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

The Federal Election Commission requests comments on proposed changes to its rules implementing new statutory provisions governing the rates and timing of payment for non-commercial campaign travel on aircraft, and a proposed definition of ``Leadership PAC.'' These proposed changes, consistent with the new statutory provisions, would restrict and in some cases prohibit Federal candidates and their political committees from expending campaign funds for non-commercial air travel. The proposed rules would apply to all Federal candidates, including publicly funded presidential candidates. No final decisions have been made by the Commission on any of the proposed revisions in this Notice. Further information is provided in the supplementary information that follows.

The Copyright Office is publishing a final list of stations listed in affidavits sent to the Copyright Office in which the owner or licensee of the station attests that the station qualifies as a specialty station in accordance with the Federal Communications Commission`s (FCC) definition of specialty station in effect on June 24, 1981. The list shall be used to verify the specialty station status of those stations identified as such by cable systems on their semi- annual statements of account.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is forwarding the following Information Collection Requests (ICR's) to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Our ICR's describe the information we seek to collect from the public. Review and approval by OIRA ensures that we impose appropriate paperwork burdens. The RRB invites comments on the proposed collections 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 particular ICR. For proper consideration of your comments, it is best if RRB and OIRA receive them within 30 days of publication date. 1. Title and Purpose of Information Collection Request; Railroad Service and Compensation Reports/System Access Application/Report Certification; OMB 3220-0008. Under section 9 of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA) and section 6 of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) maintains for each railroad employee, a record of compensation paid to that employee by all railroad employers for whom the employee worked after 1936. This record, which is used by the RRB to determine eligibility for, and amount of, benefits due under the laws it administers, is conclusive as to the amount of compensation paid to an employee during such period(s) covered by the report(s) of the compensation by the employee's railroad employer(s), except in cases when an employee files a protest pertaining to his or her reported compensation within the statute of limitations cited in section 9 of the RRA and section 6 of the RUIA. To enable the RRB to establish and maintain the record of compensation, employers are required to file with the RRB, in such manner and form and at such times as the RRB prescribes, reports of compensation of employees. Railroad Employers' Reports and Responsibilities are prescribed in 20 CFR 209. The RRB currently utilizes Form BA-3a, Annual Report of Compensation and Form BA-4, Report of Creditable Compensation Adjustments, to secure required information from railroad employers. Form BA-3a provides the RRB with information regarding annual creditable service and compensation for each individual who worked for a railroad employer covered by the RRA and RUIA in a given year. Form BA-4 provides for the adjustment of any previously submitted reports and also the opportunity to provide any service and compensation that had been previously omitted. Requirements specific to Forms BA-3a and BA-4 are prescribed in 20 CFR 209.8 and 209.9. Employers currently have the option of submitting the reports on the aforementioned forms, electronically via the Internet utilizing the RRB's Employer Reporting System (ERS) (for Form BA-4 (Internet)), or in like format on magnetic tape cartridges, CD-ROM's and PC diskettes. The RRB proposes major changes to the information collection. They are intended to streamline the employer reporting process, ensuring more accurate and timely reporting, while eliminating or reducing the employer reporting burden associated with several other RRB information collections. Form BA-3a will be significantly revised and renamed Form BA-3, Annual Report of Compensation. Revisions to proposed Form BA-3 include the expansion of existing data fields to allow for: The reporting of amounts for Tier I and Tier II compensation greater than $99,999.99 (the annual creditable maximum for Tier I will exceed that amount within the next two years), RUIA daily pay rate amounts of more than $99.99, 4-digit year fields and expansion of the employee's name field. New Items requesting information regarding sick pay and miscellaneous compensation, the employee's current address, maximum benefit RUIA compensation, and employment relationship status for months not worked will be added. Data fields for proposed Form BA-4 and BA-4 (Internet) will be revised to allow for: The reporting of Tier I and Tier II compensation greater than $99,999.99 (the annual creditable maximum for Tier I will exceed that amount within the next two years), RUIA daily pay rate amounts of more than $99.99, 4-digit year fields and expansion of the employee's name field. New Items providing for the reporting of adjustments to the originally reported Tier I and Tier II amounts, sick pay, miscellaneous compensation, RUIA maximum benefit amounts, and an employee's daily pay rate will be added. The RRB also proposes the implementation of two additional electronic equivalent methods of submission for Form BA-3 and Form BA-4 information: File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and secure e-mail. The information collection includes RRB Form BA-12, Application for Employer Reporting Internet Access. Form BA-12 is completed by railroad employers to obtain system access to the RRB's Employer Reporting System (ERS). Once access is obtained, authorized employees may submit reporting forms to the RRB via the Internet. The form determines what degree of access (view/only, data entry/modification or approval/ submission) is appropriate for that employee. It is also used to terminate an employee's access to ERS. No changes are being proposed to Form BA-12. Lastly, the RRB proposes the addition of new Form G-440, Report Specifications Sheet, to the collection. Form G-440 will act as a certification document for various RRB employer reporting forms (Forms BA-3, BA-4, Form BA-6a, BA-6, Address Report (OMB 3220-0005), BA-9, Report of Separation Allowance or Severance Pay (OMB 3220-0173) and BA- 11, Report of Gross Earnings (OMB 3220-0132)). It will also be used to record the type of medium the report was submitted on, and as a summary recapitulation sheet for reports filed on paper. The estimated completion times for Form(s) BA-3, BA-4 and G-440 vary, depending on circumstances and the method of submission. The completion time for Form BA-3 is estimated at 46 hours and 15 minutes per response for electronic submissions to 116 hours and 51 minutes for manual responses. The completion time for Form BA-4 is estimated at 20 minutes for an ERS Internet-based response (BA-4 (Internet)), 60 minutes for an electronic submission (magnetic tape cartridge, CD-ROM, diskette, secure E-mail, FTP) and 75 minutes for a manual response. The completion time for form BA-12 is estimated at 10 minutes when used to terminate system access and 20 minutes when used to obtain system access. The completion time for proposed Form G-440 is estimated at 15 minutes when submitted with a paper form and/or used to file a ``zero'' or ``no employees'' certification, 30 minutes when used as an electronic medium reporting/certification form, and 1 hour and 15 minutes when used as a certification and recapitulation form. Submission of Form BA-3, BA-4, BA-4 (Internet) and G-440 is mandatory. Completion of Form BA-12 is voluntary. It is completed only if an employer wants to submit reports via the Internet. One response is requested of each respondent for all of the forms in the collection. Depending on circumstances and method of submission chosen, multiple responses may be received from a respondent for Form BA-4 and G-440. The annual respondent burden for the information collection is estimated at 7,348 responses and 43,756 hours. Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the initial 60-day notice (72 FR 46251-46253 on August 17, 2007) required by 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). The RRB received comments from the Department of Commerce's, Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), strongly supporting the RRB's continued collection of the data on Forms BA-3(a) and BA-4 stating ``these forms are our main data source for key components of BEA's economic statistics''. No other comments were received.

