June 13, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Shell Keys National Wildlife Refuge for public review and comment. In this Draft CCP/EA, we describe the alternatives, including our proposed action, to manage this refuge for the 15 years following approval of the Final CCP.

Notice is hereby provided that the deadline for issuing a decision has been extended 15 days, in the federal consistency appeal filed with the Department of Commerce by AES Sparrows Point LNG, LLC and Mid-Atlantic Express, LLC (collectively, AES).

The Department of Homeland Security has designated Jackson State University as a DHS Center of Excellence for Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure and Emergency Management, Education Lead Institution.

This notice announces that the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated the E-Verify system, operated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in partnership with the Social Security Administration, as the electronic employment eligibility verification system to be used by Federal contractors, pursuant to Executive Order 12989, as amended by the Executive Order entitled ``Amended Executive Order 12989, as Amended'' of June 6, 2008.

The Department of Homeland Security has designated the University of Rhode Island as a DHS Center of Excellence for Explosives Detection Mitigation and Response, Education Lead Institution.

The Department of Homeland Security has designated the University of Texas at El Paso as a DHS Center of Excellence for the Study of Border Security and Immigration, Education Lead Institution.

These proposed rules clarify that we apply the preponderance of the evidence standard when we make determinations and decisions at all levels of our administrative review processes. These proposed rules would not change our policy that the Appeals Council applies the substantial evidence standard when it reviews an administrative law judge's decision to determine whether to grant a request for review. We also propose to explicitly define substantial evidence and preponderance of the evidence in applying these rules.

The Department of Homeland Security has designated the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a DHS Center of Excellence for Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure and Emergency Management, Research Lead Institution.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the following information collection(s). Comments are requested concerning (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act that does not display a valid OMB control number.

The fee to cover the average cost of incarceration for Federal inmates in Fiscal Year 2007 was $24,922. In addition, the average annual cost to confine an inmate in a Community Corrections Center for Fiscal Year 2007 was $22,871.

The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to (PRA) of 1995 (PRA), Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. Subject to the PRA, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information that does not display a valid control number. Comments are requested concerning (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

This rule amends title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations (``CFR'') on an interim basis to implement the preferential tariff treatment and other customs-related provisions of the Dominican RepublicCentral AmericaUnited States Free Trade Agreement.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's regulations on Benefits Payable in Terminated Single-Employer Plans and Allocation of Assets in Single-Employer Plans prescribe interest assumptions for valuing and paying benefits under terminating single-employer plans. This final rule amends the regulations to adopt interest assumptions for plans with valuation dates in July 2008. Interest assumptions are also published on the PBGC's Web site (https://www.pbgc.gov).

The United States Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) is repealing its old employee conduct regulations, which have been superseded by the executive branch Standards of Ethical Conduct, financial disclosure and financial interests regulations issued by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE). In place of its old regulations, the Commission is adding a section of residual cross-references to those branchwide regulations as well as its new supplemental standards regulations and certain executive branchwide conduct rules promulgated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The text of the rule was published in the Federal Register on August 30, 2006 at 71 FR 51546 as a proposed rule and provided that comments should have been received by September 29, 2006 to be considered in the formulation of the final rule. No comments were received.

The FAA is revising an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to Sandel Avionics Incorporated Model ST3400 TAWS/RMI units as described above. The existing AD currently requires installing a warning placard on the TAWS/RMI and revising the Limitations section of the airplane flight manual (AFM). The existing AD also requires installing upgraded software in the TAWS/RMI. This new AD allows installing later revisions of the software described in the existing AD. This AD results from a report that an in-flight bearing error occurred in a Model ST3400 TAWS/RMI configured to receive bearing information from a very high frequency omnidirectional range (VOR) receiver interface via a composite video signal, due to a combination of input signal fault and software error. We are issuing this AD to prevent a bearing error, which could lead to an airplane departing from its scheduled flight path, which could result in a reduction in separation from, and a possible collision with, other aircraft or terrain.

This notice announces a public meeting to discuss payment determinations for specific new Physicians' Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for clinical laboratory tests. The meeting provides a forum for interested parties to make oral presentations and submit written comments on the new codes that will be included in Medicare's Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule for calendar year 2009, which will be effective on January 1, 2009. The meeting will address technical issues relating to payment determinations for a specified list of new clinical laboratory codes. The development of the codes for clinical laboratory tests is largely performed by the CPT Editorial Panel and will not be further discussed at the CMS meeting.