Department of State October 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Academic Exchange Programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for projects to provide foreign language instruction overseas for American undergraduate and graduate students in the summer of 2007 in support of the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI). Public and private non-profit organizations, or consortia of such organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3), may submit proposals to implement six-to ten-week summer institutes overseas for a minimum total of 365 participants in countries where Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian and the Indic, Persian, and Turkic language families are widely spoken. These summer institutes should offer U.S. undergraduate and graduate students structured classroom instruction and less formal interactive learning opportunities through a comprehensive exchange experience that primarily emphasizes language learning. Proposals from applicant organizations should clearly indicate the building of new, additional institutional language-teaching capacity overseas for these summer institutesthis program is designed to develop additional language study opportunities for U.S. students.

This notice announces several meetings of the International Telecommunication Advisory Committee (ITAC). The International Telecommunication Advisory Committee (ITAC) will meet to prepare advice on proposed U.S. contributions to the Permanent Executive Committee of the Organization of American States Inter- American Telecommunication Commission (COM/CITEL) on Wednesday November 29, 2006 2-4 p.m. eastern time in the Washington DC metro area. The International Telecommunication Advisory Committee (ITAC) will meet to prepare advice on proposed U.S. contributions to Study Group 17 (Security, languages and telecommunication software) of the International Telecommunication Union's Telecommunication Standardization Sector on Tuesday November 14, 2006 from 10-noon eastern time by conference call. The International Telecommunication Advisory Committee (ITAC) will meet to prepare advice on proposed U.S. contributions to the Committee on Information Services and Policy (CISP) and Working Party on the Information Economy (WPIE) meetings of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on November 16 and 30, 2006 10:30 a.m.-noon eastern time in room 2533A in the Harry S Truman State Department building. These meetings are open to the public, and conference bridges may be available. Further information may be obtained from the Secretariat minardje@state.gov, telephone 202-647-3234.

The Office of Citizen Exchanges, Youth Programs Division, of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program. Public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3) will submit proposals to recruit and select English-speaking high school students in Iraq and conduct month-long projects in the United States for student groups that focus on leadership development and civic education.

The Branch for the Study of the United States, Office of Academic Exchange Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, invites proposal submissions for the design and implementation of three Study of the United States Institutes to take place over the course of six weeks beginning in June 2007. These institutes should provide a multinational group of experienced educators with a deeper understanding of U.S. society, culture, values and institutions. Two of these institutes will be for groups of 18 university level faculty each, one with a focus on American Civilization, the other on Journalism and Media. The third institute will be a general survey course on the study of the United States, for a group of 30 secondary educators. Prospective applicants may only submit proposals to host one institute listed under this competition.

Notice is hereby given of the following determinations: Pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Act of October 19, 1965 (79 Stat. 985; 22 U.S.C. 2459), Executive Order 12047 of March 27, 1978, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 2681, et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6501 note, et seq.), Delegation of Authority No. 234 of October 1, 1999, Delegation of Authority No. 236 of October 19, 1999, as amended, and Delegation of Authority No. 257 of April 15, 2003 [68 FR 19875], I hereby determine that the objects to be included in the exhibition ``El Greco to Picasso: Time, Truth, and History,'' imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the United States, are of cultural significance. The objects are imported pursuant to loan agreements with the foreign owners or custodians. I also determine that the exhibition or display of the exhibit objects at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Museum, New York, New York, from on or about November 17, 2006, until on or about March 28, 2007, and at possible additional venues yet to be determined, is in the national interest. Public Notice of these Determinations is ordered to be published in the Federal Register.

The Department of State is seeking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the information collection described below. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment in the Federal Register preceding submission to OMB. We are conducting this process in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Title of Information Collection: Human Rights Abuses Reporting Site. OMB Control Number: 1405-0175. Type of Request: Extension of a Currently Approved Collection. Originating Office: Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Office of Cuban Affairs (WHA/CCA). Form Number: DS-5090e, Human Rights Abuses Reporting Site. Respondents: Victims of human rights abuses in Cuba. Estimated Number of Respondents: 7,300 annually. Estimated Number of Responses: 7,300 annually. Average Hours Per Response: 15 minutes per response. Total Estimated Burden: 1,825 hours. Frequency: On occasion. Obligation to Respond: Voluntary. DATE(S): The Department will accept comments from the public up to 60 days from October 18, 2006.

