2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with section 6(f)(1) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), as amended, EPA is issuing a notice of receipt of a request by the registrant to voluntarily cancel its registration of a product containing the pesticide denatonium benzoate. The request would terminate denatonium benzoate use in or on conifers and deciduous, non-bearing trees, shrubs, flowers, and other ornamental plants. The request would terminate the last pesticide product registered for use in the United States containing denatonium benzoate as an active ingredient. EPA intends to grant this request at the close of the comment period for this announcement unless the Agency receives substantive comments within the comment period that would merit its further review of the request, or unless the registrant withdraws their request within this period. Upon acceptance of this request, any sale, distribution, or use of the product listed in this notice will be permitted only if such sale, distribution, or use is consistent with the terms as described in the final order.

This document is issued under the joint authority of the Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of General Services and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This Small Entity Compliance Guide has been prepared in accordance with Section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. It consists of a summary of rules appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-21 which amend the FAR. An asterisk (*) next to a rule indicates that a regulatory flexibility analysis has been prepared. Interested parties may obtain further information regarding these rules by referring to FAC 2005-21 which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the Internet at http:/ /www.regulations.gov.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to revise references to published pricing sources available to the contracting officer. The revision will provide greater flexibilities for contracting officers when selecting sources of pricing data.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to revise the current SCA exemption and to add a SCA exemption for contracts for certain additional services that meet specific criteria.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement 7 U.S.C. 8102, as enacted by section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (FSRIA) (Pub. L. 107-171), and amended by sections 205 and 943 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58). Entitled ``Federal Procurement of Biobased Products,'' 7 U.S.C. 8102 requires that a procurement preference be afforded biobased products within items designated by the Secretary of Agriculture.

This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rules agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council in this Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-21. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG), follows this FAC. The FAC, including the SECG, is available via the Internet at https://www.regulations.gov.

The OCC, Board, FDIC, OTS, and NCUA (Agencies) are publishing final rules to implement the affiliate marketing provisions in section 214 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, which amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The final rules generally prohibit a person from using information received from an affiliate to make a solicitation for marketing purposes to a consumer, unless the consumer is given notice and a reasonable opportunity and a reasonable and simple method to opt out of the making of such solicitations.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is pleased to announce that, in 2008; the agency will develop and implement a Beta test of a web service which will allow the submission of Initial-level claims, including Disability applications and Adult Disability Reports, from companies who assist the public with filing for benefits. In 2008, SSA plans to develop the web service to initially collect data on the Internet Social Security Benefit Application and Disability Report. Note that when a third party submits an application, SSA must contact the claimant before it is considered valid. In the initial phase, organizations will be able to submit claims data in bulk and receive a confirmation of receipt of the submitted data. In subsequent phases, the systems interface will also include the ability for organizations to check on the status of previously submitted claims information. SSA would like to extend an invitation to companies who assist individuals with their Social Security benefit applications, to participate in this web service claims data exchange Beta test. The Beta test is structured to use the ``consolidator'' model, where the participating company serves as a conduit to receive claims data from their client base and electronically transfer the data to SSA. After the initial disability claims data collection effort in 2008 is evaluated, SSA will add functional capabilities in future years to collect data on electronic appeal forms and integrated claims applications. This multi-year initiative will provide a comprehensive systems interface for companies to send claims data (including Title II Retirement and Spouse application data, disability data, and medical evidence) to SSA on behalf of their clients. The envisioned long-range solution beyond 2008 is a web service that will facilitate the collection of data through the entire life-cycle of Internet applications, including Title II and Title XVI initial claims and appeals.

We are considering ways to quickly identify diseases and other serious medical conditions that obviously meet the definition of disability under the Social Security Act (the Act) and can be identified with minimal objective medical information. At present, we are calling this method ``Compassionate Allowances.'' We plan to hold four public hearings over the next year. The purpose of this first hearing is to obtain your views about the advisability and possible methods of identifying and implementing compassionate allowances for children and adults with rare diseases. We will address other kinds of medical conditions in later hearings.

Virginia has scheduled a special general election on December 11, 2007, to fill the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the First Congressional District vacated by the late Representative Jo Ann Davis. Committees participating in the Virginia Special General Election on December 11, 2007, shall file a 12-day Pre-General Report, and a 30- day Post-General Report.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of a supplemental new animal drug application (NADA) filed by Elanco Animal Health. The supplemental NADA provides for an increased level of monensin in three-way combination Type C medicated feeds containing ractopamine, monensin, and tylosin for cattle fed in confinement for slaughter and a revision to bacterial pathogen nomenclature.

