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.

NMFS announces its decision to deny a petition for emergency or interim rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act). Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) petitioned the U.S. Department of Commerce to immediately promulgate an emergency

NMFS issues this advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to request public comment on potential adjustments to the regulations governing the U.S. Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT), north Atlantic swordfish (SWO), and shark fisheries to enable more thorough utilization of the available U.S. quotas for BFT and SWO and to improve highly migratory species (HMS) permit structure. Potential action(s) taken may to increase opportunities for U.S. fisheries to fully harvest the U.S. quotas recommended by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) while balancing continuing efforts to end BFT overfishing by 2010 and rebuild the stock by 2019; to continue efforts to revitalize the SWO fishery while minimizing bycatch to the extent practicable; and to clarify and simplify the current HMS permit structure. NMFS is also requesting public comment regarding the potential implementation of catch shares, limited access privilege programs (LAPPs), and individual bycatch caps (IBCs) in highly migratory species fisheries. This ANPR provides background information to inform the public on several actions that NMFS is considering to accomplish these objectives.

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 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) has submitted Amendment 7 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (FMP) for review, approval, and implementation by NMFS. Amendment 7 proposes actions to rename the commercial vessel permit and the limited access endorsement; remove the requirement for a minimum level of landings for the renewal of a limited access endorsement; allow the reissue of a limited access endorsement that had been terminated because of failure to meet that minimum level; allow the reissue of an endorsement that had been terminated because of failure to renew it in a timely manner; and require the submission of economic data by participants in the fishery. The measures contained in the subject amendment are intended to maintain a viable rock shrimp fishery in the South Atlantic region.

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.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of Mission Bay in support of the Paradise Point Fourth of July Fireworks. This temporary safety zone is necessary to provide for the safety of the crew, spectators, and other users and vessels of the waterway. Persons and vessels are prohibited from entering into, transiting through, or anchoring within this temporary safety zone unless authorized by the Captain of the Port or his designated representative.

The Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District, has issued a temporary deviation from the regulation governing the operation of the Knights Landing Drawbridge across the Sacramento River, mile 90.1, at Knights Landing, CA. The deviation is necessary to allow the bridge owner, California Department of Transportation, to perform maintenance and replace the paint coating system for the drawbridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain in the closed-to-navigation position during the deviation period.

President Obama signed the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act on March 11, 2009. Section 626 of the Act directed the Commission to initiate, within 90 days of the date of enactment, a rulemaking proceeding with respect to mortgage loans. To implement the Act, the Commission has commenced a rulemaking proceeding in two parts. This Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR), the Mortgage Acts and

EPA is taking final action to approve revisions to the State Implementation Plan (SIP) submitted by the State of Florida on May 31, 2007, for the purpose of removing Stage II vapor control requirements for new and upgraded gasoline dispensing facilities in Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties (hereafter referred to as the ``Southeast Florida Area''), and to phase out Stage II requirements for existing facilities in those counties. In addition, EPA is approving this SIP revision which requires new and upgraded gasoline dispensing facilities and new bulk gasoline plants statewide to employ Stage I vapor control systems, and phases in Stage I vapor control requirements statewide for

EPA is proposing national emission standards for control of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) for the Paints and Allied Products Manufacturing area source category. The proposed emissions standards for new and existing sources are based on EPA's proposed determination as to what constitutes the generally available control technology or management practices (GACT) for the area source category.

EPA is taking direct final action to approve a revision to the South Carolina State Implementation Plan (SIP) concerning the