March 27, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is initiating a Glossary Pilot Program to study how the inclusion of a glossary section in the specification of a patent application at the time of filing the application improves the clarity of the patent claims and facilitates examination of patent applications by the USPTO. Currently, there is no requirement that a glossary section be provided by an applicant as part of the patent application specification. In order to participate in the Glossary Pilot Program, an applicant will be required to include a glossary section in the patent application specification to define terms used in the patent application. The pilot is testing to see if definitions in the glossary section enhance patent quality and improve the clarity of patent claims, by enabling the USPTO and the public to more fully understand the meaning of the patent claims. This notice outlines conditions, eligibility requirements, and guidelines of the pilot program, which will govern acceptance of an application into, and examination under, the Glossary Pilot Program. Applications accepted into this pilot program will receive expedited processing by placing them on an examiner's special docket prior to the first Office action, and will have special status up to issuance of a first Office action.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to revise the regulatory definition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under the Clean Air Act (CAA). This proposed revision would add 2- amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (also known as AMP; CAS number 124-68-5) to the list of compounds excluded from the regulatory definition of VOCs on the basis that this compound makes a negligible contribution to tropospheric ozone formation. In the ``Rules and Regulations'' section of this Federal Register, we are making this same amendment as a direct final rule without a prior proposed rule. If we receive no adverse comment, we will not take further action on this proposed rule.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an order prohibiting Mr. Geisser, III from involvement in NRC-licensed activities for a period of 3 years. The order also requires Mr. Geisser, III to notify the NRC of any current involvement in NRC- licensed activities and for a period of 1 year after the 3-year period of prohibition has expired, that he provide a written notice for his first employment offer involving NRC-licensed activities.

The FDIC, 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 the renewal of existing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35). On January 16, 2014, (79 FR 2836), the FDIC requested comment for 60 days on a proposal to renew the following information collections: Community Reinvestment Act, 3064-0092; Application for Waiver of Prohibition on Acceptance of Brokered Deposits, 3064-0099; Management Official Interlocks, 3064-0118; & Affordable Marketing/Consumer Opt-Out Notices, 3064-0149, described below. Except as noted below, no comments were received. The FDIC hereby gives notice of its plan to submit to OMB a request to approve the renewal of these collections, and again invites comment on this renewal.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Advisory Panel (AP) will meet to review recent fishery performance and develop Fishery Performance Reports and/or other recommendations for the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish fisheries in preparation for the Council's setting of 2015 specifications at the June 2014 Council meeting.

The Department of Justice is amending Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) regulations to remove those defense articles currently on the U.S. Munitions Import List that ATF by delegation has determined no longer warrant import control under the Arms Export Control Act.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 727 airplanes. This AD was prompted by certain mandated programs intended to support the airplane reaching its limit of validity of the engineering data that support the established structural maintenance program. This AD requires an inspection for cracks in the main wheel well pressure floor and a preventive modification or permanent repair, as applicable. We are issuing this AD to prevent cracking in the main wheel well pressure floor, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane, and decompression of the cabin.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s). Comments are requested concerning: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and further ways to reduce the information burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid Control Number.

The Department of Defense has submitted to OMB for clearance, the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

In compliance with section 3507(a)(1)(D) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, has submitted an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR is for a new generic clearance for information collection. Comments submitted during the first public review of this ICR will be provided to OMB. OMB will accept further comments from the public on this ICR during the review and approval period.

In this document, the Commission issues a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) seeking comment on options and proposals to further enhance accessibility to television programming and to improve the Commission's procedural rules regarding closed captioning.

The Department of Labor (Department), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)] (PRA). The PRA helps ensure that respondents can provide requested data in the desired format with minimal reporting burden (time and financial resources), collection instruments are clearly understood and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, ETA is soliciting comments concerning the proposed extension of the collection of data contained in the procedures to petition for classification as a Labor Surplus Area (LSA) under exceptional circumstances criteria (currently expires July 31, 2014).

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 programs). WIA defines ``low income individual'' to include individuals who received income during 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 2014, and also provides a reference to the 2014 Health and Human Services ``Poverty Guidelines.''

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on the proposed information collection. This is a new information collection for the Evaluation of the Pilot Project for Canned, Frozen, or Dried Fruits and Vegetables in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is publishing this notice of petitions received under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (the Program), as required by Section 2112(b)(2) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended. While the Secretary of Health and Human Services is named as the respondent in all proceedings brought by the filing of petitions for compensation under the Program, the United States Court of Federal Claims is charged by statute with responsibility for considering and acting upon the petitions.

HUD has submitted the proposed information collection requirement described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. The purpose of this notice is to allow for an additional 30 days of public comment.