December 1, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a permanent security zone on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, within 250 yards north of the north span and 250 yards south of the south span of the William P. Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, located between Sandy Point and Kent Island, Maryland. This action is necessary to provide for the security of a large number of participants during the annual Bay Bridge Walk across the William P. Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge, held annually on the first Sunday in May. The security zone will allow for control of vessels or persons within a specified area of the Chesapeake Bay and safeguard the public at large.

This notice requests comments related to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (the ``FMLA'' or the ``Act''). The Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division, of the Department of Labor (the ``Department'') seeks information for its consideration and review of the Department's administration of the Act and implementing regulations. The Department held stakeholder meetings regarding the FMLA with more than 20 groups from December 2002-February 2003. Many of the subject matter areas in this request are derived from comments at those stakeholder meetings and also from (1) rulings of the Supreme Court of the United States and other federal courts over the past twelve years; (2) the Department's experience in administering the law; and (3) public input presented in numerous Congressional hearings and public comments filed with the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') in connection with three annual reports to Congress regarding the Costs and Benefits of Federal regulations in 2001, 2002, 2004. In addition, the Department has reviewed numerous source materials about issues associated with the FMLA. During this process, the Department has heard a variety of concerns expressed about the FMLA. Some of those concerns, however, are beyond the Department's statutory authority to address. Some are not. In this regard, the Department invites interested parties having knowledge of, or experience with, the FMLA to submit comments and welcomes any pertinent information that will provide a basis for ascertaining the effectiveness of the current implementing regulations and the Department's administration of the Act. The questions posed are not meant to be an exclusive list of issues for which the Department seeks commentary and information.

This notice announces the intention of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) allow the proposed information collection project: ``Evaluation of a Medication Therapy Management Program to Improve Patient Safety in Medicare Beneficiaries.'' In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), AHRQ invites the public to comment on this proposed information collection.

The FAA proposes to amend the regulations for repair stations by revising the system of ratings and requiring repair stations to establish a quality program. The FAA also proposes additional changes critical to maintaining safety. These include requiring a repair station to maintain a capability list, designating a chief inspector, and having permanent housing for its facilities, equipment, materials, and personnel. In addition, this proposal also specifies those instances when the FAA may deny a repair station certificate. The proposal looks at the particular cases where a previously held certificate has been revoked. Lastly, the FAA proposes to clarify recent revisions to the repair station regulations. This action is necessary to reflect changes in aviation technology and repair station business practices.

The National Forests in North Carolina will begin charging a special recreation permit fee for reserved use of picnic shelters on several sites on the National Forests in North Carolina. Members of the public have requested the ability to reserve use of a picnic shelter in advance of the day of proposed shelter use. There will be no charging for using a picnic shelter as long as no reservation is made. Reservations will be posted on site at least 24 hours in advance of the reservation time. The shelters are located at the Murray Branch Day Use Area on the Appalachian Ranger District, the Cheoah Point Day Use Area on the Cheoah Ranger District, the Old Fort Picnic Area and Mortimer Picnic Area on the Grandfather Ranger District, the Sycamore Flats Picnic Area and Pink Beds Picnic Area on the Pisgah Ranger District, the Cherokee Lake Picnic Area, Jackrabbit Day Use Area and Hanging Dog Day Use Area on the Tusquitee Ranger District, and at Kings Mountain Point Day Use Area on the Uwharrie Ranger District. The cost for reserved use of the shelters will vary between $25-$30 for a half day and $40-$50 for a whole day. The higher use fee will be charged for the larger capacity shelter at Kings Mountain Point Day Use Area. In addition, the National Recreation Reservation Service charges a $9 reservation service fee. Fee revenue will support operations and maintenance of the shelters and future shelter site improvements.

This Notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for possible use to assist the homeless.

This final rule with comment period addresses certain provisions of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, as well as making other changes to Medicare Part B payment policy. These changes are intended to ensure that our payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative value of services. This final rule with comment period also discusses geographic practice cost indices (GPCI) changes; requests for additions to the list of telehealth services; payment for covered outpatient drugs and biologicals; payment for renal dialysis services; policies related to private contracts and opt-out; policies related to bone mass measurement (BMM) services, independent diagnostic testing facilities (IDTFs), the physician self-referral prohibition; laboratory billing for the technical component (TC) of physician pathology services; the clinical laboratory fee schedule; certification of advanced practice nurses; health information technology, the health care information transparency initiative; updates the list of certain services subject to the physician self-referral prohibitions, finalizes ASP reporting requirements, and codifies Medicare's longstanding policy that payment of bad debts associated with services paid under a fee schedule/charge- based system are not allowable. We are also finalizing the calendar year (CY) 2006 interim RVUs and are issuing interim RVUs for new and revised procedure codes for CY 2007. In addition, this rule includes revisions to payment policies under the fee schedule for ambulance services and the ambulance inflation factor update for CY 2007. As required by the statute, we are announcing that the physician fee schedule update for CY 2007 is -5.0 percent, the initial estimate for the sustainable growth rate for CY 2007 is 2.0 percent and the CF for CY 2007 is $35.9848.