Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 223 / Tuesday, November 19, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 91257 

List of Subjects 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

Drug Enforcement Administration 

21 CFR Part 1307 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Drug traffic control, 

Prescription drugs. 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

42 CFR Part 12 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Drug traffic control, 

Prescription drugs. 

Drug Enforcement Administration 

For the reasons set out above, the 

Drug Enforcement Administration 

amends 21 CFR part 1307 as follows: 

PART 1307—MISCELLANEOUS 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 1307 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 21 U.S.C. 821, 822(d), 871(b), 

unless otherwise noted. 

■ 2. Revise and republish § 1307.41 to 

read as follows: 

§ 1307.41 Temporary extension of certain 

COVID–19 telemedicine flexibilities for 

prescription of controlled medications. 

(a) This section is in effect until the 

end of the day December 31, 2025. The 

authorization granted in paragraph (b) of 

this section expires at the end of 

December 31, 2025. 

(b) During the period May 12, 2023, 

through December 31, 2025, a DEAregistered practitioner is authorized to 

prescribe schedule II–V controlled 

substances via telemedicine, as defined 

in 21 CFR 1300.04(i), to a patient 

without having conducted an in-person 

medical evaluation of the patient if all 

of the conditions listed in paragraph (c) 

of this section are met. 

(c) A practitioner is only authorized to 

issue prescriptions for controlled 

substances pursuant to paragraph (b) of 

this section if all of the following 

conditions are met: 

(1) The prescription is issued for a 

legitimate medical purpose by a 

practitioner acting in the usual course of 

professional practice; 

(2) The prescription is issued 

pursuant to a communication between a 

practitioner and a patient using an 

interactive telecommunications system 

referred to in 42 CFR 410.78(a)(3); 

(3) The practitioner is: 

(i) Authorized under their registration 

under 21 CFR 1301.13(e)(1)(iv) to 

prescribe the basic class of controlled 

substance specified on the prescription; 

or 

(ii) Exempt from obtaining a 

registration to dispense controlled 

substances under 21 U.S.C. 822(d); and 

(4) The prescription is consistent with 

all other requirements of 21 CFR part 

1306. 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

For the reasons set out above, the 

Department of Health and Human 

Services amends 42 CFR part 12 as 

follows: 

PART 12—TELEMEDICINE 

FLEXIBILITIES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 12 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 21 U.S.C. 802(54)(G). 

■ 2. Revise and republish § 12.1 to read 

as follows: 

§ 12.1 Temporary extension of certain 

COVID–19 telemedicine flexibilities for 

prescription of controlled medications. 

(a) This section is in effect until the 

end of the day December 31, 2025. The 

authorization granted in paragraph (b) of 

this section expires at the end of 

December 31, 2025. 

(b) During the period May 12, 2023, 

through December 31, 2025, a Drug 

Enforcement Administration (DEA)- 

registered practitioner is authorized to 

prescribe schedule II–V controlled 

substances via telemedicine, as defined 

in 21 CFR 1300.04(i), to a patient 

without having conducted an in-person 

medical evaluation of the patient if all 

of the conditions listed in paragraph (c) 

of this section are met. 

(c) A practitioner is only authorized to 

issue prescriptions for controlled 

substances pursuant to paragraph (b) of 

this section if all of the following 

conditions are met: 

(1) The prescription is issued for a 

legitimate medical purpose by a 

practitioner acting in the usual course of 

professional practice; 

(2) The prescription is issued 

pursuant to a communication between a 

practitioner and a patient using an 

interactive telecommunications system 

referred to in 42 CFR 410.78(a)(3); 

(3) The practitioner is: 

(i) Authorized under their registration 

under 21 CFR 1301.13(e)(1)(iv) to 

prescribe the basic class of controlled 

substance specified on the prescription; 

or 

(ii) Exempt from obtaining a 

registration to dispense controlled 

substances under 21 U.S.C. 822(d); and 

(4) The prescription is consistent with 

all other requirements of 21 CFR part 

1306. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Drug 

Enforcement Administration and the 

Department of Health and Human 

Services was signed on November 14, 

2024, by DEA Administrator Anne 

Milgram and the HHS Assistant 

Secretary for Mental Health and 

Substance Use. Those documents with 

the original signatures and dates are 

maintained by DEA. For administrative 

purposes only, and in compliance with 

requirements of the Office of the Federal 

Register, the undersigned DEA Federal 

Register Liaison Officer has been 

authorized to sign and submit the 

document in electronic format for 

publication, as an official document of 

DEA. This administrative process in no 

way alters the legal effect of this 

document upon publication in the 

Federal Register. 

