August 10, 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress is publishing an interim rule relating to fees for special handling of registration claims that have been pending for at least six months. Special handling is the expedited processing of an application and is granted in certain circumstances when compelling reasons are present. Ordinarily a special handling fee is charged for special handling in addition to the regular fee for an application to register a copyright claim. Because of current delays in the processing of applications for registration occurring in the course of the Office's implementation of its business process reengineering program, the Office has determined that the special handling fee shall not be assessed for conversion of a pending application to special handling status when the application has been pending for more than six months and the applicant has satisfied the Office that expedited handling of the registration is needed because the applicant is about to file a suit for copyright infringement.

We, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), issue a final rule to revise the regulatory language that appeared in a final rule that published in the Federal Register of June 19, 2009. The final rule designated critical habitat for the Atlantic salmon (USalmo salar) Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment (GOM DPS) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We designated as critical habitat 45 specific areas occupied by Atlantic salmon at the time of listing that comprise approximately 19,571 km of perennial river, stream, and estuary habitat and 799 square km of lake habitat within the range of the GOM DPS and in which are found those physical and biological features essential to the conservation of the species. We excluded approximately 1,256 km of river, stream, and estuary habitat and 100 square km of lake habitat from critical habitat pursuant to the ESA. We issue this final rule to revise the designated critical habitat for the expanded GOM DPS of Atlantic salmon to exclude all trust and fee holdings of the Penobscot Indian Nation, and we correct the table to add an ``E'' to indicate that Belfast Bay is excluded from critical habitat under the ESA for reasons of economics.

This document announces a proposed rulemaking in response to a recent Postal Service petition involving periodic reporting rules. The

Section 1128(b) of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) transferred the authority to establish, monitor and enforce the affordable housing goals for the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (collectively, Enterprises) from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Section 1128(b) further provides that the annual housing goals in effect for 2008 as established by HUD shall remain in effect for 2009, except that the Director of FHFA shall review such goals to determine their feasibility given current market conditions, and make appropriate adjustments consistent with such market conditions. Pursuant to this directive, FHFA has analyzed current market conditions and is adopting a final rule that adjusts the housing goal, home purchase subgoal and special affordable multifamily housing subgoal levels for the Enterprises for 2009. The final rule also permits loans owned or guaranteed by an Enterprise that are modified in accordance with the Administration's Making Home Affordable Program (also known as the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan) announced on March 4, 2009, to be treated as mortgage purchases and count for purposes of the housing goals. In addition, the final rule excludes purchases of jumbo conforming loans from counting towards the 2009 housing goals. FHFA's housing goals regulation is set forth in a new part of FHFA's regulations, and is generally consistent with the housing goals provisions previously established by HUD, except as modified herein. Pursuant to section 1302 of HERA and 12 U.S.C. 4603, to the extent FHFA is adopting provisions from HUD regulations in new FHFA regulations, those provisions in the HUD regulations are no longer in effect.