February 24, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed notice announces the receipt of an application from the American Association of Diabetes Educators for continued recognition as a national accreditation program for accrediting entities that wish to furnish outpatient diabetes self-management training to Medicare beneficiaries. The statute requires that we publish a notice identifying the national accreditation body making the request, describing the nature of the request, and providing at least a 30-day public comment period.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) invites public comment on one currently approved Information Collection Request (ICR), OMB control number 1652-0053, abstracted below that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. The collections include: (1) Applications from entities that wish to become Certified Cargo Screening Facilities (CCSF); (2) personal information to allow TSA to conduct security threat assessments on key individuals employed by the CCSFs; (3) acceptance of a standard security program or submission of a proposed modified security program; (4) information on the amount of cargo screened; and (5) recordkeeping requirements for CCSFs. TSA is seeking the renewal of the ICR for the continuation of the program in order to secure passenger aircraft carrying cargo.

The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone on the waters of the East River and Bronx Kill, in the vicinity of Randalls and Wards Islands, New York. This security zone is necessary to ensure the safety of the President of the United States, members of his official party, and other senior government officials. The zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the East River and Bronx Kill when public officials are scheduled to arrive and depart the area. Persons or vessels may not enter this security zone without permission of the Captain of the Port New York (COTP) or the COTP's designated on- scene representative.

Section 401(a) of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA), Public Law 111-3, amended the Social Security Act to enact section 1139A (42 U.S.C.1320b-9a). Section 1139A(b) charged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with improving pediatric health care quality measures. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is soliciting the submission of measures of children's healthcare quality for potential inclusion in the CHIPRA 2013 Improved Core Set of Health Care Quality Measures (the ``Improved Core Set'') for potential voluntary use by Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. In addition, CHIPRA established the Pediatric Quality Measures Program to increase the portfolio of measures available to public and private purchasers of children's health care services, providers, and consumers. HHS anticipates that measures ultimately included in the Improved Core Set will also be used by public and private purchasers to measure pediatric healthcare quality. AHRQ is interested in information about the importance, scientific validity, and feasibility of the measures. If a measure is selected for inclusion, more information, including a copyright release (if applicable) and full measure specifications would be needed.

AHRQ has accepted a notification of voluntary relinquishment from the UAB Health System Patient Safety Organization of its status as a Patient Safety Organization (PSO). The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (Patient Safety Act), Public Law 109-41, 42 U.S.C. 299b-21b-26, provides for the formation of PSOs, which collect, aggregate, and analyze confidential information regarding the quality and safety of health care delivery. The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Final Rule (Patient Safety Rule), 42 CFR part 3, authorizes AHRQ, on behalf of the Secretary of HHS, to list as a PSO an entity that attests that it meets the statutory and regulatory requirements for listing. A PSO can be ``delisted'' by the Secretary if it is found to no longer meet the requirements of the Patient Safety Act and Patient Safety Rule, including when a PSO chooses to voluntarily relinquish its status as a PSO for any reason.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has found no violation of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, 19 U.S.C. 1337 with respect to United States Patent No. 6,999,800 (``the '800 patent'') in this investigation, and has terminated the investigation.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is seeking scientific information submissions from manufacturers of peripheral artery disease treatment medical devices. Scientific information is being solicited to inform our Comparative Effectiveness Review of Treatment Strategies for Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), which is currently being conducted by the Evidence-based Practice Centers for the AHRQ Effective Health Care Program. Access to published and unpublished pertinent scientific information on this device will improve the quality of this comparative effectiveness review. AHRQ is requesting this scientific information and conducting this comparative effectiveness review pursuant to Section 1013 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, Public Law 108-173.

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 Office of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) within the Department of the Treasury is soliciting comments concerning (1) the SSBCI Allocation Agreement for Participating States, (2) the SSBCI Allocation Agreement for Participating Municipalities, (3) the SSBCI Application Form, and (4) the SSBCI Technical Assistance Quarterly Review collection. On September 27, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (the ``Act''). Title III of the Act created the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), which was funded with $1.5 billion to strengthen State programs that support lending to small businesses and small manufacturers. Treasury allocated Federal funds to participating States, territories, the District of Columbia, and municipalities (``Participating States'') in order to support statutorily eligible State or municipal capital access programs and other eligible State or municipal credit support programs, including loan guarantee, loan participation, collateral support, and venture capital programs. SSBCI is a one-time program of limited duration. The first two information collections memorialize the reporting requirements for Participating States, as required by the Act. The third information collection is only required of Participating States that wish to request an amendment to their prior approved applications. The final information collection is a voluntary telephonic collection from Participating States that wish to take advantage of technical assistance made available from Treasury as Participating States administer their programs.

