2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an extension, without change, of a currently approved information collection request (ICR) 3206-0218, Death Benefit Payment Rollover Election, RI 94-7. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35) as amended by the Clinger-Cohen Act (Pub. L. 104-106), OPM is soliciting comments for this collection. The Office of Management and Budget is particularly interested in comments that: 1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of OPM, including whether the information will have practical utility; 2. Evaluate the accuracy of OPM's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; 3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a revised information collection request (ICR) 3206-0219, USAJOBS. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35) as amended by the Clinger-Cohen Act (Pub. L. 104- 106), OPM is soliciting comments for this collection. In particular, we invite comments that: 1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of OPM, including whether the information will have practical utility; 2. Evaluate the accuracy of the OPM's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; 3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The Department of Defense is publishing this notice to announce that the following Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) will take place.

This notice invites interested parties to comment on HUD's administration of the funding competition for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program during Fiscal Year (FY) 2013.

Notice is hereby given of the regular meeting of the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation Board (Board). DATE AND TIME: The meeting of the Board will be held at the offices of the Farm Credit Administration in McLean, Virginia, on September 12, 2013, from 1:00 p.m. until such time as the Board concludes its business.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1275, ``Ultimate Heat Sink for Nuclear Power Plants.'' This regulatory guide (RG) describes methods and procedures acceptable to the NRC staff that nuclear power plant facility licensees and applicants may use to implement general design criteria (GDC) that are applicable to the ultimate heat sink (UHS) features of plant systems.

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (``PBGC'') intends to request that the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') extend approval (with modifications), under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, of a collection of information in its regulations on Termination of Single-Employer Plans and Missing Participants, and implementing forms and instructions (OMB control number 1212-0036; expires December 31, 2013). This notice informs the public of PBGC's intent and solicits public comment on the collection of information.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) intends to request that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) extend approval, under the Paperwork Reduction Act, of the collection of information for the termination premium under its regulation on Payment of Premiums (29 CFR Part 4007) (OMB control number 1212-0064; expires December 31, 2013), with minor changes. This notice informs the public of PBGC's intent and solicits public comment on the collection of information.

On January 15, 2013, the United States Trade Representative notified Congress of the Administration's intention to enter into negotiations for a Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) with an initial group of 20 trading partners. The January 15 notification states that the group negotiating TISA ``will expand as negotiations progress to include others who share our ambitious goals. This expansion will help further U.S. objectives for this agreement rather than change them.'' The TISA negotiating countries agree that two additional trading partners, Paraguay and Liechtenstein, are willing and able to meet the high standards envisioned for the agreement. The negotiating countries have formed a consensus to allow these new participants to join the negotiations. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking public comments regarding particular priorities with respect to the participation of these two countries in the negotiations.

The purpose of this notice is to request public nominations for two members of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Advisory Committee (GSENM-MAC). The GSENM-MAC provides advice and recommendations to the GSENM on science issues and the achievement of the GSENM Monument Management Plan objectives. GSENM will accept public nominations for 30 days from the publication date of this notice.

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 25. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records Standard (29 CFR 1910.1020).

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) announces the award of a single-source program expansion supplement grant to Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants, Boston, MA, in the amount of $325,000 under the Wilson- Fish Program. The supplemental award will allow the grantee to provide refugee cash assistance (RCA) to arriving refugees and others who are also eligible for refugee benefits through the remainder of the current budget period. The expansion supplement award will enable the grantee to provide assistance to a higher number of clients than originally planned. RCA is provided to clients for up to 8 months upon arrival to the U.S. who are categorically ineligible to receive cash assistance through the State TANF program but otherwise meet the program's financial eligibility requirements.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to delist the Eriogonum gypsophilum (gypsum wild-buckwheat), and downlist the black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla), lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae), Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri (Kuenzler hedgehog cactus), and Sclerocactus brevihamatus ssp. tobuschii (Tobusch fishhook cactus) from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Based on our review, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned actions may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a review of the status of these species to determine if the respective actions of delisting and reclassifying are warranted. Section 4(c)(2)(A) of the Act also requires a status review of listed species at least once every 5 years. We are, therefore, electing to conduct each of these 5-year reviews simultaneously with the corresponding 12-month finding. To ensure that this status review is comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding these species. Based on the status review, we will issue a 12-month finding on the petition, which will address whether the petitioned action is warranted, as provided in section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act.

