December 8, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Executive Order 12260 requires the United States Trade Representative to set the U.S. dollar thresholds for application of Title III of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2511 et seq.), which implements U.S. trade agreement obligations, including those under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement, Chapter 15 of the United States-Australia Free Trade Agreement (U.S.-Australia FTA), Chapter 9 of the United States- Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (U.S.-Bahrain FTA), Chapter 9 of the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement (U.S.-Chile FTA), Chapter 9 of the Dominican Republic-Central American-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), Chapter 9 of the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (U.S.-Morocco FTA), Chapter 10 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Chapter 9 of the United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement (U.S.-Oman FTA), Chapter 9 of the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (U.S.-Peru TPA), and Chapter 13 of the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (U.S.-Singapore FTA). These obligations apply to covered procurements valued at or above specified U.S. dollar thresholds. Now, therefore, I, Ronald Kirk, United States Trade Representative, in conformity with the provisions of Executive Order 12260, and in order to carry out U.S. trade agreement obligations under the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement, Chapter 15 of the U.S.-Australia FTA, Chapter 9 of the U.S.-Bahrain FTA, Chapter 9 of the U.S.-Chile FTA, Chapter 9 of DR-CAFTA, Chapter 9 of the U.S.-Morocco FTA, Chapter 10 of NAFTA, Chapter 9 of the U.S.-Oman FTA, Chapter 9 of the U.S.-Peru TPA, and Chapter 13 of the U.S.-Singapore FTA, do hereby determine, effective on January 1, 2012: For the calendar years 2012 and 2013, the thresholds are as follows:

On May 19, 2010, the Secretary of the Interior separated the responsibilities previously performed by the former Minerals Management Service (MMS) and reassigned those responsibilities to three separate organizations. As part of this reorganization, the Secretary renamed MMS's Minerals Revenue Management Program (MRM) the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) and directed that ONRR transition to the Office of the Assistant SecretaryPolicy, Management and Budget (PMB). This change required ONRR to reorganize its regulations and repromulgate them in chapter XII, title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This direct final rule amends the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control numbers for information collection requirements, certain form numbers, and corresponding technical corrections to part and position titles, agency names, and acronyms listed in chapter XII of 30 CFR.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are inviting comments on a collection of information requests that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The OMB formerly approved this information collection request (ICR) under OMB Control Number 1010-0103. After the Secretary of the Department of the Interior established ONRR (the former Minerals Revenue Management, a program under the Minerals Management Service) on October 1, 2010, OMB approved a new series number for ONRR and renumbered our ICRs. This ICR covers the paperwork requirements in the regulations under title 30, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), parts 1202, 1206, and 1207 (previously 30 CFR parts 202, 206, and 207). The revised title of this ICR is ``30 CFR Parts 1202, 1206, and 1207, Indian Oil and Gas Valuation.'' There are five forms associated with this information collection.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the 13 Carcinogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1003).

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Standard on Vinyl Chloride (29 CFR 1910.1017).

The Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a revised information collection request (ICR) 3206-0121, Application for Deferred Retirement (For persons separated on or after October 1, 1956). As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35) as amended by the Clinger-Cohen Act (Pub. L. 104-106), OPM is soliciting comments for this collection. The information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on September 2, 2011 at Volume 76 FR 54811 allowing for a 60- day public comment period. No comments were received for this information collection. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in comments that: 1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; 2. Evaluate 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. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

Merit System Audit and Compliance, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an existing information collection request (ICR) 3206-0234, Standard Form 1153, Claim for Unpaid Compensation of Deceased Civilian Employee. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35) as amended by the Clinger-Cohen Act (Pub. L. 104-106), OPM is soliciting comments for this collection. The information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on September 2, 2011 at Volume 76 FR 54809 to allow for a 60-day public comment period. No comments were received for this information collection. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comment. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in comments that: 1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; 2. Evaluate 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. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is removing its regulation implementing the Governmentwide common rule on drug-free workplace requirements for financial assistance, currently located within part 3021 of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and issuing a new regulation to adopt the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance at 2 CFR part 182. This regulatory action implements OMB's initiative to streamline and consolidate into one title of the CFR all Federal regulations on drug-free workplace requirements for financial assistance. These changes constitute an administrative simplification that would make no substantive change in USDA's policy or procedures for drug-free workplace.

As authorized by 46 U.S.C. 12121, the Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.-build requirement of the coastwise laws under certain circumstances. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

This document contains corrections to advance notice of proposed rulemaking (REG-133223-08) that describes the rules the Treasury Department and IRS are considering proposing relating to the determination of whether a plan of an Indian Tribal government is a governmental plan within the meaning of section 414(d) and contains an appendix that includes a draft notice of proposed rulemaking on which the Treasury Department and IRS invite comments from the public. The document was published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 (76 FR 69188).