This gives a consolidated notice of all positions excepted under Schedules A, B, and C as of June 30, 2007, as required by Civil Service Rule VI, Exceptions from the Competitive Service.

This document requests comments on a petition for rulemaking filed by Katherine Pyeatt, requesting the allotment of Channel 291A at Dilley, Texas. The reference coordinates for Channel 291A at Dilley, Texas, are 28-36-06 NL and 99-06-21 WL. There is a site restriction, 9.6 kilometers (6 miles) southeast of the community. To accommodate this proposed allotment, Petitioner requests the relocation of reference coordinates for vacant Channel 289A at Cotulla, Texas. The proposed reference coordinates for Channel 289A at Cotulla are 28-22-00 NL and 99-17-00 WL. This site is located 9.1 kilometers (5.7 miles) southwest of Cotulla.

This document sets forth a proposal to amend the FM Table of Allotments, section 73.202(b) of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 73.202(b). The Commission requests comment on a petition filed by Katherine Pyeatt. Petitioner proposes the allotment of Channel 256C3 at Harper, Texas, as a first local service. Channel 256C3 can be allotted at Harper in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements with a site restriction of 12.9 km (8.0 miles) east of Harper. The proposed coordinates for Channel 256C3 at Harper are 30-16-20 North Latitude and 99-07-25 West Longitude. Concurrence by the Government of Mexico is required for the allotment of Channel 256C3 at Harper, Texas, because the proposed allotment is located within 320 kilometers (199 miles) of the U.S.-Mexican border. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION infra.

This document requests comments on a petition for rule making filed by Oregon Radio Partners, LLC (``Petitioner'') proposing the allotments of Channel 290A at Butte Falls and Channel 232C3 at Netarts, Oregon. The proposed coordinates for Channel 290A at Butte Falls are 42-36-19 NL and 122-24-38 WL with a site restriction of 14.7 km (9.1 miles) northeast of city reference and for Channel 232C3 at Netarts are 45-27-56 NL and 123-58-11 WL with a site restriction of 4.0 km (2.5 miles) northwest of city reference. The petition for rule making is a hybrid contingent filing with two applications: (1) For Station KTIL- FM, Channel 232C3 at Tillamook, Oregon to move to Channel 232C2 at Government Camp, Oregon (file no. BPH-0070125ADO); and (2) for an unbuilt station, Channel 225A at Butte Falls, Oregon to move to Talent, Oregon on the same channel (file no. BNPH-20060310ACD). These applications will be reviewed separately.

The Audio Division, on its own motion, deletes Channel 282C3 at Boswell, Oklahoma to resolve existing distance spacing conflicts. It is Commission policy to refrain from maintaining an allotment in instances where there are no bona fide expressions of interest.

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.

This document sets forth a proposal to amend the FM Table of Allotments, section 73.202(b) of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 73.202(b). The Commission requests comment on a petition filed by Katherine Pyeatt. Petitioner proposes the allotment of Channel 286A at Hugo, Oklahoma, as a third local service. Channel 286A can be allotted at Hugo in compliance with the Commission's minimum distance separation requirements with a site restriction of 8.5 km (5.3 miles) southwest of Hugo. The proposed coordinates for Channel 286A at Hugo are 33-57-21 North Latitude and 95-34-30 West Longitude. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION infra.