Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Exchange Visitor Program; Summer Work Travel Program Sponsor On-Site Reviews, 59182-59183 [2011-24551]
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59182
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 185 / Friday, September 23, 2011 / Notices
Number of
respondents
Form
Average burden
per response
(minutes)
Frequency of
response
Estimated total
annual burden
(hours)
11,400
225,000
1
1
18
18
3,420
67,500
Total ..........................................................................................
sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SSA–1026–OCR–MS–SCE .............................................................
SSA–1026–OCR–SM–REDE ..........................................................
236,400
............................
............................
70,920
II. SSA submitted the information
collection below to OMB for clearance.
Your comments regarding the
information collection would be most
useful if OMB and SSA receive them
within 30 days from the date of this
publication. To be sure we consider
your comments, we must receive them
no later than October 24, 2011.
Individuals can obtain copies of the
OMB clearance package by calling the
SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 410–
965–8783 or by writing to the above email address.
Statement of Claimant or Other
Person—Medical Resident FICA Refund
Claims—20 CFR 404.702 and 416.570—
0960–0786. The Internal Revenue
Service (IRS) is contacting medical
residents (and their employers) who
filed Federal Insurance Contributions
Act (FICA) refund claims from 1993
through 2005. Those medical residents
who claimed their residencies were
actually training, not employment,
should not have been subject to FICA
tax. The IRS made a decision to honor
these claims and issue a full refund of
FICA tax, plus statutory interest, to
those who wish to participate in the
refund resolution. SSA will remove
wages from the participating residents’
earnings records for the period of the
refund requests, which will cause the
residents’ recorded earnings to decrease.
This not only affects earnings for future
retirement benefits, but also could
adversely affect those residents (or their
beneficiaries) who are currently
receiving Social Security benefits.
To ensure they understand the
potential impact on their benefits, SSA
will call those residents who will be
adversely affected and explain the effect
on their Social Security benefits if they
accept the IRS FICA refund. If SSA
cannot reach the resident by phone, we
will send a contact letter and the SSA–
795–OP2 to the resident to complete
and return to SSA to document the
decision. Once we have the information,
we will forward the signed forms to the
IRS for the residents who no longer
want the FICA refund.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMBapproved information collection.
Number of Respondents: 496.
Frequency of Response: 1.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:41 Sep 22, 2011
Jkt 223001
Average Burden per Response:
4 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden:
33 hours.
Dated: September 20, 2011.
Faye Lipsky,
Reports Clearance Officer, Center for Reports
Clearance, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011–24437 Filed 9–22–11; 8:45 am]
State, SA–5, L/PD, Fifth Floor (Suite
5H03), Washington, DC 20522–0505.
Dated: September 19, 2011.
J. Adam Ereli,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs,
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2011–24540 Filed 9–22–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
BILLING CODE 4191–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice: 7609]
[Public Notice: 7610]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs; Exchange Visitor Program;
Summer Work Travel Program
Sponsor On-Site Reviews
Culturally Significant Objects Imported
for Exhibition Determinations:
‘‘Impressionism: Masterworks on
Paper’’
Notice is hereby given of the
following determinations: Pursuant to
the authority vested in me by the Act of
October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C.
2459), Executive Order 12047 of March
27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and
Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat.
2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et
seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of
October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority
No. 236–3 of August 28, 2000 (and, as
appropriate, Delegation of Authority No.
257 of April 15, 2003), I hereby
determine that the objects to be
included in the exhibition
‘‘Impressionism: Masterworks on Paper’’
imported from abroad for temporary
exhibition within the United States, are
of cultural significance. The objects are
imported pursuant to loan agreements
with the foreign owners or custodians.
