Agencies and Commissions 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Board of Governors (Board) is adopting amendments to subpart A of its Regulation J, Collection of Checks and Other Items by Federal Reserve Banks and Funds Transfers through Fedwire, to permit the Federal Reserve Banks (Reserve Banks) to require paying banks that receive presentment of checks from the Reserve Banks to make the proceeds of settlement for those checks available to the Reserve Banks as soon as one half-hour after receipt of the checks. The amendments will also permit the Reserve Banks to obtain settlement from paying banks by as early as 8:30 a.m. eastern time for checks that the Reserve Banks present. These amendments to Regulation J are consistent with the revised method for posting debits and credits to banks' Federal Reserve accounts to measure daylight overdrafts under amendments to the Federal Reserve Policy on Payment System Risk (PSR policy) that the Board is concurrently adopting. The Board is also adopting a technical amendment to the definition of ``Administrative Reserve Bank.''

The Small Business Administration (SBA) intends to request approval, from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the collection of information described below. The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35 requires federal agencies to publish a notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information before submission to OMB, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice complies with that requirement.

In this Report and Order (``R&O''), the Federal Communications Commission (``Commission'') adopts new and revised rules governing the 800 MHz Cellular (``Cellular'') Service, changing the licensing model from site-based to geographic-based and eliminating numerous filing requirements while preserving direct access to area not yet licensed (``Unserved Area''). The Commission also deletes obsolete and unnecessary provisions in the rules and streamlines requirements remaining in place. The resulting modernized scheme gives greater flexibility to Cellular licensees to make improvements to their systems in response to changing market demands.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: 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; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; 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 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 OMB 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 OMB control number.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 to include in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), to the extent practicable, identification of any immediate owner or subsidiary, and all predecessors of an offeror that held a Federal contract or grant within the last three years. The objective is to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the performance and integrity of the corporation before awarding a Federal contract.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is an forwarding Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Our ICR describes the information we seek to collect from the public. Review and approval by OIRA ensures that we impose appropriate paperwork burdens. The RRB invites comments on the proposed collections of information to determine (1) the practical utility of the collections; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden of the collections; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information that is the subject of collection; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of collections on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Comments to the RRB or OIRA must contain the OMB control number of the ICR. For proper consideration of your comments, it is best if the RRB and OIRA receive them within 30 days of the publication date. 1. Title and purpose of information collection: Student Beneficiary Monitoring; OMB 3220-0123. Under provisions of the Railroad Retirement Act (RRA), there are two types of benefit payments that are based on the status of a child being in full-time elementary or secondary school attendance at age 18- 19: a survivor child's annuity benefit under Section 2(d)(1)(iii) and an increase in the employee retirement annuity under the Special Guaranty computation as prescribed in section 3(f)(2) and 20 CFR 229. The survivor student annuity is usually paid by direct deposit to a financial institution either into the student's checking or savings account or into a joint bank account with a parent. The requirements for eligibility as a student are prescribed in 20 CFR 216.74, and include students in independent study and home schooling. To help determine if a child is entitled to student benefits, the RRB requires evidence of full-time school attendance. This evidence is acquired through the RRB's student monitoring program, which utilizes the following forms. Form G-315, Student Questionnaire, obtains certification of a student's full-time school attendance as well as information on the student's marital status, social security benefits, and employment, which are needed to determine entitlement or continued entitlement to benefits under the RRA. Form G-315A, Statement of School Official, is used to obtain, from a school, verification of a student's full-time attendance when the student fails to return a monitoring Form G-315. Form G-315A.1, School Official's Notice of Cessation of Full- Time School Attendance, is used by a school to notify the RRB that a student has ceased full-time school attendance. Previous Requests for Comments: The RRB has already published the initial 60-day notice (79 FR 57988 on September 26, 2014) required by 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited no comments.

The Securities and Exchange Commission Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies is providing notice that it will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, December 17, 2014, in Multi-Purpose Room LL-006 at the Commission's headquarters, 100 F Street NE., Washington, DC. The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. (EST) and will be open to the public, except for a period of approximately 90 minutes when the Committee will meet in an administrative work session during lunch. The public portions of the meeting will be Webcast on the Commission's Web site at www.sec.gov. Persons needing special accommodations to take part because of a disability should notify the contact person listed below. The public is invited to submit written statements to the Committee. The agenda for the meeting includes matters relating to rules and regulations affecting small and emerging companies under the federal securities laws.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption in response to an August 1, 2014, letter from Duke Energy Progress (DEP), which requested an exemption from certain regulatory requirements that requires DEP to submit an update to the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) included in their combined license (COL) application by December 31, 2014. The NRC staff reviewed this request and determined that it is appropriate to grant the exemption, but stipulated that the update to the FSAR must be submitted prior to, or coincident with the resumption of the COL application review or by December 31, 2015, whichever comes first.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of an application filed by Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. (ESGL) and Entergy Louisiana, LLC (ELL) on June 10, 2014, as supplemented by letter dated October 9, 2014. The application seeks NRC approval of the direct transfers of Facility Operating License No. NPF-47 for River Bend Station, Unit 1 (River Bend), from the current holder, ESGL, and Facility Operating License No. NPF-38 for Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 (Waterford), from current holder ELL to new company Entergy Louisiana Power, LLC (ELP). In connection with these actions, ELP would change its name to new company Entergy Louisianan, LLC.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has announced appointments to the NRC Performance Review Board (PRB) responsible for making recommendations on performance appraisal ratings and performance awards for Senior Executives and Senior Level employees and appointments to the NRC PRB Panel responsible for making recommendations to the appointing and awarding authorities for NRC PRB members.

In this document, the International Bureau granted a request for an extension of time to file comments in response to a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that initiated a comprehensive review of the Commission's rules governing space stations and earth stations. The original deadline for filing comments was December 15, 2014; the original deadline for filing reply comments was January 14, 2015. The International Bureau extended the deadlines for filing both comments and reply comments by 45 days.

The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing concerning the addition of Priority Mail Contract 100 negotiated service agreement to the competitive product list. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing concerning the addition of Priority Mail Contract 101 to the competitive product list. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.