Agencies and Commissions November 21, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) intends to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) extend approval (with modifications), under the Paperwork Reduction Act, of the collection of information under Part 4043 of its regulations relating to Reportable Events (OMB control number 1212-0013; expires February 28, 2009). This notice informs the public of the PBGC's intent and solicits public comment on the collection of information.

The Commission is noticing a recently-filed Postal Service request to add the Canada PostUnited States Postal Service Contractual Bilateral Agreement for Inbound Competitive Services to the Competitive Product List. The Postal Service has also filed a related contract. This notice addresses procedural steps associated with these filings.

The Commission hereby gives notice of the scheduling of the final phase of antidumping investigation No. 731-TA-1145 (Final) under section 735(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1673d(b)) (the Act) to determine whether an industry in the United States is materially injured or threatened with material injury, or the establishment of an industry in the United States is materially retarded, by reason of less-than-fair-value imports from China of certain steel threaded rod, provided for in subheading 7318.15.50 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.\1\

The Board of Governors (Board) is amending the routing number guide to next-day availability checks and local checks in Regulation CC to delete the reference to the Des Moines office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and to reassign the Federal Reserve routing symbols currently listed under that office to the head office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. These amendments reflect the restructuring of check-processing operations within the Federal Reserve System.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to add the NAC International Inc. (NAC) MAGNASTOR cask system to the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks.'' This direct final rule allows the holders of power reactor operating licenses to store spent fuel in this approved cask system under a general license.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The Commission hereby gives notice of the scheduling of the final phase of antidumping investigation No. 731-TA-1148 (Final) under section 735(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1673d(b)) (the Act) to determine whether an industry in the United States is materially injured or threatened with material injury, or the establishment of an industry in the United States is materially retarded, by reason of less-than-fair-value imports from China of frontseating service valves and certain parts thereof (``frontseating service valves''), provided for under subheadings 8415.90.80, 8481.80.10, 8481.80.30, 8481.80.50, 8481.90.10, 8481.90.30, or 8481.90.50 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.\1\

The Federal Trade Commission will hold a series of public hearings beginning on December 5, 2008, in Washington, D.C., to explore the evolving market for intellectual property (IP). The hearings will examine changes in intellectual property law, patent-related business models, and new learning regarding the operation of the IP marketplace since the FTC issued its October 2003 report, To Promote Innovation: The Proper Balance of Competition and Patent Law and Policy (the FTC IP Report).\1\ Changes and proposed changes in the law, together with evolving business models for buying, selling and licensing IP, could significantly influence a patent's economic value and the operation of the IP marketplace. The hearings will consider the impact of these changes on innovation, competition and consumer welfare.

The Committee is proposing to add to the Procurement List products to be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities, and to delete products previously furnished by such agencies. Comments Must Be Received on or Before: 12/21/2008.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') is proposing a Roadmap for the potential use of financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (``IFRS'') as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board by U.S. issuers for purposes of their filings with the Commission. This Roadmap sets forth several milestones that, if achieved, could lead to the required use of IFRS by U.S. issuers in 2014 if the Commission believes it to be in the public interest and for the protection of investors. This Roadmap also includes discussion of various areas of consideration for market participants related to the eventual use of IFRS in the United States. As part of the Roadmap, the Commission is proposing amendments to various regulations, rules and forms that would permit early use of IFRS by a limited number of U.S. issuers where this would enhance the comparability of financial information to investors. Only an issuer whose industry uses IFRS as the basis of financial reporting more than any other set of standards would be eligible to elect to use IFRS, beginning with filings in 2010.