Small Business Size Standards; Selected Size Standards Issues, 2976-2977 [05-1035]

Download as PDF 2976 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 12 / Wednesday, January 19, 2005 / Proposed Rules employees. Each compensation committee must approve the cash and non-cash compensation of senior officers. (3) Resources. The Funding Corporation must provide monetary and nonmonetary resources to enable its compensation committee to function. Subpart B—Annual Report to Investors 31. Amend § 630.20 by revising the introductory heading for paragraph (h), paragraphs (h)(2) and (l) introductory text to read as follows: (d)(1) through (4). Indicate that the financial statements were prepared under the oversight of the Farm Credit System Audit Committee. * * * * * Dated: January 12, 2005. Jeanette C. Brinkley, Secretary, Farm Credit Administration Board. [FR Doc. 05–913 Filed 1–18–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6705–01–P SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION § 630.20 Contents of the annual report to investors. 13 CFR Part 121 * RIN 3245–AF22 * * * * (h) Directors and senior officers. * * * * * (2) Senior officers. List the names of all senior officers employed by the disclosure entities, including position title and length of service at current position. * * * * * (l) Financial statements. Furnish System-wide combined financial statements and related footnotes prepared in accordance with GAAP, and accompanied by supplemental information prepared in accordance with the requirements of § 630.20(m). The System-wide combined financial statements must provide investors and potential investors in FCS debt obligations with the most meaningful presentation pertaining to the financial condition and results of operations of the Farm Credit System. The Systemwide combined financial statement and accompanying supplemental information must be audited in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards by a qualified public accountant (as defined in § 621.2(i) of this chapter) and indicate that the financial statements were prepared under the oversight of the Farm Credit System Audit Committee, identifying the members of this audit committee. The System-wide combined financial statements must include the following: * * * * * Subpart C—Quarterly Reports to Investors 32. Amend § 630.40 by revising paragraph (d) introductory text to read as follows: § 630.40 Contents of the quarterly report to investors. * * * * * (d) Financial statements. Interim combined financial statements must be provided in the quarterly report to investors as set forth in paragraphs VerDate jul<14>2003 15:09 Jan 18, 2005 Jkt 205001 Small Business Size Standards; Selected Size Standards Issues Small Business Administration. Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment period. AGENCY: ACTION: SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is extending the deadline for comments on the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), which requested comments on issues related to SBA’s effort to restructure its small business size standards, for 60 days because SBA agrees with the public’s view that an extension is necessary to afford interested parties more time to thoroughly review the issues described in the ANPRM and prepare their comments. The previous deadline of February 1, 2005 is extended to April 3, 2005. DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 3, 2005. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by RIN 3245–AF22, by any of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. • E-mail: restructure.sizestandards@sba.gov. Include RIN 3245–AF22 in the subject line of the message. • Fax: (202) 205–6390. • Mail: Gary M. Jackson, Assistant Administrator for Size Standards, 409 Third Street, SW., Washington, DC 20416. • Hand Delivery/Courier: Gary M. Jackson, Assistant Administrator for Size Standards, 409 Third Street, SW., Washington, DC 20416. Upon receipt of a written request, SBA will make available public comments to the requestor, subject to the Freedom of Information Act. PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: SBA’s Office of Size Standards, (202) 205–6618, or sizestandards@sba.gov. On March 19, 2004, SBA published a proposed rule to restructure its small business size standards by establishing them based primarily on the number of employees of a business concern and by limiting to 10 the number of different size standard levels (69 FR 13130). Although a majority of the more than 4,000 comments on the proposed changes expressed support for the proposal, SBA also received a large number of comments opposing various aspects of SBA’s approach to simplifying size standards. As a result, SBA withdrew the proposal on July 1, 2004 (69 FR 39874). On December 3, 2004, SBA published an ANPRM seeking comments from the public on several issues that were raised during the public comment period for the proposed rule (69 FR 70197). Specifically, the ANPRM sought comments on the approach to simplify size standards, the calculation of number of employees (including how SBA defines an employee for size purposes), the use of receipts-based size standards, the designation of size standards for Federal procurements, the establishment of size standards for use solely in Federal procurement programs, the establishment of tiered size standards, the simplification of affiliation regulations, the simplification of small business joint venture eligibility regulations, the grandfathering of small business eligibility, and the impact of SBA size standards on the regulations of other Federal agencies. The deadline for comments on the ANPRM was February 1, 2005. SBA has received hundreds of comments on these issues. SBA has also received requests from the public for an extension of the comment period to afford interested parties more time to thoroughly review the issues described in the ANPRM and prepare their comments. Given the scope and nature of size standard issues, SBA agrees that it is in the public interest to provide additional time for preparation of comments, which SBA will consider as part of its deliberations on restructuring size standards. Therefore, SBA is extending the comment period for 60 days, from February 1, 2005 to April 3, 2005. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\19JAP1.SGM 19JAP1 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 12 / Wednesday, January 19, 2005 / Proposed Rules Dated: January 13, 2005. Allegra F. McCullough, Associate Deputy Administrator for Government Contracting and Business Development. [FR Doc. 05–1035 Filed 1–18–05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8025–01–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 23 [Docket No. CE217; Notice No. 23–05–01– SC] Special Conditions: AMSAFE, Incorporated; Mooney Models M20K, M20M, M20R, and M20S; Inflatable Three-Point Restraint Safety Belt With an Integrated Airbag Device Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed special conditions. AGENCY: SUMMARY: This notice proposes special conditions for the installation of an AMSAFE, Inc., Inflatable Three-Point Restraint Safety Belt with an Integrated Airbag Device on Mooney models M20K, M20M, M20R, and M20S. These airplanes, as modified by AMSAFE, Inc., will have novel and unusual design features associated with the lap belt portion of the safety belt, which contains an integrated airbag device. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. The proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards. DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 18, 2005. ADDRESSES: Comments on this proposal may be mailed in duplicate to: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Regional Counsel, ACE–7, Attention: Rules Docket, Docket No. CE217, 901 Locust, Room 506, Kansas City, Missouri 64106, or delivered in duplicate to the Regional Counsel at the above address. Comments must be marked: Docket No. CE217. Comments may be inspected in the Rules Docket weekdays, except Federal holidays, between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mark James, Federal Aviation Administration, Aircraft Certification Service, Small Airplane Directorate, ACE–111, 901 Locust, Kansas City, VerDate jul<14>2003 15:09 Jan 18, 2005 Jkt 205001 Missouri, 816–329–4137, fax 816–329– 4090, e-mail mark.james@faa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments Invited Interested persons are invited to participate in the making of these proposed special conditions by submitting such written data, views, or arguments, as they may desire. Communications should identify the regulatory docket or notice number and be submitted in duplicate to the address specified above. All communications received on or before the closing date for comments will be considered by the Administrator. The proposals described in this notice may be changed in light of the comments received. All comments received will be available in the Rules Docket for examination by interested persons, both before and after the closing date for comments. A report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel concerning this rulemaking will be filed in the docket. Persons wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments submitted in response to this notice must include with those comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: ‘‘Comments to Docket No. CE217.’’ The postcard will be date stamped and returned to the commenter. Background On April 13, 2004, AMSAFE, Inc., Aviation Inflatable Restraints Division, 1043 North 47th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85043, applied for a supplemental type certificate for the installation of an inflatable lap belt restraint with a standard upper torso restraint (or shoulder harness) in Mooney models M20 (K, M, R, and S). The Mooney models M20 (K, M, R, and S) are singleengine, multi-place airplanes. The inflatable restraint system is a three-point safety belt restraint system consisting of a traditional shoulder harness and an inflatable airbag lap belt. The inflatable portion of the restraint system will rely on sensors to electronically activate the inflator for deployment. The inflatable restraint system will be made available on the pilot, co-pilot, and passenger seats of these airplanes. In the event of an emergency landing, the airbag will inflate and provide a protective cushion between the occupant’s head and structure within the airplane. This will reduce the potential for head and torso injury. The inflatable restraint behaves in a manner that is similar to an automotive airbag, but in this case, the airbag is integrated into the lap belt. While airbags and PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 2977 inflatable restraints are standard in the automotive industry, the use of an inflatable three-point restraint system is novel for general aviation operations. The FAA has determined that this project will be accomplished on the basis of providing the same level of safety as the current Mooney models M20 (K, M, R, and S). The FAA has two primary safety concerns with the installation of airbags or inflatable restraints: • That they perform properly under foreseeable operating conditions; and • That they do not perform in a manner or at such times as to impede the pilot’s ability to maintain control of the airplane or constitute a hazard to the airplane or occupants. The latter point has the potential to be the more rigorous of the requirements. An unexpected deployment while conducting the takeoff or landing phases of flight may result in an unsafe condition. The unexpected deployment may either startle the pilot or generate a force sufficient to cause a sudden movement of the control yoke. Either action could result in a loss of control of the airplane, the consequences of which are magnified due to the low operating altitudes during these phases of flight. The FAA has considered this when establishing these special conditions. The inflatable restraint system relies on sensors to electronically activate the inflator for deployment. These sensors could be susceptible to inadvertent activation, causing deployment in a potentially unsafe manner. The consequences of an inadvertent deployment must be considered in establishing the reliability of the system. AMSAFE, Inc., must show either that the effects of an inadvertent deployment in flight are not a hazard to the airplane or that an inadvertent deployment is extremely improbable. In addition, general aviation aircraft are susceptible to a large amount of cumulative wear and tear on a restraint system. It is likely that the potential for inadvertent deployment increases as a result of this cumulative damage. Therefore, the impact of wear and tear on inadvertent deployment must be considered. Due to the effects of this cumulative damage, a life limit must be established for the appropriate system components in the restraint system design. There are additional factors to be considered to minimize the chances of inadvertent deployment. General aviation airplanes are exposed to a unique operating environment, since the same airplane may be used by both experienced and student pilots. The effect of this environment on E:\FR\FM\19JAP1.SGM 19JAP1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 19, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 2976-2977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1035]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

