Agencies and Commissions January 2, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On December 11, 2007, the General Services Administration (GSA) published FTR Amendment 2007-06 in the Federal Register (72 FR 70234) specifying that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Standard Mileage Rate for moving purposes would be the rate at which agencies will reimburse an employee for using a privately-owned vehicle for relocation on a worldwide basis. The amendment indicated that the change to the IRS Standard Mileage Rate for moving purposes applied to relocations on and after September 25, 2007, and that GSA would publish a bulletin announcing any changes to that rate made by the IRS thereafter. On November 24, 2008, the IRS announced that as of January 1, 2009, the relocation mileage rate would decrease to $0.24 per mile for the 12 month period ending on December 31, 2009. Thus, the reimbursement rate for relocation will also be $0.24 for the same period. GSA Bulletin FTR 09-03 may be found at https://www.gsa.gov/ federaltravelregulation.

In this document, the Commission proposes and seeks comment on rules that would create a new ``replacement'' digital television translator service. The new replacement digital television translator service will permit full-service television stations to continue to provide service to viewers within their coverage area who have lost service as a result of those stations' digital transition. We seek comment on how to implement this new service and tentatively conclude that it should be subject to all other rules for television translators with respect to secondary frequency use, filing and processing of applications, construction, and operation. Finally, we announce interim filing procedures to begin acceptance of applications for replacement translators and the authorization of temporary facilities.

This report is provided in accordance with section 608(d)(1) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, Public Law 108-199, Division D, (the ``Act''), 22 U.S.C. 7708(d)(1). The Act authorizes the provision of Millennium Challenge Account (``MCA'') assistance under section 605 of the Act to countries that enter into compacts with the United States to support policies and programs that advance the progress of such countries in achieving lasting economic growth and poverty reduction, and are in furtherance of the Act. The Act requires the Millennium Challenge Corporation (``MCC'') to take steps to determine the countries that, based on their demonstrated commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investing in their people, as well as the opportunity to reduce poverty and generate economic growth in the country, will be eligible to receive MCA assistance during the fiscal year. These steps include the submission of reports to appropriate congressional committees and the publication of notices in the Federal Register that identify, among other things: 1. The countries that are ``candidate countries'' for MCA assistance during FY09 based on their per-capita income levels and their eligibility to receive assistance under U.S. law, and countries that would be candidate countries but for specified legal prohibitions on assistance (section 608(a) of the Act; 22 U.S.C. 7708(a)); 2. The criteria and methodology that the Board of Directors of MCC (the Board) will use to measure and evaluate the relative policy performance of the candidate countries consistent with the requirements of section 607 of the Act in order to select ``MCA eligible countries'' from among the ``candidate countries'' (section 608(b) of the Act, 22 U.S.C. 7708(b)); and 3. The list of countries determined by the Board to be ``MCA eligible countries'' for FY09, with justification for eligibility determination and selection for compact negotiation, including which of the MCA eligible countries the Board will seek to enter into MCA compacts (section 608(d) of the Act, 22 U.S.C. 7708(d)). This is the third of the above-described reports by MCC for fiscal year 2009 (FY09). It identifies countries determined by the Board to be eligible under section 607 of the Act for FY09 (22 U.S.C. 7706) and countries with which the Board will seek to enter into compacts under section 609 of the Act, as well as the justification for such decisions.