Agencies and Commissions 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given to National Endowment for the Arts employees, former employees and applicants for Federal employment about the rights and remedies available under the antidiscrimination, whistleblower protection, and retaliation laws applicable to them.

The Export-Import Bank, as a part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on the proposed information collection as required by the Paperwork Reduction act of 1995. The purpose of the survey is to fulfill a statutory mandate (The Export- Import Bank Act of 1945, as amended, 12 U.S.C. 635) which directs Ex-Im Bank to report annually to the U.S. Congress any action taken toward providing export credit programs that are competitive with those offered by official foreign export credit agencies. The Act further stipulates that the annual report on competitiveness should include the results of a survey of U.S. exporters and U.S. commercial lending institutions which provide export credit to determine their experience in meeting financial competition from other countries whose exporters compete with U.S. exporters. Accordingly, Ex-Im Bank is requesting that the proposed survey (EIB No. 00-02) be sent to approximately 60 applicants of Ex-Im Bank's medium- and long-term programs. The revised survey is similar to the previous survey, as it asks bankers and exporters to evaluate the competitiveness of Ex-Im Bank's programs vis-[aacute]-vis foreign export credit agencies. However, it has been modified in order to account for newer policies and to capture enough information to provide a better analysis of our competitiveness. In addition, the survey will be available on Ex-Im Bank's website, www.exim.gov, with recipients encouraged to respond on-line as well.

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 Trade Commission announces that the ceiling on allowable charges under Section 612(f) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (``FCRA'') will remain unchanged at $10.00 for 2007. Under 1996 amendments to the FCRA, the Federal Trade Commission is required to increase the $8.00 amount referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i) of Section 612(f) on January 1 of each year, based proportionally on changes in the Consumer Price Index (``CPI''), with fractional changes rounded to the nearest fifty cents. The CPI increased 25.88 percent between September 1997, the date the FCRA amendments took effect, and September 2006. This increase in the CPI and the requirement that any increase be rounded to the nearest fifty cents results in no change in the current maximum allowable charge of $10.00.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is working on a proposed rule to reduce the likelihood that a licensee will have insufficient funds to decommission its facility in accordance with 10 CFR part 20, Subpart E, Radiological Criteria for License Termination. In the past, these funding shortfalls resulted in ``legacy sites,'' which are sites that are in decommissioning but whose operators do not have enough funds to complete the work and terminate the license in accordance with NRC regulations. All of the legacy sites have been materials facilities, primarily those that processed uranium and thorium, with undetected subsurface contamination from operations arising as a significant problem during decommissioning. A risk- informed approach addressing subsurface contamination at operating facilities would affect materials licensees and operators of nuclear power reactors. The purpose of the meeting is to give stakeholders an opportunity to discuss their views and interact with other interested parties on the regulatory issues summarized in the Supplementary Information section of this document. To aid in the rulemaking process, NRC is holding a public meeting with a ``roundtable'' format (defined further in the body of this notice) to solicit input. The meeting is open to the public. The NRC is asking those planning to attend the meeting to pre-register by contacting Jayne McCausland as noted under the For Further Information section of this document. Individuals unable to attend the meeting will be able to listen by teleconference.

The Licensing Support System Advisory Review Panel was established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a Federal Advisory Committee in 1989. Its purpose was to provide advice on the fundamental issues of design and development of an electronic information management system to be used to store and retrieve documents relating to the licensing of a geologic repository for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste, and on the operation and maintenance of the system. This electronic information management system was known as the Licensing Support System (LSS). In November, 1998 the Commission approved amendments to 10 CFR Part 2 that renamed the Licensing Support System Advisory Review Panel as the Licensing Support Network Advisory Review Panel. Membership on the Panel continues to be drawn from those interests that will be affected by the use of the LSN, including the Department of Energy, the NRC, the State of Nevada, the National Congress of American Indians, affected units of local governments in Nevada, the Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force, and a coalition of nuclear industry groups. Federal agencies with expertise and experience in electronic information management systems may also participate on the Panel. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined that renewal of the charter for the LSNARP until December 6, 2008 is in the public interest in connection with duties imposed on the Commission by law. This action is being taken in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act after consultation with the Committee Management Secretariat, General Services Administration.

The FDIC is seeking comment on whether and how the largest insured depository institutions should be required to modify their deposit account systems to speed depositor access to funds in the event of a failure. Today, insured institutions do not track the insured status of their depositors yet the FDIC must make deposit insurance coverage determinations in the event of failure. The current process might result in unacceptable delays if used for an FDIC-insured institution with a large volume of deposit accounts. Such delays would have an impact on depositors' ability to access their funds and are likely to result in a resolution (of the failed institution) significantly more costly to the Deposit Insurance Fund. As currently contemplated, the options discussed in the ANPR would apply only to the 152 insured depository institutions with more than 250,000 deposit accounts and more than $2 billion in domestic deposits, as well as seven additional institutions with total assets over $20 billion, less than 250,000 deposit accounts and at least $2 billion in domestic deposits. In December 2005 the FDIC issued a prior advance notice of proposed rulemaking on this subject (``2005 ANPR'').\1\ This ANPR is a follow-up to that issuance. The FDIC is seeking comment on all aspects of the ANPR.

This notice announces SBA's extension of the CommunityExpress Pilot Program until March 31, 2007. This extension will allow time for the Agency to complete its analyses of this program and also complete internal discussions regarding potential modifications and enhancements.

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 (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.

In this document, the Commission adopts minor modifications of the Commission's customer account record exchange (CARE) rules. The Commission concluded that minor modifications to its rules are needed to clarify carriers' respective obligations under that section in order to ensure accurate billing of end user customers, and to execute end user customer requests in a timely manner.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Agency publishes this notice of its intention to establish twelve systems of records. Nine of these systems consist of an electronic case tracking system and associated paper or electronic files, and the remaining systems, NLRB-22, NLRB-26, and NLRB-31, consist of electronic case tracking systems only. The electronic case tracking systems and associated paper or electronic files permit the accurate and timely collection, retrieval, and retention of information maintained by offices of the Agency, regarding those offices' handling of matters before them, including unfair labor practice, representation, or Freedom of Information Act cases. All persons are advised that, in the absence of submitted comments considered by the Agency as warranting modification of the notices as here proposed, it is the intention of the Agency that the notices shall be effective upon expiration of the comment period without further action.