13 CFR Part 121

RIN 3245-AF22


Small Business Size Standards; Selected Size Standards Issues

AGENCY: Small Business Administration.

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment 
period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is extending the 
deadline for comments on the Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
(ANPRM), which requested comments on issues related to SBA's effort to 
restructure its small business size standards, for 60 days because SBA 
agrees with the public's view that an extension is necessary to afford 
interested parties more time to thoroughly review the issues described 
in the ANPRM and prepare their comments. The previous deadline of 
February 1, 2005 is extended to April 3, 2005.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 3, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by RIN 3245-AF22, by any 
of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: restructure.sizestandards@sba.gov. Include RIN 
3245-AF22 in the subject line of the message.
     Fax: (202) 205-6390.
     Mail: Gary M. Jackson, Assistant Administrator for Size 
Standards, 409 Third Street, SW., Washington, DC 20416.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Gary M. Jackson, Assistant 
Administrator for Size Standards, 409 Third Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20416.
    Upon receipt of a written request, SBA will make available public 
comments to the requestor, subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: SBA's Office of Size Standards, (202) 
205-6618, or sizestandards@sba.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 19, 2004, SBA published a proposed 
rule to restructure its small business size standards by establishing 
them based primarily on the number of employees of a business concern 
and by limiting to 10 the number of different size standard levels (69 
FR 13130). Although a majority of the more than 4,000 comments on the 
proposed changes expressed support for the proposal, SBA also received 
a large number of comments opposing various aspects of SBA's approach 
to simplifying size standards. As a result, SBA withdrew the proposal 
on July 1, 2004 (69 FR 39874).
    On December 3, 2004, SBA published an ANPRM seeking comments from 
the public on several issues that were raised during the public comment 
period for the proposed rule (69 FR 70197). Specifically, the ANPRM 
sought comments on the approach to simplify size standards, the 
calculation of number of employees (including how SBA defines an 
employee for size purposes), the use of receipts-based size standards, 
the designation of size standards for Federal procurements, the 
establishment of size standards for use solely in Federal procurement 
programs, the establishment of tiered size standards, the 
simplification of affiliation regulations, the simplification of small 
business joint venture eligibility regulations, the grandfathering of 
small business eligibility, and the impact of SBA size standards on the 
regulations of other Federal agencies. The deadline for comments on the 
ANPRM was February 1, 2005.
    SBA has received hundreds of comments on these issues. SBA has also 
received requests from the public for an extension of the comment 
period to afford interested parties more time to thoroughly review the 
issues described in the ANPRM and prepare their comments. Given the 
scope and nature of size standard issues, SBA agrees that it is in the 
public interest to provide additional time for preparation of comments, 
which SBA will consider as part of its deliberations on restructuring 
size standards. Therefore, SBA is extending the comment period for 60 
days, from February 1, 2005 to April 3, 2005.


[[Page 2977]]


    Dated: January 13, 2005.
Allegra F. McCullough,
Associate Deputy Administrator for Government Contracting and Business 
Development.
[FR Doc. 05-1035 Filed 1-18-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8025-01-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.