[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 85 (Monday, May 5, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 18927-18928]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-07725]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

43 CFR Part 4

[Docket No. DOI-2022-0010; Deposit Account]
RIN 1094-AA57


Practices Before the Department of the Interior; Delay of 
Effective Date

AGENCY: Office of Hearings and Appeals, Interior.

ACTION: Interim final rule; further delay of effective date.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the memorandum of January 20, 2025, from 
President Donald J. Trump, entitled ``Regulatory Freeze Pending 
Review,'' this action provides a third notification to delay the 
effective date of the interim final rule published on January 10, 2025, 
until June 4, 2025.

DATES: As of May 2, 2025, the effective date of the rule published at 
90 FR 2332 on January 10, 2025, and delayed February 10, 2025 (90 FR 
9222), and delayed March 13, 2025 (90 FR 12461) is further delayed to 
June 4, 2025.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel R. Lukens, telephone: (703) 
235-3810, email: [email protected]. Individuals in the United 
States who are deaf, blind, hard of hearing, or have a speech 
disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or Tele Braille) to access 
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United 
States should use the relay services offered within their country to 
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The interim final rule, ``Practices Before 
the Department of the Interior,'' published on January 10, 2025, at 90 
FR 2332, included a 30-day public comment period that ended on February 
10, 2025. The effective date of the interim final rule was February 10, 
2025. The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) is taking this action in 
accordance with Memorandum M-25-10 of January 20, 2025, from the 
Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, 
Implementation of Regulatory Freeze, regarding the postponement of 
effective dates of certain published regulations The memorandum 
directed the heads of Executive Departments and Agencies to consider 
postponing for sixty days from the date of the memorandum the effective 
date for any rules that have been published in the Federal Register, or 
any rules that have been issued in any manner but have not

[[Page 18928]]

taken effect, for the purpose of reviewing any questions of fact, law, 
and policy that the rule may raise. On February 10, 2025, OHA delayed 
the effective date (90 FR 9222) for the interim final rule to March 21, 
2025. On March 13, 2025, OHA published a second document further 
delaying the effective date (90 FR 12461) to May 5, 2025. OHA is 
further delaying the effective date to June 4, 2025, to provide for 
further Department review.
    OHA is extending the effective date of the interim final rule 
without opportunity for public comment and making the extension 
effective immediately, based on the good cause exemptions in 5 U.S.C. 
553(b)(B) and 553(d)(3), in that seeking public comment on the 
extension is impracticable, unnecessary, and contrary to the public 
interest. This third delay of the effective date until June 4, 2025, is 
necessary to give Department officials the opportunity for further 
review and consideration of new regulations, consistent with the 
memorandum of the President, dated January 20, 2025. Given the 
imminence of the effective date of the interim final rule, seeking 
prior public comment on this delay is impractical, and contrary to the 
public interest in the orderly promulgation and implementation of 
regulations. For the foregoing reasons, the good cause exception in 5 
U.S.C. 553(d)(3) also applies to OHA's decision to make this action 
effective immediately.

Tyler Hassen,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Policy, Management and Budget.
[FR Doc. 2025-07725 Filed 5-2-25; 8:45 am]
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