Executive Office of the President 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Management and Budget is publishing the attached memorandum to the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies announcing that $763,029 is the ``benchmark compensation amount'' for certain executives in terms of costs allowable under Federal Government contracts during contractors' fiscal year 2011. This determination is required under Section 39 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act, as amended (41 U.S.C. 1127; formerly, 41 U.S.C. 435). The benchmark compensation amount applies to both defense and civilian agencies.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requests comments on its Draft 2012 Report to Congress on the Benefits and Costs of Federal Regulations, available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg_ regpol_reports_congress/. The Draft Report is divided into four chapters. Chapter I examines the benefits and costs of major Federal regulations issued in Fiscal Year 2011 and summarizes the benefits and costs of major regulations issued between October 2001 and September 2011. It also discusses regulatory impacts on State, local, and tribal governments, small business, wages, and economic growth. Chapter II offers recommendations for regulatory reform. Chapter III provides an update on implementation of the Information Quality Act. Chapter IV summarizes agency compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. OMB requests that comments be submitted electronically to OMB within 60 days from the date of notice publication in the Federal Register through www.regulations.gov.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is extending the comment period for the Advance Notice of Proposed Guidance on Reform of Federal Policies Relating to Grants and Cooperative Agreements; cost principles and administrative requirements (including Single Audit Act). The original comment period was scheduled to end on March 29, 2012. With this document, OMB is extending the time period in which to provide public comments until April 30, 2012. This will allow interested parties additional time to analyze the issues and prepare their comments.

On July 19, 2010, President Obama signed Executive Order 13547 establishing a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, our Coasts, and the Great Lakes (National Ocean Policy). As part of the President's charge for Federal agencies to implement the National Ocean Policy, the National Ocean Council developed actions to achieve the Policy's nine priority objectives, and to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes. Collectively, the actions are encompassed in a single draft National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan (Implementation Plan). The draft Implementation Plan describes more than 50 actions the Federal Government will take to improve the health of the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes, which support tens of millions of jobs, contribute trillions of dollars a year to the national economy, and are essential to public health and national security. Next, public comments on the draft Implementation Plan will inform the preparation of the final plan. Per our prior notice, which was published at 77 FR 2514 on January 18, 2012, we welcome your general input, and also pose the following questions: Does the draft Implementation Plan reflect actions you see are needed to address the nine priorities for the ocean, coasts, and the Great Lakes? What is the most effective way to measure outcomes and to detect whether a particular action in the Implementation Plan has achieved its intended outcome? Would a report card format be useful? With this notice, we are pleased to inform you that the comment period on the draft Implementation Plan has been extended. As stated on the National Ocean Council's Web site, https://www.WhiteHouse.gov/ oceans, on February 28, 2012, the new deadline for public comment on the draft Implementation Plan is March 28, 2012. Comments received will be collated and posted on the National Ocean Council Web site. The final Implementation Plan is expected in the spring of 2012.