June 24, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a notice in the Federal Register providing an additional temporary basis (the Patent Application Backlog Reduction Stimulus Plan) under which a small entity applicant may have an application accorded special status for examination if the applicant expressly abandons another copending unexamined application. The Patent Application Backlog Reduction Stimulus Plan allows small entity applicants having multiple applications currently pending before the USPTO to have greater control over the priority with which their applications are examined while also stimulating a reduction of the backlog of unexamined patent applications pending before the USPTO. The USPTO is expanding the Patent Application Backlog Reduction Stimulus Plan to permit all applicants to participate by eliminating the small entity status requirement and adding a few new requirements in view of the expansion. The program is also being extended until December 31, 2010, or the date that 10,000 applications have been accorded special status for examination under the Patent Application Backlog Reduction Stimulus Plan, whichever occurs earlier. These changes allow more applicants to take advantage of the program.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitted the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Distribution of Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset to Affected Domestic Procedures. This is a proposed extension of an information collection that was previously approved. CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with a change to the burden hours. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register (75 FR 16493) on April 1, 2010, allowing for a 60-day comment period. One comment was received. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request an extension of approval of an information collection associated with regulations for blood and tissue collection at slaughtering and rendering establishments to enhance animal disease surveillance.

The General Services Administration (GSA) announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Improvements to the Calexico West Port of Entry, Calexico, California, for public review and comment. The EIS provides GSA and its stakeholders an analysis of the environmental impacts resulting from ongoing operations as well as reasonable alternatives for renovation, replacement, and continued operation of the Calexico West Port of Entry, located in south-central California.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request an extension for and revision to a currently approved generic information collection for vegetables and specialty crop marketing order programs.

The Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel (ORRAP) will hold a regularly scheduled meeting. The meeting will be open to the public.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on July 20, 2009 (74 FR 35227).

The Coast Guard announces that a Certificate of Alternative Compliance was issued for the offshore supply vessel SOUTHERN CROSS as required by 33 U.S.C. 1605(c) and 33 CFR 81.18.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone surrounding the north jetty, named the Barview Jetty near Tillamook Bay, Oregon. The safety zone is necessary to help ensure the safety of work crews and the maritime public while the jetty is being repaired and will do so by prohibiting all persons and vessels from entering or remaining within 250 feet of the jetty unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port or his designated representative.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is soliciting comments concerning the extension of the information collection related to the 30 CFR 75.350, 75.351, 75.352, 75.371.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined to review portions of the final initial determination (``ID'') issued by the presiding administrative law judge (``ALJ'') on April 19, 2010, and to affirm the final ID's finding of no violation of section 337 on modified grounds. The above-captioned investigation is terminated.

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments for information needed to determine a claimant's eligibility for disability insurance benefits.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is publishing a list of premarket approval applications (PMAs) that have been approved. This list is intended to inform the public of the availability of safety and effectiveness summaries of approved PMAs through the Internet and the agency's Division of Dockets Management.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for two species of Hawaiian damselflies, the flying earwig Hawaiian damselfly (Megalagrion nesiotes) on the island of Maui and the Pacific Hawaiian damselfly (M. pacificum) on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Molokai. This final rule implements the Federal protections provided by the Act for these species. We also determine that critical habitat for these two Hawaiian damselflies is prudent, but not determinable at this time.

The OCC, the Board, the FDIC, and the OTS (collectively, ``the agencies'') are issuing this proposed rule to revise provisions of our rules implementing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The agencies propose to revise the term ``community development'' to include loans, investments, and services by financial institutions that support, enable, or facilitate projects or activities that meet the criteria described in Section 2301(c)(3) of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) and are conducted in designated target areas identified in plans approved by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, established pursuant to the HERA and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The proposed rule would provide favorable CRA consideration to such activities that, pursuant to the requirements of the program, benefit low-, moderate-, and middle-income individuals and geographies in designated target areas. Such consideration would include covered activities within an institution's assessment area(s) and outside of its assessment area(s), as long as the institution has