Agencies and Commissions January 18, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to section 994(a), (o), and (p) of title 28, United States Code, the United States Sentencing Commission is considering promulgating certain amendments to the sentencing guidelines, policy statements, and commentary. This notice sets forth the proposed amendments and, for each proposed amendment, a synopsis of the issues addressed by that amendment. This notice also sets forth a number of issues for comment, some of which are set forth together with the proposed amendments; some of which are set forth independent of any proposed amendment; and one of which (regarding retroactive application of proposed amendments) is set forth in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION portion of this notice. The proposed amendments and issues for comment in this notice are as follows: (1) A proposed amendment to Sec. 2B1.1 (Theft, Property Destruction, and Fraud) regarding offenses involving pre-retail medical products to implement the directive in the SAFE DOSES Act, Public Law 112-186 (October 5, 2012), and a related issue for comment; (2) an issue for comment on the directive in section 3 of the Foreign and Economic Espionage Penalty Enhancement Act of 2012, Public Law 112 , relating to offenses involving stolen trade secrets or economic espionage; (3) proposed changes to the guidelines applicable to offenses involving counterfeit or adulterated drugs or counterfeit military parts, including (A) a proposed amendment on offenses involving counterfeit military goods and services, including options to amend Sec. 2B5.3 (Criminal Infringement of Copyright or Trademark) or Appendix A (Statutory Index) with respect to such offenses to address the statutory changes to 18 U.S.C. 2320 made by section 818 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, Public Law 112-81 (December 31, 2011); (B) a proposed amendment on offenses involving counterfeit drugs, including options to amend Sec. 2B5.3 or Appendix A with respect to such offenses to address the statutory changes to 18 U.S.C. 2320, and to implement the directive to the Commission, in section 717 of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, Public Law 112-144 (July 9, 2012); and (C) a proposed amendment on offenses involving adulterated drugs, including options to amend Sec. 2N2.1 (Violations of Statutes and Regulations Dealing With Any Food, Drug, Biological Product, Device, Cosmetic, Agricultural Product, or Consumer Product) or Appendix A with respect to such offenses to address the statutory changes to 21 U.S.C. 333 in section 716 of such Act; and related issues for comment; (4) a proposed amendment to Sec. 2T1.1 (Tax Evasion; Willful Failure to File Return, Supply Information, or Pay Tax; Fraudulent or False Returns, Statements, or Other Documents) to respond to a circuit conflict over whether a sentencing court, in calculating the tax loss in a tax case, may subtract the unclaimed deductions that the defendant legitimately could have claimed if he or she had filed an accurate tax return, and related issues for comment; (5) a proposed amendment and issues for comment in response to two circuit conflicts relating to the circumstances under which the defendant is eligible for a third level of reduction under subsection (b) of Sec. 3E1.1 (Acceptance of Responsibility), including (A) a proposed amendment to Sec. 3E1.1 to respond to a circuit conflict over whether the court has discretion to deny the third level of reduction when the government has filed the motion described in subsection (b), which would recognize that the court does have such discretion; and (B) an issue for comment on a circuit conflict over whether the government has discretion to withhold making a motion under subsection (b) when there is no evidence that the government was required to prepare for trial; (6) a proposed amendment to Sec. 5G1.3 (Imposition of a Sentence on a Defendant Subject to an Undischarged Term of Imprisonment) to respond to Setser v. United States, U.S. (March 28, 2012), which held that a federal court in imposing sentence generally has discretion to order that the sentence run consecutive to (or concurrently with) an anticipated, but not yet imposed, term of imprisonment; and (7) a proposed amendment and related issue for comment in response to miscellaneous issues arising from legislation recently enacted and to address technical and stylistic issues in the guidelines, including (A) proposed changes to Appendix A (Statutory Index) to address certain criminal provisions in the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, Public Law 112-95 (February 14, 2012); the Child Protection Act of 2012, Public Law 112-206 (December 7, 2012); the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011, Public Law 112-98 (March 8, 2012); and the Ultralight Aircraft Smuggling Prevention Act of 2012, Public Law 112-93 (February 10, 2012); (B) a proposed change to Appendix A (Statutory Index) to address offenses under 18 U.S.C. 554; (C) proposed changes to guidelines in Chapter Two, Part J (Offenses Involving the Administration of Justice) to address an application issue involving the interaction of those guidelines with adjustments in Chapter Three, Part C (Obstruction and Related Adjustments); and (D) technical and stylistic changes.

