Department of Commerce September 18, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This proposed rule amends regulations of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Department of Commerce (BEA) to set forth the reporting requirements for a new mandatory survey entitled the BE-150, Quarterly Survey of Cross-Border Credit, Debit, and Charge Card Transactions. The proposed survey would collect from major U.S. credit card companies data on cross-border credit, debit, and charge card transactions between U.S. cardholders traveling abroad and foreign businesses and between foreign cardholders traveling in the United States and U.S. businesses. If approved, the BE-150 survey would be conducted on a quarterly basis beginning with the first quarter of 2009. The proposed BE-150 survey data will be used by BEA in estimating the travel component of the U.S. International Transactions Accounts (ITAs). In constructing the estimates, these data will be used in conjunction with data BEA will collect separately from U.S. and foreign travelers on the Survey of International Travel Expenditures on the methods these travelers used to pay for their international travel, such as credit, debit, and charge card purchases, cash withdrawals, currency brought from home, and travelers' checks.

NMFS announces that it is considering, and is seeking public comment on proposed rulemaking to revise National Standard 2 (NS2) guidelines regarding use of best scientific information available, in light of reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). NMFS is considering modifying the language describing the content and purpose of the Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Report or related documents, and adding language regarding peer review processes, the role of the scientific and statistical committees (SSCs) of the Regional Fishery Management Councils (Councils), and the relationship between peer reviews and SSCs.