Agencies and Commissions June 21, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Personnel Management is issuing proposed regulations regarding the employee awards program. These revisions clarify the use of performance-based cash awards by providing that such awards programs, as designed and applied, must make meaningful distinctions based on levels of performance. This proposed change is designed to ensure that better performers receive greater recognition.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the General Services Administration has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement regarding Art-in Architecture Program National Artist Registry. A request for public comments was published at 71 FR 10688, March 2, 2006. No comments were received. This OMB clearance expires on July 31, 2006. The Art-in-Architecture Program is the result of a policy decision made in January 1963 by GSA Administrator Bernard L. Boudin who had served on the Ad Hoc Committee on Federal Office Space in 1961-1962. The program has been modified over the years, most recently in 2000 when a renewed focus on commissioningworks of art that are an integral part of the building's architecture and adjacent landscape was instituted. The program continues to commission works of art from living American artists. One-half of one percent of the estimated construction cost of new or substantially renovated Federal buildings and U.S. courthouses is allocated for commissioning works of art. 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.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Federal Housing Finance Board (Finance Board) has submitted the information collection entitled ``Federal Home Loan Bank Acquired Member Assets, Core Mission Activities, Investments and Advances'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval of a 3 year extension of the OMB control number, which is due to expire on March 31, 2007. Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Finance Board is publishing a final rule that reorganizes the way it imposes certain reporting requirements on the Federal Home Loan Banks (Banks), including the reporting requirements in this information collection. The information collection has been moved from Finance Board regulations and into the Data Reporting Manual, which is an enforceable order issued pursuant to the Finance Board's investigatory powers.

In response to a Notice of Proposed Rule Making, this Report and Order allots Channel 278A to Frisco City, Alabama. The coordinates for Channel 278A at Frisco City, Alabama are 31-27-42 NL and 87-32-29 WL, with a site restriction of 13.7 kilometers (8.5 miles) west of Frisco City.

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, Public Law 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 (PRA) 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 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, Public Law 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 Commitments of Traders (``COT'') reports are weekly reports, published by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``CFTC'' or ``Commission''), showing aggregate trader positions in certain futures and options markets. Over time, both the trading activity that is the subject of the COT reports, and the reports themselves, have continued to change and evolve. As part of its ongoing efforts both to maintain an information system that reflects changing market conditions, and to provide the public with useful information regarding futures and options markets, the Commission is undertaking a comprehensive review of the COT reporting program. This release is intended to: (1) Provide useful background information regarding the COT reports; (2) lay out various issues and questions regarding the COT reports; and (3) solicit public comment regarding the reports, including suggestions as to possible changes in the COT reporting system.

This document denies a Petition for Partial Reconsideration filed by AirTV Limited in response to the Commission's S-Band Allocation Order, which, inter alia, deleted the unused Broadcasting Satellite Service (BSS) allocation from the band 2500-2690 MHz and removed a related footnote from the Table of Frequency Allocations (Table). We continue to believe that the decision in the S-Band Allocation Order serves the public interest because it will prevent terrestrial licensees in the band 2500-2690 MHz from incurring the costs of mitigating the interference expected from BSS systems, such as the one proposed by AirTV.

At the request of Manning Broadcasting, former licensee of Station WARX(FM), Hagerstown, Maryland, this document reallots Channel 295B from Hagerstown, Maryland, to Myersville, Maryland, as the community's first local transmission service, and modifies the license for Station WARX(FM) to specify the new community. Channel 295B is reallotted at Myersville at a site 13.9 kilometers (2.4 miles) west of the community at coordinates 34-29-57 NL and 77-36-42 WL.

The Audio Division, at the request of KERM, Inc., licensee of Station KURM-FM, Channel 262A, Southwest City, Missouri, deletes Channel 262A at Southwest City, Missouri, from the FM Table of Allotments, allots Channel 262A at Gravette, Arkansas, as the community's first local FM service, and modifies the license of Station KURM-FM to specify operation on Channel 262A at Gravette, Arkansas. Channel 262A can be allotted to Gravette, Arkansas, in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements with a site restriction of 5.4 km (3.4 miles) west of Gravette. The coordinates for Channel 262A at Gravette, Arkansas, are 36-25-54 North Latitude and 94- 30-46 West Longitude.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 directs the Commission to issue labeling requirements for the electricity used by ceiling fans to circulate air. The Commission is seeking public comment on proposed energy labeling requirements for these products.

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (``Board'') is publishing this consultation paper to seek information from financial institutions and other interested parties on their experience in managing intraday liquidity, credit, and operational risks relating to Fedwire funds transfers and associated transactions. The Board also seeks views on potential changes in market practices, operations, and its Payments System Risk (PSR) Policy that could reduce one or more of these risks, while maintaining or improving the efficiency of the payments system. This consultation is consistent with the Federal Reserve's long-standing practice of working with the financial industry to address payments system risk issues and provides a framework for discussions about the long-term evolution of the PSR Policy.