October 4, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The House Appropriations Committee Report 108-636 includes a provision for the Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (HHS/ASPE) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish an interagency committee, to be coordinated by HHS. The committee's role is to examine major federal regulations governing the health care industry and to make suggestions regarding how health care regulation could be coordinated and simplified to reduce costs and burdens and improve translation of biomedical research into medical practice, while continuing to protect patients. This committee will examine the economic impact of the major federal regulations governing the health care industry, and will explore both immediate steps and longer-term proposals for reducing regulatory burden, while maintaining the highest quality health care and other patient protections. In accord with the House Appropriations Committee's intent, ASPE and OMB are undertaking several complementary activities. First, we are establishing an interagency committee to undertake a comprehensive review of federal health care regulations, guidance, and paperwork requirements in order to identify areas for reform. Second, we are planning to hold a series of public meetings in order to hear directly from health care administrators, institutional providers, physicians, practitioners, patients, and others about the impact of regulations, and to identify other potential areas for reform. The public meetings will be held in several cities across the country to provide an opportunity for input. Individuals may also submit written comments, regardless of their ability to attend the public meetings, for consideration by the interagency committee. Information about the schedule of public meetings and registration procedures will be available on the Web site https://aspe.hhs.gov/arrb. In order to assist the committee in studying regulatory impact and reform, in this notice ASPE is also requesting public nominations of federal health care regulations that could be coordinated and simplified to reduce costs and burdens and improve the translation of biomedical research into medical practice. In particular, commenters are requested to suggest specific reforms to regulations, guidance documents, or paperwork requirements that would improve the delivery of health care by increasing efficiency, reducing unnecessary costs, removing uncertainty, and increasing flexibility, while maintaining or improving patient safety and quality of care and other patient protections. The emphasis is on major regulations issued within the last ten (10) years. ASPE requests that commenters, in the selection of which reform ideas to submit, consider the extent to which (1) Benefits (quantitative and/or qualitative) are likely to exceed costs for the reform, (2) benefits (quantitative and/or qualitative) can be increased without exceeding costs, (3) the suggested change would improve patients' health and quality of care, (4) the agency or multiple agencies have statutory authority to make the suggested change, and (5) the rule or program is a major contributor to the regulatory burden imposed on the health care sector. While both legislative and administrative reforms are welcome, administrative reforms such as those that require discretionary rulemaking are more likely to be initiated in a timely manner. The reforms may include modifying, extending, or rescinding regulatory programs, guidance documents or paperwork requirements. Once we receive the nominations from the public, HHS, in cooperation with OMB, will assemble and evaluate the reform nominations and discuss each of them with the relevant HHS Operating Divisions, taking into account statutory, economic, public health, and budgetary considerations.

The National Park Service (NPS) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in accordance with the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000, announce the next meeting of the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group Aviation Rulemaking Committee (NPOAG ARC. This notice informs the public of the date, location, and agenda for the meeting. Dates and Location: The NPOAG ARC will meet November 8-9, 2005, at the Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, 333 Wonderview Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517. The meeting will begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, November 8, 2005.

This document corrects the notice of proposed rulemaking (REG- 106030-98) that was published in the Federal Register on Monday, September 19, 2005 (70 FR 54859) under section 863(d) governing the source of income from certain space and ocean activities.

The Information Reporting Program Advisory Committee (IRPAC) will hold a public meeting on Thursday, October 27, 2005.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is adding San Marino to the list of countries eligible to export meat products to the United States. FSIS conducted a thorough review of the San Marino meat processing inspection system, including an on-site review of the San Marino meat processing inspection system in operation. FSIS concluded that San Marino's meat processing laws, regulations, and other written materials demonstrate that they establish requirements that are equivalent to the relevant requirements of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and its implementing regulations, and that San Marino's implementation of meat processing standards and procedures is equivalent to that of the United States. Meat products from San Marino may be imported into the United States only if these products are processed in certified establishments in San Marino and are derived from animals that were slaughtered only in certified establishments located in other countries that are eligible to export meat to the United States as a result of their slaughter inspection systems having been found equivalent to that of the United States. At present, San Marino will be eligible to export only processed pork products and not meat food products containing livestock product other than pork to the United States. San Marino did not ask to be approved for slaughter of pork. All meat products exported from San Marino to the United States will be subject to reinspection at the U.S. ports-of-entry by FSIS inspectors as required by law.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) owns, or has an interest in, irrigation facilities located on various Indian reservations throughout the United States. We are required to establish rates to recover the costs to administer, operate, maintain, and rehabilitate those facilities. We request your comments on the proposed rate adjustments.

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve (Reserve) is seeking applicants and alternates for the following vacant seats on its Sanctuary Advisory Council (Council): (1) Conservation, (1) Research, (1) Commercial Fishing, (1) Ocean-Related Tourism, and (1) Native Hawaiian. Applicants are chosen based upon their particular expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying; community and professional affiliations; philosophy regarding the protection and management of marine resources; and possibly the length of residence in the area affected by the Sanctuary. Applicants who are chosen as members should expect to serve three-year terms, pursuant to the Council's Charter.

EPA's Toxics Release Inventory Program is today announcing its intent to explore potential approaches for modification of the reporting frequency of facilities that report to TRI. Among the options to be considered is alternate year reporting, which would require Congressional notification as discussed in section 313(i) of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know-Act (EPCRA). EPA has notified Congress, as required by this provision, of its intent to initiate a rulemaking to modify TRI reporting frequency. Today's notice is in addition to the Agency's recent proposal, Toxics Release Inventory Burden Reduction Proposed Rule elsewhere in Today's Federal Register, designed to reduce reporting burden on facilities reporting to TRI by increasing eligibility for the Form A Certification Statement.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain BAE Systems (Operations) Limited Model ATP airplanes. This AD requires doing an inspection of each bolt attaching the aft isolators to both engine subframes and replacing bolts if necessary. This AD results from reports of failures of the bolts attaching the aft isolators to the engine subframe. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the bolts attaching the aft isolators to the engine subframe, which may result in an engine separating from the airplane.

This document contains proposed regulations regarding the application of section 409A to nonqualified deferred compensation plans. The regulations affect service providers receiving amounts of deferred compensation, and the service recipients for whom the service providers provide services. This document also provides a notice of public hearing on these proposed regulations.