Agencies and Commissions January 24, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commission will consider an Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to ensure that the public safety broadband network is interoperable nationwide.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing plans to request clearance of this collection. In accordance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we are providing opportunity for public comment on this action. After obtaining and considering public comment, NSF will prepare the submission requesting OMB clearance of this collection for no longer than 3 years. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended, (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and NASA's NEPA policy and procedures (14 CFR part 1216, subpart 1216.3), NASA prepared and issued the Final EIS for the proposed MSL Mission. A ROD was issued on December 27, 2006 indicating NASA's decision to prepare and launch the MSL Mission in 2009. A copy of the Final EIS and ROD are available at the following Web site: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/msl/. NASA was unable to finish preparation of the MSL Mission in time for the 2009 launch opportunity, and NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Associate Administrator issued a modified ROD indicating NASA's decision to complete preparation and launch the MSL mission in 2011. The full text of the modified ROD is provided below.

The Commission is noticing a recently-filed Postal Service request to enter into an additional Global Reseller Expedited Package contract. This document invites public comments on the request and addresses several related procedural steps.

This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rules agreed to by DOD, GSA, and NASA in this Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-49. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG), follows this FAC. The FAC, including the SECG, is available via the Internet at https://www.regulations.gov.

This document is issued under the joint authority of DOD, GSA, and NASA. 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) 2005-49, which amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Interested parties may obtain further information regarding these rules by referring to FAC 2005-49, which precedes this document. The documents are also available via the Internet at https://www.regulations.gov.

This notice announces that the Products and Services Code (PSC) Manual, which provides codes to describe products, services, and research and development purchased by the government, is in the process of being updated; GSA, which maintains the PSC Manual, is in the process of updating the manual.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) solicits recommendations for membership on the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE) (1173). Recommendations should consist of the name of the recommended individual, the individual's curriculum vita, and an expression of the recommended individual's interest, and include the following contact information: recommended individual's address, telephone number, FAX number, and e-mail address. Self recommendations are accepted.

Section 916 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (``Dodd-Frank Act'') \1\ amended Section 19(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act''),\2\ which governs the handling of proposed rule changes submitted by self-regulatory organizations (``SROs''). Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act's amendments to Section 19 of the Exchange Act require the Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') to promulgate rules setting forth the procedural requirements of proceedings to determine whether a proposed rule change should be disapproved. In satisfaction of this requirement, the Commission is adopting new Rules of Practice to formalize the process it will use when conducting proceedings to determine whether an SRO's proposed rule change should be disapproved under Section 19(b)(2) of the Exchange Act. The new rules are intended to add transparency to the Commission's conduct of those proceedings and address the process the Commission will follow to institute proceedings and provide notice of the grounds for disapproval under consideration as well as provide interested parties with an opportunity to submit written materials to the Commission. In addition, the Commission is making conforming changes to Rule 19b-4 under the Exchange Act in recognition of the new Rules of Practice. Further, pursuant to Section 107 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (``Sarbanes- Oxley Act''), the provisions of paragraphs (1) through (3) of Section 19(b) of the Exchange Act govern the proposed rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (``PCAOB'').\3\ The Commission is amending Regulation P to add a rule providing that these new Rules of Practice also formalize the process the Commission will use when conducting proceedings to determine whether a PCAOB proposed rule should be disapproved.