Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 20 / Tuesday, January 30, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 5757 

(3) The factors the designated officials 

may or must consider in determining 

the rate at which to set the applicant’s 

pay, which must include how the rate 

of basic pay has been set for other 

administrative law judges; and 

(4) Documentation and recordkeeping 

requirements sufficient to allow 

reconstruction of the action. 

(g) With prior OPM approval, an 

agency may offer a higher than 

minimum rate, up to the maximum rate 

F, to an administrative law judge 

applicant or a former administrative law 

judge with superior qualifications who 

is eligible for appointment to a position 

at AL–3. An agency request to OPM 

must include: 

(1) A description of the superior 

qualifications (as defined in § 930.202) 

of the applicant or former 

administrative law judge; 

(2) How pay has been set for 

administrative law judges who had 

similar qualifications (based on the 

level, type, or quality of the applicant’s 

or former administrative law judge’s 

skills or competencies or other qualities 

and experiences) and who have been 

newly appointed to positions that are 

similar to the administrative law judge’s 

position (based on the position’s 

occupational series, organization, 

geographic location, or other jobrelevant factors), if applicable; and 

(3) The proposed rate of basic pay and 

a justification for that rate, except an 

agency may not consider an applicant’s 

or former administrative law judge’s 

salary history (i.e., existing salary or 

prior salary) or a salary from a 

competing job offer. 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2024–01337 Filed 1–29–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6325–39–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

7 CFR Part 984 

[Doc. No. AMS–SC–23–0030] 

Walnuts Grown in Califfornia; 

Decreased Assessment Rate 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This rule implements a 

recommendation from the California 

Walnut Board (Board) to decrease the 

assessment rate established for the 

2023–2024 and subsequent marketing 

years. The assessment rate will remain 

in effect indefinitely unless modified, 

suspended, or terminated. 

DATES: Effective February 29, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joshua R. Wilde, Marketing Specialist, 

or Barry Broadbent, Acting Chief, West 

Region Branch, Market Development 

Division, Specialty Crops Program, 

AMS, USDA; Telephone: (503) 326– 

2724, or Email: Joshua.R.Wilde@

usda.gov or Barry.Broadbent@usda.gov. 

Small businesses may request 

information on complying with this 

regulation by contacting Richard Lower, 

Market Development Division, Specialty 

Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, 

Washington, DC 20250–0237; 

Telephone: (202) 720–8085, or Email: 

Richard.Lower@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

action, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, 

amends regulations issued to carry out 

a marketing order as defined in 7 CFR 

900.2(j). This rule is issued under 

Marketing Agreement and Order No. 

984, both as amended (7 CFR part 984), 

regulating the handling of walnuts 

grown in California. Part 984 (referred to 

as the ‘‘Order’’) is effective under the 

Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act 

of 1937, as amended (7 U.S.C. 601–674), 

hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Act.’’ The 

Board locally administers the Order and 

is comprised of growers and handlers of 

California walnuts operating within the 

area of production, and a public 

member. 

The Agricultural Marketing Service 

(AMS) is issuing this rule in 

conformance with Executive Orders 

12866, 13563, and 14094. Executive 

Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies 

to assess all costs and benefits of 

available regulatory alternatives and, if 

regulation is necessary, to select 

regulatory approaches that maximize 

net benefits (including potential 

economic, environmental, public health 

and safety effects, distributive impacts, 

and equity). Executive Order 13563 

emphasizes the importance of 

quantifying both costs and benefits, 

reducing costs, harmonizing rules, and 

promoting flexibility. Executive Order 

14094 reaffirms, supplements, and 

updates Executive Order 12866 and 

further directs agencies to solicit and 

consider input from a wide range of 

affected and interested parties through a 

variety of means. This proposed action 

falls within a category of regulatory 

actions that the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) exempted from 

Executive Order 12866 review. 

This rule has been reviewed under 

Executive Order 13175—Consultation 

and Coordination with Indian Tribal 

Governments, which requires Federal 

agencies to consider whether their 

rulemaking actions would have Tribal 

implications. AMS has determined that 

this rule is unlikely to have substantial 

direct effects on one or more Indian 

Tribes, on the relationship between the 

Federal Government and Indian Tribes, 

or on the distribution of power and 

responsibilities between the Federal 

Government and Indian Tribes. 

