November 3, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Employment and Training Administration, Office of National Programs is soliciting comments concerning the proposed collection of information on the Foreign Labor Certification Quarterly Activity Report from the State Workforce Agencies. A copy of the proposed Information Collection Request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addressee section of this Notice.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing a forthcoming meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).

The purpose of this notice is to inform the public and interested security partners that the draft National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) Base Plan is available for review and comment. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is responsible for developing this comprehensive, integrated national plan for the protection of the Nation's critical infrastructure and key resources under the authority of Homeland Security Presidential Directive-7 (HSPD-7), Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization, and Protection.

In this document, the Bureau of Prisons (Bureau) amends its rules on Good Conduct Time (GCT). The purpose of this rule is to more effectively reduce the lengthy General Educational Development (GED) waiting lists and to reevaluate the ``satisfactory progress in a literacy program'' provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (VCCLEA) and/or the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PLRA) for aliens with confirmed orders of deportation, exclusion, or removal. This rule will increase the proportion of our literacy funds and resources that go to inmates who will remain in the U.S. after release. This rule will exempt inmate aliens with confirmed orders of deportation, exclusion, or removal from the ``satisfactory progress in a literacy program'' provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (VCCLEA) and/or the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PLRA). The Bureau's Literacy Program rules formerly comprised only GED attainment. This means that inmate aliens who have confirmed orders of deportation, exclusion, or removal, but do not have a high school diploma or GED, will not need to demonstrate satisfactory progress toward earning a GED credential to be considered for the full benefits of GCT. When considering GCT, we will allow 54 days GCT for each year served if the inmate is an alien with a confirmed order of deportation, exclusion, or removal from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). In this document, we also reorganize the rule for clarity and accuracy. Other than the substantive change regarding sentenced deportable aliens, we make no further substantive changes.

The fee to cover the average cost of incarceration for Federal inmates in 2004 was $23,267.

This document contains exemptions issued by the Department of Labor (the Department) from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the Act) and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). A notice was published in the Federal Register of the pendency before the Department of a proposal to grant such exemption. The notice set forth a summary of facts and representations contained in the application for exemption and referred interested persons to the application for a complete statement of the facts and representations. The application has been available for public inspection at the Department in Washington, DC. The notice also invited interested persons to submit comments on the requested exemption to the Department. In addition the notice stated that any interested person might submit a written request that a public hearing be held (where appropriate). The applicant has represented that it has complied with the requirements of the notification to interested persons. No requests for a hearing were received by the Department. Public comments were received by the Department as described in the granted exemption. The notice of proposed exemption was issued and the exemption is being granted solely by the Department because, effective December 31, 1978, section 102 of Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1978, 5 U.S.C. App. 1 (1996), transferred the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to issue exemptions of the type proposed to the Secretary of Labor.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is considering granting a waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule for Forklifts Manufacturing. The basis of waivers is that no small business manufacturers are supplying these classes of products to the Federal government. The effect of a waiver would be to allow otherwise qualified regular dealers to supply the products of any domestic manufacturer on a Federal contract set aside for small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, or SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program to provide the products of small business manufacturers or processors on such contracts. The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments and potential source information from interested parties.

This is an amendment of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for the State of Florida (FEMA-1609-DR), dated 10/24/ 2005. Incident: Hurricane Wilma. Incident Period: 10/23/2005 and continuing. Effective Date: 10/26/2005. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 12/23/2005. EIDL Loan Application Deadline Date: 07/24/2006.