the proposed national marine sanctuary in Lake Erie to serve as a liaison with the local community and provide guidance and advice to ONMS regarding the designation. The advisory council for the proposed sanctuary in Lake Erie was not established when ONMS published its annual announcement on May 24, 2024 that was advertising to fill vacant seats on the other 17 councils (89 FR 45854 ). Therefore, ONMS is adding the new advisory council to the list of sites with open vacancies and announcing that it is soliciting applications to fill the council's seats. Applications are due Wednesday, August 28, 2024.

In the following Supplementary Information section, NOAA provides details regarding ONMS, the role of advisory councils, and contact information for the Proposed Lake Erie National Marine Sanctuary.

ONMS serves as the trustee for a network of underwater parks encompassing more than 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington state to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. The network includes a system of 16 national marine sanctuaries and the Papahānaumokuākea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments. National marine sanctuaries protect our nation's most vital coastal and marine natural and cultural resources, and through active research, management, and public engagement, sustain healthy environments that are the foundation for thriving communities and stable economies.

One of the many ways ONMS ensures public participation in the designation and management of national marine sanctuaries is through the formation of advisory councils. Advisory councils are community-based groups established to provide advice and recommendations to ONMS on issues including management, science, service, and stewardship, as well as to serve as liaisons between their constituents in the community and the site. Pursuant to Section 315(a) of the NMSA, advisory councils are exempt from the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Additional information on ONMS and its advisory councils can be found at http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov.

Under section 315a(b) of the NMSA, advisory council members may be appointed from among: (1) Persons employed by federal or state agencies with expertise in natural resources management; (2) members of relevant regional fishery management councils; and (3) representatives of local user groups, conservation and other public interest organizations, scientific organizations, educational organizations, or others interested in the protection and multiple use management of sanctuary resources. 16 U.S.C. 1455a(b).

The charter for each advisory council defines the number and type of seats and positions on the council. The advisory council charter for the proposed national marine sanctuary in Lake Erie identifies the following initial, non-governmental voting seat types: citizen-at-large; commercial/charter fishing; divers, dive clubs, and archaeology; economic development; education (K-12); higher education; historically underserved populations; history/maritime heritage and public interpretation; maritime industry; outdoor recreation; recreational fishing; research, science and technology; and tourism and marketing. Initially, the council will also have non-voting seats for government agencies, youth, and federally-recognized Indigenous Nations and Tribes. Recognizing the cultural significance of this area to Indigenous Nations and Tribes, NOAA welcomes the participation of such interested Nations and Tribes on the council. This could involve multiple Nations and Tribes. Nations and Tribes interested in participating in the advisory council should contact the NOAA representative identified in the ADDRESSES section. Participation on the council does not take the place of government-to-government consultation nor does it serve as the only opportunity for engagement between NOAA and federally recognized Indigenous Nations and Tribes.

For each of the existing advisory councils, applicants are chosen based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying; community and professional affiliations; views regarding the protection and management of marine or Great Lakes resources; and possibly the length of residence in the area affected by the site. Council members and alternates for the proposed Lake Erie National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council serve three-year terms or until a post-designation sanctuary advisory council is established, as reflected in the signed charter.

More information on advisory council membership and processes, and materials related to the purpose, policies, and operational requirements for advisory councils can be found in the charter for a particular advisory council ( http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/management/ac/council_charters.html ) and the National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council Implementation Handbook ( http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/management/ac/acref.html ). For more information about the new advisory council for the proposed national marine sanctuary in Lake Erie, including seat descriptions and application materials, please visit https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/lake-erie/.

Authority. The collection of information concerning the solicitation for applications for sanctuary advisory councils is authorized under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, 16 U.S.C. 1445a, and Executive Order 13178, and in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a.

Purposes. The collection of names, contact information, professional information, qualifications, and answers to the application questions is required in order for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to evaluate and appoint members to the sanctuary advisory councils. The information collected will be reviewed by NOAA employees, and may also be reviewed by current sanctuary advisory council members as part of the evaluation process.

Routine Uses. NOAA will use the application information for the purposes set forth above. The Privacy Act authorizes disclosure of the collected information for the following purposes: to NOAA staff for work-related purposes; for other purposes as set forth in the Privacy Act; and for routine uses published in one or more of the following Privacy Act System of Records Notices, as applicable: COMMERCE/DEPT-11, Candidates for Membership, Members, and Former Members of Department of Commerce Advisory Committees, available at https://www.commerce.gov/opog/privacy/SORN/SORN-DEPT-11; COMMERCE/DEPT-18, Employees Personnel Files Not Covered by Notices of Other Agencies, available at https://www.commerce.gov/opog/privacy/SORN/SORN-DEPT-18; and OPM/GOVT-1, General Personnel Records, available at https://www.opm.gov/information-management/privacy-policy/sorn/opm-sorn-govt-1-general-personnel-records.pdf, which cover certain records regarding Federal employees and may also cover records of individuals who are not Federal employees who, through their service on a sanctuary advisory council, may be considered as volunteers providing gratuitous services to the agency without compensation; and, for individuals who are also members of a Regional Fishery Management Council, COMMERCE/NOAA-13, Personnel, Payroll, Travel, and Attendance Records of the Regional Fishery Management Councils.

Effects of Not Providing Information. Providing the application information is voluntary; however, if the information is not provided, the individual will not be considered for appointment as a member of a sanctuary advisory council.

Consent. By submitting an application to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries for appointment to a sanctuary advisory council, you are consenting to the use and disclosure of the information for the purposes and routine uses described above. However, if you prefer that your application be reviewed by NOAA employees only and not disclosed to current council members as part of the evaluation process, please contact the sanctuary advisory council coordinator to request internal review only, which will not result in any disadvantage or impact regarding your candidacy, or for any questions regarding this Privacy Act Statement.

ONMS has a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number (0648-0397) for the collection of public information related to the processing of ONMS national marine sanctuary advisory council applications across the National Marine Sanctuary System. Establishing a sanctuary advisory council for the proposed sanctuary in Lake Erie fits within the estimated reporting burden under that control number. See https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRASearch (Enter Control Number 0648-0397). Therefore, ONMS will not request an update to the reporting burden certified for OMB control number 0648-0397.

Send comments regarding this burden estimate, or any other aspect of this data collection, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, 1305 East West Highway, N/NMS, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number is #0648-0397.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.