This rule has been reviewed under 

Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice 

Reform. Under the Order now in effect, 

California walnut handlers are subject to 

assessments. Funds to administer the 

Order are derived from such 

assessments. It is intended that the 

assessment rate will be applicable to all 

assessable California walnuts for the 

2023–2024 marketing year, and 

continue until amended, suspended, or 

terminated. 

The Act provides that administrative 

proceedings must be exhausted before 

parties may file suit in court. Under 

section 608c(15)(A) of the Act, any 

handler subject to an order may file 

with the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) a petition stating that the order, 

any provision of the order, or any 

obligation imposed in connection with 

the order is not in accordance with law 

and request a modification of the order 

or to be exempted therefrom. Such 

handler is afforded the opportunity for 

a hearing on the petition. After the 

hearing, USDA would rule on the 

petition. The Act provides that the 

district court of the United States in any 

district in which the handler is an 

inhabitant, or has his or her principal 

place of business, has jurisdiction to 

review USDA’s ruling on the petition, 

provided an action is filed not later than 

20 days after the date of the entry of the 

ruling. 

This rule decreases the assessment 

rate for California walnuts handled 

under the Order from $0.0125 per 

inshell pound, the rate that was initially 

established for the 2023–2024 and 

subsequent marketing years, to $0.011 

per inshell pound. 

Section 984.68 authorizes the Board, 

with the approval of AMS, to formulate 

an annual budget of expenses and 

collect assessments from handlers to 

administer the program. The members 

of the Board are familiar with the 

Board’s needs and with the costs of 

goods and services in their local area 

and are able to formulate an appropriate 

budget and assessment rate. The 

assessment rate is formulated and 

discussed in a public meeting, and all 

directly affected persons have an 

opportunity to participate and provide 

input. 

On September 21, 2021, at the request 

of the Board, AMS issued a temporary 


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5758 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 20 / Tuesday, January 30, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

moratorium on the enforcement of the 

Order’s grading and assessment 

requirements as the Board considered 

multiple amendments to modify the 

Federal marketing order for California 

walnuts through the formal rulemaking 

process. On April 19 and 20, 2022, AMS 

held a public hearing on the proposed 

amendments, including a 

recommendation by the Board to 

establish an assessment rate of $0.0125 

per inshell pound of walnuts. The Board 

recommended the assessment rate of 

$0.0125 per inshell pound to ensure the 

Board would have the ability to collect 

assessments to generate funds needed to 

sustain Board activities and programs 

moving forward. The Board determined 

$0.0125 as appropriate given the 

available data at that time and with the 

understanding that a rate change may be 

necessary if updated market data 

indicates such an adjustment is 

necessary after the completion of the 

formal rulemaking. The formal 

rulemaking completed when a final rule 

published in the Federal Register on 

August 21, 2023 (88 FR), and effective 

September 20, 2023, an assessment rate 

of $0.0125 per inshell pound of walnuts 

was established. 

Prior to the publication of the final 

rule, the Board met on June 9, 2023, and 

unanimously recommended 2023–2024 

marketing year expenditures of 

$16,811,250 and recommended 

amending the 2023–2024 marketing year 

assessment rate to $0.011 per inshell 

pound of California walnuts handled. 

By comparison, the 2022–2023 budgeted 

expenditures were $5,275,000 and the 

2021–2022 budgeted expenditures were 

$18,892,500. 

Assessments are applied uniformly on 

all handlers, and some of the costs may 

be passed on to growers. The assessment 

rate of $0.0125 per inshell pound of 

walnuts along with non-assessment 

revenue is sufficient to cover the 

upcoming marketing year’s budgeted 

expenditures; however, during Board 

meetings, industry members expressed 

that the cost of production is greater 

than grower revenue and that growers 

are struggling. The Board then 

deliberated on a rate that would provide 

a cost relief for handlers (and by 

extension to walnut growers) while 

balancing the Board’s assessment 

income with budgeted expenses for the 

2023–2024 and subsequent marketing 

years. 

