Executive Office of the President 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is providing notice of additional country-by-country allocations of the in-quota quantity of the tariff-rate quotas for imported raw cane sugar and refined sugar for the period October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006 (FY 2006). In addition, USTR is providing notice of country-by- country re-allocations of the FY 2006 in-quota quantity of the tariff- rate quota for imported raw cane sugar.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) received petitions in September 2005 to review certain practices in certain beneficiary developing countries to determine whether such countries are in compliance with the ATPA eligibility criteria. USTR published a list of responsive petitions that were accepted for review in a notice published on November 22, 2005 (70 FR 70652). This notice specifies the results of the preliminary review of those petitions as well as the status of the petitions filed in 2004 that have remained under review.

The Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Board, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, invites public comments on the staff discussion paper (SDP) regarding CAS 416, ``Accounting for Insurance Costs.'' In particular, this staff discussion paper addresses the use of the term ``catastrophic losses'' in CAS 416-50(b)(1).

Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 2242), requires the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to identify countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on intellectual property protection. (Section 182 is commonly referred to as the ``Special 301'' provisions of the Trade Act.) In addition, USTR is required to determine which of these countries should be identified as Priority Foreign Countries. Acts, policies, or practices that are the basis of a country's identification as a priority foreign country are normally the subject of an investigation under the Section 301 provisions of the Trade Act. Section 182 of the Trade Act contains a special rule for the identification of actions by Canada affecting United States cultural industries. USTR requests written submissions from the public concerning foreign countries' acts, policies, and practices that are relevant to the decision whether particular trading partners should be identified under Section 182 of the Trade Act.

This notice announces closure of the review for case 013-CP- 05, Protection of Intellectual Property in Brazil.

This document extends the comment period for ``Proposed Principles for Federal Support of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education and Training in Science and Engineering'' published in the Federal Register on November 16, 2005. The proposed principles are intended to increase collaboration and consistency within the Federal agencies in support of graduate and postdoctoral education and training in science and engineering. Principles are: Federal Support of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education and Training Is a Critical Investment in the Future; The Federal Investment Portfolio Must Broadly Support Science and Engineering Disciplines; Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars Must Receive Quality Education and Training; Federal Contributions toward Graduate and Postdoctoral Education and Training are Provided in Partnership with Academic and Other Non-Federal Institutions; Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars Should Be Adequately Supported to Encourage Their Pursuit of Science and Engineering Careers; and Federal Agencies Should Collaborate in Areas of Common Interest.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is extending the comment period regarding its draft Bulletin for Good Guidance Practices from December 2, 2005, to January 9, 2006. This Bulletin is intended to increase the quality and transparency of agency guidance practices and the guidance documents produced through them.