Agencies and Commissions January 8, 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Commission hereby gives notice of the institution of investigations and commencement of preliminary phase antidumping and countervailing duty investigations Nos. 701-TA-511 and 731-TA-1246-1247 (Preliminary) under sections 703(a) and 733(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1671b(a) and 1673b(a)) (the Act) to determine whether there is a reasonable indication that an industry in the United States is materially injured or threatened with material injury, or the establishment of an industry in the United States is materially retarded, by reason of imports from China and Taiwan of certain crystalline silicon photovoltaic products, provided for in subheading 8541.40.60 (statistical reporting numbers 8541.40.60.20 or 8541.40.60.30 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, that are alleged to be sold in the United States at less than fair value and alleged to be subsidized by the Government of China. Unless the Department of Commerce extends the time for initiation pursuant to sections 702(c)(1)(B) or 732(c)(1)(B) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1671a(c)(1)(B) or 1673a(c)(1)(B)), the Commission must reach a preliminary determination in antidumping and countervailing duty investigations in 45 days, or in this case by February 14, 2014. The Commission's views must be transmitted to Commerce within five business days thereafter, or by February 24, 2014.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a general license to Ameren Missouri (AmerenUE), authorizing the operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), in accordance with its regulations. This Order is being issued to AmerenUE because AmerenUE has identified near-term plans to store spent fuel in an ISFSI under the general license provisions of the NRC's regulations.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'') is adopting amendments to a rule and three forms under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (``Investment Company Act'') and the Securities Act of 1933 (``Securities Act'') in order to implement a provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (``Dodd-Frank Act''). Specifically, rule 5b-3 under the Investment Company Act contains a reference to credit ratings in determining when an investment company (``fund'') may treat a repurchase agreement as an acquisition of securities collateralizing the repurchase agreement for certain purposes under the Investment Company Act. The amendments we are adopting today replace this reference to credit ratings with an alternative standard designed to retain a similar degree of credit quality to that in current rule 5b-3. The Commission is also adopting amendments to Forms N-1A, N-2, and N-3 under the Investment Company Act and Securities Act to eliminate the required use of NRSRO credit ratings when a fund chooses to depict its portfolio holdings by credit quality.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Policy Directive in response to public comments SBA received on the final SBIR Policy Directive, published on August 6, 2012. SBA is also making several minor clarifying changes to ensure that the SBIR participants clearly understand certain program requirements.