December 31, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

As set forth in 7 CFR 4279.107(b) and 4280.126(c), Rural Development (the Agency) has the authority to charge an annual renewal fee for loans made under the Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program and the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Improvements (9006) Guaranteed Loan Program. Pursuant to that authority, the Agency is establishing the renewal fee rate at one- fourth of 1 percent for the B&I Guaranteed Loan Program and one-fourth of 1 percent for the 9006 Guaranteed Loan Program. These rates will apply to all loans obligated in fiscal year (FY) 2008 that are made under the cited programs. As established in 7 CFR 4279.107 and 4280.126, the amount of the fee on each guaranteed loan will be determined by multiplying the fee rate by the outstanding principal loan balance as of December 31, multiplied by the percent of guarantee. As set forth in 7 CFR 4280.126(a), each fiscal year the Agency shall establish the initial guarantee fee rate for loans made under the 9006 Guaranteed Loan Program. Pursuant to that authority, the Agency is establishing the initial guarantee fee rate at 1 percent for loans made in FY 2008. As set forth in 7 CFR 4279.107(a) and 4279.119(b)(4), each fiscal year the Agency shall establish a limit on the maximum portion of B&I guarantee authority available for that fiscal year that may be used to guarantee loans with a B&I guarantee fee of 1 percent or guaranteed loans with a guarantee percentage exceeding 80 percent. Allowing the guarantee fee to be reduced to 1 percent or exceeding the 80 percent guarantee on certain B&I guaranteed loans that meet the conditions set forth in 7 CFR 4279.107 and 4279.119 will increase the Agency's ability to focus guarantee assistance on projects which the Agency has found particularly meritorious. For 1 percent fees, the borrower's business supports value-added agriculture and results in farmers benefiting financially, or such projects are high impact as defined in 7 CFR 4279.155(b)(5) and located in rural communities that remain persistently poor, which experience long-term population decline and job deterioration, are experiencing trauma as a result of natural disaster, or are experiencing fundamental structural changes in its economic base. For guaranteed loans exceeding 80 percent, such projects must be a high-priority project in accordance with 7 CFR 4279.155. Not more than 12 percent of the Agency's quarterly apportioned B&I guarantee authority will be reserved for loan requests with a guarantee fee of 1 percent, and not more than 15 percent of the Agency's quarterly apportioned guarantee authority will be reserved for guaranteed loan requests with a guaranteed percentage exceeding 80 percent. Once the respective quarterly limits are reached, all additional loans for that quarter will be at the standard fee and guarantee limits in 7 CFR part 4279. As an exception to this paragraph and for the purposes of this notice, loans developed by the North American Development Bank (NADBank) Community Adjustment and Investment Program (CAIP) will not count against the 15 percent limit. Up to 50 percent of CAIP loans may have a guaranteed percentage exceeding 80 percent. The funding authority for CAIP loans is not derived carryover or recovered funding authority of the B&I Guaranteed Loan Program.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is reopening the period for public comment to provide interested persons additional time to comment on certain proposed amendments pertaining to the Federal speculative position limits for agricultural commodities.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) of Canada, under international agreement, jointly publish and presently administer the St. Lawrence Seaway Regulations and Rules (Practices and Procedures in Canada) in their respective jurisdictions. Under agreement with the SLSMC, the SLSDC is proposing to amend the joint regulations by updating the Regulations and Rules in various categories. The proposed changes would update the following sections of the Regulations and Rules: Condition of Vessels; Seaway Navigation; and, Information and Reports. The SLSDC is seeking to harmonize the ballast water requirements for vessels transiting the U.S. waters of the Seaway with those currently required by Canadian authorities for transit in waters under Canadian jurisdiction of the Seaway. These proposed amendments are necessary to take account of updated procedures and would eliminate the confusion regarding the requirements for saltwater flushing in the binational waters of the Seaway System.

This announcement governs the proposed award of mandatory grants under the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) to States (including Territories and Insular Areas). The purpose of these grants is to assist States in establishing, maintaining, and expanding programs and projects to prevent family violence and to provide immediate shelter and related assistance for victims of family violence and their dependents. This announcement sets forth the application requirements, the application process, and other administrative and fiscal requirements for grants in Fiscal Year (FY) 2008.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b), this notice announces that new information collection requirement (ICR) listed below has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This new ICR pertains to 49 CFR Part 262. Additionally, FRA hereby announces that other ICRs listed below have been re-approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). These ICRs pertain to Parts 215, 216, 219, 223, and 239. The OMB approval numbers, titles, and expiration dates are included herein under supplementary information.

The Coast Guard seeks applications for membership on the Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC). TSAC advises the Coast Guard on matters relating to shallow-draft inland and coastal waterway navigation and towing safety.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined to review a portion of the final initial determination (``ID'') issued by the presiding administrative law judge (``ALJ'') on November 7, 2007, regarding whether there is a violation of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, 19 U.S.C. 1337, in the above- captioned investigation.

Notice is hereby given that a complaint was filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission on November 20, 2007, under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C. 1337, on behalf of INEOS Fluor Limited of the United Kingdom and INEOS Fluor Americas LLC of St. Gabriel, Louisiana. A supplemental letter and amended complaint, which included another complainant, INEOS Fluor Holdings Limited of the United Kingdom, were filed on December 13, 2007. The complaint, as supplemented and amended, alleges violations of section 337 in the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain R-134a coolant (otherwise known as 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane) by reason of infringement of the claims of U.S. Patent No. 5,744,658. The complaint further alleges that an industry in the United States exists as required by subsection (a)(2) of section 337. The complainants request that the Commission institute an investigation and, after the investigation, issue a general exclusion order and cease and desist orders.

NMFS announces the final rule to set 2008 fishing year specifications for the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) fishery, including quotas for each of the established domestic fishing categories and effort controls for the General category and Angling category. This action is necessary to implement recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), as required by the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA), and to achieve domestic management objectives under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

This document contains final and temporary regulations under section 468A of the Internal Revenue Code relating to deductions for contributions to trusts maintained for decommissioning nuclear power plants. The temporary regulations affect most taxpayers that own an interest in a nuclear power plant and reflect recent statutory changes. The text of these temporary regulations also serves as the text of the proposed regulations set forth in the notice of proposed rulemaking on this subject in the Proposed Rules section in this issue of the Federal Register.

This staff accounting bulletin (``SAB'') expresses the views of the staff regarding the use of a ``simplified'' method, as discussed in SAB No. 107 (``SAB 107''), in developing an estimate of expected term of ``plain vanilla'' share options in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123 (revised 2004), Share-Based Payment. In particular, the staff indicated in SAB 107 that it will accept a company's election to use the simplified method, regardless of whether the company has sufficient information to make more refined estimates of expected term. At the time SAB 107 was issued, the staff believed that more detailed external information about employee exercise behavior (e.g., employee exercise patterns by industry and/or other categories of companies) would, over time, become readily available to companies. Therefore, the staff stated in SAB 107 that it would not expect a company to use the simplified method for share option grants after December 31, 2007. The staff understands that such detailed information about employee exercise behavior may not be widely available by December 31, 2007. Accordingly, the staff will continue to accept, under certain circumstances, the use of the simplified method beyond December 31, 2007.