June 16, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The proposed information collection requirement described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal. The proposed information collection will collect household outcome data from families who have received housing under FEMA's Alternative Housing Pilot Program (AHPP). HUD is conducting an evaluation of AHPP. Four States affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita received AHPP grants to test out alternative approaches to providing temporary housing after a disaster. HUD is charged with measuring what benefits and costs are associated with each of the alternatives being implemented by the States. Measuring the program impact on health, satisfaction, and general well-being of the occupants is a key part of the evaluation. This household outcomes survey will collect information that will be used to evaluate the impact of various housing alternatives on the quality of life of households who participate in the program.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is forwarding an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to request an extension of a currently approved collection of information: 3220-0154, Employee Non-Covered Service Pension Questionnaire. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Review and approval by OIRA ensures that we impose appropriate paperwork burdens. The RRB invites comments on the proposed collection of information to determine: (1) The practical utility of the collection; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden of the collection; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information that is the subject of collection; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of collections on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments to RRB or OIRA must contain the OMB control number of the ICR. For proper consideration of your comments, it is best if RRB and OIRA receive them within 30 days of publication date. Section 215(a)(7) of the Social Security Act provides for a reduction in social security benefits based on employment not covered under the Social Security Act or the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA). This provision applies a different social security benefit formula to most workers who are first eligible after 1985 to both a pension based in whole or in part on non-covered employment and a social security retirement or disability benefit. There is a guarantee provision that limits the reduction in the social security benefit to one-half of the portion of the pension based on non-covered employment after 1956. Section 8011 of Public Law 100-647 changed the effective date of the onset from the first month of eligibility to the first month of concurrent entitlement to the non-covered service benefit and the RRA benefit. Section 3(a)(1) of the RRA provides that the Tier I benefit of an employee annuity will be equal to the amount (before any reduction for age or deduction for work) the employee would receive if he or she would have been entitled to a like benefit under the Social Security Act. The reduction for a non-covered service pension also applies to a Tier I portion of employees under the RRA where the annuity or non- covered service pension begins after 1985. Since the amount of a spouse's Tier I benefit is one-half of the employee's Tier I, the spouse annuity is also affected by the employee's non-covered service pension reduction of his or her Tier I benefit. The RRB utilizes Form G-209, Employee Non-Covered Service Pension Questionnaire, to obtain needed information from railroad retirement employee applicants or annuitants about the receipt of a pension based on employment not covered under the Railroad Retirement Act or the Social Security Act. It is used as both a supplement to the employee annuity application, and as an independent questionnaire to be completed when an individual who is already receiving an employee annuity, becomes entitled to a pension. One response is requested of each respondent. Completion is required to obtain or retain benefits. Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the initial 60-day notice (73 FR 12475 on March 7, 2008) required by 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

The Department of Homeland Security is concurrently establishing a new system of records pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974 entitled the Technical Reconciliation Analysis Classification System (TRACS). This system of records will serve as an information management tool and be used to perform a range of information management and analytical functions to enhance the integrity of the United States' immigration system by detecting, deterring, and pursuing immigration fraud, and by identifying persons who pose a threat to national security and/or public safety. In this proposed rulemaking, the Department proposes to exempt portions of this system of records from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act because of criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement requirements.

Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of Homeland Security, National Protection and Programs Directorate, United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program is giving notice that it proposes to add a new system of records, entitled the Technical Reconciliation Analysis Classification System. The Technical Reconciliation Analysis Classification System is an information management tool used to enhance the integrity of the United States immigration system by detecting, deterring, and pursuing immigration fraud, and identifying persons who pose a threat to national security and/or public safety.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Agusta S.p.A. Model A109E, A109S, and A119 helicopters. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the technical agent for Italy, with which we have a bilateral agreement, states in the MCAI:

The Committee is proposing to add to the Procurement List products and services to be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities. Comments Must be Received On or Before: July 13, 2008.

The Coast Guard proposes to update the list of marine events and regattas that take place in the Eighth Coast Guard District and to change patrol requirements for these events. This update is needed to provide effective control over regattas and marine events to insure safety of life in each regatta or marine event area.

This final rule responds to petitions for reconsideration of a December 6, 2006 final rule establishing in 49 CFR part 572 a new mid- size adult male side crash test dummy, called the ``ES-2re'' test dummy. The petitions were submitted by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, First Technology Safety Systems, and Denton ATD. In response to the petitions, this document slightly revises the specifications for conducting the neck assembly qualification test, narrows the tolerances for the tuning spring rates for the dummy's thorax, revises performance corridors for the full body thorax test, corrects cross-references in the Part 572 regulatory text and makes minor changes to the drawing package and user's manual for the test dummy.

This document provides additional background information and requests additional public comment for HUD's rulemaking on Standards for Mortgagor's Investment in Mortgaged Property.