February 12, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Media Bureau extends the reply comment deadline on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on revisions to the Commission's program access and retransmission consent rules and whether it may be appropriate to preclude the practice of programmers to tie desired programming with undesired programming. To facilitate the development of a thorough record, the deadline for filing reply comments in response to the NPRM is extended to February 12, 2008.

The Board is publishing for comment proposed amendments to Regulation D (Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions) and Regulation I (Issue and Cancellation of Federal Reserve Bank Capital Stock). Of these, only two are intended to represent substantive changes from existing law, while the remaining amendments are intended principally as clarifications. The first of the proposed substantive amendments would amend Regulation D to implement Section 603 of the Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2006 by authorizing member banks of the Federal Reserve System to enter into pass-through arrangements. Previously, member banks were statutorily prohibited from passing required reserve balances through a correspondent institution. The second of the proposed substantive amendments would eliminate the provision in the ``savings deposit'' definition of Regulation D limiting certain kinds of transfers from savings deposits to not more than three per month. As a result, all kinds of transfers and withdrawals from a savings deposit that must be limited in number per month would be subject to the same numeric limitation of not more than six per month. The remaining proposed amendments, intended as clarifications, would reorganize the provisions relating to deposit reporting and the calculation and maintenance of required reserves, clarify the definitions of ``time deposit'' and ``vault cash,'' and make other minor editorial changes.

EPA is proposing to approve three State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions submitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia. These revisions pertain to the Commonwealth's motor vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) program for the Northern Virginia area, which had previously been SIP-approved by EPA. These revisions incorporate several changes made by the Commonwealth since EPA last approved the I/ M program as part of the SIP in 2002. The most significant change to the program is the incorporation of on-board diagnostic computer checks of 1996 and newer model year vehicles as an element of the emission inspection process for the Northern Virginia program area. In addition, Virginia has also made numerous minor changes to the program, including several changes to test procedures and standards, as well as changes to its roadside testing regimen. The I/M program helps to ensure that highway motor vehicles operate as cleanly as possible, by requiring vehicles to be periodically tested and by identifying vehicles having high emissions due to malfunctioning emission control systems. Such vehicles must then be repaired and retested by their owners, to the standards set by the Commonwealth's program. Vehicle I/M programs address nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compound emissions, both of which are precursors to formation of ground level ozone pollution, as well as the pollutant carbon monoxide. This action is being taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA).

This document proposes regulations to implement certain aspects of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (Patient Safety Act). The proposed regulations establish a framework by which hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers may voluntarily report information to Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs), on a privileged and confidential basis, for analysis of patient safety events. The proposed regulations also outline the requirements that entities must meet to become PSOs and the processes for the Secretary to review and accept certifications and to list PSOs. In addition, the proposed regulation establishes the confidentiality protections for the information that is assembled and developed by providers and PSOs, termed ``patient safety work product'' by the Patient Safety Act, and the procedures for the imposition of civil money penalties for the knowing or reckless impermissible disclosure of patient safety work product.