January 8, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is announcing that the proposed collection of information listed below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Secretary is publishing the following list of correspondence from the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to individuals during the previous quarter. The correspondence describes the Department's interpretations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or the regulations that implement the IDEA. This list and the letters or other documents described in this list, with personally identifiable information redacted, as appropriate, can be found at: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/.

NMFS seeks public comment on two proposed actions. First, NMFS proposes to establish a management framework for specifying catch and fishing effort limits and accountability measures for pelagic fisheries in the U.S. Pacific territories (American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands). The framework would authorize the government of each territory to allocate a portion of its catch or fishing effort limit to a U.S. fishing vessel or vessels through a specified fishing agreement, and establish the criteria that an agreement would need to satisfy. The proposed framework also includes accountability measures for adhering to catch and fishing effort limits to ensure sustainability. Second, NMFS proposes an annual limit of 2,000 metric tons (mt) of longline-caught bigeye tuna for each territory, using the framework described in the proposed rule. NMFS would allow a territory to allocate up to 1,000 mt of the 2,000 mt each year to a U.S. longline fishing vessel or vessels in a specified fishing agreement that meets the established criteria. NMFS would monitor, attribute, and restrict catches of longline-caught bigeye tuna, including catches made under a specified fishing agreement, using the procedures and accountability measures described in the proposed rule. The longline bigeye tuna catch limit specifications would be effective in 2014. NMFS also proposes to make technical administrative changes to certain international fisheries requirements under the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act, to make them consistent with this proposed rule. NMFS intends the proposed rule and specifications to implement Section 113 of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriation Act of 2012, consistent with the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

On September 10, 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a direct final rule approving portions of three revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning the Texas Federal Operating Permits Program. EPA received timely, adverse comments on the direct final rule and withdrew the direct final rule on November 6, 2013. In our withdrawal of the direct final rule, we indicated we would address the comments received through the proposed rule published on September 10, 2013. Subsequent to our withdrawal of the direct final, EPA received a letter dated December 19, 2013, from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality stating that the December 17, 1999; October 4, 2001; and August 11, 2003 revisions specific to stringency determinations and minor permit revisions for Federal Operating Permits have been withdrawn from our consideration as revisions to the Texas SIP. Accordingly, EPA is withdrawing the proposed approval and finds that no further action is necessary on the portions of the three SIP revisions specific to stringency determinations and minor permit revisions for the Texas Federal Operating Permits Program. The State's action also withdraws from EPA's review the Federal Operating Permits Program component of the January 22, 2010 Consent Decree between EPA and the BCCA Appeal Group, Texas Association of Business, and Texas Oil and Gas Association. This withdrawal is being taken under section 110 and parts C and D of the Federal Clean Air Act.

The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) publishes this notice to request public comments on its proposed procedures for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). These proposed NEPA implementing procedures are necessary to assist FirstNet in establishing an NEPA compliance program and applying the appropriate level of NEPA review for activities undertaken by FirstNet in the design, construction and operation of the nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network (PSBN).

The Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') is adopting amendments to a rule and three forms under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (``Investment Company Act'') and the Securities Act of 1933 (``Securities Act'') in order to implement a provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (``Dodd-Frank Act''). Specifically, rule 5b-3 under the Investment Company Act contains a reference to credit ratings in determining when an investment company (``fund'') may treat a repurchase agreement as an acquisition of securities collateralizing the repurchase agreement for certain purposes under the Investment Company Act. The amendments we are adopting today replace this reference to credit ratings with an alternative standard designed to retain a similar degree of credit quality to that in current rule 5b-3. The Commission is also adopting amendments to Forms N-1A, N-2, and N-3 under the Investment Company Act and Securities Act to eliminate the required use of NRSRO credit ratings when a fund chooses to depict its portfolio holdings by credit quality.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Policy Directive in response to public comments SBA received on the final SBIR Policy Directive, published on August 6, 2012. SBA is also making several minor clarifying changes to ensure that the SBIR participants clearly understand certain program requirements.

On April 13, 2012, the EPA proposed a new source performance standard for emissions of carbon dioxide for new affected fossil fuel- fired electric utility generating units. The EPA received more than 2.5 million comments on the proposed rule. After consideration of information provided in those comments, as well as consideration of continuing changes in the electricity sector, the EPA determined that revisions in its proposed approach are warranted. Thus, in a separate action, the EPA is withdrawing the April 13, 2012, proposal, and, in this action, the EPA is proposing new standards of performance for new affected fossil fuel-fired electric utility steam generating units and stationary combustion turbines. This action proposes a separate standard of performance for fossil fuel-fired electric utility steam generating units and integrated gasification combined cycle units that burn coal, petroleum coke and other fossil fuels that is based on partial implementation of carbon capture and storage as the best system of emission reduction. This action also proposes standards for natural gas-fired stationary combustion turbines based on modern, efficient natural gas combined cycle technology as the best system of emission reduction. This action also includes related proposals concerning permitting fees under Clean Air Act Title V, the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, and the definition of the pollutant covered under the prevention of significant deterioration program.