Agencies and Commissions January 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces its intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with the NSF funding of the United States Implementing Organization's (USIO) participation in the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). This EIS is being prepared and considered in accordance with requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, regulations of the President's Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508), and NSF's National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures (45 CFR 640.1-640.5). The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is being invited to be a cooperating agency in the preparation of the Programmatic EIS. Publication of this notice begins the official scoping process that will help identify alternatives and determine the scope of environmental issues to be addressed in the Programmatic EIS/OEIS. This notice requests public participation in the scoping process and provides information on how to participate.

The Board is amending Regulation E, which implements the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, and the official staff commentary to the regulation codified in Supplement I to Part 205. The commentary interprets the requirements of Regulation E to facilitate compliance primarily by financial institutions that offer electronic fund transfer services to consumers. The revisions address the regulation's coverage of electronic check conversion services. Under the final rule, merchants and other payees that initiate electronic check conversion transactions must obtain a consumer's authorization for each transaction. In addition, commentary revisions address preauthorized transfers, error resolution, and other matters.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has submitted the following proposal(s) for the collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget for review and approval.

California has scheduled a special general election on April 11, 2006, to fill the U.S. House of Representatives seat in the Fiftieth Congressional District vacated by Representative Randy ``Duke'' Cunningham. Under California law, a majority winner in a special election is declared elected. Should no candidate achieve a majority vote, a special runoff election will be held on June 6, 2006, among the top vote-getters of each qualified political party, including qualified independent candidates. Committees participating in the California special elections are required to file pre- and post-election reports. Filing dates for these reports are affected by whether one or two elections are held.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is implementing a Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) pilot program for a selected number of local campaigns. This pilot program will allow Department of Defense (DoD) personnel deployed to certain warfighting areas of responsibility the opportunity to expand their giving options to include the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) activities and/or to the local charities located within the corresponding stateside campaign associated with their home base, in addition to the National and International charities. OPM will assess the results of the pilot program and determine, in coordination with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, if a permanent change should be made to CFC regulations and DoD Directive 5035-1.

The Copyright Royalty Board of the Library of Congress is announcing the commencement of the proceeding to determine the reasonable rates and terms for making and distributing phonorecords. The Board is also announcing the date by which a party who wishes to participate in the new rate proceeding must file its Petition to Participate and the accompanying $150 filing fee.

The Copyright Royalty Board of the Library of Congress is announcing the commencement of the proceeding to determine the reasonable rates and terms for preexisting subscription and satellite digital audio radio services. The Board is also announcing the date by which a party who wishes to participate in the new rate proceeding must file its Petition to Participate and the accompanying $150 filing fee.

This document contains temporary regulations that lift certain restrictions on financial hardship inservice withdrawals from Federal employees' and uniformed service members' Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) accounts. These temporary regulations are intended to assist TSP participants affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.

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

The Committee is proposing to delete products previously furnished by such agencies.

The General Services Administration (GSA) announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 to assess the potential impacts of the construction of a New Border Station Facility in Madawaska, Maine (the ``Proposed Action''). At the request of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the GSA is proposing to construct a new border station facility which meets their needs, and the design requirements of the GSA. The existing facilities are undersized and obsolete, and consequently incapable of providing the level of security now required. The Proposed Action has been defined and will likely include: (a) identification of land requirements, including acquisition of adjoining land; (b) demolition of existing government structures at the border station; (c) construction of a main administration building and ancillary support buildings; and (d) consequent potential alterations to secondary roads. Alternatives to be studied will identify alternative locations for the components of the border station including the main administration and ancillary support buildings, the associated roadway network and parking. A No Action alternative will also be studied that will evaluate the consequences of not constructing the new border station facility. This alternative is included to provide a basis for comparison to the action alternatives described above as required by NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1002.14(d)). GSA invites individuals, organizations and agencies to submit comments concerning the scope of the EIS. The public scoping period starts with the publication of this notice in the Federal Register and will continue for forty five (45) days from the date of this notice. GSA will consider all comments received or postmarked by that date in defining the scope of the EIS. GSA expects to issue a Draft EIS by June 2006 at which time its availability will be announced in the Federal Register and local media. A public comment period will commence upon publication of the Notice of Availability. The GSA will consider and respond to comments received on the Draft EIS in preparing the Final EIS.

The Audio Division, at the request of Cook County Broadcasting of Minnesota, allots Channel 245C0 at Grand Portage, Minnesota, as the community's first local FM service. Channel 245C0 can be allotted to Grand Portage, Minnesota, in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements at city reference coordinates without site restriction. The coordinates for Channel 245C0 at Grand Portage, Minnesota, are 47-57-50 North Latitude and 89-41-05 West Longitude. The Government of Canada has concurred in this allotment, which is located within 320 kilometers (199 miles) of the U.S.-Canadian border.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (hereinafter the ``Corporation''), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general 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 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirement on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Corporation is soliciting comments on its proposed ``Application for the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll'' which will involve the collection of information from institutions of higher education concerning their community service- related activities. This information will provide the basis for a national honor roll and awards program intended to promote awareness of higher education community service efforts and to inspire expanded and more effective service efforts. In support of the Universities Rebuilding America Program (discussed below), this application and data collection include sections on the service activities of institutions of higher education, their students, faculty and staff, in response to the significant devastation caused by this last year's Atlantic and Gulf hurricanes. Copies of the information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and NASA policy and procedures (14 CFR subpart 1216.3), NASA has prepared and issued a DPEIS for the proposed development of two new types of advanced Radioisotope Power Systems (RPSs), the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) and the Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG). The purpose of this proposed action is to develop advanced power systems, specifically the MMRTG and the SRG, that would enable a broad range of long-term space exploration missions and would be able to function in the environments encountered in space and on the surfaces of planets, moons, and other solar system bodies that have an atmosphere. Included in this proposed action are NASA's long-term research and development (R&D) activities focused on alternative radioisotope power systems and power conversion technologies. The long- term R&D activities could include, but not necessarily be limited to, improvements to further increase the versatility of future RPS designs, expanding their capability and the environments in which they can operate. The long-term R&D activities are also expected to include activities to develop RPS designs with smaller electric outputs and efforts to reduce the mass of power conversion systems to further improve specific power (watts of electrical power per unit of mass). Such long-term R&D activities do not involve the use of radioactive material. The only alternative to the Proposed Action considered in detail is the No Action Alternative, where NASA would discontinue development efforts for the production of the MMRTG and the SRG and would continue to consider the use of currently available RPSs, such as the General Purpose Heat Source-Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (GPHS-RTG), for future exploration missions. As with the Proposed Action, NASA's long-term R&D activities on alternative radioisotope power systems and power conversion technologies would continue.