Disability Employment Policy Office – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice advises the public that the quarterly Internal Revenue Service interest rates used to calculate interest on overdue accounts (underpayments) and refunds (overpayments) of customs duties remain unchanged from the previous quarter. For the calendar quarter beginning January 1, 2016, the interest rates for overpayments will be 2 percent for corporations and 3 percent for non-corporations, and the interest rate for underpayments will be 3 percent for both corporations and non-corporations. This notice is published for the convenience of the importing public and U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to CBP regulations, that SGS North America, Inc., has been approved to gauge petroleum and certain petroleum products for customs purposes for the next three years as of April 29, 2015.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Application for Exportation of Articles under Special Bond (CBP Form 3495). This is a proposed extension of an information collection that was previously approved. CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with no change to the burden hours or to the information collected. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and the Trusted Trader Program. CBP proposes to revise this information collection to include the information collection requirements for a new program known as the Trusted Trader Program. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Visa Waiver Program Carrier Agreement (CBP Form I-775). This is a proposed extension of an information collection that was previously approved. CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with no change to the burden hours or to the information collected. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Biometric Identity. CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with a change to the burden hours but no change to the information collected. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to CBP regulations, that Saybolt LP has been approved to gauge petroleum and certain petroleum products and accredited to test petroleum and certain petroleum products for customs purposes for the next three years as of April 15, 2015.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Cargo Container and Road Vehicle for Transport under Customs Seal. CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with no change to the burden hours or to the Information collected. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Canadian Border Boat Landing Permit (CBP Form I-68). CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with no change to the burden hours or Information collected. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

This document announces U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) plan to modify the National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) test concerning the transmission of electronic filings through the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), known as the Partner Government Agency (PGA) Message Set test. These modifications extend the current PGA Message Set to cover entries arriving by ocean, truck, rail, and air modes of transportation at CBP-designated ports and expands the use of the ACE PGA Message Set for the transmission of U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) import data for entries of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment items. CBP invites public comment concerning the test program.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Customs Modernization Act Recordkeeping Requirements. CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with no change to the burden hours or to the information collected. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

This rule proposes to amend the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) regulations under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Department (DHS) is proposing to update and streamline the language of several procedural provisions, and to incorporate changes brought about by the amendments to the FOIA under the OPEN Government Act of 2007, among other changes. DHS invites comment on all aspects of this proposal.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intends to conduct a test to collect biometric and biographic information from certain aliens who are departing the United States on selected flights from up to ten identified U.S. airports. This notice describes the test, its purpose, how it will be implemented, the individuals covered, the duration of the test, where the test will take place, and the privacy considerations. This test will not apply to U.S. citizens.

On October 24, 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a notice in the Federal Register that announced the formalization and expansion of the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) pilot program that would run for six months. CBP subsequently published several notices extending the pilot period and/or reopening the application period to new participants for limited periods. The most recent notice extended the pilot period through July 26, 2015. This document announces that CBP is extending the pilot period for an additional year and reopening the application period for new participants for 90 days. The ACAS pilot is a voluntary test in which participants submit a subset of required advance air cargo data to CBP at the earliest point practicable prior to loading of the cargo onto the aircraft destined to or transiting through the United States.

This notice advises the public of the quarterly Internal Revenue Service interest rates used to calculate interest on overdue accounts (underpayments) and refunds (overpayments) of customs duties. For the calendar quarter beginning July 1, 2015, the interest rates for overpayments will be 2 percent for corporations and 3 percent for non- corporations, and the interest rate for underpayments will be 3 percent for both corporations and non-corporations. This notice is published for the convenience of the importing public and U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Application for Withdrawal of Bonded Stores for Fishing Vessels and Certificate of Use (CBP Form 5125). This is a proposed extension of an information collection that was previously approved. CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with no change to the burden hours or to the information collected. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy, Department of Labor is correcting the New Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) for Cooperative Agreements published in the Federal Register on August 4, 2011 at 76 FR 150. Specifically, we are correcting the Funding Opportunity Number to SGA 11-05 and the Closing Date for receipt of applications to September 2, 2011. The full Solicitation for Grant Applications is posted on https:// www.grants.gov under U.S. Department of Labor/ODEP. If you need to speak to a person concerning these grants, you may telephone Cassandra Mitchell at 202-693-4570 (not a toll-free number).

