Department of the Treasury March 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States Mint is announcing an increase in the price of the 2010 United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set, the 2010 United States Mint Silver Proof Set and the 2011 United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set. In accordance with 31 U.S.C. 9701(b)(2)(B), the United States Mint is setting the price of these products to reflect recent increases in the market price of silver. The 2010 United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set will be priced at $39.95. The 2010 United States Mint Silver Proof Set will be priced at $64.95. The 2011 United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set will be priced at $41.95.

This document adopts as a final rule, with some changes, interim amendments to title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations (``CFR'') to revise, update, and consolidate the Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') regulations relating to the country of origin of textile and apparel products. The regulatory amendments adopted as a final rule in this document reflect changes brought about, in part, by the expiration on January 1, 2005, of the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (``ATC'') and the resulting elimination of quotas on the entry of textile and apparel products from World Trade Organization (``WTO'') members. The primary regulatory change consists of the elimination of the requirement that a textile declaration be submitted for all importations of textile and apparel products. In addition, to improve the quality of reporting of the identity of the manufacturer of imported textile and apparel products, this document adopts as a final rule an amendment requiring importers to identify the manufacturer of such products through a manufacturer identification code (``MID'').

In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the OCC, the Board, the FDIC, and the OTS (the ``agencies'') may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is not required to respond to, an information collection unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), of which the agencies are members, has approved the agencies' publication for public comment of a proposal to revise the Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income (Call Report) for banks, the Thrift Financial Report (TFR) for savings associations, the Report of Assets and Liabilities of U.S. Branches and Agencies of Foreign Banks (FFIEC 002), and the Report of Assets and Liabilities of a Non- U.S. Branch that is Managed or Controlled by a U.S. Branch or Agency of a Foreign (Non-U.S.) Bank (FFIEC 002S), all of which are currently approved collections of information, effective as of the June 30, 2011, report date. At the end of the comment period, the comments and recommendations received will be analyzed to determine the extent to which the FFIEC and the agencies should modify the proposed revisions prior to giving final approval. The agencies will then submit the revisions to OMB for review and approval.

This document contains proposed regulations that amend existing regulations to reflect changes to section 6104(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) made by the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA). These rules provide guidance to states regarding the process by which they may obtain or inspect certain returns and return information (including information about final and proposed denials and revocations of tax-exempt status) for the purpose of administering state laws governing certain tax-exempt organizations and their activities. These regulations will affect such exempt organizations, as well as those state agencies choosing to obtain information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under section 6104(c).

This proposed rule sets forth a procedural framework for submission and review of initial applications for a Waiver for State Innovation described in section 1332 of the Patient Protection and the Affordable Care Act including processes to ensure opportunities for public input in the development of such applications by States and in the Federal review of the applications.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning an existing final regulation, T.D. 9315, Dual Consolidated Loss Regulations.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning an existing final regulation, T.D. 9344, Discharge of Liens, (Sec. 301.7425-3(b)(2)).

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning an existing final regulation, TD 8096, Product Liability Losses and Accumulations for Product Liability Losses (Section 1.172-13).

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507. The Office of Thrift Supervision within the Department of the Treasury will submit the proposed information collection requirement described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. Today, OTS is soliciting public comments on its proposal to extend this information collection.

As part of a Federal Government-wide effort to streamline the process to seek feedback from the public on service delivery, the Department of the Treasury has submitted a Generic Information Collection Request (Generic ICR): ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery'' to OMB for approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Treasury is requesting clearance for eight separate OMB Control Numbers for eight bureaus and offices within the Department. Each clearance will have the same title and purpose, but will be available for use by each bureau under their control number and burden estimate, as detailed below. Title: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery. Abstract: The information collection activity will garner qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback in an efficient, timely manner, in accordance with the Administration's commitment to improving service delivery. By qualitative feedback we mean information that provides useful insights on perceptions and opinions, but are not statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of study. This feedback will provide insights into customer or stakeholder perceptions, experiences and expectations, provide an early warning of issues with service, or focus attention on areas where communication, training or changes in operations might improve delivery of products or services. These collections will allow for ongoing, collaborative and actionable communications between the Agency and its customers and stakeholders. It will also allow feedback to contribute directly to the improvement of program management. Feedback collected under this generic clearance will provide useful information, but it will not yield data that can be generalized to the overall population. This type of generic clearance for qualitative information will not be used for quantitative information collections that are designed to yield reliably actionable results, such as monitoring trends over time or documenting program performance. Such data uses require more rigorous designs that address: The target population to which generalizations will be made, the sampling frame, the sample design (including stratification and clustering), the precision requirements or power calculations that justify the proposed sample size, the expected response rate, methods for assessing potential non-response bias, the protocols for data collection, and any testing procedures that were or will be undertaken prior to fielding the study. Depending on the degree of influence the results are likely to have, such collections may still be eligible for submission for other generic mechanisms that are designed to yield quantitative results.

In 1998 the Internal Revenue Service established the Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee (ETAAC).The primary purpose of ETAAC is for industry partners to provide an organized public forum for discussion of electronic tax administration issues in support of the overriding goal that paperless filing should be the preferred and most convenient method of filing tax and information returns. ETAAC offers constructive observations about current or proposed policies, programs, and procedures, and suggests improvements. Listed is a summary of the agenda along with the planned discussion topics.

The proposed information collection request (ICR) described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507. OTS is soliciting public comments on the proposal.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') is publishing the name of 1 newly-designated entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13382 of June 28, 2005, ``Blocking Property of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators and Their Supporters.''

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning existing final regulations, REG-142299-01 and REG-209135-88, Certain Transfers of Property to Regulated Investment Companies (RICs) and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 8925, Report of Employer-Owned Life Insurance Contracts.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Notice 2007-100, Transition Relief and Guidance on Corrections of Certain Failures of a Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan to Comply with section 409(a) in Operation.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 8609 and 8609-A, Low-Income Housing Credit Allocation and Certification

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') is publishing the names of 30 foreign individuals and 44 foreign entities whose property and interests in property have been blocked pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (``Kingpin Act'') (21 U.S.C. 1901-1908, 8 U.S.C. 1182). In addition, OFAC is publishing the name of one U.S. entity that has been identified as blocked property pursuant to the Kingpin Act.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 1065-B, U.S. Return of Income for Electing Large Partnerships, and Schedule K-1, Partner's Share of Income (Loss) From an Electing Large Partnership.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') is publishing the names of two individuals newly-designated as persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13553 of September 28, 2010, ``Blocking Property of Certain Persons With Respect to Serious Human Rights Abuses by the Government of Iran and Taking Certain Other Actions.'' The property and interests in property of one of the individuals are already blocked pursuant to another OFAC sanctions program.

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. app. I section 10(d), of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and 5 U.S.C. section 552b, the Government in the Sunshine Act, a report summarizing the closed meeting activities of the Art Advisory Panel during 2010 has been prepared. A copy of this report has been filed with the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Management.