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Written comments and/or suggestions from the public and affected agencies are invited on one or more of the following points: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the function of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) The accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. To Submit Comments and for Further Information: To obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, submit comments in writing, or request more information on the proposed project, contact: Ms. Dione Washington, Strategic Planning and Evaluation Branch, OSPIDA, NIAID, NIH, 6610 Rockledge Dr, Rm 2501 Bethesda, MD 20892-6620, or Email your request, including your address to washingtondi@niaid.nih.gov. Formal requests for additional plans and instruments must be requested in writing. Comment Due Date: Comments regarding this information collection are best assured of having their full effect if received within 60 days of the date of this publication. Proposed Collection: Data Collection to Understand How NIH Programs Apply Methodologies to Improve Their Research Programs (MIRP), 0925New, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Need and Use of Information Collection: In this submission, NIAID is requesting an OMB generic clearance for formative research activities relating to the collection of data to assist the Institute in understanding the usefulness of a range of methodologies that are employed to increase organizational effectiveness. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) have instructed agencies to apply rigorous strategy management principles to ensure resources are directed at high-priority programs and avoid duplication of effort. A key aspect to ensuring resources dedicated to these programs are applied efficiently and effectively is to understand how NIH research programs apply methodologies to improve their organizational effectiveness. The degree of an organization's effectiveness is commonly recognized to be influenced by many factors. These can include the clarity of its purpose and strategy, how it allocates and structures its work, the processes used to carry out operations, the way technologies are used to support work, the people involved and their skills and abilities, the way relationships are managed with partners and stakeholders, and how leadership functions, particularly in terms of its ability to ensure that all the other components are aligned in supporting work towards the mission. Many methodologies are commonly employed in all sectors, including government, with the goal of increasing organizational effectiveness. Some examples of those used widely are strategic planning and strategy management, total quality management, change management, organizational assessment and intervention, organizational design, process improvement, leadership development, performance management, and workforce training and professional development, among others. There are many models and approaches to each of these methodologies. Each one can be implemented in a wide range of ways. Reflection on and learning from methodologies that have been used and the ways in which they have been employed is critical to continually ensuring that government functions effectively. The primary use for information gathered through voluntary survey pilot testing, surveys, focus groups, interviews, and collaborative data interpretation meetings to understand the use of strategy management in research programs supported by the NIH. The information will improve approaches to implementing strategic management, which will lead to more efficient use of resources. Results gathered in these data will be used to enhance implementation of methodologies to improve organizational effectiveness. The main goal of this information is to improve program outcomes and increase the efficiency of resource utilization. The knowledge gained from these collections will be used to strengthen the planning, implementation, and monitoring of NIH research programs, as well as to strengthen strategy management in NIH research programs. The questions asked, and the data to be collected are rooted in established business-based paradigms but specifically adapted for use (and relevance) in a biomedical research environment, in order to discern: (1) Factors that enhance (or inhibit) organizational effectiveness in research programs; (2) utility and acceptance of these kinds of efforts among biomedical researchers and research stakeholders. The results from this formative research project will inform quality improvement activities in several areas, including goal setting, capability and resource evaluation, operational efficiency, and performance monitoring. Utilized data collection methodologies will be administered in a manner that minimizes public information collection burden. These include, but are not limited to, surveys, focus groups, and/or cognitive interviews. Separate and distinct generic clearances are requested to facilitate the efficiency of submission and review of these projects as required by the OMB Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. OMB approval is requested for 3 years. There are no costs to respondents other than their time. The total estimated annualized burden hours are 4775.

Notice is hereby given of a virtual meeting of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS[supreg]) Advisory Committee (Committee). Dates and Times: The public meeting will be held on Tuesday September 24, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT. These times and the agenda topics described below are subject to change. Refer to the Web page listed below for the most up-to-date meeting agenda.

This document contains a notice of pendency before the Department of Labor (the Department) of a proposed individual exemption from certain prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA or the Act), and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code). The proposed transactions involve AT&T, the AT&T Pension Benefit Plan (the Plan), and the SBC Master Pension Trust (the Trust). The proposed exemption, if granted, would affect the Plan and its participants and beneficiaries. Effective Date: If granted, this proposed exemption will be effective as of September 1, 2013.

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.