2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a preclearance 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. Currently, the Employment and Training Administration is soliciting comments concerning the collection of data for state petitions to add areas to the Labor Surplus Areas List. The expiration date is March 30, 2011. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the addresses section of this notice.

This notice announces receipt of and publishes the Electrolux Home Products, Inc. (Electrolux) petition for waiver (hereafter, ``petition'') from specified portions of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) test procedure for determining the energy consumption of electric refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers. The waiver request pertains to Electrolux's product lines that utilize a control logic that changes the wattage of the anti-sweat heaters based upon the ambient relative humidity conditions to prevent condensation. The existing test procedure does not take humidity or adaptive control technology into account. Therefore, Electrolux has suggested an alternate test procedure that takes adaptive control technology into account when measuring energy consumption. DOE solicits comments, data, and information concerning Electrolux's petition and the suggested alternate test procedure. DOE also publishes notice of the grant of an interim waiver to Electrolux.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is modifying the regulations for the Tobacco Transition Payment Program (TTPP) to clarify, consistent with current practice and as required by the Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act of 2004 (FETRA), that the allocation of tobacco manufacturer and importer assessments among the six classes of tobacco products will be determined using constant tax rates so as to assure that adjustments continue to be based solely on changes in the gross domestic volume of each class. This means that CCC will continue to determine tobacco class allocations using the Federal excise tax rates that applied in fiscal year 2005. These are the same tax rates used when TTPP was implemented and must be used to ensure, consistent with FETRA, that changes in the relative class assessments are made only on the basis of changes in volume, not changes in tax rates. This technical amendment does not change how the TTPP is implemented by CCC, but rather clarifies the wording of the regulation to directly address this point.

MAG Energy Solutions, Inc. (MAG E.S.) has applied to renew its authority to transmit electric energy from the United States to Canada pursuant to section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act (FPA).

In accordance with relevant provisions of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice of its determination of the trade surplus in certain sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products of Chile, Morocco, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru. As described below, the level of a country's trade surplus in these goods relates to the quantity of sugar and syrup goods and sugar-containing products for which the United States grants preferential tariff treatment under (i) the United StatesChile Free Trade Agreement (Chile FTA), in the case of Chile; (ii) the United StatesMorocco Free Trade Agreement (Morocco FTA), in the case of Morocco; (iii) the Dominican RepublicCentral AmericaUnited States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), in the case of Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and (iv) the United StatesPeru Trade Promotion Agreement (Peru TPA), in the case of Peru.