I also determine that the exhibition or
display of the exhibit objects at the
Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee,
WI, from on or about October 15, 2011,
until on or about January 8, 2012, and
at possible additional exhibitions or
venues yet to be determined, is in the
national interest. I have ordered that
Public Notice of these Determinations
be published in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information, including a list of
the exhibit objects, contact Julie
Simpson, Attorney-Adviser, Office of
the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of
State (telephone: 202–632–6467). The
mailing address is U.S. Department of
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00074
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
ACTION:
Notice.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Mutual
Educational and Cultural Exchange Act
of 1961 (the ‘‘Act’’), the Department of
State (Department) is authorized to
facilitate and direct educational and
cultural exchange activities in order to
develop and promote mutual
understanding between the people of
the United States and the people of
other countries by means of educational
and cultural exchanges. These
exchanges, conducted by Departmentdesignated sponsors assist the
Department in furthering the foreign
policy objectives of the United States.
By this Notice, and in order to enhance
its continued oversight and monitoring
of designated sponsors, the Department
announces its intent to conduct on-site
reviews of sponsors in the Summer
Work Travel Program to evaluate
regulatory compliance with Program
regulations set forth at 22 CFR Part 62.
The Summer Work Travel Program
provides foreign college and university
students the opportunity to work and
travel in the United States during their
extended academic break (i.e., summer
vacation) for a period not to exceed four
months. On April 26, 2011, the
Department published in the Federal
Register, an Interim Final Rule
governing the Summer Work Travel
category of the Exchange Visitor
Program. In that rulemaking, the
Department explained its three-step
approach to addressing a number of
concerns regarding sponsor
E:\FR\FM\23SEN1.SGM
23SEN1
sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 185 / Friday, September 23, 2011 / Notices
administration of this program. Step one
occurred in January 2011 when the
Department adopted a pilot program to
enhance protections for foreign
nationals from Belarus, Bulgaria,
Moldova, Romania, Russia, and the
Ukraine (‘‘Pilot Program’’). Step two was
the Interim Final Rule, which
incorporated many of the concepts of
the Pilot Program into the overall
Summer Work Travel program
regulations. Now, as step three, the
Department intends to conduct on-site
reviews of the largest Summer Work
Travel program sponsors to monitor
sponsor performance, ‘‘to assess
category-wide regulatory compliance
and to consult with sponsors about
implementation of the Interim Final
Rule.’’ The Department’s close
monitoring of Summer Work Travel
sponsors during the summer of 2011 has
resulted in a modification to its plans
for on-site reviews. Specifically, the
Department evaluated all Summer Work
Travel sponsors’ compliance with
program regulations regarding the
maintenance of current and accurate
records in the Student and Exchange
Visitor Information System (SEVIS) for
the period September 1, 2009 through
August 30, 2010. It also reviewed
Summer Work Travel-related
complaints for the 2011 summer season
and monitored the media for additional
reports of program problems. As a result
of these efforts, the Department has
determined that it will not visit
sponsors based solely on their size, but
instead will conduct compliance
reviews of those designated sponsors
whose compliance with the relevant
Exchange Visitor Program regulations
deserve closer examination by the
Department.
Currently there are 51 designated
exchange sponsor entities in the
Summer Work Travel category. Of those,
the Department has identified 14
sponsors that will be part of in the
upcoming compliance review. Although
the Department may later decide to
evaluate additional sponsors, at this
time, it intends to visit these 14
sponsors (which together sponsor
approximately 65% of all Summer Work
Travel participants) sometime between
October and December 2011. On
average, it is expected that each on-site
review will take two full business days
and will be preceded ten work days’ in
advance by written notice and a request
for certain specified documents.
As noted above, these on-site reviews
will focus on evaluating the overall
program administration and the
effectiveness of the modifications to
sponsors’ program administration
resulting from implementation of the
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:41 Sep 22, 2011
Jkt 223001
Interim Final Rule and the Pilot
Program. A primary goal of these
reviews is to assess whether the
sponsors have been able ‘‘to comply and
remain in continual compliance with all
provisions of Part 62’’ (22 CFR
62.3(b)(1)). To this end, the reviews will
focus on sponsor compliance with the
Pilot Program guidelines and participant
monitoring requirements, maintenance
of accurate SEVIS records, and
sponsors’ relationships with third
parties they have engaged to assist in
carrying out the core programmatic
functions inherent in the administration
of exchange visitor programs, as set
forth in the regulations in Part 62 (i.e.,
screening, selection, orientation,
placement, monitoring, and the
promotion of mutual understanding).
