April 4, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

An open meeting of the Joint Committee of the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel will be conducted via teleconference. The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comment, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

An open meeting of the Area 4 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel will be conducted (via teleconference). The Taxpayer Advocacy Panel is soliciting public comment, ideas, and suggestions on improving customer service at the Internal Revenue Service.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Charter Halibut Stakeholder Committee will meet in Anchorage, AK.

The public is invited to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species and/or marine mammals.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Consumer Product Safety Commission requests comments on a proposed extension of approval of a collection of information from manufacturers and importers of certain electrically operated toys and children's articles. The collection of information consists of testing and recordkeeping requirements in regulations entitled ``Requirements for Electrically Operated Toys or Other Electrically Operated Articles Intended for Use by Children,'' codified at 16 CFR part 1505. The Commission will consider all comments received in response to this notice before requesting an extension of this collection of information from the Office of Management and Budget.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review an initial determination (``ID'') issued by the presiding administrative law judge (``ALJ'') terminating the above-captioned proceeding. The Commission has also determined to rescind the limited exclusion and cease and desist orders previously issued in the underlying investigation and to vacate a summary ID previously issued in the proceeding.

The FTC is considering conducting a study to analyze the use and likely short- and long-run competitive effects of authorized generic drugs in the prescription drug marketplace. Before investigating these issues, the FTC is soliciting public comments on its proposed information requests to firms in the prescription drug industry. These comments will be considered before the FTC submits a request for Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') review under the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA''), 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has submitted the following information collection requirement to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. This is the third notice for public comment; the first was published in the Federal Register at 70 FR 75227; the second was published at 71 FR noting one comment was received. This notice is to acknowledge a second comment received on February 16, 2006. NSF is forwarding the proposed renewal submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance simultaneously with the publication of this second notice. Comments regarding (a) whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology should be addressed to: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB, Attention: Desk Officer for National Science Foundation, 725-17th Street, NW., Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503, and to Suzanne H. Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 295, Arlington, Virginia 22230 or send e-mail to splimpto@nsf.gov. Comments regarding these information collections are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of this notification. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling 703-292-7556. NSF may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is seeking nominations for members of an AHRQ-convened Quality Indicators Workgroup on Composite Measures for the Inpatient Quality Indicators (IQIs) and the Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) as part of a general workgroup on composite measures. The AHRQ QI Composite Measures General Workgroup and subsequent IQI and PSI sub-workgroups are being formed as part of a structured approach for developing composite measures from the IQI and PSI software tools for public reporting of quality of hospital care at the national and state level. The purpose of this project is to obtain input from interested organizations and individuals on the development of composite quality measures based on hospital discharge data, specifically using the IQI and PSI measures. The Workgroups will evaluate appropriate technical and methodological approaches currently available and will discuss and suggest strategies as to what composite measure methodology would best fit QI user needs. As part of this effort and using the AHRQ PSIs and IQIs, the Workgroup members will be addressing several key issues for the development of composite measures, including but not limited to: Identifying and defining the quality concept that each composite is intended to measure; Suggesting and considering the individual quality indicators that should be included in the composite; The manner of weighting with which individual quality indicators could or should be combined; Evaluation of using condition-specific quality of care composites (e.g., for cardiovascular disease, or diabetes) or population-specific composites (e.g., pediatrics, women, or geriatrics) or domain specific composites (e.g., surgical, or infections); and Discussion of the methodological considerations which are appropriate or important when combining quality indicators and the considerations when composites are used for publicly reporting data. For additional information about the AHRQ Quality Indicators, please visit the AHRQ Quality Indicators Web site at https:// www.qualityindicators.ahrq.gov. Specifically, the AHRQ QI Composite Measures General Workgroup will consist of up to 15 individuals who have expertise in one or more of the following areas: Statistical methods, hospital quality improvement and patient safety, health services research, and administrative data. To the extent possible, this Workgroup will represent a variety of stakeholder perspectives, specifically including(1) Consumers, (2) healthcare purchasers, (3) quality improvement organizations, (4) researchers, (5) healthcare professionals, (6) state-based organizations, and (7) Federal health care provider organizations. The Workgroup will be further divided into two sub-workgroups to focus on the IQIs and the PSIs separately. Each sub-workgroup will have a series of conference calls to share perspectives, discuss the technical and policy issues surrounding composite measures for each module and will then summarize their discussions for presentation to the AHRQ QI Composite Measures General Workgroup. The AHRQ QI Composite Measures General Workgroup will provide responses to the sub-workgroups' findings. AHRQ will then develop a summary of the discussion in a technical report. This report will be made available for public comment.