The Board ultimately recommended 

decreasing the assessment rate to $0.011 

per inshell pound. The assessment rate 

of $0.011 per inshell pound is $0.0015 

lower than the rate established by the 

August 21, 2023, final rule, with an 

effective date of September 20, 2023. 

The Board believes the decreased 

assessment rate will balance assessment 

income with budgeted expenditures and 

provide some financial relief to walnut 

growers after industry members 

expressed concern over the increasing 

cost of production as outpacing grower 

revenue, leading to tighter operating 

margins. 

For the 2021–2022 through 2022– 

2023 marketing years, the Board has 

operated using available financial 

reserves to meet its expenses. The Board 

expects to enter the 2023–2024 

marketing year with a reserve balance of 

approximately $10,043,811, which is 

within the maximum permitted under 

§ 984.69 of the Order of approximately 

two marketing years’ budgeted 

expenses. The Board projects handler 

receipts of 700,000 tons (1.4 billion 

pounds) of assessable California walnuts 

for the 2023–2024 marketing year, 

which is the same quantity that was 

projected for the 2022–2023 marketing 

year. 

The major expenditures budgeted by 

the Board for the 2023–2024 marketing 

year include $10,588,750 for domestic 

marketing; $2,472,500 for employee 

expenses; $1,700,000 for production 

research; $725,000 for grades and 

standards activities; $585,000 for 

industry crop/acreage reporting; 

$350,000 for office expenses; and 

$390,000 for other operating expenses. 

For comparison, there were no Boardauthorized expenses for domestic 

marketing for the 2022–2023 marketing 

year due to the moratorium. Instead, the 

Board authorized reserve funding 

during the 2022–2023 marketing year 

for budgeted expenses, which included 

$1,894,000 for employee expenses; 

$1,700,000 for production research; 

$725,000 for grades and standard 

activities; $184,000 for industry crop/ 

acreage reporting; $282,000 for office 

expenses; and $284,000 for operating 

expenses. 

The Board derived the recommended 

assessment rate by considering 

anticipated expenses, the estimated 

volume of assessable walnuts, and the 

amount of funds available in the 

authorized reserve. The expected 

700,000 tons (1.4 billion pounds) of 

California walnuts from the 2023–2024 

marketing year crop will generate 

$15,400,000 in assessment revenue at 

the decreased assessment rate (1.4 

billion pounds multiplied by the $0.011 

assessment rate). The remaining 

$1,411,250 needed to cover budgeted 

expenditures will come from an 

approved administrative services 

agreement with the California Walnut 

Commission, which shares staff and 

office expenses with the Board. The 

income generated from assessments, 

along with non-assessment revenue, 

should be sufficient to meet the Board’s 

budgeted program expenditures of 

$16,811,250. 

Prior to arriving at this budget and 

assessment rate recommendation, the 

Board considered information from 

various sources, such as the Board’s 

Executive Committee. The Board 

discussed various alternatives to its 

recommended action, including 

maintaining the current assessment rate 

of $0.0125 per inshell pound of 

assessable walnuts and decreasing the 

assessment rate by a different amount. 

However, the Board determined that the 

decreased assessment rate will 

effectively achieve the Board’s goals of 

covering budgeted expenses for the 

2023–2024 marketing year and 

maintaining adequate funds in its 

financial reserve while providing a cost 

relief to handlers, which may be passed 

on to growers. 

The assessment rate will continue in 

effect indefinitely unless modified, 

suspended, or terminated by AMS upon 

recommendation and information 

submitted by the Board or other 

available information. 

Although this assessment rate will be 

in effect for an indefinite period, the 

Board will continue to meet prior to or 

during each marketing year to 

recommend a budget of expenses and 

consider recommendations for 

modification of the assessment rate. The 

dates and times of Board meetings are 

available from the Board or AMS. Board 

meetings are open to the public and 

interested persons may express their 

views at these meetings. AMS would 

evaluate Board recommendations and 

other available information to determine 

whether modification of the assessment 

rate is needed. Further rulemaking 

would be undertaken as necessary. The 

Board’s 2023–2024 marketing year 

budget, and those for subsequent 

marketing years, will be reviewed and, 

as appropriate, approved by AMS. 

Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 

Pursuant to requirements set forth in 

the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) (5 

U.S.C. 601–612), AMS has considered 

the economic impact of this rule on 

small entities. Accordingly, AMS has 

prepared this final regulatory flexibility 

analysis. 

The purpose of the RFA is to fit 

regulatory actions to the scale of 

businesses subject to such actions in 

order that small businesses will not be 

unduly or disproportionately burdened. 

Marketing orders issued pursuant to the 

Act, and the rules issued thereunder, are 

unique in that they are brought about 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 20 / Tuesday, January 30, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 5759 

through group action of essentially 

small entities acting on their own 

behalf. 

There are approximately 4,500 walnut 

growers in the production area and 80 

handlers subject to regulation under the 

Order. Small agricultural growers of 

California walnuts are defined by the 

Small Business Administration (SBA) as 

those having annual receipts of less than 

$3,750,000 (NAICS Code 111335), and 

small agricultural service firms are 

defined as those whose annual receipts 

are less than $34,000,000 (NAICS Code 

115114) (13 CFR 121.201). 

Data from USDA’s National 

Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), 

indicate a three-year average value of 

utilized walnut production of $1.069 

billion for the most recent seasons for 

which data is available (2019–2020 

through 2021–2022 marketing years). 

Dividing that figure by the number of 

walnut growers (4,400) yields an 

average annual crop value per grower of 

approximately $243,045. This figure is 

well below the SBA small agricultural 

walnuts producer threshold of 

$3,750,000 in annual sales. Assuming a 

normal distribution, this provides 

evidence that a large majority of walnut 

growers would likely be considered 

small agricultural producers according 

to the SBA definition. Additionally, 

data from NASS’s 2017 Agricultural 

Census show that 86 percent of 

California farms growing walnuts at the 

time had walnut sales of less than $1 

million. 

Based on information from the Board, 

approximately 70 percent of California’s 

walnut handlers shipped assessable 

walnuts valued under $34 million 

during the 2022–2023 marketing year 

and would, therefore, be considered 

small handlers according to the SBA 

definition. In light of the foregoing, it is 

reasonable to conclude that a substantial 

majority of both walnut growers and 

handlers would be considered small 

business entities according to current 

SBA definitions. 

This rule decreases the assessment 

rate collected from handlers for the 

2023–2024 and subsequent marketing 

years from $0.0125 to $0.011 per inshell 

pound of California walnuts. Authority 

for this action can be found under 

§ 984.68 of the Order. The Board 

unanimously recommended 2023–2024 

marketing year expenditures of 

$16,811,250 and an assessment rate of 

$0.011 per inshell pound of California 

walnuts. The assessment rate of $0.011 

is $0.0015 lower than the current rate. 

The Board expects the industry to 

handle 700,000 tons (1.4 billion pounds) 

of California walnuts during the 2023– 

2024 marketing year. Thus, the $0.011 

per inshell pound assessment rate will 

provide $15,400,000 in assessment 

income (1.4 billion pounds multiplied 

by $0.011). The Board also expects to 

receive $1,411,250 from an 

administrative services agreement with 

the California Walnut Commission. 

Income derived from these sources will 

be adequate to meet budgeted 

expenditures for the 2023–2024 

marketing year. 

The major expenditures budgeted by 

the Board for the 2023–2024 marketing 

year include $10,588,750 for domestic 

marketing; $2,472,500 for employee 

expenses; $1,700,000 for production 

research; $725,000 for grades and 

standards activities; $585,000 for 

industry crop/acreage reporting; 

$350,000 for office expenses; and 

$390,000 for other operating expenses. 

For comparison, there were no Boardauthorized expenses for domestic 

marketing for the 2022–2023 marketing 

year while assessment collection was 

temporarily suspended. The other 2022– 

2023 marketing year budgeted expenses 

were $1,894,000; $1,700,000; $725,000; 

$184,000; $282,000; and $284,000 

respectively. 

The Board recommended decreasing 

the assessment rate in order to provide 

relief to California walnut growers while 

still generating adequate income to 

cover all of the Board’s budgeted 

expenses for the 2023–2024 marketing 

year. Prior to arriving at this budget and 

assessment rate recommendation, the 

Board considered information from 

various sources and discussed various 

alternatives to its recommended action. 