The EWG and EAS will hold a joint meeting via webinar to discuss the Pacific Council's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) projects and associated project planning. The EWG and EAS may also discuss other items relevant to ecosystem management in advance of the Pacific Council's September 18-24, 2024, meeting. A detailed meeting agenda will be available on the Pacific Council's website prior to the meeting.

Although non-emergency issues not contained in the meeting agenda may be discussed, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this document and any issues arising after publication of this document that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to take final action to address the emergency.

Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt ( kris.kleinschmidt@noaa.gov; (503) 820-2412) at least 10 days prior to the meeting date.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

The meeting will begin with Introductions and Adoption of Agenda, Scope of Work, Election of SSC Chair and Vice Chair, review and approval of Minutes and Meeting Summary from the May 2024 SSC meeting.

Council Staff will hold an SSC Member General Orientation and SEDAR Process Orientation and Engagement with presentations and SSC discussion. The SSC will receive presentations on Management Strategy Evaluation and SEDAR Assessment Process Changes and Model Complexity. The SSC will then receive a presentation on Essential Fish Habitat Contract Review: Progress on EFH Data Collection, and Influence of Timing and Duration of Recreational Season Harvest Restrictions on Gag Effort, Harvest and Discards in the Gulf of Mexico; including background materials, supporting manuscripts and SSC discussion. The SSC will receive public comment at the end of the day.

The SSC will discuss Acceptable Biological Catch Control Rule Modifications and receive a RESTORE Project Update on Projections Model Review. Next, the SSC will review Regional and Sector-Specific Gulf of Mexico Age, Growth, and Age-length Key Estimation Derived from Otolith-based Ageing, including presentations, background materials and SSC discussions. Then, the SSC will review the 2025-2028 Research and Monitoring Priorities.

Lastly, the SSC will receive public comment at the end of the day before discussing volunteers for the Ecosystem Technical Committee under Other Business.

The meeting will be broadcast via webinar. You may register for the webinar by visiting www.gulfcouncil.org and clicking on the SSC meeting on the calendar.

The agenda is subject to change, and the latest version along with other meeting materials will be posted on www.gulfcouncil.org as they become available.

Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come before the Scientific and Statistical Committees for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during this meeting. Actions of the Scientific and Statistical Committee will be restricted to those issues specifically identified in the agenda and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under Section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to take-action to address the emergency.

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should be directed to Kathy Pereira, (813) 348-1630, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

I. Abstract

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) administers the Trademark Act (Act), 15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq., which provides for the registration of trademarks, service marks, collective membership marks, and certification marks. Individuals and businesses that use or intend to use such marks in commerce may file an application to register their marks with the USPTO.

This information collection covers various trademark-related communications to the USPTO, including letters of protest, requests to make special, responses to petition inquiry letters, petitions to make special, requests to restore a filing date, and requests for reinstatement. This information collection also incorporates petitions for ex parte expungement or reexamination (PTO-2312). Ex parte expungement and reexamination proceedings were established by the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (TMA), Public Law 116-260 (Dec. 27, 2020), to cancel, either in whole or in part, registered marks for which the required use in commerce was not made. The burden estimate for petitions for ex parte expungement or reexamination was previously contained in OMB Control No. 0651-0086, Changes to Implement Provisions of the Trademark Modernization Act, but is being transferred into this information collection for efficiency. Finally, this information collection consolidates into a single burden estimate the burden for responses to petition inquiry letters (PTO-2305), which was previously reflected in both OMB Control No. 0651-0086 and this information collection.

The information covered in this collection is used by the public for a variety of private business purposes related to establishing and enforcing trademark rights. Information relating to the registration of a trademark is made available to the public by the USPTO. However, the release of information in a letter of protest is controlled and may be available only upon request.

Items in this information collection must be submitted electronically. In limited circumstances, applicants may also be permitted to submit the information in paper form, by mail, or by hand delivery.

OMB Control Number: 0651-0061.

Forms:

• PTO-2303 (Letter of Protest)

• PTO-2304 (Request to Make Special)

• PTO-2305 (Response to Petition to Director Inquiry Letter)

• PTO-2306 (Petition to Make Special)

• PTO-2307 (Request to Restore Filing Date)

• PTO-2308 (Request for Reinstatement)

• PTO-2312 (Petition for Expungement or Reexamination Form)

Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved information collection.

Affected Public: Private sector.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 5,813 respondents.

Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 5,813 respondents.

Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 5,813 responses.

Frequency: On occasion.

Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses in this information collection will take the public approximately between 40 minutes (0.67 hours) and 4.5 hours to complete. This includes the time to gather the necessary information, create the document, and submit the completed request to the USPTO.

Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 7,893 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Respondent Hourly Cost Burden: $3,528,171.

Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-hourly Cost Burden: $313,260. There are no capital start-up, maintenance costs, or recordkeeping costs associated with this information collection. However, the USPTO estimates that the total annual non-hour cost burden for this information collection, in the form of filings fees and postage, is $313,260.

There are fees associated with submitting the petitions and requests in this information collection for a total of $313,250 per year.

Title of Collection: Regulation F: Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, State Application for Exemption.

OMB Control Number: 3170-0056.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Affected Public: State governments.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 8,730.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 858,345.

Abstract: Regulation F implements the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)  1 and prescribes Federal rules governing the activities of debt collectors (as that term is defined in the FDCPA). Regulation F addresses communications in connection with debt collection and prohibitions on harassment or abuse, false or misleading representations, and unfair practices in debt collection. Regulation F includes information collections related to information that debt collectors must provide to consumers at various points during the debt collection process (such as at the outset of collections), before reporting a debt to a consumer reporting agency, and in response to certain consumer requests or actions. Regulation F also includes information collections related to recordkeeping and State applications to the CFPB for an exemption of a class of debt collection practices within the applying State from the provisions of the FDCPA and the corresponding provisions of Regulation F.

Request for Comments: The CFPB published a 60-day Federal Register notice on March 14, 2024 (89 FR 18606) under Docket Number: CFPB-2024-0011. The CFPB is publishing this notice and soliciting comments on: (a) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the CFPB, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) The accuracy of the CFPB's estimate of the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of the methods and the assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments submitted in response to this notice will be reviewed by OMB as part of its review of this request. All comments will become a matter of public record.

Title: FERC-587, Land Description: Public Land States/Non-Public Land States.

OMB Control No.: 1902-0145.

Type of Request: Three-year extension of the FERC-587 information collection requirements with no changes to the current reporting requirements.

