Agencies and Commissions January 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is amending its membership regulations to implement provisions of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) that authorized community development financial institutions (CDFIs) that have been certified by the CDFI Fund of the U.S. Treasury Department (CDFI Fund) to become members of a Federal Home Loan Bank (Bank). The newly-eligible CDFIs include community development loan funds, venture capital funds, and State-chartered credit unions without Federal insurance. This final rule sets out the eligibility and procedural requirements that will enable CDFIs to become members of a Bank and relocates part 925 in its entirety to part 1263. FHFA also is amending its community support regulations to provide that certified CDFIs may be presumed to be in compliance with the statutory community support requirements by virtue of their certification by the CDFI Fund and relocates part 944 in its entirety to part 1290.

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 of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520. 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; (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, and (e) ways to further reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.

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 of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520. 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; (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; and (e) ways to further reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to provide alternate fracture toughness requirements for protection against pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events for pressurized water reactor (PWR) pressure vessels. This final rule provides alternate PTS requirements based on updated analysis methods. This action is desirable because the existing requirements are based on unnecessarily conservative probabilistic fracture mechanics analyses. This action reduces regulatory burden for those PWR licensees who expect to exceed the existing requirements before the expiration of their licenses, while maintaining adequate safety, and may choose to comply with the final rule as an alternative to complying with the existing requirements.

At its meeting on November 19, 2009, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the TVA Board made its determinations on the PURPA Standards set forth in the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-617) (PURPA), as amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-140) (EISA). The standards considered are listed in subsections 111(d)(16) through (19) of PURPA, as amended by EISA. The TVA Board considered the standards in accordance with PURPA and the objectives and requirements of the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 831-831ee (2006 & Supp. I 2007) (TVA Act).

The Commission is noticing a recently-filed Postal Service request to change prices for a Global Plus 2 contract. This notice provides an opportunity for the public to comment.