Agencies and Commissions 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Farm Credit Administration (FCA or Agency), through the FCA Board (Board), issued a direct final rule with opportunity for comment under part 627 on September 26, 2007 (72 FR 54525) amending the priority of claims regulations to provide that, when assets of a Farm Credit System institution in liquidation are distributed, the claims of holders of subordinated debt will be paid after all general creditor claims. The opportunity for comment expired on October 26, 2007. The FCA received no comments and therefore, the direct final rule becomes effective without change. In accordance with 12 U.S.C. 2252, the effective date of the final rule is 30 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register during which either or both Houses of Congress are in session. Based on the records of the sessions of Congress, the effective date of the regulations is November 16, 2007.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is soliciting comment about whether to develop mechanisms to facilitate greater access to companies' disclosures concerning their business activities in or with countries designated as State Sponsors of Terrorism.

In this document, the Commission adopts rules and provides guidance to implement section 621(a)(1) of the Communications Act. The Commission solicited and reviewed comments on this section and found that to promote the federal goals of enhanced cable competition and accelerated broadband development, the Commission's rules regarding the local franchising process should be extended to incumbent cable operators. The Commission adopts measures to address a variety of means by which local franchising authorities are unreasonably refusing to award competitive franchises. The rules and guidance will facilitate enhanced cable competition and accelerated broadband development.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to address implementation of Section 104 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

This document is issued under the joint authority of the Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of General Services and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This Small Entity Compliance Guide has been prepared in accordance with Section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. It consists of a summary of rules appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-22 which amend the FAR. An asterisk (*) next to a rule indicates that a regulatory flexibility analysis has been prepared. Interested parties may obtain further information regarding these rules by referring to FAC 2005-22 which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the Internet at http:/ /www.regulations.gov.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (``PBGC'') intends to request that the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') extend approval, under the Paperwork Reduction Act, of a collection of information contained in its regulation on Liability for Termination of Single-Employer Plans, 29 CFR Part 4062 (OMB Control Number 1212-0017; expires February 29, 2008). This notice informs the public of PBGC's intent and solicits public comment on the collection of information.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is reopening the comment period specific to the information collection aspects of a proposed rule published on October 3, 2007 (72 FR 56275), that would amend NRC's regulations to provide updated fracture toughness requirements for protection against pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events for pressurized water reactor (PWR) pressure vessels. The comment period for comments specific to the information collection aspects of the proposed rule, closed on November 2, 2007.

Notice is hereby given that the staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has prepared a model safety evaluation (SE) and a model application related to the modification of containment combustible gas control requirements in technical specifications (TS) for Boiling Water Reactors (BWR). The NRC staff has also prepared a model no-significant-hazards-consideration (NSHC) determination related to this matter. The purpose of these models is to permit the NRC to efficiently process license amendment applications that propose to adopt TSTF-478, Revision 2, ``BWR Technical Specification Changes that Implement the Revised Rule for Combustible Gas Control.'' TSTF-478, Revision 2, deletes Standard Technical Specification (STS) 3.6.3.3, ``Containment Atmosphere Dilution (CAD) System'' and modifies STS 3.6.3.1, ``Drywell Cooling System Fans,'' in NUREG-1433, ``Standard Technical Specifications General Electric Plants, BWR/4, Rev. 3,'' to establish TS for containment combustible gas control requirements as permitted by revised 10 CFR 50.44. 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 plants.

NCUA is amending its rule governing the purchase, sale, and pledge of eligible obligations by adding a conflict of interest provision substantially similar to the conflict of interest provision in NCUA's general lending rule. This addition will help ensure that decisions by a federal credit union (FCU) regarding the purchase, sale, and pledge of eligible obligations are made with the FCU's best interests in mind.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'') periodically reviews the speculative position limits for certain agricultural commodities set out in Commission regulation 150.2 (``Federal speculative position limits''). In this regard, the Commission has reviewed the existing levels for Federal speculative position limits and is now proposing to increase these limits for all single-month and all-months-combined positions in all commodities except oats, based on the formula set out in Commission Regulation 150.5(c). In addition, the Commission is also proposing to aggregate traders' positions for purposes of ascertaining compliance with Federal speculative position limits when a designated contract market (``DCM'') lists for trading a futures contract that shares substantially identical terms with a Regulation 150.2-enumerated contract listed on another DCM, including a futures contract that is cash-settled based on the settlement prices for a futures contract that is already enumerated. The Commission is requesting comment on these rule amendments.

Consistent with recommendations from Commission staff in a report (Staff Report), the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on various possible revisions to its hearing aid compatibility policies and requirements pertaining to wireless services, including several tentative conclusions to modify Sec. 20.19 and other requirements along the framework proposed in a consensus plan (Joint Consensus Plan) recently developed jointly by industry and representatives for the deaf and hard of hearing community. In light of the current marketplace and in anticipation of future developments in wireless offerings, the Commission takes steps to ensure that hearing aid users will continue to benefit from the convenience and features offered by the newest wireless communications systems being provided to American consumers. To the extent people who use hearing aids have difficulty finding a wireless mobile telephone that functions effectively with those devices because of interference or compatibility problems, the Commission states that a continued expansion in the number and availability of hearing aid-compatible wireless telephones is warranted.