The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issues this final rule to incorporate classification changes adopted by the Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Agreement). These changes are listed in the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (13th ed., ver. 2027) (Nice Classification), which is published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and will become effective on January 1, 2027.

The NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB) is the only Federal Advisory Committee with responsibility to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on long- and short-range strategies for research, education and the application of science to resource management and environmental assessment and prediction. The Science Advisory Board is called upon to provide advice to NOAA on a wide variety of topics important to the agency. Because of the breadth of subject matter that the group addresses, they frequently consult with additional experts on specific topics. Certain topics are deemed to be of long-term interest for NOAA and the standing working groups (WGs) were established under the SAB to consult on a regular basis. The SAB WGs consist of experts with whom the SAB consults on a regular basis to address NOAA scientific priorities.

The NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB) is the only Federal Advisory Committee with responsibility to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on long- and short-range strategies for research, education and the application of science to resource management and environmental assessment and prediction. NOAA seeks candidates with expertise in areas relevant to its mission, including Federal, State, and local government; social and behavioral sciences; artificial intelligence and machine learning; high performance computing; data management, including open access and accessibility; uncrewed systems; whale research and conservation; aircraft systems and modernization; and economic analysis, including cost-benefit evaluation of observing systems. NOAA also encourages nominations of qualified mid-career scientists and engineers.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is easing export controls on certain Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or drones) and related parts, components, accessories, attachments, technology, and software under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Specifically, this rule: eliminates wind gust tolerance as a parameter for determining UAV controls under the EAR; increases the threshold for national security controls on certain UAVs from an endurance of 30 minutes to an endurance of 3 hours; makes conforming changes to remove national security controls on software and technology associated with UAVs with an endurance less than 3 hours; maintains military end-use and end-user controls on those lower endurance drones and associated software and technology; clarifies Commerce Control List (CCL) controls for certain UAVs specially designed for military use; and removes national security controls on certain specially designed parts, components, accessories, and attachments for such UAVs as they do not provide any significant military or intelligence capabilities.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is seeking information to consider regarding the selection of locations for one or more community outreach offices (COOs) in the agency's Southwest Region, which comprises Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) established and operates the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), which provides the U.S. government repository of standards-based vulnerability management data. NIST seeks stakeholder input on opportunities, challenges, and priorities for modernizing the NVD in an evolving cybersecurity landscape increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-consumable security data. NIST's goal is to improve the NVD's scalability, automation, interoperability, transparency, and utility.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) announces that, after reviewing and evaluating the scientific and technical criteria for admission to practice in all patent matters, it is moving one Category B degree, Biomedical Science, to Category A, thereby expanding the admission criteria of the patent bar. In keeping pace with ever-evolving technology and related teachings that qualify someone to practice before the USPTO, this update will encourage broader participation of prospective patent practitioners. This action is being taken pursuant to the USPTO's periodic review of Category B degrees and the transition of commonly accepted Category B degrees to Category A on a predetermined timeframe, namely every three years.

NMFS, upon request from the U.S. Department of the Navy (Navy), issues these regulations pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to govern the taking of marine mammals incidental to training and testing activities using Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) Low Frequency Active (LFA) sonar systems in the western and central North Pacific and eastern Indian oceans over the course of 7 years from August 2026 through August 2033. These regulations allow for the issuance of a letter of authorization (LOA) for the incidental take of marine mammals during specified activities and timeframes, prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species and their habitat, and establish requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. The Navy's activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA) and the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2019 (2019 NDAA).

NMFS has received a request from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to Arctic Research Activities (ARA) in the Beaufort Sea and eastern Chukchi Sea. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to incidentally take marine mammals during the specified activity. NMFS is also requesting comments on a possible one- time, 1-year renewal that could be issued under certain circumstances and if all requirements are met, as described in Request for Public Comments at the end of this notice. NMFS will consider public comments prior to making any final decision on the issuance of the requested MMPA authorization and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision. ONR's activities are considered military readiness activities pursuant to the MMPA, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (2004 NDAA).

In this final rule, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to provide enhanced favorable treatment for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Specifically, BIS is removing the UAE from Country Groups D:3 and D:4 and adding the UAE to Country Group A:5. More license exceptions will now be available, including Strategic Trade Authorization (STA) for the UAE Government and approved commercial entities in the UAE. STA will authorize the export, reexport, or transfer (in-country) of military items; certain commercial satellites and spacecraft; and dual-use items useful in, inter alia, oil and gas production, desalination, and civil nuclear power generation. The UAE Government and approved commercial entities will also have license-free access to advanced computing items, consistent with the May 2025 U.S.-UAE Artificial Intelligence Cooperation framework, without compromising U.S. digital infrastructure buildout.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that exporters subject to this review made sales of subject merchandise at less than normal value (NV) during the period of review (POR), December 1, 2023, through November 30, 2024. In addition, we are rescinding the review with respect to 16 companies and intend to rescind this review with respect to Maodi Solar Technology (Dongguan) Co., Ltd. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results of review.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) preliminarily determines that countervailable subsidies were provided to producers and exporters of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, (solar cells) from the People's Republic of China (China) during the period of review (POR), January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. In addition, we intend to rescind this review with respect to the companies listed in Appendix III. Interested parties are invited to comment on these preliminary results and Commerce's intent to rescind the review in part.