November 30, 2011 – 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 Qualified Electing Fund Elections.

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 1127A, Application for Extension of Time for Payment of Tax Due to Undue Hardship.

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 Inspection of Applications for Tax Exemption and Applications for Determination Letters for Pension and Other Plans.

EPA is taking final action to approve the State of Louisiana's request to redesignate the Baton Rouge, Louisiana moderate 1997 8-hour ozone nonattainment area to attainment of the 1997 8-hour ozone standard. As a part of this action, EPA is also approving, as a revision to the Louisiana State Implementation Plan (SIP), the state's 1997 8-hour ozone maintenance plan with a 2022 Motor Vehicle Emissions Budget (MVEB) for the Baton Rouge Nonattainment Area (BRNA or BR), revisions to the Louisiana SIP that meet the Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) requirements (for nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)) for the 1-hour and 1997 8-hour ozone standard requirements, and a state rule establishing a maintenance plan contingency measure. EPA finds that with this final approval the area has a fully approved SIP that meets all of its applicable 1997 8-hour ozone requirements and 1-hour anti- backsliding requirements under section 110 and Part D of the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA or Act) for purposes of redesignation.

In this document, the Commission extends the deadline to for filing reply comments on the Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comment on various proposals designed to assist consumers in detecting and preventing the placement of unauthorized charges on the their telephone bills, an unlawful and fraudulent practice commonly referred to as cramming. The extension will facilitate the development of a full record given the importance of the issues in this proceeding.

NMFS is adjusting the Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) fishery regulations to: Increase the General category maximum daily retention limit; allow the General category season to remain open until the January subquota is reached, or March 31, whichever happens first; and increase the Harpoon category daily incidental retention limit. This action is intended to enable more thorough utilization of the available U.S. BFT quota for the General and Harpoon (commercial handgear) categories; minimize bycatch and bycatch mortality to the extent practicable; expand fishing opportunities for participants in the commercial winter General category fishery; and increase NMFS' flexibility for setting the General category retention limit depending on available quota.

The Advisory Committee was established by Public Law 98-181, November 30, 1983, to advise the Export-Import Bank on its programs and to provide comments for inclusion in the reports of the Export-Import Bank of the United States to Congress. Time and Place: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A break for lunch will be at the expense of the attendee. Security processing will be necessary for reentry into the building. The meeting will be held at Ex-Im Bank in the Main Conference Room 1143, 811 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20571. Agenda: Agenda items include a briefing of the Advisory Committee members on challenges for 2012, their roles and responsibilities and an ethics briefing. Public Participation: The meeting will be open to public participation, and the last 10 minutes will be set aside for oral questions or comments. Members of the public may also file written statement(s) before or after the meeting. If you plan to attend, a photo ID must be presented at the guard's desk as part of the clearance process into the building, and you may contact Susan Houser to be placed on an attendee list. If any person wishes auxiliary aids (such as a sign language interpreter) or other special accommodations, please contact, prior to December 6, 2011, Susan Houser, Room 1273, 811 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20571, Voice: (202) 565-3232.

This is a Notice of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of Connecticut (FEMA4046DR), dated 11/17/2011. Incident: Severe storm. Incident Period: 10/29/2011 through 10/30/2011. Effective Date: 11/17/2011. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 01/16/2012. Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 08/17/2012.

NCUA is finalizing an interim rule to make a technical correction to its rule restricting a federally insured credit union (FICU) from making golden parachute and indemnification payments to an institution-affiliated party (IAP). The amendment corrects an exception to the definition of golden parachute payment pertaining to plans offered under section 457 of the Internal Revenue Code. The interim final rule became effective on June 27, 2011. This rulemaking finalizes the interim rule without change.

This final rule with comment period revises the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) for CY 2012 to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with this system. In this final rule with comment period, we describe the changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare hospital outpatient services paid under the OPPS. In addition, this final rule with comment period updates the revised Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from our continuing experience with this system. In this final rule with comment period, we set forth the relative payment weights and payment amounts for services furnished in ASCs, specific HCPCS codes to which these changes apply, and other ratesetting information for the CY 2012 ASC payment system. We are revising the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, adding new requirements for ASC Quality Reporting System, and making additional changes to provisions of the Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. We also are allowing eligible hospitals and CAHs participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program to meet the clinical quality measure reporting requirement of the EHR Incentive Program for payment year 2012 by participating in the 2012 Medicare EHR Incentive Program Electronic Reporting Pilot. Finally, we are making changes to the rules governing the whole hospital and rural provider exceptions to the physician self-referral prohibition for expansion of facility capacity and changes to provider agreement regulations on patient notification requirements.