Agencies and Commissions August 10, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In the Order, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) extends the effective date of the recently adopted section 12.2 of the Commission's rules to October 9, 2007.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

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), NASA's NEPA policy and procedures (14 CFR Part 1216, Subpart 1216.3), and Executive Order 12114, NASA has prepared and issued a Draft PEIS for the proposed Constellation Program to assist in the NASA decision making process. The Proposed Action is to continue preparations for and to implement the Constellation Program. The focus of the Constellation Program is the development of the flight systems and Earth-based ground infrastructure required to enable the United States to have continued access to space and to enable future human missions to the International Space Station, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The Constellation Program also would be responsible for developing and testing flight hardware, and performing mission operations once the infrastructure is sufficiently developed. The only alternative to the Proposed Action discussed in detail is the No Action Alternative where NASA would not continue preparations for nor implement the Constellation Program and therefore, would forego the opportunity for human exploration of space using U.S. space vehicles.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

This action deletes from the Procurement List a service previously furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities.

The Legal Services Corporation is beginning the process of developing its FY 2009 budget request to Congress and is soliciting suggestions as to what the request should be.

We are removing a number of references to filers' IRS identification numbers currently found in several disclosure schedules and forms because we do not need that information to process the documents, nor is the information material to investors.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending the size standards it uses to qualify an NRC licensee as a small entity under the Regulatory Flexibility Act and making the same change to its annual fee rule. NRC is increasing the receipts- based small business size standard from $5 million to $6.5 million to conform to the standard set by the Small Business Administration (SBA). This size standard reflects the most commonly used SBA size standard for the nonmanufacturing industries. SBA adjusted this standard on January 23, 2002 (67 FR 3041) and on December 6, 2005 (70 FR 72577) to account for inflation.

We propose to revise Regulation D to provide additional flexibility to issuers and to clarify and improve the application of the rules. We propose to create a new exemption from the registration provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 for offers and sales of securities to ``large accredited investors.'' The exemption would permit limited advertising in an exempt offering where each purchaser meets the definition of ``large accredited investor.'' We also propose to revise the term ``accredited investor'' in Regulation D to clarify the definition and reflect developments since its adoption. In addition, we propose to shorten the timing required by the integration safe harbor in Regulation D, and to apply uniform disqualification provisions to all offerings seeking to rely on Regulation D. We are soliciting comments on possible revisions to Rule 504. Finally, we also solicit additional comments on the definition of ``accredited natural person'' for certain pooled investment vehicles in Securities Act Rules 216 and 509 that we proposed in December 2006.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) has prepared a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Draft PEIS) for future improvements to three Rio Grande Flood Control Projects (FCP) operated by the USIBWC along the Texas-Mexico Border: the Rectification FCP, the Presidio FCP and Lower Rio Grande FCP. The PEIS, prepared in cooperation with the United States Bureau of Reclamation, United States Fish and Wildlife Service and United States Army Corps of Engineers, analyzes potential impacts of the No Action Alternative and three action alternatives for future FCP improvements under consideration. Because several measures under consideration are at a conceptual level of development, the USIBWC has taken a broad programmatic look at the potential environmental implications of measures identified for future implementation. The USIBWC will apply the programmatic evaluation as an overall guidance for future environmental evaluations of individual improvement projects whose implementation is anticipated or possible within a 20-year timeframe. Once any given improvement project is identified for future implementation, site-specific environmental documentation will be developed based on project specifications and PEIS findings. Public participation in the evaluation of potential effects is encouraged. Public hearings will be held at the Cities of El Paso, Presidio and McAllen, Texas, to receive oral comments on the Draft PEIS from interested organizations and individuals through transcription by a certified court reporter. Written comments may be submitted at the public hearings, or mailed to the USIBWC during the 45-day public review period to the contact and address below.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat 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 concerning termination settlement proposal forms (Standard Forms 1435 through 1440). A request for public comments was published in the Federal Register at 72 FR 19188, on April 17, 2007. No comments were received. This OMB clearance expires on August 31, 2007. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, 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; 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.

Notice is hereby given that the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) will meet on Friday, August 17, 2007. The meeting will be held in Room MR-1 at the Vicksburg, MS at 9 a.m. The ACHP was established by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.) to advise the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy and to comment upon Federal, federally assisted, and federally licensed undertakings having an effect upon properties listed in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. The ACHP's members are the Architect of the Capitol; the Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, Defense, and Transportation; the Administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency and General Services Administration; the Chairman of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; the President of the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers; a Governor; a Mayor; a Native American; and eight non-Federal members appointed by the President. The agenda for the meeting includes the following: