Agencies and Commissions 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), agencies are required to submit proposed reporting and recordkeeping requirements to OMB for review and approval, and to publish a notice in the Federal Register notifying the public that the agency has made such a submission.

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on an alternative proposal submitted by the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA), to adopt a new geographic area size called Partial Economic Areas to license the 600 MHz Band and seeks comment on the specific boundaries proposed by CCA, which would enable smaller and rural carriers to bid on portions of Economic areas to obtain more efficiently sized spectrum licenses.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the ``Dodd-Frank Act'' or ``Act'') permits the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the ``Board'') to authorize a Federal Reserve Bank to establish and maintain an account for, and through the account provide certain financial services to, financial market utilities (``FMUs'') that are designated as systemically important by the Financial Stability Oversight Council (the ``Council''). In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act permits a Reserve Bank to pay interest on the balances maintained by or on behalf of a designated FMU. The Board is promulgating regulations to implement these provisions of the Dodd- Frank Act.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on issues related to rules implementing the requirements of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (``CVAA''). Specifically, the Commission explores whether the Commission should adopt rules to define the term ``usable'' for purposes of implementing the CVAA. The Commission also explores whether the phrase ``accessibility features'' in the Communications Act of 1934 (``the Act'') includes user display settings for closed captioning and whether those sections can be interpreted to require covered entities to ensure that consumers are able to locate and control such settings. In addition, the Commission explores whether there are possible sources of authority for requiring MVPDs to ensure that video programming guides and menus that provide channel and program information include high level channel and program descriptions and titles, as well as a symbol identifying the programs with accessibility options. The Commission also explores whether to require manufacturers of apparatus covered by the CVAA to provide access to the secondary audio stream used for audible emergency information by a mechanism reasonably comparable to a button, key, or icon. Furthermore, the Commission explores whether it should impose additional notification requirements on MVPDs regarding the availability of accessible equipment and, if so, what those notification requirements should be. The Commission tentatively concludes that equipment manufacturers subject to the CVAA should be required pursuant to the CVAA to inform consumers about the availability of audibly accessible devices and accessibility solutions.

The Export-Import Banks of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal Agencies to comment on the proposed information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This collection of information is necessary, pursuant to 12 U.S.C. Sec. 635(a)(1), to determine eligibility of the applicant for Ex-Im Bank assistance. The Application for Short-Term Multi-Buyer Export Credit Insurance Policy will be used to determine the eligibility of the applicant and the transaction for Export-Import Bank assistance under its insurance program. Export-Import Bank customers will be able to submit this form on paper or electronically. Five items have been changed on this form. First, the legal certifications have been updated to reflect a new Web site for performing due diligence. Second, two questions related to level of employment have been removed. Third, additional information about ``Affiliates'' and ``Additional Named Insureds'' is being requested. Fourth, additional information about ``Warehouses'' is being requested. Fifth, additional information about ``Exclusions'' is being requested. The third, fourth and fifth changes are only relevant if the applicant indicates that they have Affiliates, use Warehouses, and/or require Exclusions. The application tool can be reviewed at: https://www.exim.gov/pub/ pending/Form%20EIB%2092-50.pdf

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Comments are requested concerning (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau seeks to further develop the record on several implementation issues regarding the transition from Connect America Phase I to Phase II.

The Agencies are proposing to issue jointly an Addendum (Proposed Addendum) to the ``Interagency Policy Statement on Income Tax Allocation in a Holding Company Structure'' (63 FR 64757, Nov. 23, 1998) to ensure that insured depository institutions (IDIs) in a consolidated group maintain an appropriate relationship regarding the payment of taxes and treatment of tax refunds. The Proposed Addendum would instruct IDIs and their holding companies to review their tax allocation agreements to ensure that the agreements expressly acknowledge that the holding company receives a tax refund from a taxing authority as agent for the IDI and are consistent with certain of the requirements of sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act. The Proposed Addendum includes a sample paragraph that IDIs would include in their tax allocation agreements to facilitate the Agencies' instructions.