On May 4, 2007, the Department of Commerce (the Department) published the preliminary results of the administrative review and new shipper review of the antidumping duty order on certain steel concrete reinforcing bars (rebar) from Turkey. These reviews cover six producers/exporters of the subject merchandise to the United States. The period of review (POR) is April 1, 2005, through March 31, 2006. Based on our analysis of the comments received, we have made certain changes in the margin calculations. Therefore, the final results differ from the preliminary results. The final weighted-average dumping margins for the reviewed firms are listed below in the section entitled ``Final Results of Review.'' Finally, we have determined to revoke the antidumping duty order with respect to Turkish rebar produced and exported by Colakoglu Metalurji A.S. and Colakoglu Dis Ticaret A.S. (collectively ``Colakoglu'') and Diler Demir Celik Endustrisi ve Ticaret A.S., Yazici Demir Celik Sanayi ve Turizm Ticaret A.S., and Diler Dis Ticaret A.S. (collectively ``Diler'').

The Acting Chief Operating Officer for Federal Student Aid announces the interest rates for the period July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 for loans made under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of an upcoming open meeting of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Advisory Board. The notice also describes the functions of the Board. Notice of this meeting is required by section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and is intended to notify the public of their opportunity to attend.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issues this notice of the dates for the beginning of the initial enrollment for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) for the Ports of Honolulu, HI; Baton Rouge, LA; Tacoma, WA; Beaumont, TX, and Oakland, CA.

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve the information collection listed below. Proposed Collection: Title: National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program for Individuals from Disadvantaged Backgrounds (UGSP). Type of Information Collection Request: Extension of a previously approved collection (OMB No. 0925-0438, expiration date July 31, 2004). Form Numbers: NIH 2762-1, NIH 2762-2, NIH 2762-3, NIH 2762-4, and NIH 2762-5. Need and Use of Information Collection: The NIH makes available scholarship awards to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to careers in biomedical research. The scholarships pay for tuition and reasonable educational and living expenses up to $20,000 per academic year at an accredited undergraduate institution. In return, for each year of scholarship support, the recipient is obligated to serve as a full-time paid employee in an NIH research laboratory for 10 consecutive weeks during the months of June through August and for one year after graduation. If the recipient is enrolled in an undergraduate program or pursues a postgraduate degree (doctoral, medical, dental, or veterinarian school), the postgraduation service obligation may be deferred with the approval of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The information proposed for collection will be used by the NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program to determine an applicant's eligibility for participation in the UGSP and a participant's eligibility to defer his or her service obligation. The UGSP is authorized by Section 487D of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 288-2), as amended by the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 (Pub. L. 103-43). Frequency of Response: Initial application and annual renewal application. Affected Public: Applicants (high school or undergraduate students), recommenders, undergraduate institution financial aid staff, participants wishing to defer their service obligation, and graduate or undergraduate registrar staff. The annual reporting burden estimates are as follows:

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92- 463, the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (ORD), gives notice of a meeting of the Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) Standing Subcommittee.

The MMS has prepared a final programmatic EIS in support of the establishment of a program for authorizing alternative energy and alternate use activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), as authorized by Section 388 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), and codified in subsection 8(p) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA). Pursuant to the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the MMS is announcing the availability of this final programmatic EIS. As part of its efforts to develop a regulatory program for alternative energy and alternate use activities, this final programmatic EIS examines the potential environmental effects of the program on the OCS and identifies policies and best management practices that may be adopted for the program. Several alternatives available to the MMS for implementing an alternative energy and alternate use program on the OCS are analyzed in this final programmatic EIS, including the ``no action'' alternative. The MMS intends to prepare a separate NEPA analysis, tiered from this EIS, to evaluate the environmental impacts of the proposed rule for alternative energy and alternate use activities on the OCS. Further, separate lease sale, activity-specific, and proposal-specific NEPA analyses will be prepared as appropriate.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that the Office of Policy, Planning and Preparedness (OPP&P), Department of Veterans Affairs, has submitted the collection of information as abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden; it includes the actual data collection instrument.

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on information needed to determine surviving spouse of a veteran eligibility for a VA home loan.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Department of Veterans Affairs, has submitted the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden and includes the actual data collection instrument.