Agencies and Commissions July 11, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Postal Regulatory Commission published a document in the Federal Register on June 25, 2008 seeking comments on a plan for service performance measurement and reporting systems for market dominant products. The document contained several errors the Commission wishes to correct.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission) is publishing this final rule to amend its regulation to establish that all complaints under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (section 508), whether filed by members of the public or EEOC employees, will be processed under the procedures for section 504 public complaints. This final rule also updates the terminology used to describe how EEOC enforces section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act with respect to its own programs or activities. Finally, the final rule updates or eliminates certain sections of this regulation that are no longer relevant.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and NASA policy and procedures (14 CFR Part 1216, Subpart 1216.3), NASA has made a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to the disposition of the Space Shuttle Program's (SSP's) real and personal property using a structured process consisting of a coordinated series of actions. Under Presidential direction, NASA will cease operations of its SSP by 2010. A number of assets will be dispositioned during the transition and retirement (T&R) activities. NASA proposes to implement a structured process for the disposition of the SSP real and personal property consisting of a coordinated series of actions. SSP T&R activities would include potential retirement, transfer, and disposal of property. SSP property disposition activities would extend for several years beyond 2010. On January 14, 2004, President George W. Bush presented his Vision for U.S. Space Exploration (hereinafter ``the Vision'') to the nation. Congress expressly endorsed the President's exploration initiative and provided additional direction for the initiative in the NASA Authorization Act of 2005. In announcing the Vision, the President directed NASA to use the Space Shuttle to fulfill its obligation to complete assembly of the International Space Station and then retire the Space Shuttle by 2010. Under Presidential direction, NASA will cease operations of its SSP activities at all locations, including Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida; Johnson Space Center (JSC), Ellington Field (EF), and El Paso Forward Operating Location (EPFOL), Texas; Stennis Space Center (SSC), Mississippi; Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), Louisiana; Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Alabama; White Sands Test Facility (WSTF), New Mexico; Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) and Palmdale (Air Force Plant 42, Site 1), California; and the associated contractor facilities. The cessation of SSP operations will necessitate the disposition of all program-related assets. Public comments received on the Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) during the public review period conducted from February 27, 2008, through March 28, 2008, are provided along with responses in Appendix E of the Final PEA.

This is one of three releases that the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') is publishing simultaneously relating to the use in its rules and forms of credit ratings issued by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (``NRSROs''). In this release, the Commission proposes to amend five rules under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 that rely on NRSRO ratings. The proposed amendments are designed to address concerns that the reference to NRSRO ratings in Commission rules may have contributed to an undue reliance on NRSRO ratings by market participants.

This is one of three releases that the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') is publishing simultaneously relating to the use in its rules and forms of credit ratings issued by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (``NRSROs''). In this release, the Commission proposes to amend various rules and forms under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act'') that rely on NRSRO ratings. The proposed amendments are designed to address concerns that the reference to NRSRO ratings in Commission rules and forms may have contributed to an undue reliance on NRSRO ratings by market participants.

Section 205 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 requires the Commission to promulgate biodiesel and biomass-based diesel labeling requirements. In accordance with this directive, the Commission has completed the required rulemaking and is publishing final amendments to its rule for ``Automotive Fuel Ratings, Certification and Posting'' (``Fuel Rating Rule'' or ``Rule'') (16 CFR Part 306).