September 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of the Treasury, 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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Revenue Procedure 2000-35, Section 1445 Withholding Certificates.

This document contains corrections to a notice and request for comments that was published in the Federal Register on Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 74 FR 45672 inviting 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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The Department of the Treasury, 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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning an existing final regulation, REG-124312-02, Golden Parachute Payments.

Concerns about the emergence of a pandemic influenza virus have spurred research on influenza viruses that have either caused pandemics or are believed to have the potential to cause a pandemic. These viruses include human H2N2 virus, which circulated from 1957- 1968, the 1918-1919 H1N1, which caused the deadliest pandemic in the past century, and the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus that is thought to have pandemic potential. The public health benefits of this research include developing a better understanding of the pathogenicity of pandemic influenza viruses, their virulence mechanisms, mechanisms of host adaptation, and ultimately the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs. These benefits are balanced against the potential risks that might include the inadvertent release of a highly transmissible and potentially virulent influenza virus. Consequently, explicit and uniform biosafety containment practices are critical to the safe conduct of research with these agents. The NIH Guidelines provide a framework for assessing the risks of such research. However, after extensive consultation with the NIH Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC), experts in biosafety and influenza, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the NIH Office of Biotechnology Activities (OBA) concluded that more specific guidance in the NIH Guidelines is warranted to promote uniform biosafety practices for recombinant research with these viruses.

This is a notice of an Administrative declaration of a disaster for the State of California dated 09/14/2009.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we will submit to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements for respondents to submit proposals to support research in earthquake hazard assessments and earthquake occurrence under the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, as amended, Public Law 95- 124, 42 U.S.C. 7701 et seq. To submit a proposal three standard OMB forms and a project narrative must be completed and submitted via Grants.gov. This notice provides the public an opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these forms.

This rule identifies communities, where the sale of flood insurance has been authorized under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), that are scheduled for suspension on the effective dates listed within this rule because of noncompliance with the floodplain management requirements of the program. If the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) receives documentation that the community has adopted the required floodplain management measures prior to the effective suspension date given in this rule, the suspension will not occur and a notice of this will be provided by publication in the Federal Register on a subsequent date.

This notice announces the appointment of members to the Financial Management Service (EMS) Performance Review Board (PRB).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or USFWS), propose to treat the shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) as threatened under the ``Similarity of Appearance'' provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) and the endangered pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) are difficult to differentiate in the wild and inhabit overlapping portions of the Missouri and Mississippi River basins. Four States where the two species commonly coexist allow for commercial fishing of shovelnose sturgeon which is in demand for its roe (eggs sold as caviar). The close resemblance in appearance between the two species creates substantial difficulty for fishermen, State regulators, and law enforcement personnel in differentiating between shovelnose and pallid sturgeon, both whole specimens and parts (including flesh and roe). This similarity of appearance has resulted in the documented take of pallid sturgeon and is a threat to the species. The determination that the shovelnose sturgeon should be treated as threatened due to similarity of appearance will substantially facilitate law enforcement actions to protect and conserve pallid sturgeon. We also propose a special rule to define activities that would and would not constitute take of shovelnose sturgeon under section 9 of the Act.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 747 airplanes. This AD requires repetitive inspections for cracking of the fuselage frames in section 41, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD results from reports of cracking in fuselage frames made of 2024 aluminum alloy that were installed during previous modification of the frames in section 41 and during production. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct frame cracks, which could result in cracking of the adjacent fuselage skin and consequent rapid decompression of the airplane.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain Airbus Model A300 and A310 series airplanes. That AD currently requires replacement of the nose landing gear drag strut upper attachment pin. This new AD requires revising the Airworthiness Limitations section (ALS) of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) to require additional life limits and/or replacements for certain main landing gear and nose landing gear components, and also expands the applicability. This AD results from revisions to the ALS of the ICA to include new or more restrictive life limits and/or replacements. We are issuing this AD to ensure the continued structural integrity of these airplanes.

This document announces that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will convene its annual trade symposium, featuring panel discussions involving agency personnel, members of the trade community and other government agencies, on the agency's role in international trade initiatives and programs. This year marks our tenth year hosting a trade symposium. Members of the international trade and transportation communities and other interested parties are encouraged to attend.

The Department of the Treasury, 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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (``the Fund'') within the Department of the Treasury is soliciting comments concerning the Certification of Material Events Form. This specific information collection will capture information related to Community Development Entity (CDE)/New Markets Tax Credit material events, as well as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) material events, in a single form. The revised document will provide a more comprehensive list of potential material events to inform CDEs and CDFIs of the events that need to be reported to the CDFI Fund and will require the CDE or CDFI to affirmatively indicate, through a series of specific questions, whether or not the event will have an impact on areas of operations that are of particular concern to the CDFI Fund. This information will enable the CDFI Fund to better manage the Material Events review process and monitor the effects of Material Events on certification or compliance status.

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (``CPSC'' or ``Commission'') requests comments on a proposed collection of information regarding a form that will be used to verify whether pools and spas are in compliance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. The Commission will consider all comments received in response to this notice before requesting approval of this collection of information from the Office of Management and Budget.