Civil Procedures in Civil Administrative Enforcement Proceedings

NOAA is amending procedures governing its civil administrative enforcement proceedings. The principal changes include updates to statutory references, clarifications regarding the Administrator's discretionary review, revised directions for appealing a written warning, revised requirements for denying a request for admission, and revised directions for electronic service related to certain appeals and petitions. Other changes remove the requirement for NOAA to challenge late hearing requests, simplify the use of electronic signatures, rename discovery filings, allow depositions by videoconference, require discovery filings to state when a witness is expected to testify in a language other than the English language in order to arrange interpretation, clarify when failing to pay can be a basis for permit sanctions, incorporate Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act deadlines into administrative forfeiture proceedings, and allow NOAA to publish a Notice of Proposed Forfeiture on an official government website. In addition, minor changes update titles and addresses and correct clerical errors.