The NCUA Board (Board) is issuing a final rule to amend its regulations to clarify that federal credit unions are authorized to create and fund a charitable donation account, a hybrid charitable and investment vehicle, as an activity incidental to the business for which the credit union is chartered, provided the account is primarily charitable in nature and meets other regulatory conditions to ensure safety and soundness.

The SBA is issuing this notice to announce the location, date and time and agenda for the 2nd quarter meetings of the National Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Advisory Board.

In this notice of proposed rulemaking, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (``FDIC'') proposes to rescind and remove a regulation entitled ``Disclosure and Reporting of CRA-Related Agreements.'' This regulation was included in the regulations that were transferred to the FDIC from the Office of Thrift Supervision (``OTS'') on July 21, 2011, in connection with the implementation of applicable provisions of Title III of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (``Dodd-Frank Act''). The requirements for State savings associations in the rescinded regulation are substantively similar to those in another regulation also entitled ``Disclosure and Reporting of CRA-Related Agreements,'' which is applicable for all insured depository institutions (``IDIs'') for which the FDIC has been designated the appropriate Federal banking agency. Upon removal of the rescinded regulation entitled ``Disclosure and Reporting of CRA-Related Agreements,'' regulations applicable for all IDIs for which the FDIC has been designated the appropriate Federal banking agency will be found at the regulation also entitled ``Disclosure and Reporting of CRA-Related Agreements.''

This report is provided in accordance with section 608(d)(1) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, Public Law 108-199, Division D, (the ``Act''), 22 U.S.C. 7708(d)(1).

The General Services Administration's annual privately owned vehicle (POV) mileage reimbursement rate reviews have resulted in new CY 2014 rates for the use of privately owned automobiles (POA), POAs when Government owned automobiles (GOA) are authorized, privately owned motorcycles, and privately owned airplanes for official purposes. FTR Bulletin 14-03 establishes the new CY 2014 mileage reimbursement rates ($0.56 for POAs, $0.235 for POAs when a GOA is authorized, $0.53 for privately owned motorcycles, and $1.31 for privately owned airplanes) pursuant to the process discussed below. This notice of subject bulletin is the only notification of revisions to the POV rates to agencies other than the changes posted on the GSA Web site. GSA determines these rates by reviewing the annual standard automobile study contracted for by the Internal Revenue Service, as well as conducting independent automobile, motorcycle, and aircraft studies that evaluate various factors, such as the cost of fuel, the depreciation of the original vehicles costs, maintenance and insurance, and or by applying consumer price index data.

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.

Since enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) in 2010, the FDIC has been developing its capabilities for implementing the Orderly Liquidation Authority established under Title II of that Act to allow for the orderly resolution of a systemically important financial institution. This notice describes in greater detail the Single Point of Entry strategy, highlights some of the issues identified in connection with the strategy, and requests public comment on various aspects of the strategy.

Pursuant to Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Public Law 92-463), as amended, notice is hereby given that six meetings of the Arts Advisory Panel to the National Council on the Arts will be held at the Nancy Hanks Center, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20506 (unless otherwise noted) as follows (all meetings are Eastern time and ending times are approximate): Folk & Traditional Arts (application review): This meeting will be closed. Dates: January 9, 2014. 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in room 716. Music (review of nominations): This meeting will be closed. Dates: January 14, 2014. 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. The meeting will be held at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Ella & Louis Room, 3 Columbus Circle, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10019. Music (application review): This meeting will be virtual and will be closed. Dates: January 14, 2014. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. State & Regional (review of State Partnership Agreements): This meeting will be open. Dates: January 15-16, 2014. From 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on January 15th and from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on January 16th, in Room 716. State & Regional (review of Regional Partnership Agreements): This meeting will be open. Dates: January 23, 2014. 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Research (application review): This meeting will be virtual and will be closed. Dates: January 29, 2014. 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.