June 5, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Marine Mammal Commission is seeking proposals for research and related activities that will further the conservation and management goals of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Proposals should be tailored to address either of two focused research topics: (1) Conservation of Critically Endangered Marine Mammal Species or Populations and (2) Indirect Effects of Fisheries on Marine Mammals.

The Department of Defense is publishing the unclassified text of a section 36(b)(1) arms sales notification. This is published to fulfill the requirements of section 155 of Public Law 104-164 dated 21 July 1996.

The Pacific Northwest Recreation Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) will meet in Portland, Oregon. The purpose of the meeting is to review and provide recommendations concerning recreation fee proposals for facilities and services offered on lands managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management in Oregon and Washington. Proposals for this meeting include the jurisdictions of the Bureau of Land Management Salem, Vail, and Spokane Districts, the Okanogan- Wenatchee, Olympic, Rogue River-Siskiyou, Umatilla, Wallowa-Whitman, and Willamette National Forests. Other items of interest related to the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 may be discussed.

The Farm Credit Administration (FCA, Agency, or we) adopts a final rule that amends capital regulations governing the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac or the Corporation). The final rule updates the Risk-Based Capital Stress Test (RBCST, RBC model, model) in response to recent changes in Farmer Mac's operations that are not addressed in the current version (Version 2.0). The final rule also amends the current model's assumption regarding the carrying costs of nonperforming loans to better reflect Farmer Mac's actual business practices. In addition, the final rule adds a new component to the model to recognize counterparty risk on nonprogram investments through application of discounts or ``haircuts'' to the yields of those investments and makes technical amendments to the layout of the model's Credit Loss Module. The effect of the rule is to update the model so that it continues to appropriately reflect risk in a manner consistent with statutory requirements for calculating Farmer Mac's regulatory minimum capital level under a risk-based capital stress test.

In this final rule the Postal Service provides new mailing standards to require the use of a concatenated UCC/EAN Code 128 Service barcode with a unique Service Type Code ``55'' on all Priority Mail[supreg] Open and Distribute container address labels. A proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on May 24, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 100), requiring the use of a concatenated UCC/EAN Code 128 Delivery Confirmation\TM\ service barcode. Although no comments were received in response to the proposed rule, because of the modification we decided to publish a second proposed rule. No comments were received in response to the second proposed rule published on April 21, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 77). However, we have extended the effective date from May 12, 2008, to July 1, 2008.

This document contains a Notice that the IRS has made available the grant application package and guidelines (Publication 3319) for organizations interested in applying for a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) matching grant for the 2009 grant cycle (the 2009 grant cycle runs January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2009). The application period shall run from May 27, 2008, through July 7, 2008. The IRS will award a total of up to $6,000,000 (unless otherwise provided by specific Congressional appropriation) to qualifying organizations, subject to the limitations of Internal Revenue Code section 7526, for matching grants. A qualifying organization may receive a matching grant of up to $100,000 per year. Qualifying organizations that provide representation for free or for a nominal fee to low income taxpayers involved in tax controversies with the IRS or that provide education on taxpayer rights and responsibilities to taxpayers for whom English is a second language can apply for a grant for the 2009 grant cycle. Examples of qualifying organizations include: (1) Clinical programs at accredited law, business or accounting schools, whose students represent low income taxpayers in tax controversies with the IRS, and (2) organizations exempt from tax under I.R.C. Sec. 501(a) which represent low income taxpayers in tax controversies with the IRS or refer those taxpayers to qualified representatives.