The U.S. Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) of the Department of Labor (DOL) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed collection of information for the Evaluation of the Employment and Training Administration/Office of Disability Employment Policy Disability Employment Initiative (DEI). A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

The U.S. Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation process to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This process helps ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burdens are minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed data collection for the following survey: 2009 NATIONAL SURVEY OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARD PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the

The U.S. Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation process to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This process helps ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burdens are minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is soliciting comments concerning an already approved data collection for the following Employer Assistance Referral Network (EARN) forms: EARN Provider Enrollment Form; EARN Employer Enrollment Form; EARN Employer and Provider Surveys. A copy of the approved information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the address section of this notice.

The U.S. Department of Labor (``DOL'' or ``Department''), Office of Disability Employment Policy (``ODEP''), announces the availability of up to $2.35 million to fund a cooperative agreement to establish a National Technical Assistance and Research Center to Promote Leadership for Increasing Employment and Economic Independence for Adults with Disabilities with a 24-month period of performance. In addition, this initiative may be funded for up to three (3) additional option years depending on performance, identified need, and the availability of future funding. This National Technical Assistance and Research Center will focus on building leadership capacity at the Federal, State, and local levels to increase employment and economic self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities. ODEP is also funding a technical assistance and research center focusing on youth with disabilities through a separate competition. Seventeen years after enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), there is no barrier more challenging to the realization of the American dream for citizens with disabilities than unemployment and its resulting poverty, which precludes meaningful community participation. Multiple demonstrations have documented that people with barriers to employment resulting from a disability can become successfully employed with appropriate supports and the customization of employment responsibilities. With Federal investment of millions of dollars into such research and demonstrations, valuable data and successful practices have emerged. But their findings are not widely disseminated or utilized, and their impact on policy and practice within states is too often not evident. In recognition of this fact, over the last decade, the Federal Government has taken proactive steps to increase employment and otherwise resolve barriers to employment for adults with disabilities. Multiple Executive Orders have been issued focusing on employment and disability (such as Executive Order 13078: Increasing Employment of Adults With Disabilities, 1998), and on increasing the opportunity for individuals with disabilities to become qualified Federal employees (Executive Order 13163, Increasing the Opportunity for Individuals With Disabilities To Be Employed in the Federal Government, 2000). The Federal Government has also required Federal agencies to establish procedures providing reasonable accommodation of work-related disabilities (Executive Order 13164, Requiring Federal Agencies To Establish Procedures To Facilitate the Provision of Reasonable Accommodation, 2000) and to increase community-based alternatives for individuals with disabilities (Executive Order 13217, Community-Based Alternatives for Individuals With Disabilities, 2001). These Executive Orders are in addition to laws prohibiting discrimination in employment under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title I of the ADA. Further, the New Freedom Initiative, established in 2001 by President George W. Bush, brought heightened focus to and action in disability policy throughout the Federal sector across numerous areas, including employment. Yet despite these multiple efforts, employment outcomes for adults with disabilities are still far below that of the general adult population. The U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey in 2005 estimated that among the more than 21 million people with disabilities aged 16-64, only 8.5 million, or 37.5 percent, were employed (https:// www.disabilitystatistics.org, downloaded 5/15/07). Of the people with disabilities employed aged 16-64, 49.9 percent of men with disabilities are employed as opposed to 80.9 percent of working-age men without a disability. For women of working age, 34.2 percent of women with disabilities are employed, compared with 68.3 percent of women without disabilities. Not surprisingly, the poverty rate among people with disabilities from 16 to 64 years old was 24.6 percent, almost triple the rate for those without disabilities (9.3 percent). Effectively addressing the complex and significant barriers to employment and economic self-sufficiency faced by adults with disabilities requires the use of multiple strategies and the active involvement of many stakeholders, including Federal, State and local governments, non-governmental organizations, financial institutions, consumers, and employers. To address this situation, ODEP is funding a national technical assistance and research center (the Center) to build capacity within and across both generic and disability-specific service-delivery systems to provide transformational leadership in service to adults with disabilities, and thus increase their employment and economic self-sufficiency. The Center will conduct research, develop and disseminate information, and provide technical assistance and training in five targeted goal areas defined in this solicitation. These goal areas have been identified through six years of ODEP research as critical leadership areas for improving systems capacity to effectively serve adults with disabilities and increase their employment and economic self-sufficiency. These targeted goal areas include the following: 1. Increasing partnership and collaboration among and across generic and disability-specific systems that provide employment or employment-support services. This partnership and collaboration should produce more effective and efficient services through leveraging resources and funding across multiple systems. 2. Increasing use of self-direction in service and integration of funding among and across cross-generic and disability-specific systems, including the blending and braiding of resources and funding across systems and programs, and the use of self-directed accounts providing choice and control to the individual job seeker. 3. Increasing economic self-sufficiency through leveraging relevant generic and disability-specific tax incentives, financial education, social security work incentives, benefits planning, and other strategies for enhancing profitable employment resulting in the ability of people with disabilities to accrue assets and resources through employment. 4. Increasing the use of universal design as the framework for the organization of employment policy and the implementation of employment services. 5. Increasing the use of customized and other forms of flexible work options for individuals with disabilities and others with complex barriers to employment. In addition, the Center will provide rapid response on request to ODEP in areas related to employment and disability, and otherwise support ODEP as requested in its efforts to develop policy recommendations for increasing employment and economic self-sufficiency for adults with disabilities. In meeting each goal area, applicants must provide information on strategies they will undertake for advancing knowledge development and utilization, including describing specific research and technical assistance and training activities. In addition, applicants must describe how they will effectively disseminate policy knowledge, research findings, and successful practices through and within various networks of State and local systems' personnel, particularly leadership personnel, and other relevant stakeholder communities (including, but not limited to consumers, employers, and providers of employment and asset development services). They should also describe how they will encourage and monitor the translation and utilization of such knowledge, research, and successful practices.

