Executive Office of the President 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces the availability of full 2008 calendar year import statistics relating to competitive need limitations (CNLs) under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will accept public comments submitted by 5 p.m., Monday, March 23, 2009, via https:// www.regulations.gov regarding three issues: (1) Potential revocation of CNL waivers that meet the statutory thresholds set forth by section 503(d)(4)(B)(ii) of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2463(d)(4)(B)(ii)), as amended by Public Law 109-432; (2) possible de minimis CNL waivers; and (3) possible redesignations of articles currently not eligible for GSP benefits because they previously exceeded the CNL thresholds.

The Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business (ITAC-11) will hold a meeting on Monday, March 23, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The meeting will be closed to the public from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and opened to the public from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

ONDCP invites comments on a collection of information.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is providing notice that on December 19, 2008, in accordance with the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (``WTO Agreement''), the United States requested consultations regarding certain measures offering grants, loans, and other incentives to enterprises in China. That request may be found at https:// www.wto.org contained in a document designated as WT/DS387/1. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this dispute.

Under the authority of the Budget and Accounting Procedures Act of 1950 (31 U.S.C. 1104(d)) and the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3504(e)), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requests public comment on the recommendations it has received from the Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Standards Review Committee for changes to OMB's metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area standards. The committee's report and recommendations, which are published in their entirety in the Appendix, follow from study of the 2000 standards, published by OMB in the December 27, 2000 Federal Register (65 FR 82227-82238). The committee's work is a key element in OMB's review that will culminate in publication of the 2010 statistical area standards for the next decade. (Decisions on changes to the metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area standards will not affect the collection, tabulation, and publication of data from the 2010 Census and other current Federal data collections for geographic areas such as states, counties, county subdivisions, and municipalities.) Request for Comments: OMB is seeking comments only on the specific recommendations of the committee for revising the 2000 standards. In addition, OMB would welcome comments on the wording of the recommended 2010 standards to help ensure their clarity and understandability. Comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available to the public, including by posting them on OMB's Web site. For this reason, please do not include in your comments information of a confidential nature, such as sensitive personal information or proprietary information. Electronic Availability: This notice is available on the Internet from the OMB Web site at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/ 2009.aspx. Federal Register notices are also available electronically from the U.S. Government Printing Office Web site at https:// www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/.

In compliance with section 203(f) of the ATPA, as amended, 19 U.S.C. 3202(f)(2), the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is requesting the views of interested parties on whether the designated beneficiary countries are meeting the eligibility criteria under the ATPA. (See 19 U.S.C. 3203(b)(6)(B).) This information will be used in the preparation of a report to the Congress on the operation of the program.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) invites the general public and Federal agencies to comment on the renewal without change of four (4) standard forms: SF-269, Financial Status Report (Long Form); SF-269A, Financial Status Report (Short Form); SF-272, Federal Cash Transactions Report; and SF-272A, Federal Cash Transactions Report. OMB anticipates that this will be the last renewal of these forms. By no later than October 1, 2009, each federal agency must transition from the SF-269, SF-269A, SF-272, and SF-272A to the Federal Financial Report (FFR), by requiring recipients to use the FFR for all financial reports submitted after the date it makes the transition. In making the transition, an agency would incorporate the requirement to use the FFR into terms and conditions of new and ongoing grant and cooperative agreement awards, State plans, and/or program regulations that specify financial reporting requirements.