Section 7209 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), Public Law 108-458, 118 Stat. 3638 (Dec. 17, 2004), provides that U.S. citizens and nonimmigrant aliens may enter the U.S. only with passports or such alternative documents as the Secretary of Homeland Security may designate as satisfactorily establishing identity and citizenship. The statute requires that the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, develop and implement a plan to require virtually all travelers entering the U.S. to present a passport, other document, or combination of documents, that are ``deemed by the Secretary of Homeland Security to be sufficient to denote identity and citizenship. Section 7209 expressly limits the waiver of documentation requirements for U.S. citizens under section 215 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)\1\ and eliminates the waiver of documentation requirements for categories of individuals for whom documentation requirements have previously been waived (citizens of Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda) under section 212 (d)(4) (B) of the INA.\2\ U.S. citizens and nonimmigrant aliens from Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda will be required to comply with the new document requirements of section 7209.\3\ The legislation also requires that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of State seek to facilitate the frequent travel of those living in border communities. This proposed rule addresses the travel facilitation requirement of this legislation. The administration's proposal to address the remainder of the legislative requirements as set forth in section 7209, called the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), is being addressed in separate rulemakings.

The Department of State and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) are providing notice that, as set forth in Chapter 19 (Environment) of the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the United States and Chile intend to hold the third meeting of the Environment Affairs Council (the ``Council'') and the second meeting of the United States-Chile Joint Commission for Environmental Cooperation (the ``Commission'') in Santiago, Chile on October 23-24, 2006. A public information session will be held for members of the public on October 23, at 3:30 p.m., in the Ministry of Foreign Relations, Teatinos 180, Conference Room, 17th floor. The purpose of the Council and Commission meetings is detailed below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. The meeting agendas will include an evaluation of the eight cooperative projects outlined in the FTA's Environment Chapter and the 2005-2006 Work Program and a proposed 2007-2008 Work Program pursuant to the United States-Chile Environmental Cooperation Agreement (``the ECA''). The Department of State and USTR invite interested agencies, organizations, and members of the public to submit written comments or suggestions regarding agenda items. In preparing comments, we encourage submitters to refer to: The FTA's Environment Chapter including Annex 19.3, and the Final Environment Review of the FTA, available at: https:// www.ustr.gov/TradeAgreements/Bilateral/ChileFTA/Section Index.html. The ECA, available at: https://www.state.gov/g/oes/env/tr/. Joint Declaration and Project Reports from the 2005 Council meeting at: https://www.state.gov/g/oes/env/tr/2005/index.htm.

TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. has applied to the United States Department of State for a Presidential Permit for the proposed construction, connection, operation, or maintenance, at the border of the United States of facilities for the importation of petroleum from a foreign country. The Department of State receives and considers applications for Presidential Permits for such energy-related pipelines pursuant to authority delegated to it by the President under Executive Order 13337 of April 30, 2004 (69 FR 25299). To issue a Permit, the Department of State must find that issuance would serve the national interest. It consults extensively with concerned Federal and State agencies, and invites public comment in arriving at its determination. With respect to the application submitted by TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P., the Department of State has concluded that the issuance of the Presidential Permit would constitute a major Federal action that may have a significant impact upon the environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). For this reason, Department of State intends to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to address reasonably foreseeable impacts from the proposed action and alternatives, to include the proposed Cushing extension. The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to inform the public about the proposed action, announce plans for scoping meetings, invite public participation in the scoping process, and solicit public comments for consideration in establishing the scope and content of the EIS. As the proposed project may involve an action in a floodplain or wetland, the EIS will include a floodplain and wetlands assessment and floodplain statement of findings.

This final rule amends part 51 at Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations to change a ground of denying, revoking or canceling a passport. The final rule amends the existing regulation at section 51.70(a) in Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations which requires the Secretary of State to deny a passport to a person who has been certified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to be in arrears of child support by an amount exceeding $5000 by changing it to $2500 in accordance with Section 7303 of Public Law 109-171, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.