The EPA is taking direct final action on the implementation of the EPA's statutory authority in Title II of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-54) that will allow the EPA to establish fellowships in environmental protection research, appoint fellows to conduct this research, and appoint special research consultants to advise on environmental protection research. Under an administrative provision of Public Law 109-54, the Administrator may, after consultation with the Office of Personnel Management, make up to five (5) appointments in any fiscal year from 2006 to 2011 for the Office of Research and Development. Appointees under this authority shall be employees of the EPA and will engage in activities related to scientific and engineering research that support EPA's mission to protect the environment and human health. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of the Federal Register, we are approving implementation of the EPA's statutory authority (to establish fellowships in environmental protection research and appoint fellows to conduct this research and appoint special research consultants to advise on environmental protection research) in Title II of the Interior, Environmental and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-54) with 42 U.S.C. 209 as a direct final rule without prior proposal because we view this as a non-controversial revision and anticipate no adverse comment. We have explained our reasons for this approval in the preamble to the direct final rule. If we receive no adverse comment, no further action on this proposed rule will be taken. If we receive adverse comment, we will withdraw the direct final rule and it will not take effect. We will address all public comments in a subsequent final rule based on this proposed rule. We will not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in commenting must do so at this time.

The National Reconnaissance Office is altering a system of records notice in its existing inventory of record systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

This rule identifies communities that are participating and suspended from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). These communities have applied to the program and have agreed to enact certain floodplain management measures. The communities' participation in the program authorizes the sale of flood insurance to owners of properties located in the communities listed below.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of an upcoming open meeting of A National Dialogue: The Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education, (Commission). The notice also describes the functions of the Commission. Notice of this meeting is required by section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and is intended to notify the public of their opportunity to attend.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) to supersede AD 2003-07-01, which applies to certain Thrush Aircraft, Inc. Model 600 S2D and S2R (S-2R) series airplanes (type certificate previously held by Quality Aerospace, Inc. and Ayres Corporation). AD 2003-07-01 currently requires you to repetitively inspect the \1/4\- inch and \5/16\-inch bolt hole areas on the lower wing spar caps for fatigue cracking; replace or repair any lower wing spar cap where fatigue cracking is found; and report any fatigue cracking found. This AD is the result of the analysis of data from 112 cracks found in the last 8 years on similar design Model 600 S2D and S2R (S-2R) series airplanes, and FAA's determination that an immediate initial inspection and more frequent repetitive inspections are necessary to address the unsafe condition for certain airplanes. Consequently, this AD would require you to increase the frequency of the repetitive inspections on Groups 1, 2, 3, and 6 airplanes; and decrease the hours time-in-service (TIS) for the initial inspection on Group 2 airplanes. We are issuing this AD to prevent lower wing spar cap failure caused by undetected fatigue cracks. Such failure could result in loss of a wing with consequent loss of airplane control.

The purpose of this Notice is to inform the public that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS or the Department) is issuing its final policy and procedures for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and related executive orders and requirements. This Notice also responds to the comments received on the draft Management Directive (draft Directive), published on June 14, 2004.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in accordance with the goals of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), is promulgating changes to the regulatory requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste program to reduce the paperwork burden these requirements impose on the states, EPA, and the regulated community. EPA has estimated that the total annual hour savings under the final rule ranges from 22,000 hours to 37,500 hours per year. The total annual cost savings under the final rule ranges from approximately $2 million to $3 million. This rulemaking will streamline our information collection requirements, ensuring that only the information that is actually needed and used to implement the RCRA program is collected and the goals of protection of human health and the environment are retained.