January 5, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services invites suggestions from interested organizations and knowledgeable individuals regarding the highest priorities for research, demonstration, and evaluation projects to support and improve the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children Health Insurance (SCHIP) programs. The research and other activities undertaken and authorized by the above-captioned or above referenced statutory provision may address: 1. The outcomes, comparative clinical effectiveness, and appropriateness of health care items and services (including prescription drugs); and 2. Strategies for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of such programs, including the ways in which such items and services are organized, managed, and delivered under such programs. The statute: a. Requires the establishment of a priority setting process for identifying the most important topics to address, b. Establishes a timetable for development of an initial priority list and completion of the research; and c. Requires ongoing consultation with relevant stakeholders. To review the text of section 1013 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, please visit Section 1013. Research on Outcomes of Health Care Items and Services (PDF 21.7 KB) or https://www.medicare.gov/medicarereform/108s1013.htm (text). Current priority conditions being studied focus on topics particularly relevant to Medicare beneficiaries. The next set of priority conditions will be expanded to include conditions relevant to the Medicaid and SCHIP programs. The current priority conditions are: Arthritis and non-traumatic joint disorders. Cancer. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Dementia including Alzheimer's disease. Depression and other mood disorders. Diabetes mellitus. Ischemic heart disease. Peptic ulcer disease and dyspepsia. Pneumonia. Stroke and hypertension.

The Department of Transportation is directing all interested persons to show cause why it should not issue orders finding Cargo 360, Inc., fit, willing, and able, and awarding it certificates of public convenience and necessity to engage in interstate and foreign scheduled air transportation of property and mail.

The Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (the ``Commission'') is an independent adjudicatory agency that provides trials and appellate review of cases arising under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, 30 U.S.C. 801 et seq. (2000) (the ``Mine Act''). Trials are held before the Commission's Administrative Law Judges and appellate review is provided by a five-member Review Commission appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The Commission is proposing to revise its procedural rules, regulations implementing the Equal Access to Justice Act, and regulations implementing the Privacy Act in order to aid the efficient adjudication of proceedings at the Commission's trial and appellate levels and to ensure consistency with the statutes underlying those regulations.

This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rule agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council in this Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-08. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG), follows this FAC. The FAC, including the SECG, is available via the Internet at https://www.acqnet.gov/far.

We, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), are issuing final determinations to list 10 Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of West Coast steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. We are listing one steelhead DPS in California as endangered (the Southern California steelhead DPS), and nine steelhead DPSs in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho as threatened (the South-Central California Coast, Central California Coast, California Central Valley, Northern California, Lower Columbia River, Upper Willamette River, Middle Columbia River, Upper Columbia River, and Snake River Basin steelhead DPSs). All 10 of these DPSs were previously listed as threatened or endangered species. The Upper Columbia River steelhead DPS, formerly listed as an endangered species, is now being listed as threatened.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revises the federal consistency regulations under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA). This final rule addresses the CZMA- related recommendations of the Report of the National Energy Policy Development Group, dated May 2001 (Energy Report) as described in NOAA's June 11, 2003, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (68 FR 34851-34874) (proposed rule), and comments submitted to NOAA on the proposed rule. In addition, this final rule includes provisions complying with statutory amendments made in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58) (Energy Policy Act) that concerned matters addressed in the proposed rule. This final rule continues to provide the balance between State-Federal-private interests embodied in the CZMA, while making improvements to the federal consistency regulations by clarifying some sections and providing greater transparency and predictability to the implementation of federal consistency. This final rule fully maintains the authority and ability of coastal States to review proposed federal actions that would have a reasonably foreseeable effect on any land or water use or natural resource of a State's coastal zone, as provided for in the CZMA and NOAA's regulations, as revised in 2000.

This notice announces the availability of materials, including a revised concept paper, presented at the public meeting on operator qualification programs on December 15, 2005. PHMSA is preparing a report to Congress on the status and results of these programs to ensure the qualifications of individuals performing safety tasks on pipelines. Participants at the meeting discussed progress on operator qualification programs to help PHMSA prepare the report to Congress. Participants also discussed the potential for strengthening operator qualification programs. PHMSA requests public comment on these matters.