Agencies and Commissions September 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its regulations to implement the statutorily required inflationary adjustment of the Agency's acquisition-related dollar thresholds and to make SBA's regulations consistent with the inflationary adjustments that are already codified in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Commission or NRC) is issuing, with the approval of the U.S. Attorney General, guidelines on the use of firearms by security personnel whose official duties include the protection of NRC-regulated facilities, radioactive material, or other property. On August 8, 2005, President Bush signed into law the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (the Act). Section 653 of the Act amended the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (AEA) by adding new section 161A., regarding the use of firearms by security personnel. Under the provisions of section 161A.d., section 161A. takes effect on the date that these guidelines are issued by the Commission, with the approval of the Attorney General.

The NRC has recently submitted to OMB for review the following proposal for the collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). The NRC hereby informs potential respondents that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and that a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The NRC published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period on this information collection on June 3, 2009.

This action adds to the Procurement List a service to be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has instituted a formal enforcement proceeding relating to the limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders issued at the conclusion of the above-captioned investigation.

Summary of Application: Applicants request an order to permit registered open-end investment companies relying on rule 12d1-2 under the Act to invest in certain financial instruments.

Notice is hereby given that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has received a waste management permit application for operation of a remote field support and emergency provisions for the Expedition Vessel, Kapitan Khlebnikov for the 2009-2010 season and two following austral summers. The application is submitted to NSF pursuant to regulations issued under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978.

This announcement of the membership of the National Science Foundation's Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board is made in compliance with 5 U.S.C. 4314(c)(4).

GSA reviewed its Privacy Act systems to ensure that they are relevant, necessary, accurate, up-to-date, covered by the appropriate legal or regulatory authority, and compliant with OMB M-07-16. This notice is an updated Privacy Act system of records notice.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, as amended), notice is hereby given that the following meetings of Humanities Panels will be held at the Old Post Office, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20506.

On July 6, 2009, SBA published a notice in the Federal Register creating a new pilot loan initiative called the Dealer Floor Plan Pilot Initiative. This pilot initiative gives SBA the ability to offer 7(a) guaranties to participating lenders on floor plan lines of credit when structured under SBA requirements from July 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010. The Agency provided for a 30-day comment period when it published the Notice. This comment period closed August 5, 2009. SBA is re-opening the comment period for an additional 45 days.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received a petition for rulemaking dated May 10, 1999, filed by the State of Colorado and the Organization of Agreement States. The petition was docketed by the NRC and was assigned as PRM-40-27. The petitioners requested that the NRC regulations governing small quantities of source material be amended to eliminate the exemption for source material general licensees from the requirements that specify standards of protection against radiation, and require notification and instruction of individuals who participate in licensed activities. The petitioners believe that no basis exists for the existing exemption for these licensees from these requirements and that the licensee could exceed dose limits, in certain situations, that would normally apply to licensed operations. The NRC reviewed the petition and determined that this petition merits further consideration. Therefore, the concerns and issues raised in the petition will continue to be considered through an ongoing rulemaking.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act at Title 45 Part 670 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of permit applications received.

It is the policy of the Commission to publish settlements which it provisionally accepts under the Consumer Product Safety Act in the Federal Register in accordance with the terms of 16 CFR 1118.20(e). Published below is a provisionally-accepted Settlement Agreement with Kohl's Department Stores, Inc., containing a civil penalty of $425,000.00.