Abstract: Section 24 of the Federal Power Act (FPA)  1 requires the Commission to conduct this collection of information, which pertains to applications proposing hydropower projects, or changes to existing hydropower projects, within “lands of the United States.” FERC Form 587  2 consolidates the required information, including a description of the applicable U.S. lands and identification of hydropower project boundary maps associated with the applicable U.S. lands. An applicant must send FERC Form 587 both to the Commission and to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) state office where the project is located. The information consolidated in FERC Form 587 facilitates the reservation of U.S. lands as hydropower sites and the withdrawal of such lands from other uses.

Type of Respondents: Applicants proposing hydropower projects, or changes to existing hydropower projects, within lands of the United States.

Estimate of Annual Burden:   3 The Commission estimates the annual public reporting burden for the information collection as shown below:

Comments: Comments are invited on: (1) whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden and cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information collection; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

This is a request for approval of a new collection. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

This notice allows for a 14 day public comment period. Supporting documents, which explain in detail the information that the EPA will be collecting, are available in the public docket for this ICR. The docket can be viewed online at www.regulations.gov or in person at the EPA Docket Center, WJC West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. The telephone number for the Docket Center is 202-566-1744. For additional information about EPA's public docket, visit http://www.epa.gov/dockets.

Abstract: To meet the goals and objectives that demonstrate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA's) and the Administration's commitment to achieving environmental justice and embedding environmental justice into Agency programs, EPA released the Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program funding opportunity. The program will provide about $600 million in 11 cooperative agreements funding to “Grantmakers” who will function as pass-through entities for the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Subgrants (2 CFR parts 200 and 1500). The pass-through model removes the requirement of applying through the federal grants process and decreases the amount of time it takes to award federal funds. The Grantmakers will collaborate with EPA to design and build their own processes to receive and evaluate applications to fund the initial development of community-led environmental justice projects. With this Information Collection Request (ICR), EPA seeks emergency clearance for two Grantmakers to solicit applications for their first round of subgrants to be launched in August 2024. If the information requested under this emergency clearance were not collected, EPA would have no mechanism for selecting and distributing subaward grants. Without this activity, the central programmatic objectives of the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program cannot be met. The six-month emergency clearance period will cover the first round of subaward applications that will be solicited by three Grantmakers in August 2024. Subsequent rounds of applications for these two Grantmakers will be authorized via a Standard ICR package for the Grantmaking Program that will be submitted for review via the customer ICR approval process.

Form Numbers: None.

Respondents/affected entities: Respondents will include entities who are eligible to receive subawards, including community based nonprofit organizations, Puerto Rico, U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States, Native American organizations, local governments, and institutions of higher education.

Respondent's obligation to respond: Voluntary.

Estimated number of respondents: 300 (total).

Frequency of response: Once.

Total estimated burden: 1,400 hours (total). Burden is defined at 5 CFR 1320.03(b).

Total estimated cost: $99,572 (total), which includes $25,330 annualized capital or operation & maintenance costs.

Requested approval date: July 22, 2024.

The CASAC was established pursuant to the Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments of 1977, codified at 42 U.S.C. 7409(d)(2), to review air quality criteria and NAAQS and recommend to the EPA Administrator any new NAAQS and revisions of existing criteria and NAAQS as may be appropriate. The CASAC shall also: advise the EPA Administrator of areas in which additional knowledge is required to appraise the adequacy and basis of existing, new, or revised NAAQS; describe the research efforts necessary to provide the required information; advise the EPA Administrator on the relative contribution to air pollution concentrations of natural as well as anthropogenic activity; and advise the EPA Administrator of any adverse public health, welfare, social, economic, or energy effects which may result from various strategies for attainment and maintenance of such NAAQS. As amended, 5 U.S.C., app. Section 109(d)(1) of the Clean Air Act (CAA) requires that EPA carry out a periodic review and revision, as appropriate, of the air quality criteria and the NAAQS for the six “criteria” air pollutants, including ozone.

The CASAC is a Federal advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). As a Federal Advisory Committee, the CASAC conducts business in accordance with FACA (5 U.S.C. 10) and related regulations. The CASAC and the CASAC Ozone Panel will comply with the provisions of FACA and all appropriate SABSO procedural policies.

The EPA initiated a new statutory review of the air quality criteria and standards for ozone and other photochemical oxidants, incorporating the reconsideration of the 2020 decision on the ozone NAAQS into the new review, and issued a call for information on August 25, 2023 (88 FR 58264, August 25, 2023). The CASAC Ozone Panel will provide advice through the Chartered CASAC on the scientific and technical bases for the agency's review of these air quality criteria and NAAQS.

Request for Nominations: The SABSO is seeking nominations of nationally and internationally recognized scientists with demonstrated expertise and research in the field of air pollution related to criteria pollutants. For the CASAC Ozone Panel, experts are being sought in the following fields, especially with respect to ozone: air quality, atmospheric science and chemistry; exposure assessment; toxicology; controlled clinical exposure; epidemiology; biostatistics; risk assessment; ecology, including of forests and terrestrial systems; and effects on welfare and the environment.

Process and Deadline for Submitting Nominations: Any interested person or organization may nominate qualified individuals in the areas of expertise described above for possible service. Individuals may self-nominate. Nominations should be submitted in electronic format (preferred) using the online nomination form on the CASAC website at https://casac.epa.gov under “Public Input on Membership.” To be considered, nominations should include the information requested below. EPA values and welcomes diversity. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply regardless of sex, race, disability, or ethnicity. Nominations should be submitted in time to arrive no later than July 31, 2024.

The following information should be provided on the nomination form: contact information for the person making the nomination; contact information for the nominee; and the disciplinary and specific areas of expertise of the nominee. Nominees will be contacted by the SABSO and will be asked to provide a recent curriculum vitae and a narrative biographical summary that includes: current position, educational background, research activities, sources of research funding for the last two years, and recent service on other national advisory committees or national professional organizations. Persons having questions about the nomination procedures, or who are unable to submit nominations through the CASAC website, should contact the DFO at the contact information noted above. The names and biosketches of qualified nominees identified by respondents to this Federal Register Notice, and additional experts identified by the SABSO, will be posted in a List of Candidates for the Panel on the CASAC website at https://casac.epa.gov. Public comments on the List of Candidates will be accepted for 21 days. The public will be requested to provide relevant information or other documentation on nominees that the SABSO should consider in evaluating candidates.

For the SABSO, a balanced review panel includes candidates who possess the necessary domains of knowledge, the relevant scientific perspectives (which, among other factors, can be influenced by work history and affiliation), and the collective breadth of experience to adequately address the charge. In forming the expert panel, the SABSO will consider public comments on the Lists of Candidates, information provided by the candidates themselves, and background information independently gathered by the SABSO. Selection criteria to be used for panel membership include: (a) scientific and/or technical expertise, knowledge, and experience (primary factors); (b) availability and willingness to serve; (c) absence of financial conflicts of interest; (d) absence of an appearance of a loss of impartiality; (e) skills working in committees, subcommittees, and advisory panels; and (f) for the panel as a whole, diversity of expertise and scientific points of view.

Candidates may be asked to submit the “Confidential Financial Disclosure Form for Special Government Employees Serving on Federal Advisory Committees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency” (EPA Form 3110-48). This confidential form is required for Special Government Employees (SGEs) and allows EPA to determine whether there is a statutory conflict between a person's public responsibilities (which includes membership on an EPA Federal advisory committee) and private interests and activities, or the appearance of a loss of impartiality, as defined by Federal regulation. The form may be viewed and downloaded through the “Ethics Requirements for Advisors” link on the CASAC website at https://casac.epa.gov. This form should not be submitted as part of a nomination.

The “Report of Premiums Payable for Exporters Only” form is used by exporters to report and pay premiums on insured shipments to various foreign buyers under the terms of the policy and to certify that premiums have been correctly computed and remitted. Individual transactions that an exporter may have with the same foreign borrower can be sub-totaled and entered as a single line item for the specific month provided the length of payment term is identical. The use of sub-totals reduces the administrative burden on the exporter. The `Report of Premiums Payable for Exporters Only' is used by the Bank to determine the eligibility of the shipment(s) and to calculate the premium due to Ex-Im Bank for its support of the shipment(s) under its insurance program.

No changes are being made to the form in use.

The application tool can be reviewed at: https://img.exim.gov/s3fs-public/forms/eib92-29.pdf.

Title and Form Number: EIB 92-29 Export-Import Bank Report of Premiums Payable for Exporters Only.

OMB Number: 3048-0017.

Type of Review: Regular.

Need and Use: The “Report of Premiums Payable for Exporters Only” form is used by exporters to report and pay premiums on insured shipments to various foreign buyers under the terms of the policy and to certify that premiums have been correctly computed and remitted. The collection provides EXIM staff with the information necessary to monitor the borrower's payments for exported goods covered under its short and medium-term export credit insurance policies. It also alerts EXIM staff of defaults, so they can manage the portfolio in an informed manner.

Affected Public: This form affects entities involved in the export of U.S. goods and services.

Annual Number of Respondents: 2,000.

Estimated Time per Respondent: 15 minutes.

Annual Burden Hours: 6,000 hours.

Frequency of Reporting or Use: Monthly.

Part C (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) of the Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (45 FR 67772-76, dated October 14, 1980, and corrected at 45 FR 69296, October 20, 1980, as amended most recently at 89 FR 19832, dated March 20, 2024) is amended to reflect the reorganization of Office of the Chief of Staff, Immediate Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Specifically, the changes are as follows:

I. Under Part C, Section C-B, Organization and Functions, make the following changes:

II. Under Part C, Section C-B, Organization and Functions, after the Office of the Chief of Staff (CAT) delete the mission or functional statements for and replace with the following: Office of the Director (CAT1). (1) directs, manages, and coordinates the activities of OCS; (2) provides leadership and direction to the Immediate Office of the Director (IOD); (3) develops goals and objectives for OCS, including enterprise risk management oversight; (4) manages, prepares for, and conducts executive and senior level meetings, while identifying, triaging, and tracking subsequent action items; (5) serves as the primary point of contact for the CDC Foundation, including engagement of CDC leadership and coordination of key priorities; (6) serves as the IOD liaison during a CDC Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation; (7) manages OCS communication activities both internal and external; and (8) leads special projects for the CDC Director.

Scheduling and Advance Team (CAT12). (1) coordinates and manages the CDC Director's schedule and supports the development of briefing materials for the director; (2) ensures the director's schedule is closely aligned with the agency's priorities and goals; (3) coordinates key partner requests and visits for the CDC Director including senior leadership appearances at meetings, speaking engagements, and other external events; and (4) manages special events and high-level visits.

Budget and Operations Management Team (CAT13). (1) manages the IOD and OCS budget, and serves as liaison for budget activities within CDC; (2) coordinates the development, implementation (including spending plan) tracking, and reporting of the OCS budget; (3) oversees and executes administrative functions for IOD and OCS, including recruitment, personnel actions, performance management, contracts and grants, training and employee development, travel, space requests and allocation, and procurement and distribution of equipment and supplies; (4) ensures documents are maintained according to CDC's records retention policies and transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration, according to pertinent statutes and guidelines; and (5) manages Freedom of Information Act requests.

Policy, Performance, and Coordination Team (CAT16). (1) coordinates, develops, and implements strategic planning and tracking for OCS; (2) provides management and oversight of the Advisory Committee to the Director, its subcommittees and workgroups; (3) provides support to principals within the IOD; (4) participates in reviewing legislation, briefing documents, congressional testimony, and other legislative matters in coordination with the Office of Policy, Performance, and Evaluation (OPPE) and CDC Washington; (5) serves as primary contact for CIO Associate Directors for Policy for OCS requests; (6) oversees the OCS DEIAB Council and priority action items; (7) serves as enterprise risk management champion for OCS; (8) manages agency-wide data calls; and (9) executes special projects as directed by the Chief of Staff.

Office of the Executive Secretariat (CATC). (1) manages the director's briefing materials; (2) coordinates the use of the official CDC/ATSDR- controlled correspondence tracking system throughout CDC; (3) cultivates strong relationships to facilitate effective coordination across CDC and with HHS Executive Secretariat; (4) conducts final clearance and quality assurance/control of controlled correspondence, select non-scientific policy documents, reports to Congress, including other HHS operating division documents that require the approval of CDC IOD leadership; (5) manages and coordinates correspondence signed by or signed on behalf of the CDC Director; (6) communicates with HHS Policy Coordinator on critical issues on behalf of OCS and serves as the point of contact with the HHS Executive Secretariat for status of Secretary's controlled correspondence of non-scientific documents; (7) processes, triages, assigns, and monitors incoming correspondence for the CDC Director and IOD leadership; (8) serves as official record keeper for the CDC Director's correspondence and non-scientific policy documents; (9) develops and submits the weekly White House Report; (10) manages the electronic signature of the IOD executives on documents requiring official signature; (11) manages the clearance of agency decision memos; and (12) ensures consistent application of CDC correspondence standards and styles.

All delegations and redelegations of authority made to officials and employees of affected organizational components will continue in them or their successors pending further redelegation, provided they are consistent with this reorganization.

Part C (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) of the Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (45 FR 67772-76, dated October 14, 1980, and corrected at 45 FR 69296, October 20, 1980, as amended most recently at 89 FR 19832, dated March 20, 2024) is amended to reflect the reorganization of Office of Financial Resources and the CDC Immediate Office of the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Specifically, the changes are as follows:

I. Under Part C, Section C-B, Organization and Functions, make the following changes:

II. Under Part C, Section C-B, Organization and Functions, after the Budget Execution Services Branch 4 (CAJEVQ) insert the following:

Budget Formulation Branch (CAJEVR). (1) manages and coordinates development of the budget for CDC and ATSDR from submissions prepared by Center//Institute/Office contacts; (2) formulates the CDC and ATSDR financial plan, and evaluates and assures total budget requests conform to current administration policy and economic assumptions in coordination with CIOs; (3) coordinates with the Office of Planning, Performance, and Evaluation to include the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Modernization Act performance measures with budget proposals to HHS, OMB and Congress; (4) prepares periodic summary analysis and impact statements on budget allowances and applicable congressional actions; (5) develops analyses of proposed budget estimates and supporting narrative through the use of available financial data reporting systems for senior CDC management; (6) maintains liaison with HHS, OMB, the Government Accountability Office, and other government organizations on CDC's financial management matters; (7) collaborates with other parts of CDC in the development and implementation of long-range program and financing plans; (8) completes requirements in timing and reporting of cleared information to parties outside the Executive Branch ( i.e., Congress, media, public); and (9) develops and presents analyses, special reports, background exhibits, and graphical material on budget proposals, budget activities, and related matters.

After the Office of Policy, Performance, and Evaluation (CAQ) insert the following: Office of Budget Policy and Appropriations (CAR). The Office of Budget Policy and Appropriations: (1) provides leadership, consultation, guidance, and advice on matters of public health and budget policy; (2) leads all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Congressional appropriations leadership activities including strategic outreach and interaction with Congressional appropriators on appropriations/budget matters; (3) supports the Office of Financial Resources in the development of CDC's and ATSDR's annual funding request in accordance with Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and Congressional requirements, policies, procedures, and regulations; (4) maintains liaison with the HHS Office of the Secretary (OS), OMB, other government organizations, and Congress on appropriations and budget policy matters; (5) develops materials for, and participates in, budget policy and financial reviews and hearings before HHS, OMB, and Congress; (6) collaborates with CDC Washington Office (CDC/W) and other parts of CDC, and outside stakeholders, in the development and implementation of agency-wide legislative strategy; (7) advances the CDC policy agenda through interactions with appropriations leadership; (8) coordinates with Centers/Institute/Offices on Congressional appropriations leadership strategy and interactions, ensuring a unified presentation of CDC interests to legislators; (9) leads the development and updates to spend plans for CDC supplemental funding, infectious diseases rapid response reserve fund requests, and new budget programs; (10) tracks, analyzes, and reports on appropriations legislation; (11) protects and advances the agency's reputation, scientific credibility, and interests; (12) informs CDC leadership of current developments and provides insight into the budget policy environment; and (13) coordinates, with the CDC/W and CIO partnership activities that relate to budget policy and appropriations to advance the agency's priorities.

All delegations and redelegations of authority made to officials and employees of affected organizational components will continue in them or their successors pending further redelegation, provided they are consistent with this reorganization.

Each of the aforementioned notices already published on June 28, 2024 (89 FR 54002) and the comment period associated with that publication remains in full effect.

In FR document, 2024-14581, published on July 2, 2024 (89 FR 54826), we are withdrawing all four of the notices listed in the Information Collections section of the document.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. The term “collection of information” is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) requires federal agencies to publish a 30-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, CMS is publishing this notice that summarizes the following proposed collection(s) of information for public comment:

1. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Health Insurance Common Claims Form and Supporting Regulations at 42 CFR part 424, subpart C; Use: The CMS-1500 and the CMS-1490S forms are used to deliver information to CMS for CMS to reimburse for provided services. Medicare Administrative Contractors use the data collected on the CMS-1500 and the CMS-1490S to determine the proper amount of reimbursement for Part B medical and other health services (as listed in section 1861(s) of the Social Security Act) provided by physicians and suppliers to beneficiaries. The CMS-1500 is submitted by physicians/suppliers for all Part B Medicare. Serving as a common claim form, the CMS-1500 can be used by other third-party payers (commercial and nonprofit health insurers) and other Federal programs ( e.g. TRICARE, RRB, and Medicaid). Form Number: CMS-1500/1490S (OMB control number: 0938-1197); Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: Private Sector: Business or other for-profit and not-for-profit institutions; Number of Respondents: 2,507,992; Total Annual Responses: 994,038,623; Total Annual Hours: 17,328,912. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Sadaf Ali-Simpson at 667-414-0004.)

Contents

This notice sets out a summary of the use and burden associated with the following information collections. More detailed information can be found in each collection's supporting statement and associated materials (see ADDRESSES ).

Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. The term “collection of information” is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA requires Federal agencies to publish a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, CMS is publishing this notice.

1. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Rural Health Clinic Cost Report; Use: Under the authority of sections 1815(a) and 1833(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395g), CMS requires that providers of services participating in the Medicare program submit information to determine costs for health care services rendered to Medicare beneficiaries. CMS requires that providers follow reasonable cost principles under 1861(v)(1)(A) of the Act when completing the Medicare cost report. Regulations at 42 CFR 413.20 and 413.24 require that providers submit acceptable cost reports on an annual basis and maintain sufficient financial records and statistical data, capable of verification by qualified auditors.

CMS requires Form CMS-222-17 to determine an RHC's reasonable costs incurred in furnishing medical services to Medicare beneficiaries and reimbursement due to or from an RHC. Each RHC submits the cost report to its contractor for a reimbursement determination. Section 1874A of the Act describes the functions of the contractor.

