Agencies and Commissions September 13, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for reclearance of an information collection. RI 25-49, Verification of Full-Time School Attendance, is used to verify that adult student annuitants are entitled to payments. OPM must confirm that a full-time enrollment has been maintained. Approximately 10,000 RI 25-49 forms are completed annually. The form takes approximately 60 minutes to complete. The annual estimated burden is 10,000 hours. For copies of this proposal, contact Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606-8358, FAX (202) 418-3251 or via e-mail to mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please include a mailing address with your request.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends to submit a request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review of a revised information collection. The Optional Form (OF) 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, is completed by applicants who are under consideration for Federal or Federal contract employment. The OF 306 requests that the applicant provide personal identifying data, including, for example, general background information, information concerning retirement pay received or requested and information on Selective Service registration and military service. The revision is to make needed administrative updates. It is estimated that 474,000 individuals will respond annually. Each form takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. The annual estimated burden is 118,500 hours. Comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of OPM and its Center for Federal Investigative Services, which administers background investigations; Whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection is accurate and based on valid assumptions and methodology; Ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through use of the appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology; Ways in which we can enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected. For copies of this proposal, contact Mary Beth Smith-Toomey, OPM Forms Officer, at (202) 606-8358, FAX (202) 418-3251 or mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please include your mailing address with your request.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration announces an open meeting of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC), Task Force on International Space Station Operational Readiness (IOR).

The Federal Salary Council will meet at the time and location shown below. The Council is an advisory body composed of representatives of Federal employee organizations and experts in the fields of labor relations and pay policy. The Council makes recommendations to the President's Pay Agent (the Secretary of Labor and the Directors of the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management) about the locality pay program for General Schedule employees under section 5304 of title 5, United States Code. The Council's recommendations cover the establishment of modification of locality pay areas, the coverage of salary surveys, the process of comparing Federal and non-Federal rates of pay, and the level of comparability payments that should be paid. The Council will review the results of pay comparisons and formulate its recommendations to the President's Pay Agent on pay comparison methods, locality pay area boundaries for 2007. The Council anticipates it will complete its work for this year at this meeting and has not scheduled any additional meetings for 2005. The public may submit written materials about the locality pay program to the Council at the address shown below. The meeting is open to the public.

The Interim Chief Copyright Royalty Judge, on behalf of the Copyright Royalty Board, is requesting comments on the existence of controversies to the distribution of the 2003 cable royalty fund.

The Advisory Committee on Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure will hold a two-day meeting. The meeting will be open to public observation but not participation.

The Advisory Committee on Rules of Evidence will hold a one- day meeting. The meeting will be open to public observation but not participation.

The Advisory Committee on Rules of Criminal Procedure will hold a two-day meeting. The meeting will be open to public observation but not participation.

The Farm Credit Administration (FCA or Agency) amends its rules governing preferred stock issued by Farm Credit System (FCS or System) banks, associations, and service corporations. This final rule requires greater board involvement and oversight in the retirement of preferred stock, enhances FCA's current standards of conduct regulations to specifically address insider preferred stock transactions, modifies and streamlines the FCA review and clearance process, and requires disclosure of senior officer and director preferred stock transactions. Lastly, we add a new provision to require FCA prior approval of investments by FCS banks, associations, and service corporations in preferred stock of other System institutions, including the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac).

Pursuant to 28 CFR part 901, the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Council (Compact Council), established by the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Act of 1998 (Compact), has approved a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) proposal to access the Interstate Identification Index (III) System on a delayed fingerprint submission basis when conducting pre-employment criminal history record checks on FEMA emergency workers during times of natural disasters and catastrophic emergencies. (See FEMA's request, attached) FEMA is authorized access to criminal history record information to conduct background checks on applicants for federal employment pursuant to title 28 United States Code section 534 and Executive Order 10450. The FEMA's request was submitted by letter dated October 19, 2004, and approved by the Compact Council on November 4, 2004, pursuant to 28 CFR 901.2 and 901.3. Access to the III System to conduct name-based criminal history record checks, followed by fingerprint submissions, provides a responsive and timely avenue to support FEMA's need for expeditious pre-employment screening during exigent circumstances. An example of such need arose during 2004 when several hurricanes struck the southeastern portion of the United States causing the FEMA to hire large numbers of emergency workers in a short period of time. FEMA intends to enlist the services of the Federal Protective Service or another criminal justice agency with authorized direct access to the III System to conduct the preliminary III name checks on behalf of FEMA. Such name-based checks will be followed by submission of the applicant's fingerprints to the FBI within 5 working days.