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

The General Services Administration (GSA) is amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) by issuing a final rule to modify existing policy on obtaining deviations from both the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and GSAR. This final rule will include revised procedures for obtaining deviations and will clarify the term ``class deviation,'' and add clarification regarding the term ``contract action''.

The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid 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 that does not display a valid control number. Comments are requested concerning (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) 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.

The NCUA is submitting the following information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). This information collection is published to obtain comments from the public.

This is a Notice of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of Alaska (FEMA-1584- DR ), dated 03/14/2005. Incident: Severe Winter Storm. Incident Period: 01/07/2005 through 01/12/2005. Effective Date: 03/14/2005. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 05/13/2005.

This is an amendment of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for the State of Ohio (FEMA-1580-DR), dated February 15, 2005. Incident: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides. Incident Period: December 22, 2004 through February 1, 2005.

On March 21, 2005, the Department of Commerce published notice in the Federal Register of a negative final determination of subsidies in connection with the subject investigation (70 FR 13462). Accordingly, pursuant to section 207.40(a) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 207.40(a)), the countervailing duty investigation concerning PET resin from Thailand (investigation No. 701-TA-440 (Final)) is terminated.

Notice is hereby given that a complaint was filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission on February 23, 2005, under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C. 1337, on behalf of Flexsys America LP. A supplement to the complaint was filed on March 10, 2005. The complaint, as supplemented, alleges violations of section 337 in the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain rubber antidegradants, components thereof, and products containing same that infringe claims 30 and 61 of U.S. Patent No. 5,117,063, claims 7 and 11 of U.S. Patent No. 5,608,111, and claims 1, 32, and 40 of U.S. Patent No. 6,140,538. The complaint further alleges that an industry in the United States exists as required by subsection (a)(2) of section 337. The complainant requests that the Commission institute an investigation and, after the investigation, issue a permanent exclusion order and permanent cease and desist orders.

The FDIC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the proposed revision of an information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35). Currently, the FDIC is soliciting comments concerning an information collection titled ``Account Based Disclosures in Connection with Federal Reserve Regulations E, CC and DD.''

The General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing to amend the Federal Property Management Regulations (FPMR) by revising coverage on utilization, donation, or disposal of abandoned and forfeited personal property and moving it into the Federal Management Regulation (FMR). A cross-reference is added to the FPMR to direct readers to the coverage in the FMR. The FMR coverage is written in plain language to provide agencies with updated regulatory material that is easy to read and understand.

It is the policy of the Commission to publish settlements which it provisionally accepts under the Consumer Product Safety Act in the Federal Register in accordance with the terms of 16 CFR 118.20. Published below is a provisionally-accepted Settlement Agreement with Graco Children's Products, Inc. a corporation and Century Products, f/ k/a Century Products Company, containing a civil penalty of $4,000,000.00.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed regulation for the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). This regulation requires that each federation and unaffiliated organization applying to participate in the CFC must, as a condition of participation, certify that it is in compliance with all statutes, Executive orders, and regulations restricting or prohibiting U.S. persons from engaging in transactions and dealings with countries, entities, and individuals subject to economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The NRC is preparing a submittal to OMB for review of continued approval of information collections under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Information pertaining to the requirement to be submitted: 1. The title of the information collection: 10 CFR part 100, ``Reactor Site Criteria.'' 2. Current OMB approval number: 3150-0093. 3. How often the collection is required: As necessary in order for NRC to assess the adequacy of proposed seismic design bases and the design bases for other geological hazards for nuclear power and test reactors constructed and licensed in accordance with 10 CFR parts 50 and 52 and the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended. 4. Who is required or asked to report: Applicants and licensees for nuclear power and test reactors. 5. The number of annual respondents: .33 (1 respondent every 3 years). 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 8,711. 7. Abstract: 10 CFR part 100, ``Reactor Site Criteria,'' establishes approval requirements for proposed sites for the purpose of constructing and operating stationary power and testing reactors pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR parts 50 or 52. These reactors are required to be sited, designed, constructed, and maintained to withstand geologic hazards, such as faulting, seismic hazards, and the maximum credible earthquake, to protect the health and safety of the public and the environment. Non-seismic siting criteria must also be evaluated. Non-seismic siting criteria include such factors as population density, the proximity of man-related hazards, and site atmospheric dispersion characteristics. NRC uses the information required by 10 CFR part 100 to evaluate whether natural phenomena and potential man-made hazards will be appropriately accounted for in the design of nuclear power and test reactors. Submit, by May 27, 2005, comments that address the following questions: 1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the NRC to properly perform its functions? Does the information have practical utility? 2. Is the burden estimate accurate? 3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected? 4. How can the burden of the information collection be minimized, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology? A copy of the draft supporting statement may be viewed free of charge at the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O-1 F21, Rockville, MD 20852. OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC worldwide Web site: https:// www.nrc.gov/public-involve/doc-comment/omb/. The document will be available on the NRC home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments and questions about the information collection requirements may be directed to the NRC Clearance Officer, Brenda Jo. Shelton (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-7233, or by Internet electronic mail to infocollects@nrc.gov.

The Securities and Exchange Commission Advisory Committee on Smaller Public Companies will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, April 12, 2005, in the William O. Douglas Room of the Commission's headquarters, 450 Fifth Street, NW., Washington, DC, beginning at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be open to the public and webcast on the Commission's Web site at https://www.sec.gov. The public is invited to submit written statements to the Committee.

The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress is amending its final regulations concerning group registration of published photographs to limit to 750 the number of photographs that may be identified on continuation sheets submitted with a single application form and filing fee. The regulation continues to place no limit on the number of photographs that may be included in a single group registration when the applicant elects not to use continuation sheets and instead identifies the date of publication for each photograph on the deposited image and the applicant meets the other regulatory requirements for group registration of published photographs. The regulation also clarifies that the date of publication for each photograph may be identified in a text file on the CD-ROM or DVD that contains the photographic images or on a list that accompanies the deposit and provides the publication date for each image.

The OCC, Board, FDIC, and OTS (collectively, ``we'' or ``the agencies'') are adopting, in final form, without change, the joint interim rule that was published for comment in the Federal Register on July 8, 2004. This joint final rule conforms our regulations implementing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to changes in: the Standards for Defining Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas published by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in December 2000; census tracts designated by the U.S. Census Bureau (Census); and the Board's Regulation C, which implements the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). The joint final rule also makes a technical correction to a cross-reference within our CRA regulations. This joint final rule does not make substantive changes to the requirements of the CRA regulations, and it is identical to the joint interim final rule adopted by the agencies.