The U.S. Department of Labor (``DOL'' or ``Department''), Office of Disability Employment Policy (``ODEP'''), announces the availability of up to $1.7 million to fund a cooperative agreement to establish the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition and Employment for Youth with Disabilities with a 24-month period of performance. In addition, this initiative may be funded for up to three (3) additional option years at approximately $1,000,000 per year, depending on performance, identified need and the availability of future funding. Over the last 10 years, a number of federal and state efforts to improve access to transition planning and services to improve education, employment, and community living outcomes for youth with disabilities have emerged. As a result, there has been some improvement in indicators relevant to the successful transition of youth with disabilities, including increases in graduation rates, increases in enrollment in postsecondary education, and increases in the number of youth entering the workforce. While this progress is encouraging, education and employment outcomes for youth with disabilities continue to lag substantially behind that of their peers without disabilities. To address this situation, ODEP is funding a national technical assistance center to build capacity within and across both generic and disability-specific youth service delivery systems to help youth with disabilities successfully transition from high school to post-secondary education and/or employment in high-demand career areas. Effectively addressing the complex and significant barriers to employment faced by youth with disabilities transitioning into the adult world requires the use of multiple strategies and the active involvement of many stakeholders, including Federal, State and local governments, non- governmental organizations, and employers. This Center will conduct research, disseminate information, and provide technical assistance to a wide range of stakeholders on topics relevant to improving post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities including, but not limited to: Effective practices, such as the emerging use of individual learning or graduation plans, for aligning and improving the education and workforce development systems to better meet employer demand; Innovative service strategies which workforce development, and secondary and postsecondary programs and systems can utilize to better meet the needs of transitioning youth; Professional development strategies for practitioners who work with youth; and Effective models of multi-disciplinary interagency collaboration and systems coordination needed to support youth in achieving positive post-school outcomes through comprehensive service delivery consistent with the Guideposts for Success, see https:// www.dol.gov/odep/categories/youth/. The Guideposts for Success serves as a conceptual framework on improving transition outcomes for youth with disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation process to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This process helps ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burdens are minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is soliciting comments concerning a proposed data collection for the following Employer Assistance Referral Network (EARN) survey: Survey of Employer Perspectives on the Employment of People with Disabilities. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the address section of this notice.

The U.S. Department of Labor (``DOL'' or ``Department''), Office of Disability Employment Policy (``ODEP''), announces the availability of up to $5,000,000 to fund both a national technical assistance and research cooperative agreement, and multiple cooperative agreements for sub-national research and technical assistance pilot projects to investigate, develop and validate systems models likely to increase self-employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The national technical assistance and research cooperative agreement award will be funded for up to $1.5 million for a 36 month period of performance. The sub-national research and technical assistance pilot cooperative agreement award(s) will be funded for a total of up to $3.5 million. Awards may range from $800,000-1,200,000, with an average of $1 million for a 36 month period of performance. ODEP'S unique mission is to provide national leadership by developing and influencing disability-related employment policy and practice affecting the employment of people with disabilities. Congress designated these monies to ODEP to further the development of self- employment policy for individuals with disabilities. A critical element of this endeavor will be the generation of data and information to validate systems capacity-building strategies and systems change models for successfully increasing self-employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, to document the systems-related difficulties and challenges that may be encountered, and to develop and test mechanisms for addressing these challenges. This data, obtained as a result of research and technical assistance efforts, will be used by ODEP and other stakeholders in developing policy recommendations across multiple public and private systems for increased self-employment options as an alternative to more traditional types of employment.

This document re-opens and extends the period for submission of nominations for the Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award. This action is taken to permit increased participation by interested stakeholders.