Agencies and Commissions December 27, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is announcing an opportunity for public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., Federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on the rule requiring notification of pending legal proceedings pursuant to 17 CFR 1.60.

In this document, the Commission amends its rules governing the Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules to extend the deadline for EAS Participants to be able to receive Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)- formatted EAS alerts to no later than June 30, 2012. This is intended to provide EAS Participants with time to comply with any new CAP-based revisions to the Commission's rules.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') is amending interim final temporary Rule 15Ba2-6T, which provides for the temporary registration of municipal advisors under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Exchange Act''), as amended by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (``Dodd-Frank Act''), to extend the date on which Rule 15Ba2-6T will sunset from December 31, 2011 to September 30, 2012. Under the amendment, all temporary registrations submitted pursuant to Rule 15Ba2-6T will expire no later than September 30, 2012.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. app 2) and implementing regulation 41 CFR 101-6, announcement is made for the committee meeting of the State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee. To discuss the matters relating to the Classified National Security Information Program for State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Entities.

In accordance with requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (``PRA''), 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., the FDIC 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 FDIC, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the renewal of existing information collection, as required by the PRA. On October 20, 2011 (76 FR 65192), the FDIC solicited public comment for a 60-day period on renewal of the following information collection: Uniform Application/Uniform Termination for Municipal Securities Principal or Representative (OMB No. 3064-0022). No comments were received. Therefore, the FDIC hereby gives notice of submission of its request for renewal to OMB for review.

This document informs the public that an appeal of the closing of the McCallsburg, Iowa post office has been filed. It identifies preliminary steps and provides a procedural schedule. Publication of this document will allow the Postal Service, petitioners, and others to take appropriate action.

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. 1. Title and purpose of information collection: Supplemental Information on Accident and Insurance; OMB 3220-0036. Under Section 12(o) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is entitled to reimbursement of the sickness benefits paid to a railroad employee if the employee receives a sum or damages for the same infirmity for which the benefits are paid. Section 2(f) of the RUIA requires employers to reimburse the RRB for days in which salary, wages, pay for time lost or other remuneration is later determined to be payable. Reimbursements under section 2(f) generally result from the award of pay for time lost or the payment of guaranteed wages. The RUIA prescribes that the amount of benefits paid be deducted and held by the employer in a special fund for reimbursement to the RRB. The RRB currently utilizes Forms SI-1c, Supplemental Information on Accident and Insurance; SI-5, Report of Payments to Employee Claiming Sickness Benefits Under the RUIA; ID-3s, Request for Lien Information; Report of Settlement; ID-3s-1, Lien Information Under Section 12(o) of the RUIA; ID-3u, Request for Section 2(f) Information; ID-30k, Notice to Request Supplemental Information on Injury or Illness; and ID-30k-1, Notice to Request Supplemental Information on Injury or Illness; to obtain the necessary information from claimants and railroad employers. Completion is required to obtain benefits. One response is requested of each respondent. The RRB proposes no changes to the forms in the collection.

The Postal Service gives notice of filing a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission to add a domestic shipping services contract to the list of Negotiated Service Agreements in the Mail Classification Schedule's Competitive Products List.

The NCUA is submitting the following information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). This information collection is published to obtain comments from the public.

The Federal Maritime Commission is issuing this Notice of Inquiry seeking comments on ways to make the tariff filing exemption provided to licensed non-vessel-operating common carriers in its regulations more useful, including its possible extension to foreign- based non-vessel-operating common carriers not licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (``the Commission,'' ``CPSC,'' or ``we'') has reason to believe that firepots and gel fuel used together may present an unreasonable risk of injury. As of September 30, 2011, the Commission is aware of 76 incidents that resulted in 2 deaths and 86 injuries involving firepots used with gel fuel. All of these incidents occurred between April 3, 2010 and September 1, 2011. Many of the injuries were severe; over half of the victims reportedly required hospitalization. This advance notice of proposed rulemaking (``ANPR'') initiates a rulemaking proceeding under the Consumer Product Safety Act (``CPSA''). We invite comments concerning the risk of injury associated with firepots, gel fuel and gel fuel containers, the regulatory alternatives discussed in this notice, and other possible ways to address this risk. We also invite interested persons to submit an existing standard or a statement of intent to modify or develop a voluntary standard to address the risk of injury described in this notice.

The Federal Election Commission seeks comments on proposed changes to its rules regarding corporate and labor organization funding of expenditures, independent expenditures and electioneering communications. These and other proposed changes are in response to a Petition for Rulemaking filed by the James Madison Center for Free Speech urging the Commission to amend its regulations in response to the decision of the Supreme Court in Citizens United v. FEC. The Commission has made no final decision on the issues presented in this rulemaking.