These included maintaining the current 

assessment rate of $0.0125 per inshell 

pound of assessable walnuts and 

decreasing the assessment rate by a 

different amount. However, the Board 

determined that the decreased 

assessment rate will effectively achieve 

the Board’s goals of covering budgeted 

expenses for the 2023–2024 marketing 

year and maintaining adequate funds in 

its financial reserve. This action will 

maintain the Board’s reserve balance at 

a level that the Board believes is 

appropriate and is compliant with the 

provisions of the Order. 

Based upon information from NASS, 

the grower price reported for walnuts in 

the 2021 crop year was $1,410 per ton 

($0.71 per pound). To determine the 

estimated assessment revenue as a 

percentage of the total grower revenue, 

we calculate the assessment rate ($0.011 

per inshell pound) divided by the 

grower price ($0.71 per pound) and 

multiply that number by 100. Therefore, 

estimated assessment revenue as a 

percentage of total grower revenue for 

the 2023–2024 marketing year will be 

about 1.5 percent. 

This action decreases the assessment 

obligation imposed on handlers. 

Assessments are applied uniformly on 

all handlers, and some of the costs may 

be passed on to growers. However, these 

costs are expected to be offset by the 

benefits derived by the operation of the 

Order. 

The Board’s meetings are widely 

publicized throughout the production 

area. The California walnut industry 

and all interested persons are invited to 

attend the meetings and participate in 

Board deliberations on all issues. Like 

all Board meetings, the June 9, 2023, 

meeting was a public meeting and all 

entities, both large and small, were able 

to express views on this issue. Finally, 

interested persons were invited to 

submit comments on this rule, 

including the regulatory and 

information collection impacts of this 

action on small businesses. 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35), the Order’s information 

collection requirements have been 

previously approved by OMB and 

assigned OMB No. 0581–0178, 

Vegetable and Specialty Crops. No 

changes in those requirements will be 

necessary as a result of this rule. Should 

any changes become necessary, they 

would be submitted to OMB for 

approval. 

This rule will not impose any 

additional reporting or recordkeeping 

requirements on either small or large 

California walnut handlers. As with all 

Federal marketing order programs, 

reports and forms are periodically 

reviewed to reduce information 

requirements and duplication by 

industry and public sector agencies. 

AMS is committed to complying with 

the E-Government Act, to promote the 

use of the internet and other 

information technologies to provide 

decreased opportunities for citizen 

access to Government information and 

services, and for other purposes. 

AMS has not identified any relevant 

Federal rules that duplicate, overlap, or 

conflict with this rule. 

A proposed rule concerning this 

action was published in the Federal 

Register on October 27, 2023 (88 FR 

73763). Copies of the proposed rule 

were also mailed or sent via email to all 

walnut handlers. A copy of the 

proposed rule was made available 

through the internet by AMS via https:// 

www.regulations.gov. A 30-day 

comment period ending November 27, 

2023, was provided for interested 

persons to respond to the proposal. 

AMS received one comment in support 


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5760 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 20 / Tuesday, January 30, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

of the decreased assessment rate. 

Accordingly, no changes have been 

made to the rule as proposed. 

A small business guide on complying 

with fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop 

marketing agreements and orders may 

be viewed at: https://

www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/ 

moa/small-businesses. Any questions 

about the compliance guide should be 

sent to Richard Lower at the previously 

mentioned address in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section. 

After consideration of all relevant 

material presented, including the 

information and recommendations 

submitted by the Board and other 

available information, AMS has 

determined that this rule tends to 

effectuate the declared policy of the Act. 

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 984 

Marketing agreements, Nuts, 

Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements. 

For the reasons set forth in the 

preamble, the Agricultural Marketing 

Service amends 7 CFR part 984 as 

follows: 

PART 984—WALNUTS GROWN IN 

CALIFORNIA 

■ 1. The authority citation for 7 CFR 

part 984 continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601–674. 

■ 2. Section 984.347 is revised to read 

as follows: 

§ 984.347 Assessment rate. 

On and after September 1, 2023, an 

assessment rate of $0.011 per inshell 

pound is established for California 

walnuts. 

Erin Morris, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01609 Filed 1–29–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION 

12 CFR Parts 619 and 627 

RIN 3052–AD48 

Conservators and Receivers 

AGENCY: Farm Credit Administration. 

ACTION: Notification of effective date. 

SUMMARY: The Farm Credit 

Administration (FCA) issued a final rule 

that amended our conservators and 

receiver regulations for Farm Credit 

System (FCS) banks, associations, 

service corporations, and the Federal 

Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation 

(Funding Corporation). 

DATES: This final rule was published on 

November 24, 2023 (88 FR 82238), is 

effective as of January 17, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Technical information: Jason Moore, 

Associate Director, Office of Regulatory 

Policy, Farm Credit Administration, 

McLean, VA 22102–5090, (703) 883– 

4414, TTY (703) 883–4056; or 

Legal Information: Karen Hunter, 

Attorney Advisor, or Richard A. Katz, 

Senior Counsel, Office of General 

Counsel, Farm Credit Administration, 

McLean, VA 22102–5090, (703) 883– 

4020, TTY (703) 883–4056. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

November 9, 2023, FCA issued a final 

rule that amended our regulations 

governing the appointment of the Farm 

Credit System Insurance Corporation 

(FCSIC) as the conservator or receiver of 

FCS banks, associations, service 

corporations, and the Funding 

Corporation. The final rule ensures that 

FCA conservatorship and receivership 

regulations are consistent with section 

5412 of the Agricultural Improvement 

Act of 2018, which added section 5.61C 

to the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as 

amended(12 U.S.C. 2277a-10c), to 

strengthen, update and clarify FCSIC’s 

powers as the conservator or receiver of 

these above-mentioned FCS institutions. 

Additionally, the final rule consolidates 

and reorganizes FCA’s conservatorship 

and receivership regulations so they are 

easier to understand and use. Finally, 

FCA made conforming amendments to 

its definitional regulations in Part 619 to 

exempt bridge System banks from other 

FCA regulations that apply to viable and 

solvent FCS banks. 

In accordance with 12 U.S.C. 

2252(c)(1), the effective date of the rule 

is no earlier than 30 days from the date 

of publication in the Federal Register 

during which either or both Houses of 

Congress are in session. Based on the 

records of the sessions of Congress, the 

effective date of the regulations is 

January 17, 2024. 

Dated: January 24, 2024. 

Ashley Waldron, 

Secretary to the Board, Farm Credit 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01738 Filed 1–29–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6705–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. FAA–2023–2439; Special 

Conditions No. 25–852–SC] 

Special Conditions: Gulfstream 

Aerospace Corporation Model GVIII– 

G700 and GVIII–G800 Series Airplanes; 

Operation Without Normal Electrical 

Power 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final special conditions; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: These special conditions are 

issued for the Gulfstream Aerospace 

Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVIII– 

G700 and GVIII–G800 series airplanes. 

These airplanes will have a novel or 

unusual design feature when compared 

to the state of technology envisioned in 

the airworthiness standards for 

transport-category airplanes. This 

design feature is an electronic flightcontrol system, the functions of which 

are dependent upon the electrical 

power-generation and distribution 

systems, whereby the loss of all 

electrical power may be catastrophic to 

the airplane. The applicable 

airworthiness regulations do not contain 

adequate or appropriate safety standards 

for this design feature. These special 

conditions contain the additional safety 

standards that the Administrator 

considers necessary to establish a level 

of safety equivalent to that established 

by the existing airworthiness standards. 

DATES: This action is effective on 

Gulfstream on January 30, 2024. Send 

comments on or before March 15, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified 

by Docket No. FAA–2023–2439 using 

any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to 

www.regulations.gov and follow the 

online instructions for sending your 

comments electronically. 

• Mail: Send comments to Docket 

Operations, M–30, U.S. Department of 

Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Room W12–140, West 

Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 

20590–0001. 

• Hand Delivery or Courier: Take 

comments to Docket Operations in 

Room W12–140 of the West Building 

Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except Federal holidays. 

• Fax: Fax comments to Docket 

Operations at 202–493–2251. 


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