August 17, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency delivering the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs, invites comments on this information collection for which approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will be requested.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) publishes for public comment proposed policy guidance on Title VI's prohibition against national origin discrimination as it affects limited English proficient persons.

This notice announces the application of National Technical Systems, Inc., (NTS) for renewal of its recognition, and presents the Agency's preliminary finding to grant this request. This preliminary finding does not constitute an interim or temporary approval of the renewal application.

This document contains a notice of public hearing on proposed regulations relating to the treatment of controlled services transactions under section 482.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on an information collection requirement concerning the Serially Numbered Substantial Holders or Containers. This request for comment is being made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13; 44 U.S.C. 3505(c)(2)).

The Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) and NICEATM announce an upcoming ``ICCVAM/ NICEATM/ECVAM Scientific Workshop on Alternative Methods to Refine, Reduce, or Replace the Mouse LD50 Assay for Botulinum Toxin Testing.'' The workshop is being co-organized by ICCVAM, NICEATM, and the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM). This workshop is open to the public with attendance limited only by the space available. ICCVAM and NICEATM also invite the submission of (1) data from botulinum toxin test methods and (2) abstracts for scientific posters for display at the workshop (discussed more under ``Supplemental Information'').

Section 1114 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) (Pub. L. 109-59; 119 Stat. 1144) continued the highway bridge program to enable States to improve the condition of their highway bridges over waterways, other topographical barriers, other highways, and railroads. Section 1114(f) amends 23 U.S.C. 144 by adding subsection (r), requiring the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to publish in the Federal Register a report describing construction materials used in new Federal-aid bridge construction and bridge rehabilitation projects.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of the draft guidance for industry (183) entitled ``Animal Drug User Fees: Fees Exceed Costs Waivers and Reductions.'' The draft guidance explains the procedures FDA expects to use to evaluate waiver requests under the fees exceed costs waiver provision of the Animal Drug User Fee Act of 2003.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing a public meeting entitled ``Preparation for ICH meetings in Chicago, Illinois'' to provide information and receive comments on the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) as well as the upcoming meetings in Chicago, IL. The topics to be discussed are the topics for discussion at the forthcoming ICH Steering Committee Meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to solicit public input prior to the next Steering Committee and Expert Working Groups meetings in Chicago, IL, October 23 through 26, 2006, at which discussion of the topics underway and the future of ICH will continue. Date and Time: The meeting will be held on Monday, October 2, 2006, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Location: The meeting will be held at 5600 Fishers Lane, 3d Fl., Conference Room G, Rockville, MD 20857. For security reasons, all attendees are asked to arrive no later than 1:25 p.m., as you will be escorted from the front entrance of 5600 Fishers Lane to Conference Room G. Contact Person: Tammie Bell, Office of the Commissioner (HFG-1), Food and Drug Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, 301-827-0919, e-mail: Tammie.Bell2@fda.hhs.gov, FAX: 301-480-0716. Registration and Requests for Oral Presentations: Send registration information (including name, title, firm name, address, telephone, and fax number), written material and requests to make oral presentations, to the contact person by September 25, 2006. If you need special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Tammie Bell at least 7 days in advance.

