July 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document contains proposed regulations relating to credits and payments for alcohol mixtures, biodiesel mixtures, renewable diesel mixtures, alternative fuel mixtures, and alternative fuel sold for use or used as a fuel, as well as proposed regulations relating to the definition of gasoline and diesel fuel. These regulations reflect changes made by the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, and the Tax Technical Corrections Act of 2007. These regulations affect producers of alcohol, biodiesel, and renewable diesel; producers of alcohol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and alternative fuel mixtures; sellers and users of alternative fuel; and certain persons liable for the tax on removals, entries, or sales of gasoline or diesel fuel.

This document contains final regulations that amend the utility allowances regulations concerning the low-income housing tax credit. The final regulations update the utility allowance regulations to provide new options for estimating tenant utility costs. The final regulations affect owners of low-income housing projects who claim the credit, the tenants in those low-income housing projects, and the State and local housing credit agencies that administer the credit.

The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) are hosting a public meeting on August 14th, 2008. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States positions for the 24th Session of the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables (CCPFV), which will be held in Arlington, VA (Washington, DC, metro area), September 15-20, 2008. The Under Secretary for Food Safety and AMS recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on this forthcoming Session of CCPFV and to address items on the agenda.

This document contains proposed regulations relating to options granted under an employee stock purchase plan as defined in section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). These proposed regulations affect certain taxpayers who participate in the transfer of stock pursuant to the exercise of options granted under an employee stock purchase plan. These proposed regulations provide guidance to assist taxpayers in complying with section 423 in addition to clarifying certain rules regarding options granted under an employee stock purchase plan. This document also contains proposed regulations under sections 421 and 422 of the Code.

Notice is hereby given of the order of succession in the absence of the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

In this notice of review, we announce our annual petition findings for foreign species, as required under section 4(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. When, in response to a petition, we find that listing a species is warranted but precluded, we must complete a new status review each year until we publish a proposed rule or make a determination that listing is not warranted. These subsequent status reviews and the accompanying 12-month findings are referred to as ``resubmitted'' petition findings. Information contained in this notice describes our status review of 50 foreign taxa that were the subjects of previous warranted-but- precluded findings, most recently summarized in our 2007 Notice of Review (72 FR 20184). Based on our current review, we find that 20 species (see Table 1) continue to warrant listing, but that their listing remains precluded by higher-priority listing actions. For 30 species previously found to be warranted but precluded, the petitioned action is now warranted. We will promptly publish listing proposals for those 30 species (see Table 1). With this annual notice of review (ANOR), we are requesting additional status information for the 20 taxa that remain warranted but precluded by higher priority listing actions. We will consider this information in preparing listing documents and future resubmitted petition findings for these 20 taxa. This information will also help us to monitor the status of the taxa and in conserving them.

A 90-day public comment period was announced in the May 6, 2008 Federal Register, Volume 73, No. 88, to end on August 4, 2008. To accommodate receipt of additional comments NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has extended the period for public comments on the draft management plan and draft environmental assessment for the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to October 3, 2008.

The EPA is approving revisions to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the Governor of Montana on December 8, 1997, May 28, 2003, and August 25, 2004. The December 8, 1997 submittal revised the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) chapter 8, subchapter 3, section 17.8.316 (Incinerators) by adding subsection (6). ARM 17.8.316(6) excludes incinerators from having to comply with the other provisions of ARM 17.8.316, including the particulate matter emissions standard of 0.10 grains per cubic foot and the 10% opacity standard, if these sources have been issued a Montana air quality permit under 75-2- 215, Montana Code Annotated (MCA), and ARM 17.8.770, which pertain to permitting of solid or hazardous waste incinerators. The August 25, 2004 submittal made a minor editorial revision to ARM 17.8.316(5). The May 28, 2003 submittal made minor editorial revisions to ARM 17.8.316(6). In a December 12, 2007 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (72 FR 70540), we proposed to approve these revisions to the Montana State Implementation Plan (SIP). This action is being taken under section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce the reopening of the public comment period on the June 19, 2007, proposed rule (72 FR 33808) to revise critical habitat for the San Bernardino kangaroo rat (Dipodomys merriami parvus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This action will provide all interested parties with an additional opportunity to submit written comments on the proposed revised designation, draft economic analysis (DEA), and addendum to the DEA. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted as they are already incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in any final decision.

The Secretary amends the regulations governing the Migrant Education Program (MEP) administered under Part C of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). These final regulations adjust the base amounts of the MEP Basic State Formula grant allocations for fiscal year (FY) 2006 and subsequent years (as well as for supplemental MEP allocations made for FY 2005); establish requirements to strengthen the processes used by State educational agencies (SEAs) to determine and document the eligibility of migratory children under the MEP; and clarify procedures SEAs use to develop a comprehensive statewide needs assessment and service delivery plan.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) (collectively, the agencies) propose a new risk-based capital framework (standardized framework) based on the standardized approach for credit risk and the basic indicator approach for operational risk described in the capital adequacy framework titled ``International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards: A Revised Framework'' (New Accord) released by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The standardized framework generally would be available, on an optional basis, to banks, bank holding companies, and savings associations (banking organizations) that apply the general risk-based capital rules.

This notice announces the opportunity for an administrative hearing to be held on September 26, 2008 at the CMS Dallas Regional Office, 1301 Young Street, Room 1196, Dallas, Texas 75202, to consider whether Texas State plan provisions concerning payments for birthing center facility services comply with the requirements of the Social Security Act as discussed in the July 28, 2008 letter sent to the State and published herein.