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

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) publishes notice at least once monthly of certain Federal agency requests for records disposition authority (records schedules). Once approved by NARA, records schedules provide mandatory instructions on what happens to records when no longer needed for current Government business. They authorize the preservation of records of continuing value in the National Archives of the United States and the destruction, after a specified period, of records lacking administrative, legal, research, or other value. Notice is published for records schedules in which agencies propose to destroy records not previously authorized for disposal or reduce the retention period of records already authorized for disposal. NARA invites public comments on such records schedules, as required by 44 U.S.C. 3303a(a).

The Applicants have submitted an application (the ``Application'') for an order of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the ``Commission''), pursuant to Section 26(c), formerly Section (b), of the 1940 Act, permitting the substitutions of securities issued by certain registered investment companies held by the Accounts to support certain in force variable life insurance policies and variable annuity contracts (collectively, the ``Contracts'') issued by the Companies. More particularly, the Applicants propose to substitute shares of certain series of ING Investors Trust, ING Partners, Inc. and ING Variable Products Trust (the ``Substitute Funds'') for shares of certain registered investment companies currently held by subaccounts of the various Accounts (the ``Replaced Funds'') as follows:

On June 1, 2005, the Chairman of CITA received a petition from Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., on behalf of their client, B*W*A of New York City, alleging that certain 100 percent cotton, piece dyed, plain weave double warp beam seersucker fabrics, of detailed specifications, classified in subheadings 5208.32.30, 5208.32.40, 5208.32.50, and 5209.31.60 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner. The petition requests that woven shirts, blouses, and sleepwear of such fabrics be eligible for preferential treatment under the CBTPA. CITA has determined that the subject fabrics can be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities and in a timely manner and, therefore, denies the request.

The Committee is extending through August 31, 2005, the period for making a determination on whether to request consultations with China regarding imports of knit fabric (Category 222).

The Committee is extending through August 31, 2005, the period for making a determination on whether to request consultations with China regarding imports of cotton and man-made fiber brassieres (Category 349/649).

The Committee is extending through August 31, 2005, the period for making a determination on whether to request consultations with China regarding imports of cotton and man-made fiber dressing gowns and robes (Category 350/650).

Due to requests for additional time to prepare more comprehensive comments in response to the issues that were addressed by the public workshop, an amendment is being issued to the Notice Announcing Public Workshop: Marketing, Self-Regulation & Childhood Obesity to extend the time period during which persons may submit written comments on the workshop until August 12, 2005.

The Federal Maritime Commission is proposing changes to its exemption for non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) from the tariff publication requirements of the Shipping Act of 1984. The proposed rule would revise the exemption to allow NVOCCs and shippers' associations with NVOCC members to act as shipper parties in NVOCC Service Arrangements.

Following receipt of the request on July 5, 2005, from the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Commission instituted investigation No. 332-469 Conditions of Competition for Certain Oranges and Lemons in the U.S. Fresh Market, under section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)). Background: As requested by the Committee, the Commission will conduct an investigation and provide a report on competitive conditions for certain oranges and lemons in the U.S. fresh market during the period 2000-2004. To the extent possible, the investigation will focus on navel oranges and lemons produced for the fresh market, with information provided on broader segments as appropriate. In its report the Commission will provide, to the extent possible, the following: An overview of the global market for oranges and lemons for the fresh market, including production, consumption, and trade; Profiles of the orange and lemon fresh-market industries in the United States and principal foreign producer countries, such as Australia, Argentina, Chile, China, Mexico, Spain, and South Africa; An analysis of U.S. trade in fresh-market oranges and lemons with major competitor countries, including a description of trade practices and measures; and,

The Legal Services Corporation (``LSC'' or ``Corporation'') is amending its regulations relating to financial eligibility for LSC- funded legal services and client retainer agreements. The revisions are intended to reorganize the regulation to make it easier to read and follow; simplify and streamline the requirements of the rule to ease administrative burdens faced by LSC recipients in implementing the regulation and to aid LSC in enforcement of the regulation; and to clarify the focus of the regulation on the financial eligibility of applicants for LSC-funded legal services.

The SEC Advisory Committee on Smaller Public Companies is soliciting public input on issues related to the current securities regulatory system for smaller companies, including the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 on the system. The Advisory Committee is doing this by publishing a series of questions and asking interested parties to respond to the questions.

This action adds to the Procurement List products and services to be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities.

Each applicant, a closed-end investment company, seeks an order declaring that it has ceased to be an investment company. Applicants have never made a public offering of their securities and do not propose to make public offerings or engage in business of any kind. Filing Dates: The applications were filed on May 11, 2005, and amended on July 20, 2005. Applicants' Address: 100 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the General Services Administration (GSA) proposes to establish the E- Authentication Federation, or ``Service Component.'' The E- Authentication Service Component is a common infrastructure for electronically authenticating the identity of users of Federal E- Government services Governmentwide. Using a common network, this infrastructure links identity suppliers (termed Credential Service Providers or CSPs) and identity consumers (termed Agency Applications or AAs) enabling participating CSPs and AAs to communicate in a standardized way. The E-Authentication Service Component does not create or maintain any new Federal System of Records, but does provide for the authorized exchange of information among systems of records that have been or will be established to support Federal E-Government programs and services.

Notice is hereby given that a complaint was filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission on July 5, 2005 under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C. 1337, on behalf of Portfolio Technologies, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois. A letter, with attachments, amending and supplementing the complaint, was filed on July 27, 2005. The complaint, as amended and 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 male prophylactic devices by reason of infringement of claims 1-27, 31-33 and 36 of U.S. Patent No. 5,082,004. 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 limited exclusion order and a permanent cease and desist order.