Office of the Secretary April 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announces its intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The collection involved here requests only information concerning the subsidy-eligible flights (which generally constitute only a small percentage of the carriers' total operations) of a small number of air carriers. The collection permits the Department to timely pay air carriers for providing essential air service to certain eligible communities that would not otherwise receive scheduled passenger air service. The Department provides that subsidy to air carriers monthly, and payments will vary according to the actual amount of service performed during the monthly billing cycle. The reports of subsidized air carriers of essential air service are performed on the Department's Form 398, ``Air Carrier's Claim for Subsidy.''

Under the provisions of 5 CFR part 532, Public Law 92-392, 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, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.50, the Department of Defense gives notice that it is renewing the charter for the Department of Defense Wage Committee (hereafter referred to as the Committee).

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), and 41 CFR 102-3.50, the Department of Defense gives notice that it is renewing the charter for the Chief of Engineers Environmental Advisory Board (hereafter referred to as the Board).

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), and 41 CFR 102-3.50, the Department of Defense gives notice that it is renewing the charter for the Army Education Advisory Committee (hereafter referred to as the Committee).

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), and 41 CFR 102-3.50, the Department of Defense gives notice that it is renewing the charter for the Defense Advisory Committee on Military Personnel Testing (hereafter referred to as the Committee).

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, appendix 2 of title 5, United States Code, Public Law 92-463, a notice published on March 1, 2010, (75 FR 9184), announcing a meeting of the Advisory Council on Dependents' Education (ACDE) scheduled to be held on April 30, 2010, in Wiesbaden, Germany, has been postponed due to unprecedented and unpredictable ash cloud formation restricting air travel to and from the European continent. A new meeting date will be announced.

Under the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 5024, 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, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.50, the Department of Defense gives notice that it is renewing the charter for the Naval Research Advisory Committee (hereafter referred to as the Committee).

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, (5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b), and 41 CFR 102-3.85 the Department of Defense announces that it has amended the 2008-2010 charter for the Department of Defense Military Family Readiness Council (hereafter referred to as the ``Council'').

The Defense Logistics Agency proposes to alter a system of records notice in its existing inventory of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

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), and 41 CFR 102-3.50, the Department of Defense gives notice that it is renewing the charter for the Air University Board of Visitors (hereafter referred to as the Board).

The Secretary of Agriculture today announced a reassignment of surplus sugar under domestic cane sugar allotments of 200,000 short tons raw value (STRV) to imports, and increased the fiscal year (FY) 2010 raw sugar tariff-rate quota (TRQ) by the same amount.

On March 30, 2010, the Department published a notice in the Federal Register seeking comment on separate requests by five airlines for a temporary exemption from a requirement that U.S. carriers adopt contingency plans for lengthy tarmac delays. These plans must include an assurance that a carrier will not permit an aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours in the case of domestic flights and for more than a set number of hours as determined by a carrier in the case of international flights without providing passengers an opportunity to deplane, with certain exceptions for safety, security, or Air Traffic Control (ATC) related reasons. The requests cover operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). The carriers contend that without the requested exemption covering seven months in 2010 during which runway construction is expected to be underway at JFK, large numbers of flights will have to be canceled at the New York area airports and affected passengers will face significant inconveniences and delays before being re-accommodated. The Department received approximately 135 comments on these exemption requests, primarily from individual consumers. After fully considering the comments submitted, the Department is issuing this notice to announce its decision denying each of these exemption requests as not being in the public interest since the concerns raised by the carriers can be resolved through more careful flight scheduling. The notice also points out that if totally unexpected situations occur appropriate prosecutorial discretion can be applied with respect to potential enforcement action.

The Office of the Secretary of Defense published a final rule on April 16, 2010 (75 FR 19878), concerning Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay Compensation that was authorized and appropriated in the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009. This document corrects the words of issuance that were included in the final rule.

Under the provisions of section 705(a) of title VII, the Missouri River Protection and Improvement Act of 2000, Public Law 106- 541, 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, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.50, the Department of Defense gives notice that it is renewing the charter for the Missouri River (North Dakota) Task Force (hereafter referred to as the Task Force).

The Department of Commerce's Internet Policy Task Force is conducting a comprehensive review of the nexus between privacy policy and innovation in the Internet economy. The Department seeks public comment from all Internet stakeholders, including the commercial, academic and civil society sectors, on the impact of current privacy laws in the United States and around the world on the pace of innovation in the information economy. The Department also seeks to understand whether current privacy laws serve consumer interests and fundamental democratic values. After analyzing the comments responding to this Notice, the Department intends to issue a report, which will contribute to the Administration's domestic policy and international engagement in the area of Internet privacy.

The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is proposing to amend a system of records notice in its existing inventory of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended.

In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service announces the proposed extension of a public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The Department of Transportation is directing all interested persons to show cause why it should not issue an order finding Atlas Air, Inc., fit, willing, and able, and awarding it a certificate of public convenience and necessity to engage in foreign charter air transportation of persons, property, and mail.