CMS regulations at 42 CFR 413.24(f)(4)(ii) requires that each RHC submit an annual cost report to their contractor in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) electronic cost report (ECR) format. RHCs submit the ECR file to contractors using a compact disk (CD), flash drive, or the CMS approved Medicare Cost Report E-filing (MCREF) portal, [URL: https://mcref.cms.gov ]. Form Number: CMS-222-17 (OMB control number: 0938-0107); Frequency: Yearly; Affected Public: Private Sector, State, Local, or Tribal Governments, Federal Government, Business or other for-profits, Not-for-profits institutions; Number of Respondents: 2,101; Total Annual Responses: 2,101; Total Annual Hours: 115,555. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact LuAnn Piccione at (410) 786-5423).

2. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision with of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Part C Medicare Advantage Reporting Requirements; Use: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) established reporting requirements for Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) under the authority described in 42 CFR 422.516(a). Each MAO must have an effective procedure to develop, compile, evaluate, and report to CMS, to its enrollees, and to the general public at the times and in the manner that CMS requires. At the same time, each MAO must, in accordance with 42 CFR 422.516(a), safeguard the confidentiality of the provider-patient relationship.

Health plans can use this information to measure and benchmark their performance. CMS receives inquiries from the industry and other interested stakeholders about the beneficiary use of available benefits, including supplemental benefits, grievance and appeals rates, cost, and other factors pertaining to use of government funds, as well the performance of MA plans. Form Number: CMS-10261 (OMB control number: 0938-1054); Frequency: Yearly; Affected Public: Business or other for-profits; Number of Respondents: 743; Total Annual Responses: 6,687; Total Annual Hours: 187,979. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Lucia Patrone at 410-786-8621).

3. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Transformed—Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS); Use: The data reported in T-MSIS are used by Federal, State, and local officials, as well as by private researchers and corporations to monitor past and projected future trends in the Medicaid program. The data provide the only national level information available on enrollees, beneficiaries, and expenditures. It also provides the only national level information available on Medicaid utilization. The information is the basis for analyses and for cost savings estimates for the Department's cost sharing legislative initiatives to Congress. The collected data are also crucial to our actuarial forecasts. Form Number: CMS-R-284 (OMB control number: 0938-0345); Frequency: Quarterly and monthly; Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Governments; Number of Respondents: 54; Total Annual Responses: 648; Total Annual Hours: 7,290. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Connie Gibson at 410-786-0755.)

Agenda: The meeting presentations will be heard, viewed, captioned, and recorded through an online teleconferencing and/or video conferencing platform.

The Committee will discuss new drug application 214927, for arimoclomol, submitted by Zevra Denmark A/S, for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 2 years of age and older with Niemann-Pick disease type C.

FDA intends to make background material available to the public no later than 2 business days before the meeting. If FDA is unable to post the background material on its website prior to the meeting, the background material will be made publicly available on FDA's website at the time of the advisory committee meeting. Background material and the link to the online teleconference and/or video conference meeting will be available at https://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/Calendar/default.htm. Scroll down to the appropriate advisory committee meeting link. For online participants the meeting will include slide presentations with audio and video components to allow the presentation of materials in a manner that most closely resembles an in-person advisory committee meeting.

Procedure: Interested persons may present data, information, or views, orally or in writing, on issues pending before the Committee. All electronic and written submissions to the Docket (see ADDRESSES ) on or before July 25, 2024, will be provided to the Committee. Oral presentations from the public will be scheduled between approximately between 2:25 p.m. and 3:25 p.m. Eastern Time. Those individuals interested in making formal oral presentations should notify the contact person and submit a brief statement of the general nature of the evidence or arguments they wish to present, the names and addresses of proposed participants, and an indication of the approximate time requested to make their presentation on or before July 17, 2024. Time allotted for each presentation may be limited. If the number of registrants requesting to speak is greater than can be reasonably accommodated during the scheduled open public hearing session, FDA may conduct a lottery to determine the speakers for the scheduled open public hearing session. The contact person will notify interested persons regarding their request to speak by July 18, 2024.

For press inquiries, please contact the Office of Media Affairs at fdaoma@fda.hhs.gov or 301-796-4540.

FDA welcomes the attendance of the public at its advisory committee meetings and will make every effort to accommodate persons with disabilities. If you require accommodations due to a disability, please contact Moon Choi (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT ) at least 7 days in advance of the meeting.

FDA is committed to the orderly conduct of its advisory committee meetings. Please visit our website at: https://www.fda.gov/AdvisoryCommittees/AboutAdvisoryCommittees/ucm111462.htm for procedures on public conduct during advisory committee meetings.

Notice of this meeting is given under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. ). This meeting notice also serves as notice that, pursuant to 21 CFR 10.19, the requirements in 21 CFR 14.22(b), (f), and (g) relating to the location of advisory committee meetings are hereby waived to allow for this meeting to take place both in-person and using an online meeting platform. This waiver is in the interest of allowing greater transparency and opportunities for public participation, in addition to convenience for advisory committee members, speakers, and guest speakers. The conditions for issuance of a waiver under 21 CFR 10.19 are met.

This public workshop will convene experts in AI including drug sponsors, academia, and technology organizations to discuss guiding principles that are being applied by innovators to promote the responsible use of AI in the development of safe and effective drugs.

At the public workshop, FDA plans to convene experts in AI to discuss topics, including but not limited to:

1. Optimizing model design through multidisciplinary expertise. Specifically, discussants will explore the importance of integrating experts from diverse fields, such as medicine, statistics, pharmacology, data science, and engineering to ensure the development of optimal AI models.

2. Exploring strategies for overcoming common data-related challenges, namely, the availability of fit-for-use data that can be used in drug development. Topics will include data availability and access via federated learning, data quality issues ( i.e., representativeness of data, bias, etc.), and the use of synthetic data.

3. Balancing model performance, explainability, and transparency of AI models. Additionally, discussants will share strategies for assessing the need to integrate humans into the decision-making process (human-in-the-loop and/or human-on-the-loop).

4. Identifying key gaps and challenges hindering the use of AI in drug and biological product development and exploring potential strategies, collaborations, and initiatives to address these challenges. Considering actionable next steps to advance the responsible use of AI in developing safe, effective, and quality drugs.

Registration: To register for the public workshop, please visit the following website: https://duke.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcrcu-qrTMiHdayh1J3JhkCi6XkvmAIFey6. Please provide complete contact information for each attendee, including name, title, affiliation, address, email, and telephone.

