Agencies and Commissions October 17, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Social Security Administration (SSA) announces its intention to competitively award cooperative agreements to establish community-based work incentives planning and assistance projects in the following locations: State of Alabama, the counties of Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Russell, Washington, and Wilcox; State of Indiana, the counties of Clark, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Dubois, Floyd, Gibson, Greene, Harrison, Hendricks, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Ohio, Orange, Parke, Perry, Pike, Posey, Ripley, Scott, Spencer, Sullivan, Switzerland, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Warrick, Washington; State of Kentucky, the counties of Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Boyd, Bracken, Breathitt, Carter, Clark, Clay, Elliott, Estill, Fleming, Floyd, Garrard, Greenup, Harlan, Harrison, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, Mason, McCreary, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owsley, Pendleton, Perry, Pike, Powell, Robertson, Rockcastle, Rowan, Whitley, and Wolfe; State of Nevada, all counties; State of New York, the counties of Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster, and Westchester; State of Ohio, the counties of Ashtabula, Mahoning, Portage, Stark, Summit, and Trumbull; and Pacific territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. The purpose of these projects is to disseminate accurate information about work incentives programs and issues related to such programs to beneficiaries with disabilities (including transition-to- work aged youth). This will help enable them to make informed choices about working, how available work incentives can facilitate their transition into the workforce, and whether and when to assign their Ticket to Work. The ultimate goal of the work incentives planning and assistance projects is to assist SSA beneficiaries with disabilities succeed in their return to work efforts.

Notice is hereby given that the staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has prepared a model safety evaluation (SE) and model application relating to the modification of technical specification (TS) requirements regarding the habitability of the control room envelope (CRE). The NRC staff has also prepared a model no-significant-hazards-consideration (NSHC) determination relating to this matter. The purpose of these models is to permit the NRC to efficiently process amendments that propose to revise the CRE emergency ventilation system TS action and surveillance requirements for the CRE boundary, and to add a new TS administrative controls program, ``Control Room Envelope Habitability Program.'' Licensees of nuclear power reactors to which the models apply could then request amendments, confirming the applicability of the SE and NSHC determination to their reactors. The NRC staff is requesting comment on the model SE and model NSHC determination prior to announcing their availability for referencing in license amendment applications.

We are amending our regulations to provide that we will suspend your disability benefits before we make a determination during a continuing disability review (CDR) under title II and title XVI of the Social Security Act (the Act) when you fail to comply with our request for necessary information. Should you remain non-compliant for a period of one year following your suspension, we will then terminate your disability benefits. Although our current title XVI regulations generally provide for the termination of payments after 12 months of suspension, we are amending our regulations by adding this policy to our title II regulations and by restating it in the title XVI CDR regulatory provisions.

As part of a comprehensive review of agency practices related to the collection, use, and protection of personally identifiable information, the Federal Housing Finance Board (Finance Board) is updating both its system of records and implementing rule under the Privacy Act of 1974 (Privacy Act). This notice concerns updates to the Finance Board's Privacy Act system of records. Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Finance Board is publishing an interim final rule with request for comments that revises the agency's Privacy Act regulation to include new sections concerning security of systems of records, use and collection of social security numbers, and employee responsibilities under the Privacy Act.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has completed its annual determination of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved Areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for calendar year 2007. This is necessary to comply with a provision of the FEHB law that mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health services in States with critical shortages of primary care physicians. Accordingly, for calendar year 2007, OPM's calculations show that the following states are Medically Underserved Areas under the FEHB Program: Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming. For the 2007 calendar year Texas is being added and Alaska is being removed from the list.

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 to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review of a revised information collection. SF 3106, Application for Refund of Retirement Deductions/Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), is used by former Federal employees under FERS, to apply for a refund of retirement deductions withheld during Federal employment, plus any interest provided by law. SF 3106A, Current/Former Spouse(s) Notification of Application for Refund of Retirement Deductions Under FERS, is used by refund applicants to notify their current/former spouse(s) that they are applying for a refund of retirement deductions, which is required by law. Comments are particularly invited on: whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the Office of Personnel Management, 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; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Approximately 17,000 SF 3106 forms will be processed annually. The SF 3106 takes approximately 30 minutes to complete for a total of 8,500 hours annually. Approximately 13,600 of SF 3106A forms will be processed annually. The SF 3106A takes approximately 5 minutes to complete for a total of 1,133 hours. The total annual burden is 9,633 hours. For copies of this proposal, contact Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606-8358, FAX (202) 418-3251 or via E-mail to MaryBeth.[fxsp0]Smith-Toomey@opm.gov. Please include a mailing address with your request.