Agencies and Commissions March 16, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NARA is giving public notice that the agency proposes to request extension of three currently approved information collections. The first information collection is used to obtain information from private foundations or other entities in order to design, construct and equip Presidential libraries. The second information collection is used when veterans, dependents, and other authorized individuals request information from or copies of documents in military personnel, military medical, and dependent medical records. The third information collection is a voluntary survey of visitors to the National Archives Experience (NAE) in Washington, DC. The information is used to determine how the various components of the NAE affect visitors' level of satisfaction with the NAE and how effectively the venues communicate that records matter. The information supports adjustments in our offerings that will improve the overall visitor experience. The public is invited to comment on the proposed information collection pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

In this document, the Commission adopted a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SFNPRM), in which it announced that it wished to develop a more comprehensive record regarding measures to assist Federally recognized Native American Tribes and Alaska Native Villages (Tribes) in obtaining commercial FM radio station authorizations. Specifically, the Commission sought comment on the use of threshold qualifications for Tribes applying for commercial FM radio channel allotments that were added to the Table of Allotments using the Tribal Priority adopted by the Commission in the First Report and Order (First R&O) in this proceeding. The Commission also sought further comment on whether a Tribal Bidding Credit would accomplish the goal of increasing Tribal ownership of commercial stations broadcasting to Tribal Lands, and sought comment on the financial and other barriers facing Tribes wishing to enter the commercial broadcast arena.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the Heliophysics Subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC). This Subcommittee reports to the Science Committee of the NAC. The Meeting will be held for the purpose of soliciting from the scientific community and other persons scientific and technical information relevant to program planning.

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the OCC, the Board, the FDIC, and the OTS (the ``agencies'') may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), of which the agencies are members, has approved the agencies' publication for public comment of a proposal to revise the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income (Call Report) for banks, the Thrift Financial Report (TFR) for savings associations, the Report of Assets and Liabilities of U.S. Branches and Agencies of Foreign Banks (FFIEC 002), and the Report of Assets and Liabilities of a Non- U.S. Branch that is Managed or Controlled by a U.S. Branch or Agency of a Foreign (Non-U.S.) Bank (FFIEC 002S), all of which are currently approved collections of information, effective as of the June 30, 2011, report date. At the end of the comment period, the comments and recommendations received will be analyzed to determine the extent to which the FFIEC and the agencies should modify the proposed revisions prior to giving final approval. The agencies will then submit the revisions to OMB for review and approval.

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) 2005-50, which amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (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 2005-50, which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the Internet at https:// www.regulations.gov.

DoD, GSA, and NASA have adopted as final, without change, an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). The interim rule aligned the FAR with the revised Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Board standards ``Cost Accounting Standard for composition and measurement of pension cost,'' and ``Accounting for the cost of deferred compensation.''

DoD, GSA, and NASA have adopted as final, without change, an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to incorporate increased thresholds for application of the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and the Free Trade Agreements, as determined by the United States Trade Representative.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement section 1347 of the ``Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.'' Section 1347 clarifies the contracting officer's ability to use discretion when determining whether an acquisition will be restricted to small businesses participating in the 8(a), HUBZone, or service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) programs. There is no order of priority among small businesses in the 8(a) Business Development Program, the HUBZone Program, or the SDVOSB Program.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement section 811 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. This FAR change encourages agencies to maximize the effective use of competition by making certain that the proper Justification and Approval (J&A) is obtained prior to award of 8(a) sole-source contracts over $20 million, as required by section 811.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement section 864 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. This law aligns with the Presidential Memorandum on Government Contracting, issued on March 4, 2009, which directed agencies to save $40 billion in contracting annually by Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 and to reduce the use of high-risk contracts. This rule provides regulatory guidance on the proper use and management of other than firm-fixed-price contracts (e.g., cost-reimbursement, time-and-material, and labor-hour).

In accordance with Section 763 of Title VII (``Title VII'') of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (``Dodd-Frank Act''), Section 805 of Title VIII (``Title VIII'') of the Dodd-Frank Act, and Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act''), the Securities and Exchange Commission (``SEC'' or ``Commission'') is proposing rules regarding registration of clearing agencies and standards for the operation and governance of clearing agencies. The proposed rules are designed to enhance the regulatory framework for the supervision of clearing agencies.