March 28, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Title I of WIA (Pub. L. 105-220) requires the U.S. Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to update and publish the LLSIL tables annually, for uses described in the law (including determining eligibility for youth). WIA defines the term ``low income individual'' as one who qualifies under various criteria, including an individual who received income for a six-month period that does not exceed the higher level of the poverty line or 70 percent of the LLSIL. This issuance provides the Secretary's annual LLSIL for 2012 and references the current 2012 Health and Human Services ``Poverty Guidelines.''

The Department of Commerce, 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.

The TVA Regional Resource Stewardship Council (RRSC) will hold a meeting on Thursday, April 19, and Friday, April 20, 2012, to consider various matters. 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:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that an Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. The ICR, which is abstracted below, describes the nature of the information collection and its estimated burden and cost.

The Secretary of the Department of Education (Department) establishes a new part in 2 CFR that adopts the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) guidance, as supplemented by this new part, as the Department's regulations for nonprocurement debarment and suspension. The Secretary removes regulations that contain the Department's current implementation of the Governmentwide common rule on nonprocurement debarment and suspension. The Secretary also amends regulations to correct citations as appropriate. The new part will serve the same purposes as, and is substantively identical to, the nonprocurement suspension and debarment common rule published in the Federal Register on November 26, 2003. On August 31, 2005, OMB established interim final guidance that was substantively identical to the common rule and directed Federal agencies to adopt those guidelines as regulations. On November 15, 2006, OMB published final guidance. These final regulations adopt the OMB guidance as regulations of the Department. In addition, the Department adds those requirements that describe how the Department implements suspension and debarment requirements in the context of Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). This regulatory action is an administrative simplification that makes no substantive change in the Department's policy or procedures for nonprocurement debarment and suspension. We do not intend any substantive changes to the Department's debarment and suspension regulations. To be sure we achieved that objective, we ask for technical comments about whether the new regulations are substantively different than the existing regulations.

Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under procedures established by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatement of previously approved collections. This document describes one collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval.

This proposed rule would amend HUD's regulations governing portability in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. Portability is a feature of the HCV program that allows an eligible family with a housing choice voucher to use that voucher to lease a unit anywhere in the United States where there is a public housing agency (PHA) operating an HCV program. The purpose of HUD's proposed changes to the portability regulations is to clarify requirements already established in the existing regulations and improve the process involved with processing portability requests to enable PHAs to better serve families and expand housing opportunities. It is HUD's intent to increase administrative efficiencies by eliminating confusing and obscure regulatory language in areas that are known to be troublesome. This proposed rule attempts to balances the needs and interests of PHAs while increasing family choice.

The Agency announces its ongoing Priority Grant Competition. The Priority Grant Competition focuses on countries and themes as they relate to USIP's mandate. The Priority Grant Competition is restricted to projects that fit the topics identified for each priority area. The Priority Grant Competition focuses on four countries and two themes.

This is Supplement No. 15 to the Treasury Department Circular 570, 2011 Revision, published July 1, 2011, at 76 FR 38892.

The Department of Transportation is issuing a revised environmental justice strategy, which sets forth DOT's commitment to identifying and addressing disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects of agency policies and activities on minority and low-income populations. This strategy is published as a final document; however, it is a revision of a previous version published in 1995, and may be adjusted periodically in the future to reflect new insights acquired through implementation and changing social and technological conditions. The strategy has been revised in response to an interagency Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Justice (EJ MOU), confirming the importance of addressing environmental justice considerations in agency programs, policies, and activities. The strategy identifies actions the Department intends to take to implement Executive Order 12898, ``Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations'', signed by President Clinton on February 11, 1994. This Executive Order directs agencies to identify and address disproportionately high and adverse impacts on minority and low-income populations with respect to human health and environment. The EJ MOU acknowledges the continued importance of EJ and participating Federal agencies pledged to review and update existing EJ strategies. This updated EJ strategy reflects DOT's continued commitment to EJ principles and to integrating those principles into DOT programs, policies, and activities. The revised strategy is publicly available on the DOT Web site at: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/environmentaljustice/ejat dot/ dotejstrategy/.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) invites nominations of individuals qualified to serve as members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Qualification Requirements: Qualified applicants and nominees must at a minimum demonstrate knowledge, expertise and national leadership in the following areas: 1. The critical evaluation of research published in peer reviewed literature and in the methods of evidence review; 2. Clinical prevention, health promotion and primary health care; and 3. Implementation of evidence-based recommendations in clinical practice including at the clinician-patient level, practice level, and health system level. Some USPSTF members without primary health care clinical experience may be selected based on their expertise in methodological issues such as meta-analysis, analytic modeling or clinical epidemiology. For individuals with clinical expertise in primary health care, additional qualifications in methodology would enhance their candidacy. Additionally, the Task Force benefits from members with expertise in the following areas: Behavioral medicine Public health Health equity and the reduction of health disparities Application of science to health policy Communication of scientific findings to multiple audiences including health care professionals, policy makers and the general public. Candidates with experience and skills in any of these areas should highlight them in their nomination materials. Applicants must have no substantial conflicts of interest, whether financial, professional, or intellectual, that would impair the scientific integrity of the work of the USPSTF and must be willing to complete regular conflict of interest disclosures. Applicants must have the ability to work collaboratively with a team of diverse professionals who support the mission of the USPSTF. Applicants must have adequate time to contribute substantively to the work products of the USPSTF.

This rule establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) and associated Takeoff Minimums and Obstacle Departure Procedures for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, adding new obstacles, or changing air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), EPA is proposing: To add nine benzidine-based chemical substances to the Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) on benzidine-based chemical substances; a SNUR for di-n-pentyl phthalate (DnPP) (1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, 1,2-dipentyl ester) (CAS No. 131-18-0); and a SNUR for alkanes, C12-13, chloro (CAS No. 71011-12-6). In the case of the benzidine-based chemical substances, EPA is also proposing to make inapplicable the exemption relating to persons that import or process substances as part of an article. If finalized, this rule would require persons who intend to manufacture, import, or process these chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. The required notification would provide EPA with the opportunity to evaluate activities associated with a significant new use and an opportunity to protect against potential unreasonable risks, if any, from exposure to the chemical substance.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose changes in the regulations governing the administration of the national Boating Infrastructure Grant Program (BIG). We are updating the regulations to reflect changes in policy and practice that have occurred since the program's inception in 1998. We are also responding to recommendations received from States carrying out the program, a Federal advisory committee, and organizations with an interest in the program. The proposed rule will clarify the current program requirements, adjust the ranking criteria for competitive awards to correspond to the priorities in the Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998, organize questions and answers to reflect the life cycle of the grant, and reword and reformat regulations following Federal plain language policy and current rulemaking guidance.