March 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

USDA Rural Development administers rural utilities programs through the Rural Utilities Service. USDA Rural Development announces its fiscal year (FY) 2007 funding and application window for the Household Water Well System (HWWS) Grant Program. The HWWS Grant Program is authorized under Section 6012 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (The Act), Public Law 107-171. The Act authorizes USDA Rural Development to make grants to qualified private non-profit organizations to establish lending programs for household water wells. For FY 2007, the HWWS grant funding available is $990,000. The non-profit organizations will use the grants to make loans to individual homeowners to construct or upgrade a household water well system for an existing home. The organizations must contribute an amount equal to at least 10 percent of the grant request to capitalize the loan fund. Applications may be submitted in paper or electronic format. The HWWS Grant Program regulations are contained in 7 CFR part 1776.

Under the Endangered Species Act (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce an extension of the comment period for the proposed rule to establish a distinct population segment (DPS) of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) in the Northern Rocky Mountains (NRM) of the United States and to remove the gray wolf in the NRM DPS from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List) under the Act. We also announce the location and time of one additional public hearing to receive public comments on this proposal. If you previously submitted comments, please do not resubmit them because we have already incorporated them into the public record and will fully consider them in our final decision and rule.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a final rule establishing that over-the-counter (OTC) laxative drug products in granular dosage form containing the bulk-forming psyllium ingredients (psyllium (hemicellulose), psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid, psyllium seed, psyllium seed (blond), psyllium seed husks, plantago ovata husks, and plantago seed) are not generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE) and are misbranded. This final rule includes, but is not limited to, any granules that are swallowed dry prior to drinking liquid; dispersed, suspended, or partially dissolved in liquid prior to swallowing; chewed, partially chewed, or unchewed, and then washed down (or swallowed) with liquid; or sprinkled over food. FDA is issuing this final rule after considering reports of esophageal obstruction associated with the use of psyllium laxatives in granular dosage form. These cases continue to occur despite efforts to promote safe use through label warnings and directions. This final rule does not apply to psyllium laxatives in nongranular dosage forms, such as powders, tablets, or wafers. This final rule is part of FDA's ongoing review of OTC drug products.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined the regulatory review period for VAPRISOL and is publishing this notice of that determination as required by law. FDA has made the determination because of the submission of an application to the Director of Patents and Trademarks, Department of Commerce, for the extension of a patent that claims that human drug product.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has placed in the docket and on its website final guidance in the form of circulars to assist grantees in implementing the Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities (Section 5310), Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC), and New Freedom Programs.

This document contains final regulations relating to the capitalization of costs under the simplified service cost method and the simplified production method provided by the Income Tax Regulations. For taxpayers that use the simplified service cost method or the simplified production method, the regulations clarify when self- constructed assets are produced on a routine and repetitive basis in the ordinary course of their businesses.

The Federal Election Commission is revising its regulations to amend four aspects of its Administrative Fines Program (``AFP''), a streamlined process through which the Commission assesses civil money penalties for late filers and non-filers under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (``FECA''). First, the Commission is revising its rules regarding the permissible grounds for challenging a proposed civil money penalty by clarifying the scope of the defense based on factual errors. Second, the Commission is incorporating a defense for political committees that demonstrate that they used their best efforts to file reports timely. Third, the Commission is revising its rules regarding its final determinations to clarify when the Commission finds that no violation has occurred. Lastly, the rules are being amended to explain that the Commission's statement of reasons for its final decision in an AFP matter usually consists of the reasons set forth by the Commission's reviewing officer as adopted by the Commission. The supplementary information that follows provides further information.

The Department of Commerce, 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)).