October 3, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of the Army is proposing to amend a system of records in its existing inventory of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announces that it intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for an extension through January 2010.

This joint notice proposes implementing regulations for the E- 911 Grant Program authorized under the Ensuring Needed Help Arrives Near Callers Employing 911 (ENHANCE 911) Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-494, codified at 47 U.S.C. 942). The Act authorizes grants for the implementation and operation of Phase II enhanced 911 services and for migration to an IP-enabled emergency network. This NPRM proposes the application, award and administrative requirements for the E-911 grant program and seeks comments thereon.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to amend its regulations to remove the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act (LWCFA) as one of the authorities of our Recreation regulations, in accordance with the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 (REA). The rule will also amend and reorder the prohibitions to separate those that apply specifically to campgrounds and picnic areas from those with more general applications. The reordering is necessary to broaden the scope to include all areas where standard amenity, expanded amenity, and special recreation permit fees are charged under REA. The proposed rule would remove an unnecessary provision that has been interpreted to require the BLM to publish supplementary rules concerning failure to pay fees established by the recreation regulations, thus relieving the BLM from publishing such separate specific supplementary rules for each area. Finally, it will make technical changes to maintain consistency with other BLM regulations.

This interim final rule amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to make the treatment of encryption items more consistent with the treatment of other items subject to the EAR, as well as to simplify and clarify regulations pertaining to encryption items. The restrictions pertaining to technical assistance by U.S. persons with respect to encryption items are removed, because the current export and reexport restrictions set forth in the EAR for technology already include technical assistance. This rule also removes License Exception KMI as it has become obsolete because of developments in uses of encryption. In addition, this rule removes notification requirements for items classified as 5A992, 5D992, and 5E992. This rule also increases certain parameters under License Exception ENC, which is intended to reflect advances in technology. This rule adds two new review and reporting requirement exclusion paragraphs under License Exception ENC for wireless ``personal area network'' items and for ``ancillary cryptography'' items. This rule also adds Bulgaria, Canada, Iceland, Romania, and Turkey to the list of countries that receive favorable treatment under License Exception ENC. Commodities and software pending mass market review may no longer be exported under ECCNs 5A992 and 5D992 using No License Required (NLR). However, once the mass market review has been received by BIS, then such commodities and software may be exported using License Exception ENC under ECCNs 5A002 and 5D002. This rule will reduce the paperwork burden on the public by 9% (annual dollar amount savings of approximately $14,000 to the public and $5,000 to the U.S. Government), because of the removal of certain notification requirements, addition of countries to the list of those receiving favorable treatment under License Exception ENC, and the increase of reporting and review requirement exclusions. The Departments of Commerce, State and Defense will continue to review export control, license review policies, and license exceptions for encryption items in the EAR.

The Commission grants a petition for rulemaking filed by Estes Broadcasting, Inc., permittee of KCEB-DT, to substitute DTV channel 51 for DTV channel 38 at Longview, Texas.

This final rule provides guidance to States that want to administer self-directed personal assistance services through their State Plans, as authorized by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The State plan option allows beneficiaries, through an approved self- directed services plan and budget, to purchase personal assistance services. The rule also provides guidance to ensure beneficiary health and welfare and financial accountability of the State Plan option.

This notice contains tables listing the final wage indices, hospital reclassifications, payment rates, impacts, and other related tables effective for fiscal year (FY) 2009. The tables and impacts included in this notice reflect the extension of the expiration date for certain geographic reclassifications and special exception wage indices as required by section 124 of the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), Public Law 110-275. These geographic reclassifications and special exception wage indices were previously set to expire on September 30, 2008 and are now extended through September 30, 2009. (Additionally, the final rates, wage indices, budget neutrality factors and tables included in this notice also reflect a correction made to the wage data for one hospital, as discussed in the correction notice for the FY 2009 IPPS final rule published elsewhere within this Federal Register.)

This Notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for possible use to assist the homeless.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing to amend the General Services Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to revise language that provides requirements for contracting by negotiation.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is revising its regulations to require that all tariffs and tariff revisions and rate change applications for the public utilities, natural gas pipelines, oil pipelines and power administrations be filed electronically according to a set of standards developed in conjunction with the North American Energy Standards Board. This rule is part of the Commission's efforts to comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA), and the E-Government Act of 2002 by developing the capability to file electronically with the Commission via the Internet. Electronic filing reduces physical storage space needs and document processing time, provides for easier tracking of document filing activity; potentially reduces mailing and courier fees; allows concurrent access to the tariff filing by multiple parties as well as the ability to download and print tariff filings; and provides automatic e-mail notification to an applicant of receipt of the filing and whether or not it has been accepted. Upon implementation of this rule, the Commission will no longer accept tariff filings submitted in paper format.