January 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The DOE published on November 26, 2008, in the Federal Register, a notice of inquiry concerning technology practices at DOE laboratories. The DOE invited comments to published questions concerning technology transfer practices at DOE laboratories. The comment period was to continue for 60 days from the date of the publication of the Federal Register notice (till January 26, 2009). This Federal Register notice extends the comment period till March 26, 2009, to allow additional time for the public to respond to the questions raised in the Notice of Inquiry.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a three-day Council meeting on February 9-11, 2009 to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

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 Federal Standards and Procedural Regulations require manufactured home producers to place labels and notices in and on manufactured homes and mandate State and Private agencies participating in the Federal program to issue reports. These Standards will protect the HUD's interests by requiring certain features of design and construction. In addition, some information collected assists both HUD and State Agencies in locating manufactured homes with defects, which then would create the need for notification and/or correction by the manufacturer.

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 SFPCS-P is used to collect monthly mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) from mortgagees. FHA reports case level mortgage insurance payment information for each endorsement. Mortgagees are required to pay monthly MIP's and 24 CFR 203.269 requires that the MIP's be remitted electronically.

This notice is being published in the Federal Register consistent with section 457(b)(2) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). Section 457 of GEPA authorizes the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) to enter into a compliance agreement with a recipient that is failing to comply substantially with Federal program requirements. In order to enter into a compliance agreement, the Department must determine, in written findings, that the recipient cannot comply with the applicable program requirements until a future date. On December 4, 2008, the Department entered into a compliance agreement with the Nevada Department of Education (NDE). Section 457(b)(2) of GEPA requires the Department to publish written findings leading to a compliance agreement, with a copy of the compliance agreement, in the Federal Register.

On January 16, 2009, we published a notice in the Federal Register (74 FR 3005-3009) inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2009 under the Higher Education Disaster Relief program. We listed the incorrect dates for the Deadline for Transmittal of Pre-Applications and the Deadline for Transmittal of Applications in that notice.

This notice is being published in the Federal Register consistent with section 457(b)(2) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). Section 457 of GEPA authorizes the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) to enter into a compliance agreement with a recipient that is failing to comply substantially with Federal program requirements. In order to enter into a compliance agreement, the Department must determine, in written findings, that the recipient cannot comply with the applicable program requirements until a future date. On January 6, 2009, the Department entered into a compliance agreement with the Vermont Department of Education (VTDOE). Section 457(b)(2) of GEPA requires the Department to publish written findings leading to a compliance agreement, with a copy of the compliance agreement, in the Federal Register.

This notice announces the availability of the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) discussion paper on the Evaluation of Economic Development and requests your comments on it. The paper describes one possible approach that could be used to evaluate economic development impacts of projects seeking New Starts funding. Economic development is one of the criteria that FTA uses to assess project justification, which, along with local financial commitment, informs FTA funding decisions for New Starts projects.

This notice is being published in the Federal Register consistent with section 457(b)(2) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA). Section 457 of GEPA authorizes the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) to enter into a compliance agreement with a recipient that is failing to comply substantially with Federal program requirements. In order to enter into a compliance agreement, the Department must determine, in written findings, that the recipient cannot comply with the applicable program requirements until a future date. On October 8, 2008, the Department entered into a compliance agreement with the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE). Section 457(b)(2) of GEPA requires the Department to publish written findings leading to a compliance agreement, with a copy of the compliance agreement, in the Federal Register.

This notice announces actions taken by the FHWA and other Federal agencies that are final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed highway project, that involves reconstruction of an interchange and related transportation improvements centered on the New York State Route 17 Exit 122 interchange within the Town of Wallkill, Orange County, in the State of New York. Those actions grant licenses, permits, and approvals for the project.

On October 7, 2008, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) published an announcement (73 FR 58555) soliciting competitive applications from organizations to operate a Minority Business Enterprise Center (MBEC) in Houston, TX for a new three (3) year award period, in accordance with 15 U.S.C. Section 1512 and Executive Order 11625. However, the competition was deemed unsuccessful by MBDA due to a lack of responsive applications. This notice solicits competitive applications for a new operator of the Houston MBEC project and supersedes in its entirety the notice published on October 7, 2008. The Houston MBEC operates through the use of business consultants and provides a range of business consulting and technical assistance services directly to eligible minority-owned businesses in the Houston- Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Responsibility for ensuring that applications in response to this competitive solicitation are complete and received by MBDA on time is the sole responsibility of the applicant. Applications submitted must be to operate a MBEC and to provide business consultation services to eligible clients. Applications that do not meet these requirements will be rejected. This is not a grant program to help start or to further an individual business.

This document corrects technical errors that appeared in the final rule with comment period published in the Federal Register on November 18, 2008, entitled ``Medicare Program; Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and CY 2009 Payment Rates; Changes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System and CY 2009 Payment Rates; Hospital Conditions of Participation: Requirements for Approval and Re-Approval of Transplant Centers To Perform Organ TransplantsClarification of Provider and Supplier Termination Policy Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Changes to the Ambulatory Surgical Center Conditions for Coverage'' (hereinafter referred to as the CY 2009 OPPS/ASC final rule with comment period).

This notice provides information regarding the FHWA's finding that Buy America waivers are appropriate for certain steel products used in Federal-aid construction projects in New Jersey, NY, Massachusetts, and Florida.