Heather Achbach, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, Drug 

Enforcement Administration. 

Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, 

Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and 

Substance Use, Department of Health and 

Human Services. 

[FR Doc. 2024–27018 Filed 11–15–24; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 4410–09–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation 

and Enforcement 

30 CFR Part 926 

[SATS No. MT–040–FOR; Docket No. OSM– 

2023–0001; S1D1S SS08011000 SX064A000 

231S180110; S2D2S SS08011000 

SX064A000 23XS501520] 

Montana Regulatory Program/ 

Reclamation Plan 

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining 

Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior. 

ACTION: Final rule; approving, in part. 

SUMMARY: We, the Office of Surface 

Mining Reclamation and Enforcement 

(OSMRE), are approving, in part, an 

amendment to the Montana regulatory 

program under the Surface Mining 

Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 

(SMCRA or the Act). During the 2019 

legislative session, Montana updated its 

Montana Strip and Underground Mine 

Reclamation Act codified in the 

Montana Code Annotated. Accordingly, 

Montana submitted this amendment to 

OSMRE on its own initiative. The 

amendment requires a permit 

applicant’s compliance information to 

be updated and approved if a 

bankruptcy or reorganization results in 


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a change of ownership for the applicant. 

Furthermore, the amendment requires 

permit owners to provide financial 

assurance for employee pensions. 

Lastly, the amendment makes a 

typographical correction. 

DATES: The effective date is December 

19, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jeffrey Fleischman, Field Office 

Director, Office of Surface Mining 

Reclamation and Enforcement, 100 East 

B Street, Casper, Wyoming 82602, 

Telephone: (307) 261–6550, Email: 

jfleischman@osmre.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background on the Montana Program 

II. Submission of the Amendment 

III. OSMRE’s Findings 

IV. Summary and Disposition of Comments 

V. OSMRE’s Decision 

VI. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews 

I. Background on the Montana Program 

Section 503(a) of SMCRA permits a 

State to assume primacy for the 

regulation of surface coal mining and 

reclamation operations on non-Federal 

and non-Indian lands within its borders 

by demonstrating that its program 

includes, among other things, State laws 

and regulations that govern surface coal 

mining and reclamation operations in 

accordance with the Act and consistent 

with the Federal regulations. See 30 

U.S.C. 1253(a)(1) and (7). On the basis 

of these criteria, the Secretary of the 

Interior approved the Montana program 

on October 24, 1980. You can find 

background information on the Montana 

program, including the Secretary’s 

findings, the disposition of comments, 

and conditions of approval of the 

Montana program in the October 24, 

1980, Federal Register (45 FR 70445). 

You can also find later actions 

concerning the Montana program and 

program amendments at 30 CFR 926.25. 

II. Submission of the Amendment 

By letter dated February 16, 2023 

(Administrative Record No. MT–040– 

01), Montana sent OSMRE an 

amendment to its program under 

SMCRA (30 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.). We 

found Montana’s proposed amendment 

to be administratively complete on 

February 17, 2023. Montana submitted 

the proposed amendment to OSMRE, on 

its own volition, following changes to 

its statutes in 2019. During the 2019 

legislative session, the Montana 

legislature passed Senate Bill 201 (SB 

201). SB 201 updated the Montana Strip 

and Underground Mine Reclamation 

Act codified at Montana Code 

Annotated (Mont. Code Ann. or MCA) 

sec. 82–4–222. In order to implement SB 

201, Montana first proposed to add 

language at Mont. Code Ann. sec. 82–4– 

222(1)(g)(i) that would require an 

applicant for a permit to update its 

ownership information in the Applicant 

Violator System and with the Montana 

Department of Environmental Quality 

(DEQ) if bankruptcy or reorganization 

results in changes to ownership parties 

specified in this section. The proposed 

language also requires that DEQ approve 

these changes. 

Second, Montana proposed to add 

language at Mont. Code Ann. sec. 82–4– 

222(1)(g)(iii) that would require DEQ to 

develop rules for permit owners to 

provide bonding or other financial 

assurance necessary to meet their 

financial obligations for employee 

pensions and reclamation obligations. 

Furthermore, operators would be 

prohibited from passing associated costs 

from financial assurance for employee 

pension programs onto purchasers who 

are dependent on the operator to 

generate electricity for customers. 

Lastly, Montana proposed a 

typographical correction at Mont. Code 

Ann. sec. 82–4–222(1)(q). 

SB 201 states that the purpose of the 

statute is to ensure private pensions 

plans remain in good standing and that 

employees who have earned benefits 

under those plans receive them. It also 

states that it is imperative that private 

employers not backtrack on pension 

plans or shift the burden to the State of 

Montana, and that if a private pension 

plan fails to provide earned benefits, the 

State of Montana may be burdened with 

additional financial responsibilities and 

demands. 

We announced receipt of the 

proposed amendment in the May 23, 

2023, Federal Register (88 FR 33018). In 

the same document, we opened the 

public comment period and provided an 

opportunity for a public hearing or 

meeting on the adequacy of the 

amendment. No hearing or meeting was 

requested, and we did not receive any 

comments in relation to the proposed 

rule. The public comment period ended 

on June 22, 2023. 

III. OSMRE’s Findings 

The following are the findings we 

made concerning the amendment under 

SMCRA and the Federal regulations at 

30 CFR 732.15 and 732.17. We are 

approving, in part, the amendment as 

described below. 

A. Mont. Code Ann. Sec. 82–4– 

222(1)(g)(i) 

We are not approving Montana’s 

proposed revision of Mont. Code Ann. 

sec. 82–4–222(1)(g)(i). Montana 

proposed a substantive revision to 

Mont. Code Ann. sec. 82–4–222(1)(g)(i) 

that does not have a direct counterpart 

in the Federal regulations. As proposed, 

Mont. Code Ann. sec. 82–4–222(1)(g)(i) 

would require an applicant for a permit 

to update its compliance history and 

ownership and control information in 

the Applicant Violator System and with 

the Montana DEQ if bankruptcy or 

reorganization results in changes in a 

permittee’s officers, partners, directors, 

‘‘or any individual owning of record or 

beneficially, alone or with associates, 

10% or more of any class of stock of the 

applicant.’’. The proposed language 

would also require that DEQ approve 

these changes. 

Montana’s proposed amendment 

conflicts with Federal regulations 

because all changes to ownership 

information resulting from bankruptcy 

would trigger permit approval 

provisions and give DEQ approval 

authority over changes in a permittee’s 

applicant and operator information. 

Under Federal regulations, while a 

regulatory authority has approval 

authority over transfer, assignment, or 

sale of permit rights (TAS), it does not 

have approval authority over changes in 

applicant and operator information. See 

30 CFR 774.17. OSMRE clarified this 

distinction in its December 3, 2007, 

rule, which states that ‘‘a change of a 

permittee’s owners or controllers does 

not constitute a transfer, assignment, or 

sale.’’ (72 FR 68000, 68008–09). While 

there could be situations related to 

bankruptcy that would trigger a TAS, 

such as the conveying of permit rights 

to a new person or a reorganization 

resulting in a new type of business 

entity, not all changes from bankruptcy, 

including a change in individual owners 

or operators, would trigger a TAS. 

Under the proposed regulation, all 

changes resulting from bankruptcy 

trigger a TAS, even when those changes 

do not effectuate a transfer, assignment, 

or sale of permit rights, and that 

conflicts with the Federal regulations. 

With this issue in mind, OSMRE is 

denying the proposed amendment to 

Mont. Code Ann. sec. 82–4–222(1)(g)(i). 

We note that this permittee information 

is still required to be updated anytime 

there is a change of ownership or 

control, regardless of the reason for the 

change. And while the regulatory 

authority must require changes to 

ownership and control information to be 

updated in the Applicant Violator 

System, it cannot provide for all 

ownership and control information 

changes resulting from bankruptcy to 

trigger the need for a permit approval. 

We note that the proposed 

amendment to Mont. Code Ann. sec. 

82–4–222(1)(g)(i) has only been 

interpreted in terms of whether the 


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section conflicts with SMCRA and its 

regulations. There has been no official 

determination as to whether Mont. Code 

Ann. sec. 82–4–222(1)(g)(i) conflicts 

with other Federal laws, such as Federal 

bankruptcy law under 11 U.S.C. 101– 

1532. 

While we understand and commend 

Montana’s effort to limit the financial 

burden on the State should a 

bankruptcy occur, this section of the 

statute, as currently written, is less 

effective than the Federal regulations 

and must be denied. We encourage 

Montana and DEQ to resubmit the 

amendment with changes addressing 

this issue to OSMRE through the 

informal amendment process. Through 

the informal amendment process, 

OSMRE and the State can collaborate on 

proposed changes to Montana’s coal 

regulations that may achieve the State’s 

goal of lessening the State’s financial 

burden while also meeting SMCRA 

requirements. 

B. Mont. Code Ann. Sec. 82–4– 

222(1)(g)(iii) 

We are not approving Montana’s 

proposed revision of Mont. Code Ann. 

sec. 82–4–222(1)(g)(iii). Montana 

proposed a substantive revision to 

Mont. Code Ann. sec. 82–4–222(1)(g)(iii) 

that does not have a direct counterpart 

in the Federal regulations. As proposed, 

Mont. Code Ann. sec. 82–4–222(1)(g)(iii) 

would require the DEQ to develop rules 

for permit owners to provide bonding or 

other financial assurance necessary to 

meet its financial obligations for 

employee pensions and reclamation 

obligations. Operators are prohibited 

from passing associated costs from 

financial assurance for pension 

programs onto purchasers who are 

dependent on the operator to generate 

electricity for customers. Following our 

review, OSMRE has noted the following 

issues with this proposed section: 

First, while normally outside the 

purview of SMCRA, requiring pension 

bonds could impact Montana’s ability to 

fully collect on a performance bond as 

required by 30 U.S.C. 1259(a). In a 

situation where both a pension and a 

reclamation bond would be forfeited at 

the same time, there is the potential that 

fulfilling a pension bond could interfere 

with Montana’s ability to fully collect 

the mining operation’s performance 

bond. This is especially true if an 

operation is self-bonded or if both the 

performance and pension bond come 

from the same surety company. 

Therefore, Montana’s inclusion of 

pension bonds in this framework would 

make its program less effective in 

accomplishing SMCRA’s requirements 

than the Federal program. 

Second, while we have not made an 

official determination as to whether a 

prohibition on passing costs associated 

with bonds, reclamation, or otherwise 

onto purchasers who depend on the 

mine to generate electricity conflicts 

with SMCRA or our regulations, we 

believe the proposed prohibition on 

passing costs associated with pension 

bonds onto these purchasers conflicts 

with SMCRA because pension bonds in 

this framework conflict with 30 U.S.C. 

1259(b) (see above). Because this 

proposed prohibition is applicable to 

pension bonds only, it cannot be 

approved in part. 

With these issues in mind, we are 

denying the proposed changes to Mont. 

Code Ann. sec. 82–3–222(1)(g)(iii). 

Please note that the proposed 

amendment to Mont. Code Ann. sec. 

82–4–222(1)(g)(iii) has only been 

interpreted in terms of whether the 

section conflicts with SMCRA and its 

regulations. There has been no official 

determination as to whether Mont. Code 

Ann. sec. 82–4–222(1)(g)(iii) conflicts 

with other Federal laws, like the 

Employee Retirement Income Security 

Act (ERISA) at 29 U.S.C. 1001–1461. 

While we understand and commend 

Montana’s effort to limit the financial 

risk to pension programs and the 

financial burden on the State should a 

bankruptcy occur, this section of the 

statute, as currently written, is less 

effective than the Federal regulations 

and must be denied. The financial assets 

would be at the discretion of the 

bankruptcy court, and the pension 

bonds could take precedence over the 

reclamation bonds, leaving inadequate 

funding for DEQ to collect on the 

reclamation bond and reclaim the 

permit. We encourage Montana and 

DEQ to resubmit the amendment, with 

changes addressing the efficacy issue, to 

OSMRE through the informal 

amendment process. Through the 

informal amendment process, OSMRE 

and the State can collaborate on 

proposed changes to Montana’s coal 

regulations that may achieve the State’s 

goals for employee pension protection 

against bankruptcy and lessening of the 

State’s financial burden while also 

meeting SMCRA requirements. 

C. Mont. Code Ann. Sec. 82–4–222(1)(q) 

We are approving Montana’s 

proposed revision of Mont. Code Ann. 

sec. 82–4–222(1)(q). Montana proposed 

a minor revision to Mont. Code Ann. 

sec. 82–4–222(1)(q). The specific minor 

revision to Mont. Code Ann. sec. 82–4– 

222(1)(q) is a correction of a 

typographical error, removing the word 

‘‘and’’ from the end of the section. 

Montana does not propose any 

substantive changes to the text of this 

previously approved section. Because 

the proposed revision is minor and 

results in no substantive changes to the 

Montana program, we are approving the 

revision and find that it is no less 

effective than the corresponding Federal 

regulations at 30 CFR part 780. 

IV. Summary and Disposition of 

Comments 

Public Comments 

We asked for public comments on the 

proposed rule and received none. 

Federal Agency Comments 

On February 23, 2023, under 30 CFR 

732.17(h)(11)(i) and section 503(b) of 

SMCRA, we requested comments on the 

amendment from various Federal 

agencies with an actual or potential 

interest in the Montana program 

(Administrative Record No. MT–040– 

06). We received one comment from the 

Bureau of Land Management saying it 

has reviewed the document and has no 

comments to offer (Administrative 

Record No. MT–040–07). 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

Concurrence and Comments 

Under 30 CFR 732.17(h)(11)(ii), we 

are required to get a written concurrence 

from EPA for those provisions of the 

program amendment that relate to air or 

water quality standards issued under 

the authority of the Clean Water Act (33 

U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) or the Clean Air Act 

(42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.). None of the 

revisions that Montana proposed to 

make in this amendment pertain to air 

or water quality standards. Therefore, 

we did not ask EPA to concur on the 

amendment. However, on February 21, 

2023, under 30 CFR 732.17(h)(11)(i), we 

requested comments from the EPA on 

the amendment (Administrative Record 

No. MT–040–06). The EPA did not 

respond to our request. 

State Historical Preservation Officer 

(SHPO) and the Advisory Council on 

Historic Preservation (ACHP) 

Under 30 CFR 732.17(h)(4), we are 

required to request comments from the 

SHPO and ACHP on amendments that 

may have an effect on historic 

properties. On February 21, 2023, we 

requested comments on the Montana 

amendment (Administrative Record 

No.MT–040–04 and MT–040–05). We 

did not receive comments from the 

SHPO or ACHP. 

V. OSMRE’s Decision 

Based on the above findings, we are 

approving, in part, Montana’s proposed 

amendment (MT–040–FOR) that it sent 

to OSMRE on February 26, 2023 


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91260 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 223 / Tuesday, November 19, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

(Administrative Record No. MT–040– 

01). To implement this decision, we are 

amending the Federal regulations at 30 

CFR part 926, which codify decisions 

concerning the Montana program. In 

accordance with the Administrative 

Procedure Act, this rule will take effect 

30 days after the date of publication. 

Section 503(a) of SMCRA requires that 

the State’s program demonstrate that the 

State has the capability of carrying out 

the provisions of the Act and meeting its 

purposes. SMCRA requires consistency 

between State and Federal standards. 

VI. Statutory and Executive Order 

Reviews 

Executive Order 12630—Governmental 

Actions and Interference With 

Constitutionally Protected Property 

Rights 

This rule would not effect a taking of 

private property or otherwise have 

taking implications that would result in 

public property being taken for 

government use without just 

compensation under the law. Therefore, 

a takings implication assessment is not 

required. This determination is based on 

an analysis of the corresponding Federal 

regulations. 

Executive Orders 12866—Regulatory 

Planning and Review, Executive Order 

13563—Improving Regulation and 

Regulatory Review, and Executive Order 

14094—Modernizing Regulatory Review 

Executive Order 12866, as amended 

by Executive Order 14094, provides that 

the Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs in the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) will review all significant 

rules. Pursuant to OMB guidance, dated 

October 12, 1993 (OMB Memo M–94–3), 

the approval of State program 

amendments is exempted from OMB 

review under Executive Order 12866, as 

amended by Executive Order 14094. 

Executive Order 13563, which reaffirms 

and supplements Executive Order 

12866, retains this exemption. 

Executive Order 12988—Civil Justice 

Reform 

The Department of the Interior has 

reviewed this rule as required by 

Section 3 of Executive Order 12988. The 

Department determined that this 

Federal Register document meets the 

criteria of Section 3 of Executive Order 

12988, which is intended to ensure that 

the agency review its legislation and 

proposed regulations to eliminate 

drafting errors and ambiguity; that the 

agency write its legislation and 

regulations to minimize litigation; and 

that the agency’s legislation and 

regulations provide a clear legal 

standard for affected conduct rather 

than a general standard, and promote 

simplification and burden reduction. 

Because Section 3 focuses on the quality 

of this Federal Register document and 

to changes to the Federal regulations. 

The review under this Executive Order 

did not extend to the language of the 

State regulatory program amendment 

that Montana drafted. 

Executive Order 13132—Federalism 

This rule has potential Federalism 

implications, as defined under Section 

1(a) of Executive Order 13132. 

Executive Order 13132 directs agencies 

to ‘‘grant the States the maximum 

administrative discretion possible’’ with 

respect to Federal statutes and 

regulations administered by the States. 

Montana, through its approved 

regulatory program, implements and 

administers SMCRA and its 

implementing regulations at the state 

level. This rule approves in part an 

amendment to the Montana program 

submitted and drafted by the State and, 

thus, is consistent with the direction to 

provide maximum administrative 

discretion to States. 

Executive Order 13175—Consultation 

and Coordination With Indian Tribal 

Governments 

The Department of the Interior strives 

to strengthen its government-togovernment relationship with Tribes 

through a commitment to consultation 

with Tribes and recognition of their 

right to self-governance and tribal 

sovereignty. We have evaluated this rule 

under the Department’s consultation 

policy and under the criteria in 

Executive Order 13175 and have 

determined that it has no substantial 

direct effects on the distribution of 

power and responsibilities between the 

Federal government and Tribes. The 

basis for this determination is that our 

decision on the Montana program does 

not include Indian lands as defined by 

SMCRA or other Tribal lands and it 

does not affect the regulation of 

activities on Indian lands or other Tribal 

Lands. Indian lands under SMCRA are 

regulated independently under the 

applicable approved Federal Indian 

program. The Department’s consultation 

policy also acknowledges that our rules 

may have Tribal implications where the 

State proposing the amendment 

encompasses ancestral lands in areas 

with mineable coal. We are currently 

working to identify and engage 

appropriate Tribal stakeholders to 

devise a constructive approach for 

consulting on these amendments. 

Executive Order 13211—Actions 

Concerning Regulations That 

Significantly Affect Energy Supply, 

Distribution, or Use 

Executive Order 13211 requires 

agencies to prepare a Statement of 

Energy Effects for a rulemaking that is 

(1) considered significant under 

Executive Order 12866, and (2) likely to 

have a significant adverse effect on the 

supply, distribution, or use of energy. 

Because this rule is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866 and is not 

a significant energy action under the 

definition in Executive Order 13211, a 

Statement of Energy Effects is not 

required. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

Consistent with sections 501(a) and 

702(d) of SMCRA (30 U.S.C. 1251(a) and 

1292(d), respectively) and the U.S. 

Department of the Interior Departmental 

Manual, part 516, section 13.5(A), State 

program amendments are not major 

Federal actions within the meaning of 

section 102(2)(C) of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 

4332(2)(C). 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

This rule does not include requests 

and requirements of an individual, 

partnership, or corporation to obtain 

information and report it to a Federal 

agency. As this rule does not contain 

information collection requirements, a 

submission to the Office of Management 

and Budget under the Paperwork 

Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) 

is not required. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

This rule will not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities under the 

Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 

et seq.). The State submittal, which is 

the subject of this rule, is based upon 

corresponding Federal regulations for 

which an economic analysis was 

prepared, and certification made that 

such regulations would not have a 

significant economic effect upon a 

substantial number of small entities. In 

making the determination as to whether 

this rule would have a significant 

economic impact, the Department relied 

on the data and assumptions for the 

corresponding Federal regulations. 

Small Business Regulatory Enforcement 

Fairness Act 

This rule is not a major rule under 5 

U.S.C. 804(2), the Small Business 

Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. 

This rule: (a) does not have an annual 

effect on the economy of $100 million; 

(b) will not cause a major increase in 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 223 / Tuesday, November 19, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 91261 

costs or prices for consumers, 

individual industries, Federal, State, or 

local government agencies, or 

geographic regions; and (c) does not 

have significant adverse effects on 

competition, employment, investment, 

productivity, innovation, or the ability 

of U.S.-based enterprises to compete 

with foreign-based enterprises. This 

determination is based on an analysis of 

the corresponding Federal regulations, 

which were determined not to 

constitute a major rule. 

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

This rule does not impose an 

unfunded mandate on State, local, or 

Tribal governments, or the private sector 

of more than $100 million per year. The 

rule does not have a significant or 

unique effect on State, local, or Tribal 

governments or the private sector. This 

determination is based on an analysis of 

the corresponding Federal regulations, 

which were determined not to impose 

an unfunded mandate. Therefore, a 

statement containing the information 

required by the Unfunded Mandates 

Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) is not 

required. 

List of Subjects in 30 CFR Part 926 

State regulatory program approval, 

State-Federal cooperative agreement, 

required program amendments. 

David A. Berry 

Regional Director, Unified Regions, 5, 7–11. 

For the reasons set out in the 

preamble, 30 CFR part 926 is amended 

as set forth below: 

PART 926—MONTANA 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 926 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 30 U.S.C. 1201 et seq. 

■ 2. In § 926.15 amend in the table by 

adding an entry in chronological order 

by ‘‘Date of final publication’’ for 

‘‘Mont. Code. Ann. 82–4–222(1)(q)’’ to 

read as follows: 

§ 926.15 Approval of Montana regulatory 

program amendment. 

* * * * * 

Original amendment 

submission date Date of final publication Citation/description 

*******

February 26, 2023 ......................... November 19, 2024 ....................... Mont. Code. Ann. 82–4–222(1)(q) Permit Applications—Application 

Revisions—Approved in part. 

[FR Doc. 2024–26781 Filed 11–18–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Office of Foreign Assets Control 

31 CFR Parts 560 and 594 

Publication of Covid-Related Web 

General License Related to Iranian 

Transactions and Sanctions 

Regulations and Global Terrorism 

Sanctions Regulations 

AGENCY: Office of Foreign Assets 

Control, Treasury. 

ACTION: Publication of a web general 

license. 

SUMMARY: The Department of the 

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets 

Control (OFAC) is publishing a general 

license (GL) issued pursuant to the 

Iranian Transactions and Sanctions 

Regulations and Global Terrorism 

Sanctions Regulations: GL N. This GL 

was previously made available on 

OFAC’s website. 

DATES: GL N was issued on June 17, 

2021. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

for additional relevant dates. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

OFAC: Assistant Director for Licensing, 

202–622–2480; Assistant Director for 

Regulatory Affairs, 202–622–4855; or 

Assistant Director for Compliance, 202– 

622–2490 or https://ofac.treasury.gov/ 

contact-ofac. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Availability 

This document and additional 

information concerning OFAC are 

available on OFAC’s website: https://

ofac.treasury.gov/. 

Background 

On June 17, 2021, OFAC issued GL N 

to authorize certain transactions 

otherwise prohibited by the Iranian 

Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, 

31 CFR part 560, the Global Terrorism 

Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 594, 

or Executive Order 13224 of September 

23, 2001 (‘‘Blocking Property and 

Prohibiting Transactions With Persons 

Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or 

Support Terrorism,’’ 66 FR 49079), as 

amended. GL N was made available on 

OFAC’s website (https://

ofac.treasury.gov/) when it was issued. 

GL N was replaced and superseded by 

GL N–1 effective June 17, 2022 (87 FR 

47932). The text of this GL is provided 

below. 

OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL 

Iranian Transactions and Sanctions 

Regulations 

31 CFR Part 560 

Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations 

31 CFR Part 594 

Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 

2001 

Blocking Property and Prohibiting 

Transactions With Persons Who Commit, 

Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism, 

as Amended 

GENERAL LICENSE N 

Authorizing Certain Activities To Respond 

to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) 

Pandemic 

(a) Authorizing certain COVID–19-related 

transactions prohibited by the Iranian 

Transactions and Sanctions Regulations. 

Except as provided in paragraphs (d) and (e) 

of this general license, the following 

transactions and activities that are prohibited 

by the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions 

Regulations, 31 CFR part 560 (ITSR), are 

authorized through 12:01 a.m. eastern 

daylight time, June 17, 2022: 

(1) Exportation of goods or technology. All 

transactions and activities related to the 

exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply, 

directly or indirectly, of goods or technology 

for use in connection with the prevention, 

diagnosis, or treatment of COVID–19 

(including research or clinical studies related 

to COVID–19) to Iran or the Government of 

Iran, or to persons in third countries 

purchasing specifically for resale to Iran or 

the Government of Iran; 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1