Other areas of interest may include
sponsors’ roles in assisting participants
in finding suitable housing; decisionmaking processes (including the
numbers of participants accepted); selfimposed compliance mechanisms;
procedures for handling student
participant problems (including finding
new jobs for those whose pre-arranged
placements were unsatisfactory); and
policies for refunding deposits or
payments to student participants.
Finally, the Department intends to use
these reviews as an opportunity for
sponsors to provide feedback on the
Pilot Program and the Interim Final
Rule in general, and more specifically,
sponsors’ experience with the relevant
new regulatory provisions during the
summer season of 2011. Feedback will
be used to assist in issuing the Final
Rule. Best practices will be collected
from the on-site reviews and shared
with the wider sponsor community.
Sponsors who are not included in these
reviews and wish to comment should
address their comments and concerns to
the Department at JVisas@State.gov.
The Department believes these
compliance reviews are one of many
critical steps that can help ensure the
Summer Work Travel program meets the
underlying goals of the Act while also
allowing participants to enjoy safe and
successful exchange program
experiences conducted within the
parameters of the Exchange Visitor
Program regulations.
Dated: September 16, 2011.
Rick A. Ruth,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Private Sector
Exchange, Acting, Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2011–24551 Filed 9–22–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–05–P
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59183
TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
Meeting of the Regional Resource
Stewardship Council
AGENCY: Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA).
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
SUMMARY: The TVA Regional Resource
Stewardship Council (RRSC) will hold a
meeting on October 13 and October 14,
2011, to obtain views and advice on the
topic of the regulation of non-navigable
floating structures on TVA reservoirs.
The RRSC was established to advise
TVA on its natural resource stewardship
activities. Notice of this meeting is given
under the Federal Advisory Committee
Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. App. 2.
The meeting agenda includes the
following:
1. Introductions.
2. TVA Updates: Feedback from the
TVA Board of Directors on the Council’s
previous advice, a summary of the
Natural Resource Plan implementation
plan for fiscal year 2012, and
information about TVA’s Recreation
Program under the Natural Resource
Plan.
3. Presentation(s) concerning the
issues surrounding the regulation of
non-navigable floating structures on
TVA reservoirs.
4. Public Comments.
5. Council Discussion and Advice.
The RRSC will hear opinions and
views of citizens by providing a public
comment session. The public comment
session will be held at 10 a.m., EDT, on
Friday, October 14. Persons wishing to
speak are requested to register at the
door by 9 a.m., EDT, on Friday, October
14 and will be called on during the
public comment period. Handout
materials should be limited to one
printed page. Written comments are also
invited and may be mailed to the
Regional Resource Stewardship Council,
Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West
Summit Hill Drive, WT 11B, Knoxville,
Tennessee 37902.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Thursday, October 13, 2011, from 8 a.m.
to 10 a.m., EDT, and on Friday, October
14, 2011, from 8 a.m. to Noon, EDT.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in
the Auditorium of the TVA
Headquarters at, 400 West Summit Hill
Drive, Knoxville, TN 37902, and will be
open to the public. Anyone needing
special access or accommodations
should let the contact below know at
least a week in advance.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beth
Keel, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT
11B, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902, (865)
632–6113.
E:\FR\FM\23SEN1.SGM
23SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 185 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59182-59183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-24551]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice: 7609]
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs; Exchange Visitor
Program; Summer Work Travel Program Sponsor On-Site Reviews
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act
of 1961 (the ``Act''), the Department of State (Department) is
authorized to facilitate and direct educational and cultural exchange
activities in order to develop and promote mutual understanding between
the people of the United States and the people of other countries by
means of educational and cultural exchanges. These exchanges, conducted
by Department-designated sponsors assist the Department in furthering
the foreign policy objectives of the United States. By this Notice, and
in order to enhance its continued oversight and monitoring of
designated sponsors, the Department announces its intent to conduct on-
site reviews of sponsors in the Summer Work Travel Program to evaluate
regulatory compliance with Program regulations set forth at 22 CFR Part
62.
