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

The Aeronautics Science and Technology Subcommittee (ASTS) of the National Science and Technology Council's (NSTC) Committee on Technology will hold a public meeting to discuss the biennial update to the National Plan for Aeronautics Research and Development and Related Infrastructure (Plan) that is directed by Executive Order (E.O.) 13419National Aeronautics Research and Developmentsigned December 20, 2006. The biennial update to the Plan will be guided by the National Aeronautics Research and Development Policy that was developed by the NSTC and endorsed by E.O. 13419.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is providing notice that on June 23, 2009, in accordance with the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (``WTO Agreement''), the United States requested consultations regarding restraints on the export from China of various forms of bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, manganese, silicon carbide, silicon metal, yellow phosphorus, and zinc (the ``materials''). That request may be found at https://www.wto.org contained in a document designated as WT/DS394/1. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this dispute.

Section 2031 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-114) directs the Secretary of the Army to revise the ``Economic and Environmental Principles and Guidelines for Water and Related Land Resources Implementation Studies,'' dated March 10, 1983, consistent with a number of considerations enumerated in the statute. The Administration is considering developing uniform planning standards for the development of water resources that would apply government- wide, including agencies other than the traditional water resources development agencies covered under the current Principles and Guidelines: the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation (Interior), Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA), and Tennessee Valley Authority. Therefore, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) will facilitate an interagency drafting of revised Principles and Guidelines for planning water resources projects that could be applied government-wide.

In Proclamation 8323 of November 25, 2008, the President modified the rules of origin for certain goods of Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) incorporated in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (the ``HTS''). The proclamation stated that the modifications would be effective on the date that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced in the Federal Register and are effective with respect to goods of Canada that are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the date indicated in the notice. The purpose of this notice is to announce that the effective date for the modifications is July 1, 2009. The changes were printed in the Federal Register of November 28, 2008, Volume 73, Number 230, page 72,682.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is issuing guidance on drug-free workplace requirements for financial assistance. The guidance conforms with the common rule that 31 Federal agencies published on November 26, 2003 and therefore makes no substantive change to Federal policies and procedures in this area. The agencies issued the common rule after resolving public comments received in response to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.

This notice announces the availability of the 2009 Circular A- 133 Compliance Supplement. The notice also offers interested parties an opportunity to comment on the 2009 Circular A-133 Compliance Supplement. The 2009 Supplement adds four programs, including one program added to an existing cluster, and a new cross cutting section. It deletes six programs and has also been updated for program changes and technical corrections. In total, the 2009 Compliance Supplement includes 176 individual programs. A list of changes to the 2009 Supplement can be found at Appendix V. It has a new Appendix VII that provides an audit alert regarding the grant programs funded under American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and a summary report of common audit deficiencies disclosed in the Report on the National Single Audit Sampling Project (published in June 2007). Due to its length, the 2009 Supplement is not included in this Notice. See

This notice announces that the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will receive petitions in 2009 to modify the list of products that are eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program and to modify the GSP status of certain GSP beneficiary developing countries because of country practices. This notice determines that the deadline for submission of country practice petitions for the 2009 Annual GSP Product and Country Eligibility Practices Review is 5 p.m., Wednesday, June 24, 2009. This notice further determines that the deadline for submission of product petitions, other than those requesting competitive need limitation (CNL) waivers or section 503(c)(1)(E) determinations regarding products not produced in the United States on January 1, 1995, is 5 p.m., Wednesday, June 24, 2009. The deadline for submission of petitions requesting CNL waivers and 503(c)(1)(E) determinations regarding products not produced in the United States on January 1, 1995 is 5 p.m., Tuesday, November 17, 2009. The lists of product petitions and country practice petitions accepted for review will be announced in the Federal Register at later dates.

The President's January 21, 2009, memorandum entitled, Transparency and Open Government, directed the Chief Technology Officer, in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA), to develop a set of recommendations that will inform an Open Government Directive. This directive will be issued by OMB and will instruct executive departments and agencies on specific actions to implement the principles set forth in the President's memorandum. Members of the public are invited to participate in the process of developing recommendations via email or the White House Web site at https://www.whitehouse.gov/open offering comments, ideas, and proposals about possible initiatives and about how to increase openness and transparency in government.