Public Inquiry on Competitive Products Fund, 44982-44983 [2013-17838]

Download as PDF ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 44982 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 143 / Thursday, July 25, 2013 / Notices These administrative changes are being adopted in order to centralize the services of several Headquarters’ offices, eliminate duplication of functions, improve the delivery of services, and streamline, integrate and enhance management functions. DATES: Effective Date: August 11, 2013. ADDRESSES: National Labor Relations Board, 1099 14th Street NW., Room 11800, Washington, DC 20570. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William B. Cowen, Solicitor, National Labor Relations Board, 1099 14th Street NW., Washington, DC 20570. Telephone: (202) 273–2910 (this is not a toll-free number), 1–866–315–6572 (TTY/TDD). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Labor Relations Board is centralizing the services of several Headquarters’ offices and restructuring them into one independent Division of Legal Counsel. This new Division will have three branches—(1) Ethics, Employment and Administrative Law, (2) Contempt, Compliance and Special Litigation, and (3) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Branch. When dealing with matters on behalf of the five-member Board or the various Board-side offices, the Division of Legal Counsel will coordinate through the Office of the Solicitor. The Ethics, Employment and Administrative Law Branch will provide the Agency with legal counsel and advice in the areas of labor relations, employment and personnel law (including claims involving MSPB, FLRA, EEOC, U.S. Office of Special Counsel), government contracting, Federal Tort Claims Act matters, and government and bar ethics. The Contempt, Compliance and Special Litigation Branch will provide compliance and contempt advice and litigation involving, among other things, the Bankruptcy Code, the Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act and compliance with outstanding court judgments; conduct litigation and provide the Agency with advice and assistance when programs, statutes or outside proceedings threaten the Agency’s ability to carry out its mission; ensure Agency compliance with government regulations that affect its work, such as the Administrative Procedures Act, statutes relating to Agency rulemaking, the Sunshine Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the Right to Financial Privacy Act; and provide guidance and conduct litigation involving FOIA and Privacy Act issues. The FOIA Branch will provide advice on FOIA and some related Privacy Act VerDate Mar<15>2010 13:49 Jul 24, 2013 Jkt 229001 issues; handle all FOIA requests and appeals for Headquarters and Regional Offices; and prepare FOIA guideline memoranda and annual FOIA reports. Lead Technology Counsel will conduct litigation and provide advice and assistance involving e-litigation matters. These administrative changes are prompted by the Agency’s streamlining initiative and is responsive to the requests for ‘‘one-stop shopping’’ for technical expertise from internal customers, to allow them to better focus on their mission-critical functions. The following Headquarters’ offices will be affected by these administrative changes: Labor Relations and Special Counsel moves from the Division of OperationsManagement to the Ethics, Employment and Administrative Law Branch of the Division of Legal Counsel; Government Ethics moves from Administration Division and Bar Ethics moves from the Division of Enforcement Litigation to the Ethics, Employment and Administrative Law Branch of the Division of Legal Counsel; Special Litigation Branch, and Contempt Litigation and Compliance Branch moves from Enforcement Litigation Division to Contempt, Compliance and Special Litigation Branch of the Division of Legal Counsel; FOIA processing and preparation of FOIA guidance and reporting functions of the Research and Policy Planning Branch moves from the Division of Advice to the FOIA Branch of the Division of Legal Counsel. Additionally, FOIA appeals processing on the Boardside moves from the Solicitor’s Office and FOIA appeals processing on the General Counsel-side moves from the Office of Appeals in the Enforcement Litigation Division to the FOIA Branch of the Division of Legal Counsel with Jennifer Abruzzo as the Chief FOIA Officer for the Agency; and Lead Technology Counsel moves from the Division of Enforcement Litigation and will directly report to the Associate General Counsel of the Division. These administrative changes are being adopted in order to centralize the services of several Headquarters’ offices, eliminate duplication of functions, improve the delivery of services, and streamline, integrate and enhance management functions. Because these administrative changes relate to the internal management of the Agency, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, they are exempted from the notice and comment requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act. PO 00000 Dated: Washington, DC, July 19, 2013. Frm 00061 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 By direction of the Board. William B. Cowen, Solicitor. [FR Doc. 2013–17817 Filed 7–24–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7545–01–P NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION National Science Board; Sunshine Act Meetings The National Science Board, pursuant to NSF regulations (45 CFR Part 614), the National Science Foundation Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1862n–5), and the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b), hereby gives notice in regard to the scheduling of a teleconference meeting of the Committee on Strategy and Budget. AGENCY HOLDING MEETING: National Science Board. DATE AND TIME: Monday, July 29, 2013 from 4:00–5:00 p.m. SUBJECT MATTER: Discussion of NSF FY 2015 budget development. STATUS: Closed. PLACE: This meeting will be held by teleconference originating at the National Science Board Office, National Science Foundation, 4201Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22230. UPDATES: Please refer to the National Science Board Web site www.nsf.gov/ nsb for additional information. Meeting information and schedule updates (time, place, subject matter or status of meeting) may be found at https:// www.nsf.gov/nsb/notices/. AGENCY CONTACT: Jacqueline Meszaros, contact at (703) 292–7000. Ann Bushmiller, NSB Senior Legal Counsel. [FR Doc. 2013–17954 Filed 7–23–13; 11:15 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. PI2013–1; Order No. 1782] Public Inquiry on Competitive Products Fund Postal Regulatory Commission. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: The Commission is establishing a proceeding to review several issues concerning the Competitive Products Fund. These include inter-fund transfers (of amounts from the Postal Service Fund to the Competitive Products Fund); the use of amounts from the Competitive Products Fund to prepay certain costs; and SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\25JYN1.SGM 25JYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 143 / Thursday, July 25, 2013 / Notices calculation and transfer of the assumed federal income tax. The Commission is also issuing a related issuing an information request directed to the Postal Service. Following receipt of the Postal Service’s responses, the Commission may take further steps, including issuance of a notice of inquiry or an invitation for public comment. This notice informs the public of this proceeding and the information request and takes other administrative steps. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen L. Sharfman, General Counsel, at 202–789–6820. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Background III. Public Inquiry IV. Public Representative V. Ordering Paragraphs I. Introduction In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Annual Compliance Determination Report (ACD), the Commission found that transfers between the Postal Service Fund and the Competitive Products Fund raised several issues of first impression.1 The Commission stated that it would initiate a proceeding to review transfers from the Postal Service Fund to the Competitive Products Fund, the use of amounts from the Competitive Products Fund to prepay competitive products’ future years’ institutional costs, and the calculation and transfer of the assumed federal income tax. Id. (citing 39 U.S.C. 2011(h)(2)(C)(ii) and 39 CFR 3060.42). ehiers on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES II. Background In Docket No. ACR2012, the Commission found that beginning in October 2012, the National Trial Balance showed a zero balance for Account Number 12010.000 Competitive Products Investments Fund, and the corresponding Competitive Products Fund line item was eliminated from Table III-Detail of Treasury Securities Outstanding of the Monthly Statement of the Public Debt of the United States.2 The Postal Service informed the Commission that the zero balance likely resulted from a transfer of the balance in the Competitive Products Fund to the Postal Service Fund to prepay competitive products’ shares of 1 Docket No. ACR2012, Annual Compliance Determination Report Fiscal Year 2012, March 28, 2013, at 175 (FY 2012 ACD). 