Agencies and Commissions January 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Corporation for National and Community Service (hereinafter the ``Corporation''), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, will submit the following public information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-13, (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35)). The Corporation is soliciting from members of the public and affected agencies comments concerning the proposed collection of information. Currently, the Corporation is soliciting comments concerning a new information collection for the annual State Profiles and Performance Report. The Corporation proposes to conduct an annual data collection request from State Service Commissions to gather information on AmeriCorps member service activity not available in current agency data systems. Copies of the information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announces a meeting of the NASA Sun-Solar System Connection Strategic Roadmap Committee.

NASA hereby gives notice that Bartron Medical Imaging, LLC, of New Haven, Connecticut, has applied for a partially exclusive license to practice the inventions described and claimed in U.S. Patent Application No. 09/839,147, entitled ``Method for Implementation of Recursive Hierarchical Segmentation on Parallel Computers,'' and claimed in U.S. Patent Application No. 10/845,419, entitled ``A Method for Recursive Hierarchical Segmentation which Eliminates Processing Window Artifacts,'' which are assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Written objections to the prospective grant of a license should be sent to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA has not yet made a determination to grant the requested license and may deny the requested license even if no objections are submitted within the comment period.

NCUA is updating its rule regarding conversion of insured credit unions to mutual savings banks (MSBs). The amendments require a converting credit union to provide its members with additional disclosures about the conversion before conducting a member vote. The amendments also require the vote to be by secret ballot and conducted by an independent entity. Finally, the amendments require a federally- insured State credit union to provide NCUA with conversion related information about the law of the State where the credit union is chartered.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the General Services Administration will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve a renewal of a currently approved information collection requirement regarding GSAR Clause 552.237-71, qualifications of employees. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.

The Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee was established by Public Law 105-121, November 26, 1997, to advise the Board of Directors on the development and implementation of policies and programs designed to support the expansion of the Bank's financial commitments in Sub- Saharan Africa under the loan, guarantee and insurance programs of the Bank. Further, the committee shall make recommendations on how the Bank can facilitate greater support by U.S. commercial banks for trade with Sub-Saharan Africa. Time and Place: February 16, 2005, at 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Export-Import Bank in Room 1143, 811 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20571. Agenda: Given the entire new membership on the advisory committee, the meeting will begin with an ethics briefing applicable to non- government appointees who serve on such a committee followed by a review of the 2004 Ex-Im Bank report to the U.S. Congress on the Bank's activities in sub-Saharan Africa specifically including a report on the September 2004 ``Increasing Capital Flows to Africa'' conference in Johannesburg co-sponsored with the Corporate Council on Africa; a review of the current year's business development efforts in the region; a status report on the Millennium Challenge Corporation as it relates to the selected African countries; and planning for the Africa panel session at the April 14-15 annual Ex-Im Bank meeting. Public Participation: The meeting will be open to public participation, and the last 10 minutes will be set aside for oral questions or comments. Members of the public may also file written statement(s) before or after the meeting. If any person wishes auxiliary aids (such as a sign language interpreter) or other special accommodations, please contact, prior to February 16, 2005, Barbara Ransom, Room 1241, 811 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20571, voice: (202) 565-3525 or TDD (202) 565-3377.

The Federal Trade Commission (``Commission'') amends its Appliance Labeling Rule (``Rule'') by publishing new ranges of comparability to be used on required labels for compact and standard- sized clothes washers. The Commission is also making several technical corrections to language in the Rule related to clothes washers and dishwashers.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is denying a petition for rulemaking (dated August 2, 1993, Docket No. PRM-20-22) submitted by the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (the District or the petitioner). The petitioner requested that NRC amend its regulations to require all licensees to provide no less than 24 hours advance notice to the appropriate sewage treatment plant before releasing radioactive material into a sanitary sewer system, and to exempt radioactive materials that enter the sanitary waste stream from the requirements regarding NRC approval for incineration. NRC is denying the petition because it has been determined that current NRC regulations for discharge of licensed material into sanitary sewer systems are adequate and that current regulations for NRC approval for treatment or disposal of licensed material by incineration are necessary to ensure the protection of public health and safety and the environment.

The Office of Personnel Management is issuing interim regulations to implement a provision of the Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2004, which established a new form of compensatory time off for time spent by an employee in a travel status away from the employee's official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable.

The current 18 percent per year federal credit union maximum loan rate is scheduled to revert to 15 percent on March 9, 2005, unless otherwise provided by the NCUA Board (Board). A 15 percent ceiling would restrict certain categories of credit and adversely affect the financial condition of a number of federal credit unions. At the same time, prevailing market rates and economic conditions do not justify a rate higher than the current 18 percent ceiling. Accordingly, the Board hereby continues an 18 percent federal credit union loan rate ceiling for the period March 9, 2005 through September 8, 2006. The Board is prepared to reconsider the 18 percent ceiling at any time should changes in economic conditions warrant.

The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress is requesting comment as to whether the 2005 cable statutory license rate adjustment proceeding should take place under the auspices of the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (``CARP'') system or the new Copyright Royalty Judge (``CRJ'') system.

The Copyright Office seeks to examine the issues raised by ``orphan works,'' i.e., copyrighted works whose owners are difficult or even impossible to locate. Concerns have been raised that the uncertainty surrounding ownership of such works might needlessly discourage subsequent creators and users from incorporating such works in new creative efforts or making such works available to the public. This notice requests written comments from all interested parties. Specifically, the Office is seeking comments on whether there are compelling concerns raised by orphan works that merit a legislative, regulatory or other solution, and what type of solution could effectively address these concerns without conflicting with the legitimate interests of authors and right holders.