October 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

FRA is amending its occupational noise standards for railroad employees whose predominant noise exposure occurs in the locomotive cab. FRA's previous standard (issued in 1980) limited cab employee noise exposure to certain levels based on the duration of their exposure. This rule modifies that standard and also sets out additional requirements. FRA is requiring railroads to conduct noise monitoring and to implement a hearing conservation program for railroad operating employees whose noise exposure equals or exceeds an 8-hour time- weighted average (TWA) of 85 decibels. FRA is also establishing design, build, and maintenance standards for new locomotives and maintenance requirements for existing locomotives. FRA expects that this rule will reduce the likelihood of noise-induced hearing loss for railroad operating employees.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. app. 2) and implementing regulation 41 CFR 101.6, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) announces the meeting of the National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning an existing final regulation, REG-122379-02, Regulations Governing Practice Before the Internal Revenue Service.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13(44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Revenue Procedure 06-XX (RP-135718-06), Automatic Consent to Change Certain Elections Relating to the Apportionment of Interest Expense, Research and Experimental Expenditures Under Section 1.861.

This document contains a correction to final and temporary regulations (TD 9244), that were published in the Federal Register on Thursday, January 26, 2006 (71 FR 4264). This regulation provides guidance regarding the determination of the basis of stock or securities received in exchange for, or with respect to, stock or securities in certain transactions.

DoD has issued an interim rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement DoD policy prohibiting activities on the part of DoD contractors and contractor employees that support or promote trafficking in persons. The rule contains a clause for use in contracts performed outside the United States.

DoD has issued a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to delete text addressing internal DoD procedures pertaining to foreign acquisition. This text has been relocated to the DFARS companion resource, Procedures, Guidance, and Information.

On April 3, 2006, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published the notice of initiation of the second sunset review of the antidumping duty order on furfuryl alcohol from Thailand. The Department preliminarily finds that revocation of the antidumping duty order would not likely lead to the continuation or recurrence of dumping.

The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program. Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) will submit proposals to recruit and select English-speaking high school students in Iraq and conduct month-long projects in the United States for student groups that focus on leadership development and civic education.

This is a notice of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for the State of Indiana (FEMA-1662-DR), dated October 6, 2006, and related determinations.

Notice is hereby given that the Department of State proposes to create a new system of records, STATE-72, pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), and Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-130, Appendix I. The Department's report was filed with the Office of Management and Budget on October 23, 2006. It is proposed that the new system will be named ``Identity Management System.'' This system description is proposed in order to support the Bureau of Diplomatic Security's (DS) administration of the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 Program that directs the use of a common identification credential for both logical and physical access to federally controlled facilities and information systems. The system description will reflect the DS personal identity verification (PIV) card record-keeping system, and Department of State identification card issuance activities and operations. Any persons interested in commenting on this new system of records may do so by submitting comments in writing to Margaret P. Grafeld, Director; Office of Information Programs and Services; A/ISS/IPS; Department of State, SA-2; Washington, DC 20522-8100. This system of records will be effective 40 days from the date of publication, unless we receive comments that will result in a contrary determination. This new system description, ``Identity Management System, State- 72,'' will read as set forth below.

The Branch for the Study of the United States, Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, invites proposal submissions for the design and implementation of three Study of the United States Institutes to take place over the course of six weeks beginning in June 2007. These institutes should provide a multinational group of experienced educators with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values and institutions. Two of these institutes will be for groups of 18 university level faculty each, one with a focus on American Civilization, the other on Journalism and Media. The third institute will be a general survey course on the study of the United States, for a group of 30 secondary educators. Prospective applicants may only submit proposals to host one institute listed under this competition.

The inventions listed below are owned by an agency of the U.S. Government and are available for licensing in the U.S. in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results of federally-funded research and development. Foreign patent applications are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage for companies and may also be available for licensing.

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.

On September 15, 2006, the Department of Commerce (``the Department'') published the preliminary results of the antidumping duty changed circumstances review and notice to revoke in part the order on welded large diameter line pipe from Japan (``LDLP'') with respect to certain welded large diameter line pipe as described below. See Preliminary Results of the Antidumping Duty Changed Circumstances Review and Notice of Intent to Revoke the Order in Part: Certain Welded Large Diameter Line Pipe from Japan, (71 FR 54471) (September 15, 2006) (``Preliminary Results''). In our Preliminary Results, we gave interested parties an opportunity to comment; however, we did not receive any comments from parties opposing the partial revocation of the order. Therefore, the Department hereby revokes this order with respect to all future entries for consumption of certain welded large diameter line pipe, as described below, effective on the date of publication of this Federal Register notice.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of New Mexico (FEMA-1659-DR), dated August 30, 2006, and related determinations.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for the Commonwealth of Virginia (FEMA-1661-DR), dated September 22, 2006, and related determinations.

DoD has issued a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to remove obsolete text relating to a restriction on the acquisition of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) carbon fiber from foreign sources. The restriction expired on May 31, 2006.

NMFS solicits nominations for the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel. Nominations are being sought to fill one-third of the Advisory Panel posts for a 3-year appointment.

The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Staff Office announces two public teleconferences of the SAB Radiation Advisory Committee (RAC) to continue activities related to preparation of an advisory on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Radiation and Indoor Air (ORIA) draft White Paper: Modifying EPA Radiation Risk Models Based on BEIR VII.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announce the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Northeast Gateway Energy Bridge, L.L.C., Liquefied Natural Gas Deepwater Port license application. Also, public hearings will be held on matters relevant to the approval or denial of the license application. The application describes a project that would be located in federal waters of Massachusetts Bay, in Block 125, approximately 13 miles south-southeast of Gloucester, MA. The Coast Guard and MARAD request public comments on the FEIS and application. Publication of this notice begins a 30-day public comment period and provides information on how to participate in the process. As a point of clarification, there is another deepwater port application by Neptune LNG, L.L.C. in the same vicinity. These applications are being processed and reviewed independently. The Neptune FEIS should be noticed as available and public hearing information published on November 3, 2006.

The Commissioner has determined (1) A 3.3 percent cost-of-living increase in Social Security benefits under title II of the Social Security Act (the Act), effective for December 2006; (2) An increase in the Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) monthly benefit amounts under title XVI of the Act for 2007 to $623 for an eligible individual, $934 for an eligible individual with an eligible spouse, and $312 for an essential person; (3) The student earned income exclusion to be $1,510 per month in 2007 but not more than $6,100 in all of 2007; (4) The dollar fee limit for services performed as a representative payee to be $34 per month ($66 per month in the case of a beneficiary who is disabled and has an alcoholism or drug addiction condition that leaves him or her incapable of managing benefits) in 2007; (5) The dollar limit on the administrative-cost assessment charged to attorneys representing claimants to be $77 in 2007; (6) The national average wage index for 2005 to be $36,952.94; (7) The Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) contribution and benefit base to be $97,500 for remuneration paid in 2007 and self-employment income earned in taxable years beginning in 2007; (8) The monthly exempt amounts under the Social Security retirement earnings test for taxable years ending in calendar year 2007 to be $1,080 and $2,870; (9) The dollar amounts (``bend points'') used in the primary insurance amount benefit formula for workers who become eligible for benefits, or who die before becoming eligible, in 2007 to be $680 and $4,100; (10) The dollar amounts (``bend points'') used in the formula for computing maximum family benefits for workers who become eligible for benefits, or who die before becoming eligible, in 2007 to be $869, $1,255, and $1,636; (11) The amount of taxable earnings a person must have to be credited with a quarter of coverage in 2007 to be $1,000; (12) The ``old-law'' contribution and benefit base to be $72,600 for 2007; (13) The monthly amount deemed to constitute substantial gainful activity for statutorily blind individuals in 2007 to be $1,500, and the corresponding amount for non-blind disabled persons to be $900; (14) The earnings threshold establishing a month as a part of a trial work period to be $640 for 2007; and (15) Coverage thresholds for 2007 to be $1,500 for domestic workers and $1,300 for election workers.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Teledyne Continental Motors (TCM) GTSIO-520 series reciprocating engines. That AD currently requires initial and repetitive visual inspections of the starter adapter assembly and crankshaft gear and unscheduled visual inspections of the starter adapter assembly and crankshaft gear due to a rough-running engine. That AD also requires replacement of the starter adapter shaft gear needle bearing with a certain bushing and installation of a certain TCM service kit at the next engine overhaul, or at the next starter adapter replacement, whichever occurs first. This proposed AD would require the inspection ordered in paragraph (h) of AD 2005-20-04 to be done every 100 hours time-in-service (TIS), or annually. This proposed AD results from an error discovered in AD 2005-20-04. We are proposing this AD to prevent failure of the starter adapter assembly and or crankshaft gear, resulting in failure of the engine and possible forced landing.