2 See Docket No. ACR2012, Chairman’s Information Request No. 8, February 8, 2013, at 5. VerDate Mar<15>2010 13:49 Jul 24, 2013 Jkt 229001 future years’ institutional costs.3 The zero balance in the Competitive Products Fund raised concerns that the Postal Service would be unable to comply with 39 U.S.C. 3634, which requires that the Postal Service transfer the assumed federal income tax on competitive products for the previous fiscal year from the Competitive Products Fund to the Postal Service Fund by January 15th each year. The Postal Service explained that on October 12, 2012, it transferred the balance of the Competitive Products Fund to the Postal Service Fund. Id. The Postal Service stated that the assumed federal income tax transfer occurred on January 10, 2013 by transferring the amount representing the Net Income after Tax from the Postal Service Fund to the Competitive Products Fund. Id. at question 9. The Postal Service stated that this transfer was mathematically identical to transferring the Net Income before Tax from the Postal Service Fund to the Competitive Products Fund so that the assumed federal income tax could be transferred back from the Competitive Products Fund to the Postal Service Fund. Id. Therefore, on January 10, 2013, the Postal Service transferred the FY 2012 Net Income after Tax amount of $525,564,000 from the Postal Service Fund to the Competitive Products Fund. Id. On January 11, 2013, as an additional prepayment of competitive products’ shares of future years’ institutional costs, the Postal Service transferred the balance of the Competitive Products Fund to the Postal Service Fund. Id. III. Public Inquiry Since the issues associated with these transfers were not within the scope of the ACD, the Commission stated that it would initiate a proceeding to review transfers of amounts from the Postal Service Fund to the Competitive Products Fund, the use of amounts from the Competitive Products Fund to prepay competitive products’ future years’ institutional costs, and the calculation and transfer of the assumed federal income tax. FY 2012 ACD at 175 (citing 39 U.S.C. 2011(h)(2)(C)(ii) and 39 CFR 3060.42). To foster transparency, the Commission establishes Docket No. PI2013–1 to review these issues. Commission Information Request No. 1 (CIR No. 1) is issued contemporaneously with this Notice. It seeks further clarification from the Postal Service on the issues described in 3 Docket No. ACR2012, Responses of the United States Postal Service to Questions 1–6 and 8–13 of Chairman’s Information Request No. 8, February 15, 2013, at question 8 (ACD CHIR Response). PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 44983 this Notice in order to increase transparency and develop a more complete record. After the Commission has received the Postal Service’s responses, the Commission may issue a Notice of Inquiry or invite public comment. IV. Public Representative Section 505 of title 39 requires designation of an officer of the Commission in all public proceedings to represent the interests of the general public. The Commission hereby designates Richard A. Oliver as Public Representative in this proceeding. V. Ordering Paragraphs It is ordered: 1. The Commission hereby establishes Docket No. PI2013–1 to review the issues related to the Competitive Products Fund set forth in the Commission’s FY 2012 Annual Compliance Determination. 2. Richard A. Oliver is designated as the Public Representative to represent the interests of the general public in this proceeding. 3. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this notice in the Federal Register. By the Commission. Shoshana M. Grove, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2013–17838 Filed 7–24–13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7710–FW–P SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Upon Written Request, Copies Available From: Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Washington, DC 20549–0213. Extension: Form N–SAR. OMB Control No. 3235– 0330, SEC File No. 270–292. Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Securities and Exchange Commission (the ‘‘Commission’’) is soliciting comments on the collection of information summarized below. The Commission plans to submit this existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (‘‘OMB’’) for extension and approval. Form N–SAR (OMB Control No. 3235–0330, 17 CFR 249.330) is the form used by all registered investment companies with the exception of face E:\FR\FM\25JYN1.SGM 25JYN1

