2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act or Act) requires the Board to conduct annual stress tests of bank holding companies with total consolidated assets of $50 billion or more and nonbank financial companies the Financial Stability Oversight Council (Council) designates for supervision by the Board (nonbank covered companies, and together, with bank holding companies with total consolidated assets of $50 billion or more, covered companies) and also requires the Board to issue regulations that require covered companies to conduct stress tests semi-annually. The Board is adopting this final rule to implement the stress test requirements for covered companies established in the Dodd-Frank Act. This final rule does not apply to any banking organization with total consolidated assets of less than $50 billion. Furthermore, implementation of the stress testing requirements for bank holding companies that did not participate in the Supervisory Capital Assessment Program is delayed until September 2013.

The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Herring River Restoration Project in Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts. The DEIS provides a systematic analysis of alternative approaches to restore the Herring River estuary to a more productive and natural condition after a century of diking and draining.

The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB or the Board), following an internal review of MSPB regulations, publication of a proposed rule, and consideration of comments received in response to the proposed rule, hereby amends its rules of practice and procedure in order to improve and update the MSPB's adjudicatory processes.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b(e)(3)), of the regular meeting of the Farm Credit Administration Board (Board).

The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is seeking comments from the public on whether Cura[ccedil]ao, Sint Maarten, and the Turks and Caicos Islands should be designated as eligible to receive benefits under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA) as amended by the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) (19 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) and whether Aruba, the Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (``St. Vincent'') should be designated as eligible to receive benefits under CBTPA. Although Congress identified the Turks and Caicos Islands as potentially eligible for benefits in 1983, the Turks and Caicos Islands did not request beneficiary status until July 2012. Similarly, although the Congress identified the Bahamas, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent for benefits under CBERA in 1983 and CBTPA in 2000, these countries did not request benefits under CBTPA until 2012. Aruba was designated as a beneficiary country of CBERA benefits effective as of January 1, 1986 upon becoming independent of the Netherlands Antilles in 1986, and requested CBTPA benefits in October 2012. As a result of the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in October of 2010, Cura[ccedil]ao and Sint Maarten became successor political entities of the Netherlands Antilles and eligible to receive benefits as such. Cura[ccedil]ao and Sint Maarten requested the receipt of CBERA and CBTPA benefits in, respectively, July and June of 2012.

This notice amends the notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of New Mexico (FEMA-4079-DR), dated August 24, 2012, and related determinations.

The Coast Guard announces a public meeting to receive comments on the development of a Facility Security Officer training program, with the primary focus on developing the curriculum for such a program. Section 821 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111- 281) requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish comprehensive FSO training requirements, and to coordinate with the Maritime Administrator of the Department of Transportation in developing the FSO training curriculum. The purpose of the public meeting is to obtain public comment on a draft model FSO training course and other elements of the FSO training program.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is providing notice that on September 18, 2012, the United States requested the establishment of a dispute settlement panel under the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (``WTO Agreement'') with the People's Republic of China (``China'') concerning China's anti-dumping and countervailing duties on certain automobiles from the United States. That request may be found at www.wto.org in a document designated as WT/DS440/2. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this dispute.

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 940, Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return, and Form 940-PR, Planilla Para La Declaracion Anual Del PatronoLa Contribucion Federal Para El Desempleo (FUTA); Form 990-PF, Return of Private Foundation or Section 4947(a)(1) Nonexempt charitable Trust Treated as a Private Foundation, and Form 4720, return of Certain Excise Taxes on Charities and Other Persons Under Chapters 41 and 42 of the Internal revenue Code; Form 5227, Split-Interest Trust Information Return; Revenue Procedure 97-33, Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS); and TD 9338, Information Returns Required with Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations and Certain Foreign-Owned Domestic Corporations.

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 an existing final regulation, INTL-64-93 (TD 8611): Conduit Arrangements Regulations (Sec. Sec. 1.881-4 and 1.6038A-3); Form 8871, Political Organization Notice of Section 527 Status; Form 8453-X, Political Organization Declaration for Electronic Filing of Notice of Section 527 Status; Revenue Ruling 2000-33, Deferred Compensation Plans of State and Local Governments and Tax-Exempt Organizations; Notice 2006-52, Deduction for Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings; and TD 9451, Guidance Necessary to Facilitate Business Election Filing.

NOAA Fisheries announces 7 inseason actions in the ocean salmon fisheries. These inseason actions modified the commercial and recreational fisheries in the area from the U.S./Canada Border to Cape Falcon, Oregon.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, 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 a revision of a currently approved information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program which provides funding in response to a State's request for crisis counseling services for a presidentially declared disaster.

OPM has amended an existing system of records subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a). 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 system of records maintained by the agency (5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)). One category of information is no longer necessary to collect, and two categories of information are being added to the systems notice. In addition, Presidential Management Fellows Program data formerly collected by the Office of Personnel Management Human Resource Solutions will now be collected by a contractor. A routine use was added to permit releases from the system to OPM or other government contractors who need access to the system.

The Department of State has submitted the information collection request described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 we are requesting comments on this collection from all interested individuals and organizations.

In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Pecos District Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will meet as indicated below.

The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council (Council) was established by the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-320) (Act) to receive reports and advise Federal agencies on implementing the Act. In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Bureau of Reclamation announces that the Council will meet as detailed below. The meeting of the Council is open to the public.

Notice is hereby given that NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, [Responsible Party: Lisa Ballance, Ph.D.] has been issued a permit to take green (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtles for purposes of scientific research.

As of January 1, 2013, all vessels participating in Atlantic HMS fisheries that are subject to VMS requirements, including vessels with pelagic longline gear on board, vessels with bottom longline gear on board in the vicinity of the mid-Atlantic closed area (between 33[deg] N and 36[deg]30[min] N) from January 1 to July 31, and vessels with shark gillnet gear on board fishing between November 15 and April 15, must have an Enhanced Mobile Transmitting Unit (E-MTU) installed by a qualified marine electrician and must provide hail in/hail out declarations specifying target species, gear possessed onboard, and location and timing of landing. These requirements were originally effective March 1, 2011, consistent with a December 2, 2011 final rule. On February 29, 2012, NMFS provided notice that HMS vessels could use either old MTUs or new E-MTUs without providing hail in/hail out declarations specifying target species, gear possessed onboard, and location and timing of landing. However, no new installations of MTUs were permitted, all installations of E-MTUs were required to be done by a qualified marine electrician, and vessels were to provide hourly position reports using VMS units starting two hours prior to leaving port and at all times away from port.