Registration is free and people interested in attending this public workshop must register to receive a link to the meeting. Registrants will receive confirmation email after they register.

If you need special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Kelly.Franzetti@duke.edu no later than July 30, 2024. Please note, closed captioning will be available automatically.

The Secretary is exercising authority under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(9) to temporarily suspend the applicability of certain requirements governing on-campus and off-campus employment for F-1 nonimmigrant students whose country of citizenship is Yemen regardless of country of birth (or individuals having no nationality who last habitually resided in Yemen), who are present in the United States in lawful F-1 nonimmigrant student status on the date of publication of this notice, and who are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current crisis in Yemen. The original notice, which applied to F-1 nonimmigrant students who met certain criteria, including having been lawfully present in the United States in F-1 nonimmigrant status on September 4, 2021, was effective from September 4, 2021, through March 3, 2023. See 86 FR 36288 (July 9, 2021). Most recently, DHS issued a notice which applied to F-1 nonimmigrant students who met certain criteria, including having been lawfully present in the United States in F-1 nonimmigrant status on January 3, 2023, that was effective from March 4, 2023, through September 3, 2024. See 88 FR 88 (Jan. 3, 2023). Effective with this publication, suspension of the employment limitations is available through March 3, 2026, for those who are in lawful F-1 nonimmigrant status on the date of publication of this notice. DHS will deem an F-1 nonimmigrant student granted employment authorization through this notice to be engaged in a “full course of study” for the duration of the employment authorization, if the student satisfies the minimum course load set forth in this notice. 1 See 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(F).

This notice applies exclusively to F-1 nonimmigrant students who meet all of the following conditions:

(1) Are a citizen of Yemen regardless of country of birth (or an individual having no nationality who last habitually resided in Yemen);

(2) Were lawfully present in the United States on the date of publication of this notice in F-1 nonimmigrant status under section 101(a)(15)(F)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(F)(i);

(3) Are enrolled in an academic institution that is Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified for enrollment for F-1 nonimmigrant students;

(4) Are currently maintaining F-1 nonimmigrant status; and

(5) Are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current crisis in Yemen.

This notice applies to F-1 nonimmigrant students in an approved private school in kindergarten through grade 12, public school grades 9 through 12, and undergraduate and graduate education. An F-1 nonimmigrant student covered by this notice who transfers to another SEVP-certified academic institution remains eligible for the relief provided by means of this notice.

DHS is taking action to provide relief to Yemeni F-1 nonimmigrant students experiencing severe economic hardship due to the current crisis in Yemen. Based on its review of country conditions in Yemen and input received from the U.S. Department of State (DOS), DHS is taking action to allow eligible F-1 nonimmigrant students from Yemen to request employment authorization, work an increased number of hours while school is in session, and reduce their course load while continuing to maintain F-1 nonimmigrant student status.

The humanitarian situation in Yemen has worsened considerably in the last 18 months. Thousands of civilians have reportedly been killed or injured due to armed conflict between Houthi forces and forces loyal to the internationally recognized government since the United Nations (UN)-supported truce between the parties expired in October 2022. 2 Additionally, the presence of consistent armed conflict has led to the displacement of a large number of civilians, worsening an already grim humanitarian situation. 3 The heightened security concerns, deteriorating humanitarian conditions, unstable economy, and other emergent circumstances have adversely affected much of the Yemeni population.

Tactics used over the course of the conflict by the Houthi forces, the Saudi-led coalition backing the internationally recognized government, 4 and domestic and international terrorist organizations operating inside of Yemen have put civilians at significant risk from conflict-related externalities following the UN-supported truce in 2022. 5 Explosive remnants of war, which consist of unexploded ordinances, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and landmines, pose a lasting threat to civilians in Yemen. 6

The DOS estimated that, as of April 2021, “Houthi forces [have] laid over one million landmines and IEDs across the country.”  7 Experts have warned that landmines, which are largely unmapped, will pose a threat to human life for decades, even if a peace deal is reached between the warring parties. 8 As of 2023, there is evidence that Houthis had continued to spread landmines across infrastructure areas, water sources, and farmlands. 9 The group has also refused to share maps of landmines with mine removal authorities, making survival all the more difficult for the civilian populations in the affected areas. 10

The UN considers the humanitarian crisis in Yemen to be the largest in the world, with an estimated 24 million people (or close to 80 percent of the population) needing assistance. 11 In February 2024, the World Food Program (WFP) estimated the number of food insecure people was approximately 17 million, and that 18.6 million individuals will need humanitarian assistance in 2024. 12 Additionally, 2.2 million children between 6 to 59 months are under threat of acute malnutrition. 13 The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has stated that internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Yemen are “four times more likely to go hungry than the rest of the population” and that “62 percent of internally displaced families in Yemen have had to cut back on food.”  14 Moreover, a recent UN Food and Agriculture Organization report warned that “[i]ncreased military activities in the Red Sea carries the risk of destruction of critical infrastructure, including ports and storage facilities. This can hamper the efficient distribution and storage of food in Yemen, further worsening food insecurity.”  15 The WFP further announced in December 2023 that it would begin a “pause in general food distributions in areas under the control of the Sana'a-based authorities, due to limited funding and no agreement with the authorities on a smaller programme.”  16 The latest development increases the likelihood that food insecurity will remain a major concern across Yemen for the foreseeable future.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Yemen's “current water network reaches less than 30 percent of the Yemeni population,” leaving a majority of Yemenis to depend on alternate means of obtaining water. 17 The ICRC reported that approximately 17.8 million people in Yemen (approximately 56 percent of the population) do not currently have access to clean water and sanitation. 18 In December 2023, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that the parties to the Yemeni conflict have had a direct negative impact on civilian's access to water. 19 HRW also reports that “[t]he Houthis have weaponized water in Taizz by blocking water in the two basins under their control from flowing into government-controlled Taizz city.”  20

In 2023, UNHCR recorded approximately 77,000 Yemeni refugees and asylum-seekers in neighboring countries, 21 and over 4.5 million IDPs within Yemen. 22 The number of IDPs represents approximately 13 percent of the population. 23 In 2023, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund reported that “among the 19,943 newly registered displaced people, 88 percent were displaced due to conflict, while 12 percent were displaced by torrential rains and flooding.”  24 As of 2022, there were approximately 2 million IDPs that were children, which represented approximately half of the IDP population in Yemen at the time. 25 As of 2024, the situation of IDPs had not improved. 26