Agencies

POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 143 (Thursday, July 25, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44982-44983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17838]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. PI2013-1; Order No. 1782]


Public Inquiry on Competitive Products Fund

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is establishing a proceeding to review several 
issues concerning the Competitive Products Fund. These include inter-
fund transfers (of amounts from the Postal Service Fund to the 
Competitive Products Fund); the use of amounts from the Competitive 
Products Fund to prepay certain costs; and

[[Page 44983]]

calculation and transfer of the assumed federal income tax. The 
Commission is also issuing a related issuing an information request 
directed to the Postal Service. Following receipt of the Postal 
Service's responses, the Commission may take further steps, including 
issuance of a notice of inquiry or an invitation for public comment. 
This notice informs the public of this proceeding and the information 
request and takes other administrative steps.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen L. Sharfman, General Counsel, 
at 202-789-6820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Introduction
II. Background
III. Public Inquiry
IV. Public Representative
V. Ordering Paragraphs

I. Introduction

    In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Annual Compliance Determination Report 
(ACD), the Commission found that transfers between the Postal Service 
Fund and the Competitive Products Fund raised several issues of first 
impression.\1\ The Commission stated that it would initiate a 
proceeding to review transfers from the Postal Service Fund to the 
Competitive Products Fund, the use of amounts from the Competitive 
Products Fund to prepay competitive products' future years' 
institutional costs, and the calculation and transfer of the assumed 
federal income tax. Id. (citing 39 U.S.C. 2011(h)(2)(C)(ii) and 39 CFR 
3060.42).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Docket No. ACR2012, Annual Compliance Determination Report 
Fiscal Year 2012, March 28, 2013, at 175 (FY 2012 ACD).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

II. Background

    In Docket No. ACR2012, the Commission found that beginning in 
October 2012, the National Trial Balance showed a zero balance for 
Account Number 12010.000 Competitive Products Investments Fund, and the 
corresponding Competitive Products Fund line item was eliminated from 
Table III-Detail of Treasury Securities Outstanding of the Monthly 
Statement of the Public Debt of the United States.\2\ The Postal 
Service informed the Commission that the zero balance likely resulted 
from a transfer of the balance in the Competitive Products Fund to the 
Postal Service Fund to prepay competitive products' shares of future 
years' institutional costs.\3\ The zero balance in the Competitive 
Products Fund raised concerns that the Postal Service would be unable 
to comply with 39 U.S.C. 3634, which requires that the Postal Service 
transfer the assumed federal income tax on competitive products for the 
previous fiscal year from the Competitive Products Fund to the Postal 
Service Fund by January 15th each year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ See Docket No. ACR2012, Chairman's Information Request No. 
8, February 8, 2013, at 5.
    \3\ Docket No. ACR2012, Responses of the United States Postal 
Service to Questions 1-6 and 8-13 of Chairman's Information Request 
No. 8, February 15, 2013, at question 8 (ACD CHIR Response).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Postal Service explained that on October 12, 2012, it 
transferred the balance of the Competitive Products Fund to the Postal 
Service Fund. Id. The Postal Service stated that the assumed federal 
income tax transfer occurred on January 10, 2013 by transferring the 
amount representing the Net Income after Tax from the Postal Service 
Fund to the Competitive Products Fund. Id. at question 9. The Postal 
Service stated that this transfer was mathematically identical to 
transferring the Net Income before Tax from the Postal Service Fund to 
the Competitive Products Fund so that the assumed federal income tax 
could be transferred back from the Competitive Products Fund to the 
Postal Service Fund. Id. Therefore, on January 10, 2013, the Postal 
Service transferred the FY 2012 Net Income after Tax amount of 
$525,564,000 from the Postal Service Fund to the Competitive Products 
Fund. Id. On January 11, 2013, as an additional prepayment of 
competitive products' shares of future years' institutional costs, the 
Postal Service transferred the balance of the Competitive Products Fund 
to the Postal Service Fund. Id.

III. Public Inquiry

    Since the issues associated with these transfers were not within 
the scope of the ACD, the Commission stated that it would initiate a 
proceeding to review transfers of amounts from the Postal Service Fund 
to the Competitive Products Fund, the use of amounts from the 
Competitive Products Fund to prepay competitive products' future years' 
institutional costs, and the calculation and transfer of the assumed 
federal income tax. FY 2012 ACD at 175 (citing 39 U.S.C. 
2011(h)(2)(C)(ii) and 39 CFR 3060.42). To foster transparency, the 
Commission establishes Docket No. PI2013-1 to review these issues.
    Commission Information Request No. 1 (CIR No. 1) is issued 
contemporaneously with this Notice. It seeks further clarification from 
the Postal Service on the issues described in this Notice in order to 
increase transparency and develop a more complete record. After the 
Commission has received the Postal Service's responses, the Commission 
may issue a Notice of Inquiry or invite public comment.

IV. Public Representative

    Section 505 of title 39 requires designation of an officer of the 
Commission in all public proceedings to represent the interests of the 
general public. The Commission hereby designates Richard A. Oliver as 
Public Representative in this proceeding.

V. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission hereby establishes Docket No. PI2013-1 to review 
the issues related to the Competitive Products Fund set forth in the 
Commission's FY 2012 Annual Compliance Determination.
    2. Richard A. Oliver is designated as the Public Representative to 
represent the interests of the general public in this proceeding.
    3. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this notice in 
the Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Shoshana M. Grove,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-17838 Filed 7-24-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P

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