2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506 (c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.

This notice announces the availability of four revised consensus standards to previously accepted consensus standards relating to the provisions of the Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rule issued July 16, 2004, and effective September 1, 2004. ASTM International Committee F37 on Light Sport Aircraft developed the revised standards with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) participation. By this notice, the FAA finds the revised standards acceptable for certification of the specified aircraft under the provisions of the Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rule.

The Coast Guard has temporarily changed the drawbridge operating regulations governing the operation of the Roosevelt Island Bridge, mile 6.4, across the East River at New York City, New York. This temporary final rule allows the Roosevelt Island Bridge to remain in the closed position for eleven months to facilitate a major rehabilitation of the bridge.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this request for comments announces that the U.S. Coast Guard is forwarding three Information Collection Requests (ICRs), abstracted below, to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting an extension of its approval for the following collections of information: (1) 1625-0014, Request for Designation and Exemption of Oceanographic Research Vessels; (2) 1625- 0038, Plan Approval and Records for Tank, Passenger, Cargo and Miscellaneous Vessels, Mobile Offshore Drilling Units, Nautical School Vessels and Oceanographic Research Vessels46 CFR Subchapters D, H, I, I-A, R and U; and (3) 1625-0069, Ballast Water Management for Vessels with Ballast Tanks Entering U.S. Waters. Review and comments by OIRA ensure we only impose paperwork burdens commensurate with our performance of duties.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will convene a web based meeting of the ABC Control Rule Working Group.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on requirements for recordkeeping and reports concerning experience with approved new animal drugs. The information contained in the reports required by the regulation enables FDA to monitor the use of new animal drugs after approval and to ensure their continued safety and efficacy.

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's regulation on Benefits Payable in Terminated Single-Employer Plans prescribes interest assumptions for valuing and paying certain benefits under terminating single-employer plans. This final rule amends the benefit payments regulation to adopt interest assumptions for plans with valuation dates in November 2009. Interest assumptions are also published on PBGC's Web site (https://www.pbgc.gov).

In a Federal Register document announced on July 30, 2009,\1\ and published in the Federal Register on August 19, 2009 (``Notice),\2\ the Federal Trade Commission requested comment on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (``NPRM'') in connection with proposed debt relief amendments to the Telemarketing Sales Rule (``TSR''). The NPRM stated that comments must be received on or before October 9, 2009. In response to a request to extend the comment period received on September 17, 2009, the Commission has determined to extend the comment period until October 26, 2009.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is seeking to identify potential organizations to monitor health care entities under quality- of-care Corporate Integrity Agreements (CIA) with OIG. OIG is interested in receiving information from organizations that believe they have the capability to be monitors for quality-of-care CIAs. This is not a request for proposals and does not commit OIG to select or consider a particular organization to be a monitor. Any information provided to OIG in response to this notice is strictly voluntary. The Government will not pay for information submitted in response to this notice.

EPA is proposing to approve a request submitted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) on January 12, 2009, for a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision of the carbon monoxide (CO) ``Limited Maintenance Plan'' update for Lake and Marion Counties, Indiana. These Limited Maintenance Plans demonstrate continued attainment of the CO National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Lake and Marion counties for an additional ten years.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) submitted Carbon Monoxide (CO) ``Limited Maintenance Plan'' updates for Lake and Marion Counties on January 12, 2009. These Limited Maintenance Plans demonstrate continued attainment of the CO National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for Lake and Marion counties for an additional ten years. EPA is, therefore, approving it into Indiana's State Implementation Plan (SIP).

The Surface Transportation Board (Board or STB) amends its regulations by eliminating the Secretary of the Board, reassigning the delegations of authority from the Secretary to other Offices of the Board, and making additional updates to eliminate incorrect or obsolete references. Because these administrative final rules amend internal agency practice and procedure, this action is exempt from the usual requirement for notice and an opportunity for public comment under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A) of the Administrative Procedure Act.

The Board of Governors (Board) is amending the routing number guide to next-day availability checks and local checks in Regulation CC to delete the reference to the head office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and to reassign the Federal Reserve routing symbols currently listed under that office to the head office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. The Board is also amending the routing number guide to delete the reference to the Los Angeles branch office of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and to reassign the routing symbols currently listed under that office to the head office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. These amendments reflect the restructuring of check-processing operations within the Federal Reserve System. The Board is also providing advance notice about anticipated future amendments in connection with the Reserve Banks' restructuring such that by early next year there will only be a single check-processing region for purposes of Regulation CC. Accordingly, at that time there will no longer be any checks that would be considered nonlocal.

We are proposing amendments to our rules to require disclosure of information regarding credit ratings used by registrants, including closed-end management investment companies, in connection with a registered offering of securities so that investors will better understand the credit rating and its limitations. The amendments we are proposing today also would require additional disclosure that would inform investors about potential conflicts of interest that could affect the credit rating. In addition, we are proposing amendments to require disclosure of preliminary credit ratings in certain circumstances so that investors have enhanced information about the credit ratings process that may bear on the quality or reliability of the rating. The proposed amendments would be applicable to registration statements filed under the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, and Forms 8-K and 20-F.

This document contains final regulations providing guidance regarding the determination of the value of plan assets and benefit liabilities for purposes of the funding requirements that apply to single employer defined benefit plans, regarding the use of certain funding balances maintained for those plans, and regarding benefit restrictions for certain underfunded defined benefit pension plans. These regulations reflect provisions added by the Pension Protection Act of 2006, as amended by the Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008. These regulations affect sponsors, administrators, participants, and beneficiaries of single employer defined benefit pension plans.

On October 2, 2009, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking with request for comments to amend its assessment regulations to require insured institutions to prepay, on December 30, 2009, their estimated quarterly risk-based assessments for the fourth quarter of 2009, and for all of 2010, 2011, and 2012. The FDIC would begin to offset prepaid assessments on March 30, 2010, representing payment for the fourth quarter of 2009 (see 74 FR 51063 (Oct. 2, 2009)). The FDIC is supplementing that notice of proposed rulemaking with a Paperwork Reduction Act analysis and seeking comment on the Paperwork Reduction Act implications of the proposed rule.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announces a meeting of the NASA Advisory Council. The agenda topics for the meeting will include:

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management invites comments on the submission for OMB review as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.