October 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces two new membership appointments to the Advisory Panel on Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) Groups (the Panel). The two appointments are for 4-year periods through January 31, 2016. The purpose of the Panel is to review the APC groups and their associated weights, and to advise the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (the Administrator) concerning the clinical integrity of the APC groups and their weights. The advice provided by the Panel will be considered as CMS prepares its annual updates of the hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS).

The EPA is announcing that the period for providing public comments on the August 23, 2011 proposed rule titled, ``Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants Reviews,'' is being extended to November 30, 2011.

This notice announces the date and location of the third and last in a series of public educational sessions hosted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This two-day training session is the third and final Accelerated Development Learning Session (ADLS) hosted by CMS to help Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) deliver better care and reduce costs. We invite all new or existing ACO entities to register a team of senior executives to attend the in- person ADLS. The ADLS will provide executives with the opportunity to learn about core functions of an ACO and ways to build their organization's capacity to succeed as an ACO.

In compliance with the requirements of section 3507 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC) has submitted the information collection described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of the information collection requirements. Any interested person may file comments directly with OMB and should address a copy of those comments to the Commission as explained below. The Commission issued a Notice in the Federal Register (76 FR 46783, 08/3/2011) requesting public comments. FERC received no comments on the FERC-549 and has made this notation in its submission to OMB.

Pursuant to Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 5 U.S.C. App. 2), notice is hereby given of a teleconference of the Space Transportation Operations Working Group (STOWG) of the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC). The teleconference will take place on Thursday, November 17, 2011, starting at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Individuals who plan to participate should contact Susan Lender, DFO, (the Contact Person listed below) by phone or email for the teleconference call in number. The proposed agenda for this teleconference is to follow up on issues raised during the October 13, 2011, STOWG meeting. These issues include: Gathering best practice guidelines on the long-term sustainability of space for consideration by the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs; and Collecting COMSTAC's suggestions for revisions to Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 420. Interested members of the public may submit relevant written statements for the COMSTAC working group members to consider under the advisory process. Statements may concern the issues and agenda items mentioned above or additional issues that may be relevant for the U.S. commercial space transportation industry. Interested parties wishing to submit written statements should contact Susan Lender, DFO, (the Contact Person listed below) in writing (mail or email) by November 14, 2011, so that the information can be made available to COMSTAC members for their review and consideration before the November 17, 2011, teleconference. Written statements should be supplied in the following formats: one hard copy with original signature or one electronic copy via email. An agenda will be posted on the FAA Web site at https://www.faa.gov/ go/ast. Individuals who plan to participate and need special assistance should inform the Contact Person listed below in advance of the meeting.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce a public meeting of the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council (Council).

The FTC and DOJ (the ``Agencies'') are issuing the final Statement of Antitrust Enforcement Policy Regarding Accountable Care Organizations Participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (the ``Policy Statement'') in conjunction with the final rule issued today by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (``CMS'') under Section 3022 of the Affordable Care Act (the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111-48, 124 Stat. 119 (2010), and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, Public Law 111- 52, 124 Stat. 1029 (2010)). The final Policy Statement differs from the proposed Policy Statement issued earlier this year, 76 FR 21,894 (Apr. 19, 2011), in two significant respects. First, the entire final Policy Statement with the exception of the voluntary expedited antitrust reviewapplies to all collaborations among otherwise independent providers and provider groups that are eligible and intend, or have been approved, to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (the ``Shared Savings Program''); its applicability is no longer limited to those collaborations formed after March 23, 2010, the date on which the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was enacted. Second, because the Shared Savings Program final rule will no longer require a mandatory antitrust review for certain collaborations as a condition of entry into the Shared Savings Program, the final Policy Statement no longer contains provisions relating to mandatory antitrust review. However, as discussed in the final rule, the Agencies will continue to protect competition in markets served by accountable care organizations (``ACOs'') that participate in the Shared Savings Program, aided by data and information from CMS that will assist the Agencies in monitoring the competitive effects of ACOs. Specifically, CMS will provide the Agencies with aggregate claims data regarding allowed charges and fee-for-service payments for all ACOs accepted into the Shared Savings Program and also with copies of all of the applications to the Shared Savings Program of ACOs formed after March 23, 2010. The Agencies will vigilantly monitor complaints about an ACO's formation or conduct and take whatever enforcement action may be appropriate. Additionally, upon request, the Agencies will provide an expedited 90 day review for newly formed ACOs that wish to obtain additional antitrust guidance.

