[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 26 (Monday, February 10, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 9222-9223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-02472]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

43 CFR Part 4

[Docket No. DOI-2022-0010]
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; delay of effective date.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the memorandum of January 20, 2025, from 
President Donald J. Trump, entitled ``Regulatory Freeze Pending 
Review,'' this action delays the effective date of the interim final 
rule published on January 10, 2025, until March 21, 2025.

DATES: As of February 7, 2025, the effective date of the rule published 
at 90 FR 2332 on January 10, 2025, is delayed to a new effective date 
of March 21, 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 ends on February 
10, 2025. The effective date of the interim final rule is February 10, 
2025. The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) is taking this action in 
response to 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 taken 
effect, for the purpose of reviewing any questions of fact, law, and 
policy that the rule may raise. OHA is delaying the effective date of 
the interim final rule published at 90 FR 2332 to March 21, 2025.
    OHA is delaying the effective date of the interim final rule 
without opportunity for public comment and making the delay 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 delay is 
impracticable, unnecessary, and contrary to the public interest. The 
delay in effective date until March 21, 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

[[Page 9223]]

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.

Charles Dankert,
Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Exercising the Delegated Authority of 
the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget.
[FR Doc. 2025-02472 Filed 2-7-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4334-CC-P