Agencies and Commissions September 8, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document announces the date of the Emergency Access Advisory Committee's (``Committee or EAAC'') next meeting. The September meeting will continue deliberations to develop recommendations to the Commission as required in the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA).

In accordance with the requirement of Section 3506 (c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 which provides opportunity for public comment on new or revised data collections, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) will publish periodic summaries of proposed data collections. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed information collection is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information has practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the RRB's estimate of the burden of the collection of the information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden related to the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Title and purpose of information collection: RUIA Claims Notification and Verification System; OMB 3220-0171. Section 5(b) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), requires that effective January 1, 1990, when a claim for benefits is filed with the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), the RRB shall provide notice of the claim to the claimant's base year employer(s) to provide them an opportunity to submit information relevant to the claim before making an initial determination. If the RRB determines to pay benefits to the claimant under the RUIA, the RRB shall notify the base-year employer(s). The purpose of the RUIA Claims Notification and Verification System is to provide two notices, pre-payment Form ID-4K, Prepayment Notice of Employees' Applications and Claims for Benefits Under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, and post-payment Form ID-4E, Notice of RUIA Claim Determination. Prepayment Form ID-4K provides notice to a claimant's base-year employer(s), of each unemployment application and unemployment and sickness claim filed for benefits under the RUIA and provides the employer an opportunity to convey information relevant to the proper adjudication of the claim. The railroad employer can elect to receive notices of applications and claims by one of three options: A computer- generated Form Letter ID-4K paper notice, an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) version of the Form Letter ID-4K notice, or an Internet equivalent ID-4K, which is transmitted through the RRB's Internet-based Employer Reporting System (ERS). The railroad employer can respond to the ID-4K notice by telephone, manually by mailing a completed ID-4K back to the RRB, or electronically via EDI or ERS. Completion is voluntary. No changes are being proposed to any of the ID-4K options. Once the RRB determines to pay a claim post-payment Form Letter ID- 4E, Notice of RUIA Claim Determination, is used to notify the base-year employer(s). This gives the employer a second opportunity to challenge the claim for benefits. The mainframe-generated ID-4E paper notice and the EDI and Internet equivalent versions are transmitted on a daily basis, generally on the same day that the claims are approved for payment. Railroad employers who are mailed Form ID-4E are instructed to write if they want a reconsideration of the RRB's determination to pay. Employers who receive the ID-4E electronically, may file a reconsideration request by completing the ID-4E by either EDI or ERS. Completion is voluntary. No changes are being proposed to any of the ID-4E options.

Notice is hereby given of the appointment of new members to the General Services Administration SES Performance Review Board. The Performance Review Board assures consistency, stability, and objectivity in the performance appraisal process.

This is a Notice of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for the State of North Carolina (FEMA-4019-DR), dated 08/31/ 2011. Incident: Hurricane Irene. Incident Period: 08/25/2011 and continuing. Effective Date: 08/31/2011. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 10/31/2011. Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 05/31/2012.

This is a Notice of the Presidential declaration of a major disaster for Public Assistance Only for the State of New York (FEMA- 4020-DR), dated 08/31/2011. Incident: Hurricane Irene. Incident Period: 08/26/2011 and continuing. Effective Date: 08/31/2011. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 10/31/2011. Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 05/31/2012.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Small Business Administration's intentions to request approval on a new and/or currently approved information collection.

This Order reinstates the video description rules adopted by the Commission in 2000. ``Video description,'' which is the insertion of audio narrated descriptions of a television program's key visual elements into natural pauses in the program's dialogue, makes video programming more accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. The Order reinstates the requirement that large-market broadcast affiliates of the top four national networks, and multichannel video programming distributor systems (``MVPDs'') with more than 50,000 subscribers, provide video description. It also reinstates the requirement that that all network-affiliated broadcasters (commercial or non-commercial) and all MVPDs pass through any video description provided with network programming they carry, to the extent that they are technically capable of doing so and when that technical capability is not being used for another purpose related to the programming.