April 20, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule proposes to establish a Genealogy Program within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to process requests for historical records of deceased individuals. Currently, such requests are processed as Freedom of Information Act requests by the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act program adding unnecessary delays to the process. A separate Genealogy Program would ensure a timely response to requests for genealogical and historical records.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing regulations to administer the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. This proposed rule is intended to establish eligibility and application requirements, the review and approval process, and grant administration procedures for the SCBGP. The SCBGP would be implemented under section 101 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (7 U.S.C. 1621 note). This rule also announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's intention to request approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the new information collection requirements necessary to implement the SCBGP.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is proposing to maintain user fees for cotton producers for 2006 crop cotton classification services under the Cotton Statistics and Estimates Act at the same level as in 2005. This is in accordance with the formula provided in the Uniform Cotton Classing Fees Act of 1987. The 2005 user fee for this classification service was $1.85 per bale. This proposal would maintain the fee for the 2006 crop at $1.85 per bale. The proposed fee and the existing reserve are sufficient to cover the costs of providing classification services, including costs for administration and supervision.

The Coast Guard proposes to change the drawbridge operation regulation governing the operation of the Southport (SR27) Bridge, across Townsend Gut, at mile 0.7, between Boothbay Harbor and Southport, Maine. This proposed rule would change the regulation to require the Southport (SR27) Bridge to operate on a fixed opening schedule between April 29 and September 30, each year. This rule is expected to help relieve vehicular traffic delays during the summertime tourism season while continuing to meet both the current and anticipated needs of navigation.

This notice proposes special conditions for the installation of an AmSafe, Inc., Inflatable Two-, Three-, Four or Five-Point Restraint Safety Belt with an Integrated Airbag Device on various airplane models. These airplanes, as modified by AmSafe, Inc., will have novel and unusual design features associated with the lap belt or shoulder harness portion of the safety belt, which contains an integrated airbag device. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

NMFS issues a final rule to amend regulations supporting the North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program (Observer Program). This action is necessary to revise requirements facilitating observer data transmission, improve support for observers, and provide consistency with current regulations. The final rule will promote the goals and objectives of the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area and the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMPs).

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations that govern the export and import of nuclear equipment and material to implement provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 signed into law on August 8, 2005. This amendment will facilitate exports to specified countries of high-enriched uranium for medical isotope production in reactors that are either utilizing low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel or have agreed to convert to the use of LEU fuel. In addition, this final rule revises the definition of byproduct material to include discrete sources of radium-226, accelerator-produced radioactive material, and discrete sources of naturally occurring radioactive material. Finally, the rule will require specific licenses for exports and imports of radium-226 that meet the threshold values of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources.

This action promulgates amendments to certain aspects of startup, shutdown, and malfunction (SSM) requirements affecting sources subject to the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) in response to a July 29, 2003 petition to reconsider certain aspects of amendments to the NESHAP General Provisions published on May 30, 2003.