Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 217 / Friday, November 8, 2024 / Notices 88737 

ADDRESSES: The application and related 

documents are available for review by 

selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public 

Comment’’ from the ‘‘Features’’ box on 

the Applications and Permits for 

Protected Species home page, https://

apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting 

File No. 27552 from the list of available 

applications. These documents are also 

available upon written request via email 

to NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. 

Written comments on this application 

should be submitted via email to 

NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Please 

include File No. 27552 in the subject 

line of the email comment. 

Those individuals requesting a public 

hearing should submit a written request 

via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@

noaa.gov. The request should set forth 

the specific reasons why a hearing on 

this application would be appropriate. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara 

Young or Shasta McClenahan, Ph.D., 

(301) 427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

subject permit is requested under the 

authority of the Marine Mammal 

Protection Act of 1972, as amended 

(MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the 

regulations governing the taking and 

importing of marine mammals (50 CFR 

part 216), the Endangered Species Act of 

1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 

et seq.), and the regulations governing 

the taking, importing, and exporting of 

endangered and threatened species (50 

CFR parts 222–226). 

The applicant requests a 5-year permit 

to carry out research and enhancement 

activities to recover the endangered 

Hawaiian monk seal along beaches and 

nearshore waters throughout the 

Hawaiian Archipelago (Northwestern 

Hawaiian Islands and main Hawaiian 

Islands) and Johnston Atoll. 

Research will identify impediments to 

recovery, inform the design of 

conservation interventions, and evaluate 

those measures. Research activities 

include visual and photographic 

monitoring, capture, tagging, pelage 

marking, health screening, foraging 

studies, deworming, necropsies, tissue 

sampling, behavioral modification, 

vocalization studies, and vaccination. 

Enhancement activities are designed to 

improve survival, reproductive success, 

and overall species’ status. 

Enhancement activities include 

deworming, capture, translocation, 

hazing and removal of aggressive adult 

male seals, disentangling, dehooking, 

medical treatment, behavioral 

modification, vaccination, and 

supplemental feeding of post-release 

rehabilitated seals. Unintentional 

mortalities during research and 

enhancement activities are requested. 

Unintentional disturbance of spinner 

dolphins (Stenella longirostris) and 

bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops 

truncatus) during research and 

enhancement activities is also 

requested. See the application for 

complete numbers of animals requested 

by species, age-class, and procedure. 

Pinniped parts may be collected, 

received, exported, and imported for 

analysis. 

In compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial 

determination has been made that the 

activity proposed is categorically 

excluded from the requirement to 

prepare an environmental assessment or 

environmental impact statement. 

Concurrent with the publication of 

this notice in the Federal Register, 

NMFS is forwarding copies of the 

application to the Marine Mammal 

Commission and its Committee of 

Scientific Advisors. 

Dated: November 5, 2024. 

Julia M. Harrison, 

Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, 

Office of Protected Resources, National 

Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–25998 Filed 11–7–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Patent and Trademark Office 

[Docket No.: PTO–P–2024–0052] 

Manual of Patent Examining 

Procedure, Ninth Edition, Revision 

January 2024 

AGENCY: United States Patent and 

Trademark Office, Department of 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: To provide updates to patent 

examination policy and procedures in a 

single source, which will improve 

access to essential guidance for all 

stakeholders and help to ensure 

issuance of robust and reliable patents 

that promote and protect innovation, the 

United States Patent and Trademark 

Office (USPTO or Office) issued a 

revision of the Ninth Edition of the 

Manual of Patent Examining Procedure 

(MPEP), published in November 2024 

(January 2024 revision). The MPEP 

provides patent examiners and the 

public with a reference work on the 

practices and procedures relative to the 

prosecution of patent applications and 

other proceedings before the USPTO. 

The MPEP contains instructions to 

examiners, as well as other material in 

the nature of information and 

interpretation, and outlines the current 

procedures that examiners are required 

or authorized to follow in appropriate 

cases in the normal examination of 

patent applications and during other 

Office proceedings. 

ADDRESSES: The USPTO prefers that any 

suggestions for improving the form and 

content of the MPEP be submitted via 

email to mpepfeedback@uspto.gov or 

via the IdeaScale® tool accessed from 

www.uspto.gov/MPEP. Written 

comments may also be submitted by 

mail addressed to: Commissioner for 

Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 

22313–1450, marked to the attention of 

Editor, Manual of Patent Examining 

Procedure. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jeanne Clark, Editor of the MPEP, by 

email at Jeanne.Clark@uspto.gov, or 

telephone at 571–272–7714; Monique 

Cole, Senior Patent Examination Policy 

Advisor, by email at Monique.Cole@

uspto.gov, or telephone at 571–272– 

1463; or Kathy Mosser, Senior Patent 

Examination Policy Advisor, by email at 

Kathleen.Mosser@uspto.gov, or 

telephone at 571–272–4435. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

USPTO issued a revision to the Ninth 

Edition of the MPEP (January 2024 

revision), published in November 2024, 

which provides USPTO patent 

examiners, applicants, attorneys, agents, 

representatives of applicants, and other 

members of the public with a reference 

work on the practices and procedures 

relative to the prosecution of patent 

applications and other proceedings 

before the USPTO. The MPEP contains 

instructions to examiners, as well as 

other material in the nature of 

information and interpretation, and 

outlines the current procedures that 

examiners are required or authorized to 

follow in the normal examination of 

patent applications and during other 

Office proceedings. Although the MPEP 

does not have the force of law or the 

force of the rules in 37 CFR, it ‘‘is well 

known to those registered to practice in 

the [US]PTO and reflects the 

presumptions under which the [US]PTO 

operates.’’ Critikon, Inc. v. Becton 

Dickinson Vascular Access, Inc., 120 

F.3d 1253, 1257, 43 USPQ2d 1666, 1669 

(Fed. Cir. 1997). 

In the November 2024 publication of 

the January 2024 revision to the MPEP, 

sections of chapters 200–700, 900–1600, 

1800, and 2100–2900 have been 

updated. The updated sections have a 

revision indicator of [R–01.2024], 

meaning these sections have been 

updated to include changes based on 

published guidance documents (e.g., 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
88738 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 217 / Friday, November 8, 2024 / Notices 

rulemaking, notices, guidelines, and 

memorandums) that were in effect on or 

before January 31, 2024. In addition, 

Chapter FPC (Form Paragraph Book), the 

Title Page, Foreword, Introduction, 

Subject Matter Index, Appendix II, 

Appendix L, and Appendix R have been 

updated. The changes in the November 

2024 publication are discussed in the 

Change Summary for the Ninth Edition, 

Revision 01.2024. The Change Summary 

is available at www.uspto.gov/MPEP. 

Citation to a revised section in this 

revision of the MPEP should be to ‘‘e9 

r01.2024,’’ e.g., MPEP 2163 (e9 

r01.2024). 

The November 2024 publication of 

the January 2024 revision of the MPEP 

may be viewed or downloaded free of 

charge from the USPTO website at 

www.uspto.gov/MPEP and is available to 

search online at mpep.uspto.gov. 

Archived copies of each of the prior 

revisions and editions of the MPEP 

continue to be available for reference on 

the USPTO website at www.uspto.gov/ 

web/offices/pac/mpep/old/index.htm. 

Katherine K. Vidal, 

Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual 

Property and Director of the United States 

Patent and Trademark Office. 

[FR Doc. 2024–25693 Filed 11–7–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–16–P 

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM 

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR 

SEVERELY DISABLED 

Procurement List; Proposed Additions 

and Deletions 

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From 

People Who Are Blind or Severely 

Disabled. 

ACTION: Proposed additions to and 

deletions from the Procurement List. 

SUMMARY: The Committee is proposing 

to add product(s) to the Procurement 

List that will be furnished by nonprofit 

agencies employing persons who are 

blind or have other severe disabilities 

and deletes product(s) and service(s) 

previously furnished by such agencies. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before: December 8, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase 

From People Who Are Blind or Severely 

Disabled, 355 E Street SW, Suite 325, 

Washington, DC 20024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information or to submit 

comments contact: Michael R. 

Jurkowski, Telephone: (703) 489–1322, 

or email CMTEFedReg@AbilityOne.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice is published pursuant to 41 

U.S.C. 8503 (a)(2) and 41 CFR 51–2.3. Its 

purpose is to provide interested persons 

an opportunity to submit comments on 

the proposed actions. 

Additions 

In accordance with 41 CFR 51–2.4(b), 

Government personnel within the 

contracting activity have identified this 

as a product requirement not applicable 

to other Federal entities and has 

requested the Committee consider 

granting a purchase or distribution 

preference if the product is added to the 

Procurement List. See 71 FR 69536 (Dec. 

1, 2006). If the Committee grants this 

request, the product listed below will 

not be available through the U.S. 

AbilityOne Commission’s Commercial 

Distribution Program. The Committee 

will consider this request along with 

relevant comments received from 

interested parties. 

The following product(s) are proposed 

for addition to the Procurement List for 

production by the nonprofit agencies 

listed: 

Product(s) 

NSN(s)—Product Name(s): 

8415–01–698–4357—Knee Pad, 

Advanced Integrated 

Authorized Source of Supply: The 

Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. 

(Seattle Lighthouse), Seattle, WA 

Contracting Activity: DEFENSE 

LOGISTICS AGENCY, DLA TROOP 

SUPPORT 

Distribution: C-List 

Deletions 

The following product(s) and 

service(s) are proposed for deletion from 

the Procurement List: 

Product(s) 

NSN(s)—Product Name(s): 

8455–01–388–8485—Insignia, US Air 

Force, Master Sergeant, Embroidered 

Authorized Source of Supply: Westmoreland 

County Association, Greensburg, PA 

Contracting Activity: DLA TROOP SUPPORT, 

PHILADELPHIA, PA 

NSN(s)—Product Name(s): 

8415–01–623–5052—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

XS–XXS 

8415–01–623–5162—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

XS–XS 

8415–01–623–5165—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

XS–S 

8415–01–623–5166—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

XS–R 

8415–01–623–5169—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

XS–L 

8415–01–623–5170—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

XS–XL 

8415–01–623–5172—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

S–XXS 

8415–01–623–5174—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

S–XS 

8415–01–623–5178—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

S–S 

8415–01–623–5180—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

S–R 

8415–01–623–5182—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

S–L 

8415–01–623–5236—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

S–XL 

8415–01–623–5237—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

M–XXS 

8415–01–623–5525—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

M–XS 

8415–01–623–5526—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

M–S 

8415–01–623–5528—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

M–R 

8415–01–623–5529—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

M–L 

8415–01–623–5534—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

M–XL 

8415–01–623–5537—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

M–XXL 

8415–01–623–5541—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

L–XXS 

8415–01–623–5542—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

L–XS 

8415–01–623–5543—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

L–S 

8415–01–623–5552—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

L–R 

8415–01–623–5553—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

L–L 

8415–01–623–5554—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

L–XL 

8415–01–623–5557—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

L–XXL 

8415–01–623–5740—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

XL–XXS 

8415–01–623–5742—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

XL–XS 

8415–01–623–5789—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

XL–S 

8415–01–623–5790—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

XL–R 

8415–01–623–5793—Coat, Army Combat 

Uniform, Permethrin, Unisex, OCP 2015, 

XL–L 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1