Agencies and Commissions August 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Applicant, a unit investment trust, seeks an order declaring that it has ceased to be an investment company. Applicant will continue to operate as a private investment fund in reliance on section 3(c)(1) of the Act. Filing Dates: The application was filed on June 29, 2016 and amended on July 12, 2016. Applicant's Address: 601 6th Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined to review in part (1) the final initial determination (``FID'') issued by the presiding administrative law judge (``ALJ'') on May 27, 2016, finding no violation of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1337); and (2) the initial determination issued on February 26, 2016, granting a summary determination of infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,100,061 (the ``Summary ID'') (Order No. 30). On review, the Commission has determined to reverse the FID's finding that the economic prong of the domestic industry was not met for either asserted patent. Other issues remain on review.

This direct final rule contains several amendments to the regulations governing the HUBZone Program. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is making changes to its regulations to implement section 866 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (2016 NDAA). Section 866 of the 2016 NDAA made the following changes to the HUBZone program: authorized Native Hawaiian Organizations to own HUBZone small business concerns; expanded the definition of ``base closure area'' under the HUBZone program; and authorized the inclusion of ``qualified disaster areas'' under the HUBZone program. This direct final rule would implement these changes in SBA's regulations.

The Board and the Bureau are proposing to amend the official interpretations and commentary for the agencies' regulations that implement the Consumer Leasing Act (CLA). The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) amended the CLA by requiring that the dollar threshold for exempt consumer credit transactions be adjusted annually by the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). If there is no annual percentage increase in the CPI-W, the Board and Bureau will not adjust this exemption threshold from the prior year. The proposal would memorialize this as well as the agencies' calculation method for determining the adjustment in years following a year in which there is no annual percentage increase in the CPI-W. Because the Dodd-Frank Act also requires similar adjustments in the Truth in Lending Act's threshold for exempt consumer credit transactions, the Board and the Bureau are proposing similar amendments to the commentaries to each of their respective regulations implementing the Truth in Lending Act elsewhere in the Federal Register.

We are proposing amendments to certain of our disclosure requirements that may have become redundant, duplicative, overlapping, outdated, or superseded, in light of other Commission disclosure requirements, U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (``U.S. GAAP''), International Financial Reporting Standards (``IFRS''), or changes in the information environment. We are also soliciting comment on certain Commission disclosure requirements that overlap with, but require information incremental to, U.S. GAAP to determine whether to retain, modify, eliminate, or refer them to the Financial Accounting Standards Board (``FASB'') for potential incorporation into U.S. GAAP. The proposed amendments are intended to facilitate the disclosure of information to investors, while simplifying compliance efforts, without significantly altering the total mix of information provided to investors. These proposals are part of an initiative by the Division of Corporation Finance to review disclosure requirements applicable to issuers to consider ways to improve the requirements for the benefit of investors and issuers. We are also issuing these proposals as part of our efforts to implement title LXXII, section 72002(2) of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption in response to a September 30, 2016, request from Virginia Electric Power Company (Dominion or the licensee) in order to use AREVA's M5[supreg] alloy fuel rod cladding material at Surry Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (SPS).

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (``CITA'') has determined that certain two-ply polyester yarn, as specified below, is not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the CAFTA-DR countries. The product will be added to the list in Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR Agreement in unrestricted quantities.

NCUA, as part of a continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on a reinstatement of a previously approved collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment on the renewal of the information collection entitled, ``NRC Form 212, Qualifications Investigation, Professional, Technical and Administrative Positions.''

We are extending the expiration dates of the following body systems in the Listing of Impairments (listings) in our regulations: Musculoskeletal System, Cardiovascular System, Digestive System, and Skin Disorders. We are making no other revisions to these body systems in this final rule. This extension ensures that we will continue to have the criteria we need to evaluate impairments in the affected body systems at step three of the sequential evaluation processes for initial claims and continuing disability reviews.

The General Services Administration's Labor-Management Relations Council (GLMRC), a Federal Advisory Committee established in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C., App., and Executive Order 13522, plans to hold a one and one-half day meeting that is open to the public.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act at Title 45 Part 670 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of permit applications received.

This is an amendment of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of Texas (FEMA- 4272-DR), dated 07/08/2016. Incident: Severe Storms and Flooding. Incident Period: 05/26/2016 through 06/24/2016.

This notice lists the approved by rule projects rescinded by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission during the period set forth in DATES.

On May 4, 2016, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published a notice in the Federal Register (81 FR 26861) to announce the 2016 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition, pursuant to the America Competes Act (15 U.S.C. 3719), to identify the nation's most innovative accelerators and similar organizations and award them cash prizes they may use to fund their operations costs and allow them to bring startup companies to scale and new ideas to life, including providing assistance to small businesses submitting proposals through the Small Business Innovation Research and/or Small Business Technology Transfer Programs (SBIR/STTR). In partnership with several U.S. agencies, SBA will be awarding prizes to winners from a total funding pool size of up to $3.4 million. The $50,000 prize to each winner will be paid from the total funding pool, including SBA's appropriated funds, and will be provided to each winner via check. This notice serves as an update to the original notice affecting only the funding pool size of prizes to be awarded to competition winners. All rules and requirements outlined in the May 4, 2016, Federal Register notice will remain in effect. Competition Details Prizes for Winners: SBA is partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Education (DoED) to create a total funding pool size of up to $3.4 million to provide additional prizes to accelerators that assist entrepreneurs in submitting SBIR/STTR proposals. Special consideration will be given to accelerator models that support women-owned or minority-owned small businesses and/or that assist entrepreneurs with submitting SBIR/STTR proposals. SBA's Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) will also be partnering with the Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA) and the Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) to award additional prizes to accelerators assisting the Native American and U.S. Veterans start-up community. SBA anticipates awarding up to 68 market stimulation cash prizes of $50,000 each to the highest-rated contestants that also represent the greatest degree of achieving national geographic distribution in both urban and rural areas, including at minimum: 14 accelerator models focused in Native American populations (American Indian, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian); 2 accelerator models focused on the Veterans community and Veteran entrepreneurship; 20 accelerator models focused on life-sciences (medical); 10 accelerator models focused on science and engineering (non-medical), and 2 accelerator models focused on education research technology. SBA is also partnering with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to provide a prize directly from IDB to 1 accelerator model focused on assisting the African descendant start-up community in Latin America and the Caribbean. Prizes will be paid in lump sum via the Automated Clearing House (ACH). Winners will be required to create an account in the System for Award Management (SAM) in order to receive an award.