The Audio Division, at the request of Charles Crawford, substitutes Channel 282A for vacant Channel 232A at Hebbronville, Texas. The purpose of the proposed channel substitution at Hebbronville is to accommodate the hybrid application, File No. BNPH-20070502ADP, which requests the substitution of Channel 232A for Channel 282A at Benavides, Texas, and modification of the new FM station. Channel 282A can be allotted to Hebbronville consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Rules with a site restriction 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) northwest of the community. The reference coordinates for Channel 282A are 27-23-18 NL and 98-44-26 WL. Channel 282A at Hebbronville is located 320 kilometers from the Mexican Border. Although Mexican concurrence has been requested, notification has not been received. If a construction permit for Channel 282A at Hebbronville, Texas is granted prior to receipt of formal concurrence by the Mexican government, the authorization will include the following condition: ``Operation with the facilities specified herein for Hebbronville, Texas, is subject to modification, suspension, or termination without right to hearing, if found by the Commission to be necessary in order to conform to the Mexico-United States FM Broadcast Agreement, or if specifically objected to by the Government of Mexico.''

The Committee is proposing to add a product and services to the Procurement List that will be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities, and deletes a service previously provided by such agency.

The Copyright Royalty Judges are soliciting comments on a motion of Phase I claimants for partial distribution in connection with the 2011 satellite royalty funds. The Judges are also requesting comments as to the existence of Phase I and Phase II controversies with respect to the distribution of 2011 satellite royalty funds.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled Certain Electronic Bark Control Collars, DN 2932; the Commission is soliciting comments on any public interest issues raised by the complaint or complainant's filing under section 210.8(b) of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 210.8(b)).

The Federal Election Commission is requesting comment on certain aspects of its enforcement process. First and foremost, the Commission welcomes public comment on whether this agency is doing an effective job in enforcing the Act and Commission regulations. Additionally, the Commission is currently reviewing and seeks public comment on: Its policies, practices, and procedures during the enforcement process stage set forth in 2 U.S.C. 437g(a)(1), prior to the Commission's determination of whether there is ``reason to believe'' that a person has committed, or is about to commit, a violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended, 2 U.S.C. 431 et seq. (``FECA'' or ``the Act'') and/or the Commission's implementing regulations; and the Commission's authority under 2 U.S.C. 437g(a)(5) to seek civil penalties from respondents pursuant to a finding of ``probable cause to believe'' that a respondent has violated the Act and/or Commission regulations, as well as the Commission's practice of seeking civil penalties prior to a finding of probable cause.

The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing concerning the addition of Express Mail Contract 13 to the competitive product list. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

The NCUA Board (Board) is issuing a final rule to amend Interpretive Ruling and Policy Statement (IRPS) 87-2, as amended by IRPS 03-2, and two NCUA regulations that apply asset thresholds to grant relief from risk-based net worth and interest rate risk requirements. The amended IRPS increases the asset threshold that identifies credit unions to which NCUA will give more robust consideration of regulatory relief in future rulemakings. The amended regulations similarly include increased asset thresholds, granting immediate and prospective relief from existing regulatory burden to a larger group of small credit unions.

The NCUA Board (Board) is making technical amendments to NCUA's regulation regarding share insurance on various kinds of treasury accounts. The technical amendments conform the regulation to changes made to NCUA's standard maximum share insurance amount (SMSIA) by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act). Specifically, the Dodd-Frank Act increased the SMSIA from $100,000 to $250,000.

On November 14, 2012, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'') published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking (the ``Customer Protection Proposal'') \1\ to adopt new regulations and amend existing regulations to require enhanced customer protections, risk management programs, internal monitoring and controls, capital and liquidity standards, customer disclosures, and auditing and examination programs for futures commission merchants (``FCMs''). The Customer Protection Proposal also addressed certain related issues concerning derivatives clearing organizations (``DCOs'') and chief compliance officers (``CCOs''). In order to provide interested parties with an additional opportunity to comment on the Customer Protection Proposal, the Commission is extending the comment period for the Customer Protection Proposal.