June 1, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of the Treasury (``Treasury'' or ``We'') is issuing in final form amendments to the Uniform Offering Circular for the Sale and Issue of Marketable Book-Entry Treasury Bills, Notes, and Bonds. This final rule makes conforming changes to several sections of the Uniform Offering Circular to be consistent with Treasury's current auction practices. The first change modifies the description of Treasury bills to clarify that they may be issued at a discount or at par, depending upon the auction results. The second change clarifies that the rate or yield bid in Treasury bill or Treasury fixed-principal securities auctions must be a positive number or zero. The third change eliminates a provision related to ``guaranteed bid'' arrangements that was intended for multiple-price auctions. Because Treasury no longer conducts multiple-price auctions, the provision is no longer needed or effective. The fourth change updates an example of the proration of auction awards at the highest accepted yield or discount rate to reflect the change in minimum and multiple bid amounts to $100 for all Treasury marketable securities auctions that became effective in 2008. The fifth change modifies the provision for the notification of auction awards and settlement amounts to provide language consistent with related provisions of the Uniform Offering Circular. Finally, we are updating several references to the Bureau of the Public Debt's Web site to reflect the current URL.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a guidance for industry entitled ``Providing Regulatory Submissions in Electronic FormatDrug Establishment Registration and Drug Listing.'' This guidance document is designed to assist industry (e.g., manufacturers, repackers, and relabelers) with the electronic submission of drug establishment registration and drug listing information. Specifically, the document provides guidance to industry on the types of information to include for purposes of drug establishment registration and drug listing and on how to prepare and submit the information in an electronic format that FDA can process, review, and archive.

The Department is delaying the effective date of this rule. The Department previously delayed the effective date on March 30, 2009. More time is needed for the Forest Service to properly respond to the comments and to consider any potential changes to the rule. A Federal Register document will be published in the future that responds to the comments and sets the effective date. The rule regulates the sustainable free use, commercial harvest, and sale of special forest products and forest botanical products from National Forest System lands.

In compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended by Public Law 100-503, the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988, ACF is publishing a notice of a computer matching program. The purpose of this computer match is to identify specific individuals who are receiving benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and also receiving payments pursuant to various benefit programs administered by both the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture. ACF will facilitate this program on behalf of the State Public Assistance Agencies (SPAAs) that participate in the Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) for verification of continued eligibility for public assistance. The match will utilize VA and SPAA records.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a guidance for industry entitled ``Bottled Water: Residual Disinfectants and Disinfection ByproductsSmall Entity Compliance Guide'' for a direct final rule published in the Federal Register of March 28, 2001. This small entity compliance guide (SECG) is intended to set forth in plain language the requirements of the regulation and to help small businesses understand the regulation.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is establishing a financial assistance program to award research grants and cooperative agreements to support measurement science and engineering research proposals in the following six focus areas: Energy; environment and climate change; information technology/ cybersecurity; biosciences/healthcare; manufacturing; and physical infrastructure, as part of NIST's activities implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA or Recovery Act).

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is establishing a financial assistance program for awardees to develop and implement with NIST a measurement science and engineering fellowship program as part of NIST's activities implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, or Recovery Act), Pub. L. 111-5, 123 Stat. 115. The fellowship program is intended to promote training and practical experience in science and engineering, and to advance NIST's mission to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

NMFS has received an application from Shell Offshore Inc. and Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc., collectively known as Shell, for an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take marine mammals incidental to an open-water marine survey program, which includes shallow hazards and site clearance work and strudel scour surveys, in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska. Pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments on its proposal to issue an IHA to Shell to incidentally take, by harassment, small numbers of several species of marine mammals during the Arctic open-water seasons between August 2009, and July, 2010, during the aforementioned activity.

The Department of State is seeking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the information collection described below. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment in the Federal Register preceding submission to OMB. We are conducting this process in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Department of State is seeking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for information collection described below. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment in the Federal Register preceding submission to OMB. We are conducting this process in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

NMFS proposes regulations under authority of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (Act) to implement certain decisions of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC). Those decisions require that the members of the WCPFC, including the United States, take certain measures with respect to their purse seine fisheries in the area of competence of the WCPFC, which includes most of the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). This action is necessary for the United States to satisfy its international obligations under the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (Convention), to which it is a Contracting Party.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The FHWA and Iowa DOT are issuing this notice to advise the public a tiered EIS will be prepared for a proposed roadway project in Polk County, Iowa. This is a change from a standard EIS to a tiered EIS. The Notice of Intent for the original EIS was published on July 21, 2005. The planned tiered EIS will evaluate potential transportation improvement alternatives for serving northeast Des Moines and its neighboring communities between I-80/US65 west of Altoona to US69/NE 126 Avenue north of Ankeny.

This notice provides information regarding the FHWA's finding that a Buy America waiver is appropriate for the use of a foreign Three-Ton Chain Hoist in the Federal-aid construction project for the Hood Canal Bridge BR-0104 (25) retrofit and replacement in Washington.

Notice is hereby given that the plan for the use and distribution of the judgment funds awarded to the Pueblo of San Ildefonso v. U.S., Docket 660-87L, is effective as of March 10, 2009. The judgment fund was awarded by the United States Court of Federal Claims on June 10, 1991, and appropriated on August 14, 1991.

The Board is adopting a final rule to allow bank holding companies that have issued senior perpetual preferred stock to the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the capital purchase and other programs established by the Secretary of the Treasury under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, to include such capital instruments in tier 1 capital for purposes of the Board's risk-based and leverage capital guidelines for bank holding companies.

The Board has adopted, and is seeking public comment on an interim final rule (interim final rule or rule) to support in a timely manner, the full implementation and acceptance of the capital purchase program of the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) and promote the stability of banking organizations and the financial system. This rule permits bank holding companies that have made a valid election to be taxed under Subchapter S of Chapter 1 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (S-Corp BHCs) and bank holding companies organized in mutual form (Mutual BHCs) to include the full amount of any new subordinated debt securities issued to the Treasury under the capital purchase program announced by the Secretary of the Treasury on October 14, 2008 (Subordinated Securities) in tier 1 capital for purposes of the Board's risk-based and leverage capital guidelines for bank holding companies, provided that the Subordinated Securities will count toward the limit on the amount of other restricted core capital elements includable in tier 1 capital; and allows bank holding companies that are subject to the Board's Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement and that are S- Corps or Mutual BHCs to exclude the Subordinated Securities from treatment as debt for purposes of the debt-to-equity standard under the Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement.