Agencies and Commissions July 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is making efforts to reduce the paperwork burden. USAID invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act for 1995. Comments are requested concerning: (a) Whether the proposed or continuing collections of information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the burden estimates; (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 Commodity Futures Trading Commission is proposing to amend the procedures for confidential treatment requests by derivatives transaction execution facilities (DTEF), derivatives clearing organizations (DCO), or designated contract markets (DCM) for products and rules submitted via certification procedures or for Commission review and approval. The proposed rules will provide the exclusive means of requesting confidential treatment for product and rule submissions filed under Parts 40 and 41 of the Commission's regulations. Specifically, DCMs, DTEFs, and DCOs will be required to follow the customary procedures of requesting confidential treatment of information submitted to the Commission except: The submitter also will be required to file a detailed written justification simultaneously with the request for confidential treatment; and the submitter will be required to segregate the material deemed confidential in an appendix to the submission. Additionally, Commission staff may make an initial determination to grant or deny confidential treatment to such material before receiving a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Commission is proposing these amendments to expedite the confidential treatment review process and consequently allow the Commission to provide the public with more immediate access to non- confidential information.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing to create a Federal Emergency Travel Guide in the event of evacuation, catastrophic event or natural disaster. The guide is intended to prepare the Federal Government to continue official travel operations in an emergency situation while safeguarding Federal employees officially away from their official or temporary duty stations. The guide, non-regulatory in nature, will serve as a supplement to the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) (41 CFR chapters 300-304).

The Committee is proposing to add to the Procurement List a product and a service to be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities, and to delete a product and a service previously furnished by such agencies. Comments Must Be Received On or Before: August 19, 2007.

Applicants request an order exempting them from the provisions of sections 9(a), 13(a), 15(a) and 15(b) of the Act and Rules 6e- 2(b)(15) and 6e-3(T)(b)(15) thereunder, to the extent necessary to permit shares of the Fund and shares of any other investment company or portfolio that is designed to fund insurance products and for which DMC or any of its affiliates, may serve in the future as investment adviser, manager, principal underwriter, sponsor, or administrator (``Future Funds'') (the Fund, together with Future Funds, the ``Funds'') to be sold to and held by: (a) Separate accounts funding variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (collectively ``Variable Contracts'') issued by both affiliated life insurance companies and unaffiliated life insurance companies; (b) trustees of qualified group pension and group retirement plans outside of the separate account context (``Qualified Plans''); (c) separate accounts that are not registered as investment companies under the 1940 Act pursuant to exemptions from registration under section 3(c) of the 1940 Act; (d) DMC or its affiliates who serve or may serve as an investment manager, investment adviser, principal underwriter, sponsor or administrator of a Fund (collectively, ``DMC Entities'') for the purpose of providing initial capital to a Fund; and (e) any other account of a Participating Insurance Company permitted to hold shares of the Funds (``General Account'').

Representatives from the Red Tag News Publications will present a briefing on Tuesday, July 24, 2007, beginning at 10 a.m., in the Postal Regulatory Commission's main conference room. The briefing will address service standard measurement for certain Periodicals mailings. The briefing is open to the public.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has determined that certain textile and apparel goods from South Africa shall be treated as ``handloomed, handmade, folklore articles, or ethnic printed fabrics'' and qualify for preferential treatment under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Imports of eligible products from South Africa with an appropriate visa will qualify for duty-free treatment.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is forwarding an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the following collection of information: 3220-0149, Withholding Certificate for Railroad Retirement Monthly Annuity Payments. Review and approval by OIRA ensures that we impose appropriate paperwork burdens. The RRB invites comments on the proposed collection of information to determine (1) the practical utility of the collection; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden of the collection; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information that is the subject of collection; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of collections on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments to RRB or OIRA must contain the OMB control number of the ICR. For proper consideration of your comments, it is best if RRB and OIRA receive them within 30 days of publication date. The Internal Revenue Code requires all payers of tax liable private pensions to U.S. citizens to: (1) Notify each recipient at least concurrent with initial withholding that the payer is, in fact, withholding benefits for tax liability and that the recipient has the option of electing not to have the payer withhold, or to withhold at a specific rate; (2) withhold benefits for tax purposes (in the absence of the recipient's election not to withhold benefits); and (3) notify all beneficiaries, at least annually, that they have the option of changing their withholding status or elect not to have benefits withheld. The Railroad Retirement Board provides Form RRB-W4P, Withholding Certificate for Railroad Retirement Payments, to its annuitants to exercise their withholding options. Completion of the form is required to obtain or retain a benefit. One response is requested of each respondent. No changes are being proposed to the current version of Form RRB W- 4P used by the RRB. The RRB estimates that 25,000 annuitants utilize Form RRB W-4P annually. The completion time for Form RRB W-4P varies depending on individual circumstances. The estimated average(s) for Form RRB W-4P is 39 minutes for recordkeeping, 24 minutes for learning about the law or the form, and 59 minutes for preparing the form. Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. If a respondent fails to complete the form(s), the RRB may be unable to pay them benefits. One response is required from a respondent. Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the initial 60-day notice (72 FR 14628 on April 27, 2007) required by 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

This document proposes to amend the requirements of the Commission's rules applicable to transmitters operating on an unlicensed basis in the 57-64 GHz frequency range (``the 60 GHz band''). The proposed changes would allow longer communication ranges for unlicensed point-to-point 60 GHz broadband digital systems and thereby extend the ability of such systems to supply very high speed broadband service to office buildings and other commercial facilities. The Commission believes these proposals would encourage broader deployment of point-to-point digital systems in this band without increasing the potential for harmful interference, and thereby further the Commission's objective of promoting the availability of broadband connectivity to all Americans.

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. Sec. 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 concerning a new Progress Reporting Module designed to collect demographic information from federal grantees. These reports will be submitted by grantees that receive Corporation funding through the Corporation's AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, AmeriCorps NCCC, and Senior Corps RSVP competitions. Completion of the Progress Report is required as a condition of these awards. Copies of the information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed in the addresses section of this notice.