March 10, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2005-26-53; Amendment 39-14451, which applies to all Pacific Aerospace Corporation Ltd. (PAC) 750XL airplanes. AD 2005-26-53 currently requires you to insert text into the Limitations Section of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) that reduces the maximum takeoff weight from 7,500 pounds to 7,125 pounds. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority for New Zealand and the FAA's decision that the actions correct an unsafe condition. Consequently, this proposed AD would require you to remove rivets that have not been fully age hardened and replace them with bolts, washers, and nuts in specific locations where reduction in rivet strength affects overall structural capability. This proposed AD retains the actions of the previous AD until the rivets are replaced with the bolts, washers, and nuts. We are issuing this proposed AD so that wing ultimate load requirements are met. If wing ultimate load requirements are not met, wing failure could result with subsequent loss of control of the airplane.

We are issuing this advance notice of proposed rulemaking (``Advance Notice'') as a part of our ongoing effort to address, in the context of the Bank Secrecy Act, the issue of access to banking services by money services businesses. Both the banking industry and the money services business industry have expressed concerns with regard to the impact of Bank Secrecy Act regulations on the ability of money services businesses to open and maintain accounts and obtain other banking services at banks and other depository institutions. Due to the concerns about the effect of regulatory requirements on the provision of banking services to money services businesses, we, through the Non-bank Financial Institutions and the Examinations subcommittees of the Bank Secrecy Act Advisory Group, held a fact-finding meeting on March 8, 2005, to hear directly from banks, other depository institutions, and money services businesses concerning the challenges that they face on this issue. Subsequent to the fact-finding meeting, we took a number of steps to address the concerns raised by these industries, including working together with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Office of Thrift Supervision (collectively, the ``Federal Banking Agencies'') to issue guidance, which was incorporated into the June 2005 Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering Examination Manual. We understand that many banks and other depository institutions (collectively, ``banking institutions'') remain wary of dealing with money services businesses, and that money services businesses continue to experience difficulties in obtaining and maintaining bank accounts and other banking services. This Advance Notice solicits updated facts and recommendations regarding the extent to which ongoing concerns are based in the Bank Secrecy Act, and regarding what additional guidance or regulatory action under the Bank Secrecy Act, if any, would be appropriate to address these concerns.

This document corrects a notice of proposed rulemaking by cross-reference to temporary regulations that was published in the Federal Register on Friday, February 24, 2006 (71 FR 9487) regarding administrative review procedures for certain government agencies and other authorized recipients of tax returns or return information (authorized recipients) whose receipt of returns and return information may be suspended or terminated because they do not maintain proper safeguards.

Among other changes to patent and trademark fees, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (Consolidated Appropriations Act), splits the patent application filing fee into a separate filing fee, search fee and examination fee. The Consolidated Appropriations Act also provides that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (Office) may refund part or all of the excess claims fee and the search fee in certain situations. This final rule revises the rules of practice to implement the provisions for refunding the search fee for applicants who file a written declaration of express abandonment before an examination has been made of the application.

EPA is proposing to approve revisions to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP). This action approves provisions for alternate language public notice for certain preconstruction permits or permit renewals and provisions for preconstruction permit renewals. It approves SIP revisions that Texas submitted to EPA on August 31, 1993; April 29, 1994; August 17, 1994; and July 22, 1998. The revisions that EPA is approving supplement the current requirements for new construction and modifications and are more stringent than the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or the Act) and EPA regulations. We are approving the revisions under sections 110 and 116 of the Act as improving the existing SIP.

Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations and modified Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) are made final for the communities listed below. The BFEs and modified BFEs are the basis for the floodplain management measures that each community is required either to adopt or to show evidence of being already in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Base (1% annual-chance) Flood Elevations and modified Base Flood Elevations (BFEs) are made final for the communities listed below. The BFEs and modified BFEs are the basis for the floodplain management measures that each community is required either to adopt or to show evidence of being already in effect in order to qualify or remain qualified for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Bombardier Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes. The existing AD currently requires revising the airworthiness limitations section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness of the aircraft maintenance manual (AMM) by incorporating procedures for repetitive functional tests of the pilot input lever of the pitch feel simulator (PFS) units. This AD requires new repetitive functional tests of the pilot input lever of the PFS unit, and corrective actions if necessary. After initiating the new tests, this AD also requires removal of the existing procedures for the repetitive functional tests from the AMM. This AD results from a report that the shear pin located in the input lever of two PFS units failed due to fatigue. We are issuing this AD to prevent undetected failure of the shear pin of both PFS units simultaneously, which could result in loss of pitch feel forces and consequent reduced control of the airplane.

Today, EPA is proposing a rule to govern the review and handling of air quality monitoring data influenced by exceptional events. Exceptional events are events for which the normal planning and regulatory process established by the Clean Air Act (CAA) is not appropriate. In this rulemaking action, EPA is proposing to: Implement section 319(b)(3)(B) and section 107(d)(3) authority to exclude air quality monitoring data from regulatory determinations related to exceedances or violations of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and avoid designating an area as nonattainment, redesignating an area as nonattainment, or reclassifying an existing nonattainment area to a higher classification if a State adequately demonstrates that an exceptional event has caused an exceedance or violation of a NAAQS. Also, EPA is proposing four options with respect to whether, and to what extent, States should be required to take additional actions to address public health impacts related to the event.