This action proposes to amend Class E airspace at Portsmouth, OH. Decommissioning of the Portsmouth non-directional beacon (NDB) at the Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport, Portsmouth, OH, has made this action necessary for the safety and management of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

This proposed rule would amend the regulations of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce (BEA) to add new entities that would be required to report information on the BE-150, Quarterly Survey of Cross-Border Credit, Debit, and Charge Card Transactions. Specifically, this rule would expand the covered entities to include companies that operate personal identification number (PIN)-based debit networks. As proposed, PIN-based debit network companies would be required to report on cross-border transactions between (1) U.S. cardholders traveling abroad and foreign businesses and (2) foreign cardholders traveling in the United States and U.S. businesses. BEA is proposing this change to improve the identification of cross-border travel transactions. BEA also proposes to change the survey title from Quarterly Survey of Cross-Border Credit, Debit, and Charge Card Transactions to Quarterly Survey of Payment Card and Bank Card Transactions Related to International Travel to reflect this change to the regulations. In addition, BEA proposes to make certain changes to the data collected on the BE-150 form to collect them in greater detail. If these changes are approved, the BE-150 survey would be conducted on a quarterly basis beginning with the first quarter of 2012.

This rule finalizes changes to eligibility determinations for free and reduced price school meals to implement nondiscretionary provisions of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. This rule also finalizes the following changes set forth in the interim rule published on November 13, 2007 (72 FR 63785)addition of a statutory definition of ``local educational agency,'' specification that a family only has to submit one application for all children in the household as long as they attend schools in the same local educational agency, and requirements to enhance descriptive materials distributed to families. This rule finalizes requirements for electronically-submitted applications, electronic signatures, and use and disclosure standards for such applications. This rule also finalizes year-long eligibility for free or reduced price school meals, unless the household chooses to decline a level of benefits. These changes are intended to provide children with increased access to the school nutrition programs by simplifying the certification process, streamlining program operations, and improving program management.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 224, Airport Security Access Control.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Idaho National Laboratory. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

The Secretary of VA intends to enter into an EUL on an approximately 5.0-acre parcel of land at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Newington campus in Newington, Connecticut. The selected lessee will finance, design, develop, construct, manage, maintain and operate the EUL development. As consideration for the lease, the lessee will be required to construct, renovate, operate and maintain an assisted living facility; provide preference and priority placement for senior and disabled Veterans and their families; and provide a supportive services program.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense is proposing to amend a system of records notice in its existing inventory of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

The Secretary of VA intends to enter into an EUL on 3 parcels of land (163 acres) that comprise the entire Knoxville campus of the VA Central Iowa Healthcare System. The selected lessee will finance, design, develop, construct, manage, maintain and operate the EUL development. As consideration for the lease, the lessee will be required to construct, renovate, operate, and maintain a mixed use development that includes integrated residential, commercial, agricultural and technology components. The residential component will contain a permanent housing facility for homeless and at-risk Veterans and their families where the lessee will give preference and priority placement to Veterans and provide supportive services to Veterans.

This document informs the public that an appeal of the closing of the Adona, Arkansas post office has been filed. It identifies preliminary steps and provides a procedural schedule. Publication of this document will allow the Postal Service, petitioners, and others to take appropriate action.

The Secretary of VA intends to enter into an EUL on an approximately 9.3-acre parcel of land at the Roseburg VAMC in Roseburg, Oregon. The selected lessees will finance, design, develop, construct, manage, maintain and operate the EUL development. As consideration for the lease, the lessees will be required to construct, renovate, operate, and maintain a permanent and transitional housing facility; provide preference and priority placement for homeless Veterans and Veterans at risk of homelessness and their families; and provide a supportive services program that guides resident Veterans toward attaining long-term independence and self-sufficiency.

Notice is hereby given on the development of the U.S. Department of Labor (Department), Employment and Training Administration's (ETA) Five-Year Research and Evaluation Strategic Plan for 2010-2015, hereafter referred to as the ``Research Plan.'' The Research Plan is required under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2916(a)). The Research Plan sets a research agenda by identifying high priority topics for potential pilot, demonstration, multiservice, multistate, research, and evaluation efforts that should be examined over the next five years. The draft Research Plan was based on a consultation process of internal and external stakeholders. This request for public comment is another opportunity for ETA to receive additional stakeholder feedback as part of its process in finalizing the Research Plan and transmitting it to Congress. To download a copy of the full draft report as a PDF, visit the ETA Research Web site at https://www.doleta.gov/reports/fiveyear_ researchplan.cfm.

This document informs the public that an appeal of the closing of the Jenkinjones, West Virginia post office has been filed. It identifies preliminary steps and provides a procedural schedule. Publication of this document will allow the Postal Service, petitioners, and others to take appropriate action.