The Summer Work Travel Program provides foreign college and
university students the opportunity to work and travel in the United
States during their extended academic break (i.e., summer vacation) for
a period not to exceed four months. On April 26, 2011, the Department
published in the Federal Register, an Interim Final Rule governing the
Summer Work Travel category of the Exchange Visitor Program. In that
rulemaking, the Department explained its three-step approach to
addressing a number of concerns regarding sponsor
[[Page 59183]]
administration of this program. Step one occurred in January 2011 when
the Department adopted a pilot program to enhance protections for
foreign nationals from Belarus, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Russia, and
the Ukraine (``Pilot Program''). Step two was the Interim Final Rule,
which incorporated many of the concepts of the Pilot Program into the
overall Summer Work Travel program regulations. Now, as step three, the
Department intends to conduct on-site reviews of the largest Summer
Work Travel program sponsors to monitor sponsor performance, ``to
assess category-wide regulatory compliance and to consult with sponsors
about implementation of the Interim Final Rule.'' The Department's
close monitoring of Summer Work Travel sponsors during the summer of
2011 has resulted in a modification to its plans for on-site reviews.
Specifically, the Department evaluated all Summer Work Travel sponsors'
compliance with program regulations regarding the maintenance of
current and accurate records in the Student and Exchange Visitor
Information System (SEVIS) for the period September 1, 2009 through
August 30, 2010. It also reviewed Summer Work Travel-related complaints
for the 2011 summer season and monitored the media for additional
reports of program problems. As a result of these efforts, the
Department has determined that it will not visit sponsors based solely
on their size, but instead will conduct compliance reviews of those
designated sponsors whose compliance with the relevant Exchange Visitor
Program regulations deserve closer examination by the Department.
Currently there are 51 designated exchange sponsor entities in the
Summer Work Travel category. Of those, the Department has identified 14
sponsors that will be part of in the upcoming compliance review.
Although the Department may later decide to evaluate additional
sponsors, at this time, it intends to visit these 14 sponsors (which
together sponsor approximately 65% of all Summer Work Travel
participants) sometime between October and December 2011. On average,
it is expected that each on-site review will take two full business
days and will be preceded ten work days' in advance by written notice
and a request for certain specified documents.
As noted above, these on-site reviews will focus on evaluating the
overall program administration and the effectiveness of the
modifications to sponsors' program administration resulting from
implementation of the Interim Final Rule and the Pilot Program. A
primary goal of these reviews is to assess whether the sponsors have
been able ``to comply and remain in continual compliance with all
provisions of Part 62'' (22 CFR 62.3(b)(1)). To this end, the reviews
will focus on sponsor compliance with the Pilot Program guidelines and
participant monitoring requirements, maintenance of accurate SEVIS
records, and sponsors' relationships with third parties they have
engaged to assist in carrying out the core programmatic functions
inherent in the administration of exchange visitor programs, as set
forth in the regulations in Part 62 (i.e., screening, selection,
orientation, placement, monitoring, and the promotion of mutual
understanding). Other areas of interest may include sponsors' roles in
assisting participants in finding suitable housing; decision-making
processes (including the numbers of participants accepted); self-
imposed compliance mechanisms; procedures for handling student
participant problems (including finding new jobs for those whose pre-
arranged placements were unsatisfactory); and policies for refunding
deposits or payments to student participants.
Finally, the Department intends to use these reviews as an
opportunity for sponsors to provide feedback on the Pilot Program and
the Interim Final Rule in general, and more specifically, sponsors'
experience with the relevant new regulatory provisions during the
summer season of 2011. Feedback will be used to assist in issuing the
Final Rule. Best practices will be collected from the on-site reviews
and shared with the wider sponsor community. Sponsors who are not
included in these reviews and wish to comment should address their
comments and concerns to the Department at JVisas@State.gov.
The Department believes these compliance reviews are one of many
critical steps that can help ensure the Summer Work Travel program
meets the underlying goals of the Act while also allowing participants
to enjoy safe and successful exchange program experiences conducted
within the parameters of the Exchange Visitor Program regulations.
Dated: September 16, 2011.
Rick A. Ruth,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Private Sector Exchange, Acting, Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2011-24551 Filed 9-22-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-05-P
