January 13, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a program of periodic surveys conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Examination surveys conducted since 1960 by NCHS have provided national estimates of the health and nutritional status of the U.S. civilian non-institutionalized population. To add to the large amount of information collected for the purpose of describing the health of the population, blood lymphocytes were collected in NHANES III in anticipation of advances in genetic research. The lymphocytes have been stored and maintained at the Division of Laboratory Sciences (DLS) at the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), CDC. The collection of lymphocytes was begun in the second phase of the survey (1991-1994) because of the significant advances in the rapidly evolving field of molecular biology that were occurring during the planning phase of this survey. CDC is making DNA samples from these specimens available to the research community for genetic analyses. Specimens are available from approximately 7,159 participants in the second phase of NHANES III. No cell lines will be made available. This program has been previously announced (Tuesday, June 1, 1999 [64 FR 29321]; Thursday, August 8, 2002 [67 FR 51585]). The purpose of this notice is to announce a fourth category for proposals for use of these specimens, add an additional secondary review of approved applications and provide a new proposal schedule. For final proposal guidelines and requests or letters of intent, please contact Ms. Oraegbu or go to https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhanes/ dnafnlgm2.htm. All interested researchers are encouraged to submit letters of intent. No funding is provided as part of this solicitation. Proposals will be reviewed by a technical panel and approved applications will be reviewed by an internal Secondary Review Committee, which will perform a programmatic review based on the results of the peer review for technical merit. The primary purpose of the Secondary Review Committee is to factor in the scientific and technical results from the first level of review, important programmatic considerations such as program priorities, program relevance, and other criteria germane to this announcement and to CDC. The secondary review panel will be comprised of senior CDC scientists, who will advise the Director, NCHS, on the approved applications. Projects approved by both reviews will be submitted to the NCHS Ethics Review Board for final approval. Approved projects that do not obtain funding on their own will be canceled. A more complete description of this program follows.

The Coast Guard is amending the maritime personnel licensing rules to include new security requirements when mariners apply for original, renewal, and raise of grade licenses and certificates of registry. This interim rule corrects omissions and ambiguities in the Coast Guard's preexisting maritime personnel licensing regulations. This interim rule will require all applicants for licenses and certificates of registry to have their identity checked and their fingerprints taken for a criminal record review by the Coast Guard. The new requirements are similar to those that apply to applicants for merchant mariner's documents.

This notice announces the annual adjustment in the amount in controversy (AIC) threshold amounts for administrative law judge (ALJ) hearings and judicial review under the Medicare appeals process. The adjustments to the AIC threshold amounts will be effective for requests for ALJ hearings and judicial review filed on or after January 1, 2006. The 2006 AIC threshold amounts are $110 for ALJ hearings and $1090 for judicial review.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of RTCA Special Committee 208, Aeronautical Mobile Satellite Services.

The FAA proposes to rule and invites public comment on the application to impose and use the revenue from a PFC at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport under the provisions of the 49 U.S.C. 40117 and part 158 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 158).

The OCC, Board, FDIC, and OTS (the Agencies), request comment on this proposed guidance entitled, Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate Lending, Sound Risk Management Practices (Guidance). The Agencies have observed that some institutions have high and increasing concentrations of commercial real estate loans on their balance sheets and are concerned that these concentrations may make the institutions more vulnerable to cyclical commercial real estate markets. This proposed Guidance helps identify institutions with commercial real estate loan concentrations that may be subject to greater supervisory scrutiny. As provided in the proposed Guidance, such institutions should have in place risk management practices and capital levels appropriate to the risk associated with these concentrations.

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS or Sanctuary) is seeking applicants for the following vacant seats on its Sanctuary Advisory Council (Council): Citizen-at-Large, Middle Keys; Maritime Heritage; Research & Monitoring Alternate; Marine Life Alternate; Education Alternate and South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Alternate. 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 2 or 3 year terms, pursuant to the Council's Charter.

The Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District, has approved a temporary deviation from the regulations governing the operation of the W-43 (Ocean Avenue) Bridge, at mile 0.1, over Shark River Inlet at Monmouth County, New Jersey. To facilitate removal and replacement of the mechanical systems of the lift spans, the temporary deviation would allow partial openings of the drawbridge.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's regulations on Benefits Payable in Terminated Single-Employer Plans and Allocation of Assets in Single-Employer Plans prescribe interest assumptions for valuing and paying benefits under terminating single-employer plans. This final rule amends the regulations to adopt interest assumptions for plans with valuation dates in February 2006. Interest assumptions are also published on the PBGC's Web site (https://www.pbgc.gov).

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is changing the fees that it charges meat and poultry establishments, egg products plants, importers, and exporters for providing voluntary inspection, identification, and certification services; overtime and holiday inspection services; and laboratory services. The Agency is raising these fees to reflect, among other factors, national and locality pay increases for Federal employees and inflation. In the past, FSIS has amended its regulations on an annual basis. With this regulation, FSIS is providing for three annual fee increases. This will provide the meat, poultry, and egg industries with more timely cost information. The Agency is also increasing the annual fee for its Accredited Laboratory Program.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, has prepared a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and State Notice of Project Change (DSEIS/NPC) to maintenance dredge the following Federal navigation channels: the Main Ship Channel upstream of Spectacle Island to the Inner Confluence, the upper Reserved Channel, the approach to the Navy Dry Dock, and a portion of the Chelsea River (previously permitted) in Boston Harbor, MA. Maintenance dredging of the navigation channels landward of Spectacle Island is needed to remove shoals and restore the Federal navigation channels to their authorized depths. Materials dredged from the Federal channels will either be disposed of at the Massachusetts Bay Disposal Site (if the material is suitable for unconfined open water disposal) or, if the material is not suitable for unconfined open water disposal, in confined aquatic disposal (CAD) cell(s). Major navigation channel improvements (deepening) were made in 1999 through 2001 in the Reserved Channel, the Mystic River, Inner Confluence and the Chelsea River. A final EIS was prepared for this previous navigation improvement project in June of 1995 in which the use of CAD cells in the Mystic River, Inner Confluence, and Chelsea River were investigated. A CAD cell for the proposed maintenance project will be constructed in the Mystic River and in the Main Ship Channel just below the Inner Confluence.

The Del Norte County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet on February 7, 2006 in Crescent City, California. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the selection of Title II projects under Public Law 106-393, H.R. 2389, the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, also called the ``Payments to States'' Act.

This rule proposes to amend HUD's Acquisition Regulations (HUDAR) to implement miscellaneous changes. The proposed revisions include improvements in clarity and uniformity in the Department's acquisition regulations.

The Export-Import Bank, as a part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal Agencies to comment on the proposed information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The form will be used by customers who originally applied for a multibuyer policy using EIB 92-50. Our customers will be able to submit this form on paper or electronically.