Agencies and Commissions 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to clarify when to use higher- level quality standards in solicitations and contracts. The rule also updates the examples of higher-level quality standards by removing obsolete standards and adding new industry standards that pertain to quality assurance for avoidance of counterfeit items.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement the Streamlining Claims Processing for Federal Contractor Employees Act which amends the United States Code (U.S.C.) to transfer certain functions from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to the Department of Labor (DOL) relating to the processing of claims for the payment of workers who were not paid appropriate wages under certain provisions of the U.S.C.

This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rules agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) in this Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-78. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG), follows this FAC. The FAC, including the SECG, is available via the Internet at https://www.regulations.gov.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), agencies are required to publish a Notice in the Federal Register notifying the public that the agency is renewing an information collection for OMB review and approval and requests public review and comment on the submission. Comments are being solicited on the need for the information; the accuracy of the Agency's burden estimate; the quality, practical utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize reporting the burden, including automated collected techniques and uses of other forms of technology.

The FDIC is proposing to amend its filing requirements and processing procedures for notices filed under the Change in Bank Control Act (Notices). The proposed amendments are intended to accomplish several objectives. First, the proposed rule would consolidate into one subpart the current requirements and procedures for Notices filed with respect to State nonmember banks and certain parent companies thereof, and the requirements and procedures for Notices filed with respect to State savings associations and certain parent companies thereof. Second, the proposed rule would rescind the FDIC's separate regulation governing the requirements and procedures for Notices filed with respect to State savings associations and certain parent companies thereof and would rescind any guidance issued by the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) relating to changes in control of State savings associations that is inconsistent with the proposed rule. Third, the proposed rule would adopt the best practices of the related regulations of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board of Governors). Finally, the proposed rule would clarify the FDIC's requirements and procedures based on its experience interpreting and implementing the existing regulation. This proposed rule is also part of the FDIC's continuing review of its regulations under the Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act of 1996.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an Order for CB&I AREVA MOX Services (MOX Services, Licensee) (formerly known as Shaw AREVA MOX Services, LLC). The Licensee holds Construction Authorization (CA) CAMOX-001 which authorizes the construction of a Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina. The MFFF is currently partially completed.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) announces that on December 9, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC) will hold a public meeting at the CFTC's Washington, DC, headquarters. The meeting will focus on, among other issues, topics related to the agricultural economy, as well as the deliverable supplies of agricultural commodities as they pertain to position limits.

NARA is giving public notice that the agency has submitted to OMB for approval the information collection described in this notice. The public is invited to comment on the proposed information collection pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the FTC is seeking public comments on its request to OMB for a three- year extension of the Trade Regulation Rule entitled Labeling and Advertising of Home Insulation (R-value Rule or Rule). That clearance expires on December 31, 2014.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1309, ``Guidelines for Evaluating the Effects of Light-Water Reactor Coolant Environments in Fatigue Analyses of Metal Components.'' This guide, Revision 1 of Regulatory Guide 1.207 has been revised to consolidate, update, and replace previous NRC staff guidance on the effects of light-water reactor coolant environments on the fatigue lives of nuclear power plant components. This proposed revision provides an alternative to previous guidance provided for new reactors in Revision 0 of this guide, as well as to previous guidance provided for license renewal of operating reactors in the Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL) Report and the Standard Review Plan for License Renewal (SRP-LR). This guide supports reviews of applications for new nuclear reactor construction that are licensed under the NRC's regulations.

Summary of Application: Applicants request an order to permit a business development company (``BDC'') to co-invest in portfolio companies with affiliated investment funds.

The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing of a contingency pricing adjustment to an outstanding International Business Reply Service Competitive Contract 3 negotiated service agreement. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), and as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is inviting the general public or other Federal agencies to comment on this proposed continuing information collection. The NSF will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Commission will consider whether to take an enforcement action.

This staff accounting bulletin rescinds portions of the interpretive guidance included in the Staff Accounting Bulletin Series in order to make the relevant interpretive guidance consistent with authoritative accounting guidance and Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations. Specifically, the staff is updating the Series in order to bring existing guidance into conformity with a recent consensus of the Financial Accounting Standards Board Emerging Issues Task Force, Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-17Business Combinations (Topic 805): Pushdown Accounting (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force).