The World Bank reported that in Yemen, as of April 14, 2022, “[e]conomic conditions continue to deteriorate, and the acute humanitarian crisis persists.”  27 Official statistics about the status of Yemen's economy are no longer being produced making it difficult to obtain reliable economic information. 28 Available data indicates an economy that continues to weaken. 29 Yemen's economy was primarily an informal economy with remittances from abroad and foreign aid being the two primary sources of funding  30 for essential commodities. 31 As of early 2024, over 90 percent of the food in Yemen was imported, 32 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine and associated sanctions are expected to negatively impact the importation of key commodities, like oil and food, to Yemen. 33 Additionally, recent “disruptions in oil exports due to Houthi attacks on ports have caused the [Yemeni] Rial to drop.”  34

As of June 10, 2024, 255 F-1 nonimmigrant students from Yemen are enrolled at SEVP-certified academic institutions in the United States. Given the extent of the current crisis in Yemen, affected students whose primary means of financial support comes from Yemen may need to be exempt from the normal student employment requirements to continue their studies in the United States. The current crisis has made it unfeasible for many students to safely return to Yemen for the foreseeable future. Without employment authorization, these students may lack the means to meet basic living expenses.

Undergraduate F-1 nonimmigrant students who receive on-campus or off-campus employment authorization under this notice must remain registered for a minimum of six semester or quarter hours of instruction per academic term. Undergraduate F-1 nonimmigrant students enrolled in a term of different duration must register for at least one half of the credit hours normally required under a “full course of study.” See 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(B) and (F). A graduate-level F-1 nonimmigrant student who receives on-campus or off-campus employment authorization under this notice must remain registered for a minimum of three semester or quarter hours of instruction per academic term. See 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(v). Nothing in this notice affects the applicability of other minimum course load requirements set by the academic institution.

In addition, an F-1 nonimmigrant student (either undergraduate or graduate) granted on-campus or off-campus employment authorization under this notice may count up to the equivalent of one class or three credits per session, term, semester, trimester, or quarter of online or distance education toward satisfying this minimum course load requirement, unless their course of study is in an English language study program. See 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(G). An F-1 nonimmigrant student attending an approved private school in kindergarten through grade 12 or public school in grades 9 through 12 must maintain “class attendance for not less than the minimum number of hours a week prescribed by the school for normal progress toward graduation,” as required under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(E). Nothing in this notice affects the applicability of federal and state labor laws limiting the employment of minors.

Yes. An F-1 nonimmigrant student who is a Yemeni citizen, regardless of country of birth (or an individual having no nationality who last habitually resided in Yemen), who already has on-campus or off-campus employment authorization and is otherwise eligible may benefit under this notice, which suspends certain regulatory requirements relating to the minimum course load requirement under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i) and certain employment eligibility requirements under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(9). Such an eligible F-1 nonimmigrant student may benefit without having to apply for a new Form I-766, Employment Authorization Document (EAD). To benefit from this notice, the F-1 nonimmigrant student must request that their designated school official (DSO) enter the following statement in the remarks field of the student's Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record, which the student's Form I-20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status, will reflect:

No. DHS will deem an F-1 nonimmigrant student who receives and comports with the employment authorization permitted under this notice to be engaged in a “full course of study”  36 for the duration of the student's employment authorization, provided that a qualifying undergraduate level F-1 nonimmigrant student remains registered for a minimum of six semester or quarter hours of instruction per academic term, and a qualifying graduate level F-1 nonimmigrant student remains registered for a minimum of three semester or quarter hours of instruction per academic term. See 8 CFR 214.2(f)(5)(v) and (f)(6)(i)(F). Undergraduate F-1 nonimmigrant students enrolled in a term of different duration must register for at least one half of the credit hours normally required under a “full course of study.” See 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(B) and (F). DHS will not require such students to apply for reinstatement under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(16) if they are otherwise maintaining F-1 nonimmigrant status.

No. An F-2 spouse or minor child of an F-1 nonimmigrant student is not authorized to work in the United States and, therefore, may not accept employment while in F-2 nonimmigrant status, consistent with 8 CFR 214.2(f)(15)(i).

No. The suspension of the applicability of the standard regulatory requirements only applies to certain F-1 nonimmigrant students who meet the following conditions:

(1) Are a citizen of Yemen regardless of country of birth (or an individual having no nationality who last habitually resided in Yemen);

(2) Were lawfully present in the United States on the date of publication of this notice in F-1 nonimmigrant status, under section 101(a)(15)(F)(i) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(F)(i);

(3) Are enrolled in an academic institution that is SEVP-certified for enrollment of F-1 nonimmigrant students;

(4) Are maintaining F-1 nonimmigrant status; and

(5) Are experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current crisis in Yemen.

An F-1 nonimmigrant student who does not meet all these requirements is ineligible for the suspension of the applicability of the standard regulatory requirements (even if experiencing severe economic hardship as a direct result of the current crisis in Yemen).

Yes. This notice applies to such an F-1 nonimmigrant student, but only if the DSO has properly notated the student's SEVIS record, which will then appear on the student's Form I-20. The normal rules for visa issuance remain applicable to a nonimmigrant who needs to apply for a new F-1 visa to continue an educational program in the United States.

Yes. However, this notice does not by itself reduce the required course load for F-1 nonimmigrant students from Yemen enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 at a private school, or grades 9 through 12 at a public high school. Such students must maintain the minimum number of hours of class attendance per week prescribed by the academic institution for normal progress toward graduation, as required under 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(E). The suspension of certain regulatory requirements related to employment through this notice is applicable to all eligible F-1 nonimmigrant students regardless of educational level. Eligible F-1 nonimmigrant students from Yemen enrolled in an elementary school, middle school, or high school may benefit from the suspension of the requirement in 8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i) that limits on-campus employment to 20 hours per week while school is in session.

Yes. For an F-1 nonimmigrant student covered in this notice, the Secretary is suspending the applicability of the requirement in 8 CFR 214.2(f)(9)(i) that limits an F-1 nonimmigrant student's on-campus employment to 20 hours per week while school is in session. An eligible F-1 nonimmigrant student has authorization to work more than 20 hours per week while school is in session if the DSO has entered the following statement in the remarks field of the student's SEVIS record, which will be reflected on the student's Form I-20: