AGENCY:

Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION:

Semiannual Regulatory Agenda.

SUMMARY:

This agenda announces the regulatory actions the Department of Defense (DoD) plans to take in the next 12 months and those regulatory actions completed since the publication of the fall 2022 Unified Agenda. It was developed under the guidelines of Executive Order 12866, “Regulatory Planning and Review,” and Executive Order 13563, “Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review.” This agenda includes regulatory actions that support the Administration's regulatory priorities, the Secretary of Defense's top priorities to defend the Nation, take care of our people, and succeed through teamwork, as well as those priorities of the National Defense Strategy. These actions include efforts to promote the country's economic resilience; healthcare issues; support underserved communities and improve small business opportunities; promote competition in the American economy; promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the Federal workforce; support national security efforts, especially safeguarding Federal Government information and information technology systems; tackle the climate crisis; and address military family matters. Members of the public may submit comments on individual proposed and interim final rulemakings at www.regulations.gov during the comment period that follows publication in the Federal Register .

This agenda updates the report published on February 22, 2023, and includes regulations expected to be issued and under review over the next 12 months. The next agenda will publish in the fall of 2023. The complete Unified Agenda will be available online at www.reginfo.gov.

In accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 602), which requires agencies to publish its regulatory flexibility agendas in the Federal Register , the Department of Defense's printed agenda entries in the Federal Register include only:

(1) rules that are in the Agency's regulatory flexibility agenda, in accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act, because they are likely to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities; and

(2) Any rules that the Agency has identified for periodic review under section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Although printing of these entries is limited to fields that contain information required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act's agenda requirements, additional information on these entries is in the Unified Agenda available online.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For information concerning the overall DoD regulatory program and for general semiannual agenda information, contact Ms. Patricia Toppings, telephone 571–372–0485, or write to Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency, Regulatory Directorate, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–1155, or email: patricia.l.toppings.civ@mail.mil.

For questions of a legal nature concerning the agenda and its statutory requirements or obligations, write to Office of the General Counsel, 1600 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–1600, telephone 703–695–1853, or email: gerald.j.dziecichowicz.civ@mail.mil.

For general information on Office of the Secretary regulations, other than those which are procurement-related, contact Ms. Patricia Toppings, telephone 571–372–0485, or write to Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency, Regulatory Directorate, 1155 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–1155, or email: patricia.l.toppings.civ@mail.mil.

For general information on Office of the Secretary regulations which are procurement-related, contact Ms. Jennifer Johnson, telephone 571–372–6100, or write to Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Defense Pricing and Contracting, Defense Acquisition Regulations System, Room 3B941, 3060 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–3060, or email: jennifer.d.johnson1.civ@mail.mil.

For general information on Department of the Army regulations, contact Mr. James “Jay” Satterwhite, telephone 571–515–0304, or write to the U.S. Army Records Management and Declassification Agency, ATTN: AAHS–RDO, Building 1458, 9301 Chapek Road, Ft. Belvoir, VA, 22060–5605, or email: james.w.satterwhite.civ@mail.mil.

For general information on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulations, contact Ms. Stacey Jensen, telephone 703–459–6026, or write to Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), 108 Army Pentagon, Room 3E441, Washington, DC 20310–0108, or email: stacey.m.jensen.civ@army.mil.

For general information on Department of the Navy regulations, contact LCDR Abigail Holt, telephone 703–614–6005, or write to Department of the Navy, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Administrative Law Division (Code 13), Washington Navy Yard, 1322 Patterson Avenue SE, Suite 3000, Washington, DC 20374–5066, or email: abigail.r.holt2.mil@us.navy.mil.

For general information on Department of the Air Force regulations, contact Mr. Robert Bivins, telephone 703–693–7302, or write the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief, Information Dominance/Chief Information Officer (SAF CIO/A6), 1800 Air Force Pentagon, Washington, DC 20330–1800, or email: usaf.pentagon.saf-cio-a6.mbx.af-foia@mail.mil.

For specific agenda items, contact the appropriate individual indicated for each regulatory action.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This edition of the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions reports on actions planned by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Military Departments, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment for procurement-related actions, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

This agenda also identifies rules impacted by the:

a. Regulatory Flexibility Act.

b. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

c. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995.

Generally, rules discussed in this agenda will contain five sections: (1) pre-rule stage; (2) proposed rule stage; (3) final rule stage; (4) completed actions; and (5) long-term actions. Where certain regulatory actions indicate that small entities are affected, the effect on these entities may not necessarily have significant economic impact on a substantial number of these entities as defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601(6)).

The publishing of this agenda does not waive the applicability of the military affairs exemption in section 553 of title 5 U.S.C. and section 3 of Executive Order 12866.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD)

Office of the Secretary (OS)

Proposed Rule Stage

54. Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program [0790–AL49]

Legal Authority:5 U.S.C. 301; Pub. L. 116–92, sec. 1648

Abstract: DOD is proposing to implement the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Framework, to help assess a Defense Industrial Base (DIB) contractor's compliance with and implementation of cybersecurity requirements to safeguard Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) transiting non-federal systems and mitigate the threats posed by Advanced Persistent Threats—adversaries with sophisticated levels of expertise and significant resources.

Timetable:

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.

Agency Contact: Diane L. Knight, Senior Management and Program Analyst, Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary, 4800 Mark Center Drive, Suite 12E08, Alexandria, VA 22350, Phone: 202 770–9100, Email:diane.l.knight10.civ@mail.mil.

RIN: 0790–AL49

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD)

Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (DARC)

Proposed Rule Stage

55. Assessing Contractor Implementation of Cybersecurity Requirements (DFARS Case 2019–D041) [0750–AK81]

Legal Authority:41 U.S.C. 1303; Pub. L. 116–92, sec. 1648

Abstract: DoD is amending an interim rule to implement the CMMC framework 2.0 in order to protect against the theft of intellectual property and sensitive information from the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) sector. The CMMC framework is a DoD certification process that measures a company's institutionalization of processes and implementation of cybersecurity practices. This rule provides the Department with assurances that a DIB contractor can adequately protect sensitive unclassified information at a level commensurate with the risk, accounting for information flow down to its subcontractors in a multi-tier supply chain.

Timetable:

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.

Agency Contact: Jennifer D. Johnson, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Department of Defense, Defense Acquisition Regulations Council, Defense Pricing and Contracting, Defense Acquisition Regulations System, Room 3B938, 3060 Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–3060, Phone: 703 717–8226, Email: jennifer.d.johnson1.civ@mail.mil.

RIN: 0750–AK81

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD)

Office of Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs (DODOASHA)

Final Rule Stage

56. TRICARE Reimbursement of Ambulatory Surgery Centers and Outpatient Services Provided in Cancer and Children's Hospitals [0720–AB73]

Legal Authority:5 U.S.C. 301; 10 U.S.C. ch. 55

Abstract: The Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency, is revising its regulation on the reimbursement of ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) and outpatient services provided in Cancer and Children's Hospitals (CCHs). Revisions are in accordance with the statutory provision at section 1079(i)(2) of title 10 of the United States Code, that requires TRICARE's payment methods for institutional care be determined, to the extent practicable, in accordance with the same reimbursement rules as apply to payments to providers of services of the same type under Medicare. In accordance with this requirement, TRICARE will: (1) adopt Medicare's payment methodology for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASC) and (2) adopt Medicare's payment methodology for outpatient services provided in Cancer and Children's Hospitals (CCHs). Although Medicare's reimbursement methods for ASC and CCHs are different, it is prudent to adopt both the Medicare ASC system and to adopt the Outpatient Prospective Payment System with hold-harmless adjustments (meaning the provider is not reimbursed less than their costs) for CCHs simultaneously to align with our statutory requirement to reimburse like Medicare at the same time. This rule makes the modifications necessary to implement TRICARE reimbursement methodologies similar to those applicable to Medicare beneficiaries for outpatient services rendered in ASCs and CCHs.

Timetable:

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.

Agency Contact: Jahanbakhsh Badshan, Department of Defense, Office of Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs, 16401 East Centretech Parkway, Aurora, CO 80011, Phone: 303 676–3881, Email:jahanbakhsh.badshah.civ@health.mil.

RIN: 0720–AB73

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD)

Office of Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs (DODOASHA)

Completed Actions

57. TRICARE: Chiropractic and Acupuncture Treatment Under the TRICARE Program [0720–AB77]

Legal Authority:5 U.S.C. 301; 10 U.S.C. ch. 55

Abstract: Under the current regulations, TRICARE excludes chiropractors as TRICARE-authorized providers whether or not their services would be eligible as medically necessary care if furnished by any other authorized provider. In addition, the current regulation excludes acupuncture treatment whether used as a therapeutic agent or as an anesthetic. This proposed rule seeks to eliminate these exclusions and to add benefit coverage of chiropractic and acupuncture treatment when deemed medically necessary for specific conditions. This rule proposes to add licensed Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) and Licensed Acupuncturists (LACs) who meet established qualifications as TRICARE-authorized providers and will establish reimbursement rates and cost-sharing provisions for covered chiropractic and acupuncture treatment.

Timetable:

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.

Agency Contact: Erica Ferron, Defense Health Agency, Medical Benefits and Reimbursement Division, Department of Defense, Office of Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs, 16401 E Centretech Parkway, Aurora, CO 80011–9066, Phone: 303 676–3626, Email: erica.c.ferron.civ@health.mil.

RIN: 0720–AB77