This document contains revised Income Tax Regulations relating to the determination of the interest expense deduction of foreign corporations and applies to foreign corporations engaged in a trade or business within the United States. This action is necessary to conform the rules to subsequent U.S. Income Tax Treaty agreements and to adopt changes to facilitate improved administrability for taxpayers and the IRS.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing final regulations concerning the use of sick leave. The final rules remove the requirement for an employee to maintain a minimum sick leave balance in his or her sick leave account in order to use the maximum amount of sick leave provided for family care and bereavement purposes. These regulations are being issued as part of OPM's effort to standardize leave policies and provide agencies with guidance on leave programs available to assist employees in the event of a pandemic health crisis.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing interim regulations concerning pay actions for employees affected by a pandemic health crisis. The interim regulations clarify the rules for determining an employee's official worksite when he or she teleworks from an alternative worksite during an emergency situation, such as a pandemic health crisis. In addition, the interim regulations permit an agency to provide evacuation payments to an employee who is ordered to evacuate from his or her regular worksite and directed to work from home (or an alternative location mutually agreeable to the agency and the employee) during a pandemic health crisis. These regulations are issued as part of OPM's efforts to provide agencies with guidance to ensure they are able to fulfill their critical missions while at the same time protect their employees should a pandemic health crisis occur.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) gives notice as required by 42 CFR 83.12(e) of a decision to evaluate a petition to designate a class of employees at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, to be included in the Special Exposure Cohort under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000. The initial proposed definition for the class being evaluated, subject to revision as warranted by the evaluation, is as follows: Facility: Los Alamos National Laboratory. Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico. Job Titles and/or Job Duties: All Department of Energy employees, contractors, and subcontractors employed in all Tech areas. Period of Employment: 1943-1975.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will hold the fourth public meeting of the Veterans' Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction (VBDR). The VBDR was established at the recommendation of the National Research Council report, entitled ``Review of the Dose Reconstruction Program of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.'' The report recommended the need to establish an advisory board that will provide suggestions for improvements in dose reconstruction and claim adjudication procedures. The goal of VBDR is to provide guidance and oversight of the dose reconstruction and claims compensation programs for veterans of U.S.- sponsored atmospheric nuclear weapons tests from 1945-1962; veterans of the 1945-1946 occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan; and veterans who were prisoners of war in those regions at the conclusion of World War II. In addition, the advisory board will assist VA and DTRA in communicating with the veterans. Radiation dose reconstruction has been carried out by the Department of Defense under the Nuclear Test Personnel Review (NTPR) program since the 1970s. DTRA is the executive agent for the NTPR program which provides participation data and actual or estimated radiation dose information to veterans and the VA. Board members were selected to the fulfill the statutory requirements mandated by Congress in Section 601 of Public Law 108-183. The Board was appointed on June 3, 2005, and is comprised of 16 members. Board members were selected to provide expertise in historical dose reconstruction, radiation health matters, risk communications, radiation epidemiology, medicine, quality management, decision analysis and ethics in order to appropriately enable the VBDR to represent and address veterans' concerns. The Board is governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), Public Law 92-463, which sets forth standards for the formation and conduct of government advisory committees.

The Defense Science Board Task Force on Defense Industrial Structure for Transformation will meet in closed session on August 30, 2006, at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), 4001 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA. This meeting will characterize the degree of changes needed in industry due to the changing nature of DoD and the industrial Base. It will also examine the effectiveness of existing mitigation measures and make recommendations to ensure future competition and innovation throughout all tiers of the defense industrial base. The briefings will contain proprietary material and ensuing discussions will be at the collateral secret level. The mission of the Defense Science Board is to advise the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics on scientific and technical matters as they affect the perceived needs of the Department of Defense. At these meetings, the Defense Science Board Task Force will: Describe the defense industry required to cope with the international security environment in the 21st century. Additionally the task force will address the implications for the industrial base of increased DoD acquisition of services, as well as the implications for the financial viability of the defense industrial base as the sector adapts to changing DoD needs for defense- related products and services. In accordance with Section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Pub. L. 92-463, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. II), it has been determined that these Defense Science Board Task Force meetings concern matters listed in 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(1) and that, accordingly, the meetings will be closed to the public.

This notice extends the comments period and changes the address to send the comment on the Manual for Courts-Martial; Proposed Amendments notice which was published on August 10, 2006 (71 FR 45780).

Pursuant to the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 4314(c)(4), the Department of Justice announces the membership of its 2006 Senior Executive service (SES) Standing Performance Review Boards (PRBs). The purpose of the PRBs is to provide fair and impartial review of SES performance appraisals, bonus recommendations and pay adjustments. The PRBs will make recommendations regarding the final performance ratings to be assigned, SES bonuses and/or pay adjustments to be awarded.

This notice announces the cancellation of the eighth meeting of the American Health Information Community Consumer Empowerment Workgroup in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 5 U.S.C., App.). Canceled Date/Time: August 14, 2006, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended), and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR part 1500-1508), the national Park Service, Department of the Interior has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) identifying and evaluating five alternatives for a Non-Native Deer Management Plan for Point Reyes National Seashore administered lands. When approved, the plan will guide the NPS in managing the herds of non-native deer over the next two decades on all lands administered by Point Reyes National Seashore. Through the FEIS, the potential impacts of a ``no action'' alternative and four ``action'' alternatives are assessed and, where appropriate, mitigation measures are applied to reduce the intensity of the potential effect or to avoid the potential effect. Five other preliminary alternatives were considered but rejected because they did not achieve the objectives of the non-native deer management plan or were infeasible.