This notice announces the intention of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve the proposed information collection project: ``System Redesign for Value in Safety Net Hospitals and Delivery Systems.'' In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521, AHRQ invites the public to comment on this proposed information collection.

NSF is hereby granting a limited exemption of section 1605 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), Public Law 111-5, 123 Stat. 115, 303 (2009), with respect to the purchase of the superior holding power balanced anchors that will be used in the Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV). These anchors are required in order to accommodate the vessel's ice breaking bow shape and they will save weight.

This is Supplement No. 13 to the Treasury Department Circular 570, 2011 Revision, published July 1, 2011, at 76 FR 38892.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is issuing public notice of its intent to establish a new system of records maintained in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended, entitled ``USAID-31, HSPD-12 PIV Lifecycle Management.'' This action is necessary to meet the requirements of the Privacy Act to publish in the Federal Register notice of the existence and character of record systems maintained by the agency (5 U.S.C. 522a(e)(4)).

This Notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for possible use to assist the homeless.

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.

DoD is issuing this final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement to extend the date for submittal of applications under the DoD Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Pilot Program for new mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] agreements and the date mentors may incur costs and/or receive credit towards fulfilling their small business subcontracting goals through an approved mentor- prot[eacute]g[eacute] agreement.

DoD is adopting as final, without change, an interim rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement those sections of the National Defense Authorization Acts for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011, providing increased authorities to reduce or deny award fees to companies found to jeopardize the health or safety of Government personnel. In addition, this rule modifies the requirement that information on the final determination of award fee be entered into the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is concerned about the effects of distraction due to drivers' use of electronic devices on motor vehicle safety. Consequently, NHTSA is issuing nonbinding, voluntary NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines (NHTSA Guidelines) to promote safety by discouraging the introduction of excessively distracting devices in vehicles. This notice details the contents of the first phase of the NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines. These NHTSA Guidelines cover original equipment in-vehicle device secondary tasks (communications, entertainment, information gathering, and navigation tasks not required to drive are considered secondary tasks) performed by the driver through visual-manual means (meaning the driver looking at a device, manipulating a device-related control with the driver's hand, and watching for visual feedback). The proposed NHTSA Guidelines list certain secondary, non-driving related tasks that, based on NHTSA's research, are believed by the agency to interfere inherently with a driver's ability to safely control the vehicle. The Guidelines recommend that those in-vehicle devices be designed so that they cannot be used by the driver to perform such tasks while the driver is driving. For all other secondary, non-driving-related visual-manual tasks, the NHTSA Guidelines specify a test method for measuring the impact of task performance on driving safety while driving and time-based acceptance criteria for assessing whether a task interferes too much with driver attention to be suitable to perform while driving. If a task does not meet the acceptance criteria, the NHTSA Guidelines recommend that in- vehicle devices be designed so that the task cannot be performed by the driver while driving. In addition to identifying inherently distracting tasks and providing a means for measuring and evaluating the level of distraction associated with other non-driving-related tasks, the NHTSA Guidelines contain several design recommendations for in-vehicle devices in order to minimize their potential for distraction. NHTSA seeks comments on these NHTSA Guidelines and any suggestions for how to improve them so as to better enhance motor vehicle safety.

This notice announces the dates, time, and location of the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) public meetings to be held in calendar year 2012 to discuss our preliminary coding and payment determinations for all new public requests for revisions to the HCPCS. These meetings provide a forum for interested parties to make oral presentations or to submit written comments in response to preliminary coding and payment determinations. The discussion will be focused on responses to our specific preliminary recommendations and will include all items on the public meeting agenda.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is proposing amendments to its regulations regarding requirements applicable to investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (``registered investment companies'') whose advisors will be subject to registration as commodity pool operators due to changes that the Commission is adopting.