April 25, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In order to better inform the public and NMFS, a conference call that is open to the public will be held to discuss historical and future data collection in the U.S. recreational yellowfin tuna fishery and the relationship to international yellowfin tuna management (e.g., quota establishment or tracking landings).

This final rule announces an inseason change to management measures in the Pacific Coast groundfish fisheries. This action, which is authorized by the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), is intended to allow fisheries to access more abundant groundfish stocks while protecting overfished and depleted stocks. This rule also implements changes to the incidental retention allowance for halibut in the primary sablefish fishery under the authority of the Northern Pacific Halibut Act.

The Copyright Royalty Judges are publishing for comment proposed rates and terms for use of certain works in connection with noncommercial broadcasting for the period commencing January 1, 2013, and ending on December 31, 2017.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's document Implementing the Provisions of the Communications Act of 1934, as Enacted by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, (Report and Order). This notice is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.

Under section 215 of the Federal Power Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) approves eight modified Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Reliability Standards, CIP-002-4 through CIP-009-4, developed and submitted to the Commission for approval by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the Electric Reliability Organization certified by the Commission. The CIP Reliability Standards provide a cybersecurity framework for the identification and protection of ``Critical Cyber Assets'' to support the reliable operation of the Bulk-Power System. Reliability Standard CIP-002-4 requires the identification and documentation of Critical Cyber Assets associated with ``Critical Assets'' that support the reliable operation of the Bulk-Power System and introduces ``bright line'' criteria for the identification of Critical Assets. The Commission approves the related Violation Risk Factors, Violation Severity Levels with modifications, implementation plan, and effective date proposed by NERC.

This document withdraws a notice of proposed rulemaking relating to withholding by government entities on payments to persons providing property or services. The proposed regulations are withdrawn because Public Law 112-56, ``The 3% Withholding Repeal and Job Creation Act,'' repealed the provision of the Internal Revenue Code underlying the proposed rules. The guidance affects government entities that would have been required to withhold and report tax from payments to persons providing property or services and also affects the persons receiving payments for property or services from these government entities.

We are announcing receipt of a proposed amendment to the North Dakota regulatory program (hereinafter, the ``North Dakota program'') under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (``SMCRA'' or ``the Act''). North Dakota proposes changes to the North Dakota Administrative Code to address letter of credit provisions in the collateral bond rule under Administrative Code Section 69-5.2-12-04. The changes involve the financial information and notices that banks issuing a letter of credit must provide to the North Dakota Public Service Commission (hereinafter, the ``Commission''). This document gives the times and locations that the North Dakota program and proposed amendment to that program are available for your inspection, the comment period during which you may submit written comments on the amendment, and the procedures that we will follow for the public hearing, if one is requested.

In this Notice of Inquiry, the Commission seeks comment on open access and priority rights for capacity on interconnection facilities.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is confirming the effective date of May 2, 2012, for the direct final rule that was published in the Federal Register on February 17, 2012. This direct final rule amends the NRC's spent fuel storage regulations by revising the Holtec International HI-STORM 100 System listing within the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks'' to include Amendment No. 8 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) Number 1014.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Turbomeca S.A. Arriel 2B and 2B1 turboshaft engines. This AD was prompted by the discovery of non-conformities of certain power turbine (PT) blade fir-tree roots. This AD requires removing the affected PT blades from service on or before reaching a new reduced life limit for those certain PT blades. We are issuing this AD to prevent PT blade rupture, which could result in an uncommanded in-flight engine shutdown, forced autorotation landing, or accident.

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) is interested in learning about how States deliver Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) assistance to beneficiaries, whether States have implemented policies and practices to prevent electronic benefit transfer transactions involving TANF assistance in liquor stores, casinos, gambling casinos, or other gaming establishments, and retail establishments which provide adult-oriented entertainment in which performers disrobe or perform in an unclothed state for entertainment; what the States' experiences have been in implementing such policies and practices; and whether States place other similar types of restrictions on assistance usage. OFA also is interested in learning about States' current approaches to ensuring that recipients have adequate access to their cash assistance, including policies that provide access to assistance with no fees or charges or current approaches to imposing fees or charges in connection with receipt of assistance, along with other information relevant to considering what might be minimal fees or charges. Additionally, OFA is interested in hearing the perspectives of vendors, consumer advocates, and any other individuals or entities that have information that could be relevant to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to prevent electronic benefit transfer transactions in certain establishments, and to ensuring access to cash assistance with minimal fees or charges, including opportunities to access assistance without fees or charges. The information provided will be used to inform OFA as it develops regulations to implement Section 4004 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-96), which, among other things, requires States to prevent the use of TANF assistance in electronic benefit transfer transactions at specified locations.