Under the provisions of Section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Extramural Research (OER), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review and approval of the information collection listed below. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on September 13, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 176, page 55585) and allowed 60 days for public comment. One public comment was received. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment. The National Institutes of Health may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection that has been extended, revised, or implemented on or after October 1, 1995, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Proposed Collection: Title: Generic Clearance for Surveys of Customers and Partners of the Office of Extramural Research of the National Institutes of Health. Type of Information Collection Request: NEW. Need and Use of Information Collection: OER develops, coordinates the implementation of, and evaluates NIH-wide policies and procedures for the award of extramural funds . To move forward with our initiatives to ensure success in accomplishing the NIH mission, input from partners and customers is essential. Quality management principles have been integrated into OER's culture and these surveys will provide customer satisfaction input on various elements of OER's business processes. The approximately 14 (10 quantitative and 4 qualitative) customer satisfaction surveys that will be conducted under this generic clearance will gather and measure customer and partner satisfaction with OER processes and operations. The data collected from these surveys will provide the feedback to track and gauge satisfaction with NIH's statutorily mandated operations and processes. OER/OD/NIH will present data and outcomes from these surveys to inform the NIH staff, officers, leadership, advisory committees, and other decision-making bodies as appropriate. Based on feedback from these stakeholders, OER/ OD/NIH will formulate improvement plans and take action when necessary. Frequency of Response: 1 response. Affected Public: Individuals. Type of Respondents: Science professionals (applicants, reviewers, Institutional Officials), adult science trainees, and the general public. The annual reporting burden is as follows: Quantitative surveys: Estimated Number of Respondents per Survey: 9,820; Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1; Average Burden Hours per Response: 0.25; Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested per Quantitative Survey: 2,455; Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested for 10 Quantitative Surveys: 24,550. Qualitative surveys: Estimated Number of Respondents per Survey: 30; Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1; Average Burden Hours per Response: 1.0; Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested per Qualitative Survey: 30; Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours Requested for 4 Qualitative Surveys: 120. Based on an estimated 10 quantitative and 4 qualitative surveys per year: Estimated Total Combined Annual Hours of Burden Requested in Each of 3 Years: 24,670. Estimated Total Combined Cost to Respondents: $728,326. Based on an estimated 10 quantitative and 4 qualitative surveys per year over 3 years: Estimated Total Hours of Burden to Respondents for 2011, 2012, and 2013 Combined: 74,010. Estimated Total Cost to Respondents for 2011, 2012, and 2013 Combined: $2,184,978. There are no Capital Costs to report. There are no Operating or Maintenance Costs to report. Request for Comments: Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected agencies are invited on one or more of the following points: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Direct Comments to OMB: Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the item(s) contained in this notice, especially regarding the estimated public burden and associated response time, should be directed to the: Office of Management and Budget, Office of Regulatory Affairs, OIRA_submission@omb.eop.gov or by fax to 202-395-6974, Attention: Desk Officer for NIH. To request more information on the proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, contact Dr. Gwynne L. Jenkins, Special Assistant to the Director, Office of Extramural Programs, OER, NIH, 6705 Rockledge Drive, Suite 350, Bethesda, MD 20892, or call non-toll-free number (301) 496-9232 or e-mail your request, including your address to: OEPMailbox@mail.nih.gov. Comments Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of the date of this publication.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: CBP Form I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record), CBP Form I-94W (Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure), and the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). This is a proposed extension of an information collection that was previously approved. CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with no change to the information collected. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register (75 FR 59733) on September 28, 2010, allowing for a 60-day comment period. No comments were received. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.

The proposed information collection request (ICR) described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507. OTS is soliciting public comments on the proposal.

The proposed information collection request (ICR) described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507. OTS is soliciting public comments on the proposal.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the Federal lead agency, and the Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board (COMB), the State lead agency, have prepared a Final EIS/EIR for the South Coast Conduit/Upper Reach Reliability Project (SCC/URRP). The SCC/URRP involves installation of a second water pipeline for improving water supply reliability to Cachuma Project (CP) and State Water Project (SWP) customers on the South Coast of Santa Barbara County. A Notice of Availability of the joint Draft EIS/EIR was published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 (73 FR 49218). The written comment period on the Draft EIS/EIR ended October 3, 2008. The Final EIS/EIR contains responses to all comments received and reflects comments and any additional information received during the review period.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 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 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 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 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

This document contains proposed amendments to the regulations relating to the imposition of user fees for enrolled agents and enrolled retirement plan agents. The proposed regulations separate the enrolled retirement plan agent user fees from the enrolled agent user fees and lower the initial enrollment and renewal of enrollment fees for enrolled agents and enrolled retirement plan agents. The proposed regulations affect individuals who are or apply to become enrolled agents or enrolled retirement plan agents. The charging of user fees is authorized by the Independent Offices Appropriations Act of 1952.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 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 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

This document contains a correction to a notice of proposed rulemaking (REG-100194-10) that was published in the Federal Register on Friday, December 3, 2010 (75 FR 75439). The proposed regulations provide further guidance relating to the requirement for ``specified tax return prepares,''.

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 Form 8886, Reportable Transaction Disclosure Statement.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of a guidance entitled ``Guidance for the Public, FDA Advisory Committee Members, and FDA Staff: The Open Public Hearing at FDA Advisory Committee Meetings.'' We are issuing the guidance to provide information on how the public may participate at the open public hearing (OPH) portion of FDA advisory committee meetings. The guidance also provides recommendations regarding financial disclosure by persons participating in the OPH portion of advisory committee meetings.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), and as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is inviting the general public or other Federal agencies to comment on this proposed continuing information collection. The National Science Foundation (NSF) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.