November 7, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule finalizes an interim final rule published June 20, 2005 that was effective August 5, 2005, amending the Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Competitiveness Payment Program of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). The interim rule changed the ELS cotton price used to calculate the payment rate from the ``average domestic spot price quotation for base quality U.S. Pima cotton'' to the ``American Pima c.i.f. Northern Europe'' price. The change was made to reduce the cost to the Federal Government of operating the program by incorporating a reference price more indicative of actual ELS cotton world market prices. This final rule makes changes from the interim final rule in the prices used to calculate the payment rate from ``American Pima c.i.f. Northern Europe'' and ``c.i.f. Northern Europe'' price quotes to ``U.S. Pima C/F Far East'' and ``C/F Far East,'' respectively. This change is made in response to comments and for other reasons as discussed.

14 CFR part 298 requires air carrier operators to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the DOT, with the exception of air taxi and commuter air operators. In order to be exempted from this requirement, such operators must apply for exemption with the DOT. This collection is used to ensure that affected companies comply with the requirements under this regulation.

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, Office of the Director, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Proposed Collection: Title: Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Observational Study. Type of Information Collection Request: Revision OMB 0925-0414 Exp: 04/06. Need for Use of Information Collection: This study will be used by the NIH to evaluate risk factors for chronic disease among older women by developing and following a large cohort of postmenopausal women and relating subsequent disease development to baseline assessments of historical, physical, psychosocial, and physiologic characteristics. In addition, the observational study will complement the clinical trial (which has received clinical exemption) and provide additional information on the common causes of frailty, disability and death for postmenopausal women, namely, coronary heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer, and osteoporotic fractures. Continuation of follow-up years for ascertainment of medical history update forms will provide essential data for outcomes assessment for this population of aging women. Frequency of Response: On occasion. Affected Public: Individuals and physicians. Type of Respondents: Women, next-of-kin, and physician's office staff. The annual reporting burden is as follows:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of the guidance entitled ``Class II Special Controls Guidance Document: Low Energy Ultrasound Wound Cleaner.'' This guidance document has been developed as a special control guidance document to support the classification of the low energy ultrasound wound cleaner into class II (special controls). The device is intended for the cleaning and maintenance debridement of wounds. This guidance document describes a means by which the low energy ultrasound wound cleaner may comply with the requirement of special controls for class II devices. Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, FDA is publishing a final rule to classify the low energy ultrasound wound cleaner into class II (special controls). The guidance document is immediately in effect as the special control for the low energy ultrasound wound cleaner, but it remains subject to comment in accordance with the agency's good guidance practices (GGPs).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for clearance of a revised information collection. OPM Online Form 1417, the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Information System form, collects information from the 302 local CFC campaigns to verify campaign results and collect contact information. Revisions to the form clarify OPM's request for campaign costs, solicitation data, prior-year receipts, and the inclusion of electronic fund information (EFT). Campaign EFT information is released only to Federal payroll providers for the proper and timely disbursement of aggregated donor pledges. OPM has routinely collected EFT information through e-mail. We estimate 302 Online OPM Forms 1417 are completed annually. Each form takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. The annual estimated burden is 101 hours. Comments are particularly invited on: Whether this information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the Office of Personnel Management, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the appropriate use of technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. For copies of this proposal, contact Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606-8358, FAX (202) 418-3251 or E-mail to mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please be sure to include a mailing address with your request.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration [formerly Office of Motor Carriers (OMC) within Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)] withdraws its July 20, 1998 ANPRM and request for comments pertaining to the future evolution of the safety fitness rating system. After the ANPRM was published, FMCSA began the Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 Initiative (CSA 2010), a comprehensive review and analysis of FMCSA's current commercial motor carrier safety compliance and enforcement programs. FMCSA held a series of public listening sessions pertaining to CSA 2010 in September and October 2004. Many commenters at those listening sessions suggested that FMCSA delay publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) until the agency makes its final decisions regarding its long-term plan for monitoring motor carrier safety under CSA 2010. Therefore, this rulemaking is no longer necessary because, as CSA 2010 proceeds, FMCSA expects to publish a rulemaking that would propose a new and improved safety compliance and monitoring methodology based on more recent information and policy.

The Department is seeking comments on a proposal to clarify policies that may be used during initial and continuing fitness reviews of U.S. carriers when citizenship is at issue. We propose to add a new section to 14 CFR part 399 that clarifies how the Department will interpret ``actual control'' of a U.S. air carrier during fitness reviews. This proposal will affect how we interpret the circumstances influencing a determination of ``actual control,'' allowing easier access to foreign capital for U.S. airlines. We are also proposing minor amendments to 14 CFR part 204 to reference the new section and update existing language in part 204.

This final rule adopts standards for an electronic prescription drug program under Title I of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA). These standards will be the foundation standards or the first set of final uniform standards for an electronic prescription drug program under the MMA, and represent the first step in our incremental approach to adopting final foundation standards that are consistent with the MMA objectives of patient safety, quality of care, and efficiencies and cost savings in the delivery of care.

In the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register, the IRS is issuing final and temporary regulations relating to the simplification of procedures for automatic extensions of time to file certain returns. The text of those regulations also serves as the text of these proposed regulations.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of an abbreviated new animal drug application (ANADA) filed by Cross Vetpharm Group Ltd. The ANADA provides for use of tetracycline hydrochloride soluble powder in the drinking water of calves, swine, chickens, and turkeys for the treatment and control of various bacterial infections.

This document contains regulations that reduce the burden for taxpayers filing Form 8609, ``Low-Income Housing Credit Allocation and Certification.'' The regulations affect owners of low-income housing projects who claim the low-income housing credit.