Office of the Secretary February 3, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule changes the Department of Transportation (Department) regulation concerning how often recipients of DOT financial assistance are required to submit to the appropriate DOT operating administration for approval the methodology and process used to establish their overall disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) goal for federally funded contracting opportunities. Under the rule, recipients will submit overall goals for review every three years, rather than annually.

The Department of Defense announced on October 1, 2009 (74 FR 50781) that the Quadrennial Defense Review Independent Panel (hereafter referred to as the Panel), which was established by 10 U.S.C. 118f, would operate under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, (5 U.S.C. Appendix), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b). The Department has determined that the Panel is a legislative advisory committee that works for and reports to the Legislative Branch; therefore, the Department is withdrawing the Panel's charter.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 the Department of Homeland Security proposes to update Department of Homeland Security/ ALL025 Law Enforcement Authority in Support of the Protection of Property Owned, Occupied, or Secured by the Department of Homeland Security System of Records to include record systems within the Federal Protective Service. The purpose of this system is to maintain and record the results of law enforcement activities in support of the protection of property owned, occupied, or secured by the Department of Homeland Security and its components, including the Federal Protective Service, and individuals maintaining a presence or access to such property. Categories of individuals, categories of records, and the routine uses of this system have been reviewed and updated to better reflect the Department's law enforcement records associated with the protection of property owned, occupied, or secured by the Department of Homeland Security. The activities performed by the Department in the protection of property owned, occupied, or secured by the Department of Homeland Security often overlap with other security-related activities. Accordingly, data within the categories of individuals, categories of records, and routine uses may have similarities with other security- related systems of records, but each system is distinct based on its purpose.

The Department of Homeland Security is issuing a final rule to amend its regulations to exempt portions of a Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Customs and Border Protection system of records entitled the, ``Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Customs and Border Protection006 Automated Targeting System of Records'' from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. Specifically, the Department exempts portions of the Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Customs and Border Protection006 Automated Targeting system of records from one or more provisions of the Privacy Act because of criminal, civil, and administrative enforcement requirements.