March 3, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is affirming its 1999 decision that Australia's Meat Safety Enhancement Program (MSEP), an alternative to the conventional meat inspection system also maintained by the Australian Government food regulatory authority [Australia Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS)], is equivalent to the FSIS domestic meat inspection system. MSEP has been renamed the Australian Export Meat Inspection System (AEMIS), but the system itself will remain the same as that determined to be equivalent by FSIS in 1999 when FSIS announced that slaughter inspection in MSEP establishments meets all requirements of U.S. law for the import of product to the United States, and provides the same level of public health protection as U.S. domestic slaughter inspection. In this notice, MSEP is used for events that occurred under that name, MSEP/ AEMIS for unchanging features of the program, and AEMIS for current and projected activities. In January 2011, Australia informed FSIS that AEMIS will be progressively implemented in all Australian beef, sheep, and goat establishments eligible to export to the United States.

The U.S. Government recognizes that economic recovery and job creation will depend significantly on its ability to work collaboratively with key trading partners to promote free and open trade and investment. In our trade and investment relationships with Mexico and Canada, and within North America as a whole, the main impediments to greater trade and investmentand more open foreign markets for U.S. exporters and investorsare not tariffs or quotas, but rather unnecessary differences in product regulations that increase costs for producers and consumers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. With this Notice, the Commerce Department, on behalf of the Administration, is seeking public input to help identify such divergences in North America, so that the U.S. Government can work cooperatively with Mexico and Canada to address them. President Obama explicitly linked trade to job creation when he announced the National Export Initiative in his 2010 State of the Union address, and set the ambitious goal of doubling U.S. exports in the next five years to support millions of jobs here at home. The President has focused particularly on efforts to remove unnecessary divergences in regulations with Canada and Mexico, our first and second largest export markets, respectively, and officials from the three countries have discussed strengthening regulatory cooperation to promote better regulation and facilitate trade, both bilaterally and trilaterally. President Obama met with President Felipe Calder[oacute]n of Mexico and Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada at the the North American Leaders' Summit on August 10, 2009, in Guadalajara, Mexico. In the joint statement they issued at the end of that meeting they noted the progress that each of their governments had made in reducing unnecessary regulatory differences and they instructed their respective governments, ``* * * to continue this work by building on the previous efforts, developing focused priorities and a specific timeline.'' The United States Government is working with both Mexico and Canada to reduce unnecessary regulatory differences and to explore further regulatory cooperation activities aimed at reducing or eliminating such differences where they hinder trade and reduce competitiveness. In order to do so, the United States has established a High-Level Regulatory Cooperation Council with Mexico and a Regulatory Cooperation Council with Canada. While these councils are bilateral, regulatory divergences exist that have consequences for firms in all three countries. Therefore, with this Notice, the Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration (ITA), in support of the National Export Initiative (NEI) and pursuant to the Secretary of Commerce's role as the chair of Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, is requesting stakeholders to assist the Administration to identify opportunities for cooperation between or among the United States, Canada, and Mexico to reduce or eliminate regulatory divergences that disrupt trade in goods in the region, as well as any existing or emerging sectors that may benefit from regulatory coordination between these countries. Canada has already solicited similar input from its stakeholders, and Mexico has committed to do the same.

The Director of the Institute of Education Sciences (Institute) announces the Institute's FY 2012 competitions for grants to support education research and special education research. The Director takes this action under the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, title I of Public Law 107-279. The intent of these grants is to provide national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education from early childhood education through postsecondary and adult education.

This notice sets forth the dates of April 14, 2011 and August 18, 2011 of the Gettysburg National Military Park Advisory Commission.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 206: EUROCAE WG 76 Plenary: AIS and MET Data Link Services.

Notice is hereby given that Robin Baird, PhD, Cascadia Research, 218\1/2\ W. 4th Avenue, Olympia, WA 98501, has applied in due form for a permit to take marine mammals in the Pacific Ocean for the purposes of scientific research.

Free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops will be held in April, May, and June of 2011. Certain fishermen and shark dealers are required to attend a workshop to meet regulatory requirements and maintain valid permits. Specifically, the Atlantic Shark Identification Workshop is mandatory for all federally permitted Atlantic shark dealers. The Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshop is mandatory for vessel owners and operators who use bottom longline, pelagic longline, or gillnet gear, and who have also been issued shark or swordfish limited access permits. Additional free workshops will be conducted during 2011.

Based on affirmative final determinations by the Department of Commerce (the Department) and the International Trade Commission (ITC), the Department is issuing a countervailing duty order on drill pipe from the People's Republic of China (PRC).

The Department of State has submitted the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Title of Information Collection: Brokering Prior Approval (License). OMB Control Number: 1405-0142. Type of Request: Extension of Currently Approved Collection. Originating Office: Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls, PM/DDTC. Form Number: None. Respondents: Business and Nonprofit Organizations. Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,515. Estimated Number of Responses: 150. Average Hours per Response: 2 hours. Total Estimated Burden: 300 hours. Frequency: On Occasion. Obligation to Respond: Required to Obtain Benefits.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposes to amend its regulations to include same-sex domestic partners to the class of persons for which an insurable interest is presumed to exist. The proposed rule, therefore, is designed to relieve federal employees with same-sex domestic partners from the evidentiary requirements in existing regulations for persons outside this class. Additionally, OPM is taking this step to recognize that individuals with same-sex domestic partners have the same presumption of an insurable interest in the continued life of employees or Members as the class of persons listed in the existing rule.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

This document summarizes the Fourth Report and Order, which establishes a new 800 MHz band plan for the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). This action is necessary to meet the Commission's goals to improve public safety communications in the 800 MHz band. The effect of this order ensures an orderly and efficient transition to the new 800 MHz band plan in the USVI.

This document solicits public comments on continuation of the requirements for the collection of information entitled ``Consolidated Child Restraint System Registration, Labeling and Defect Notifications'' (OMB Control Number: 2127-0576). Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.