Federal Register Vol. 82, No.245,

Title: Common or Usual Name for Raw Meat and Poultry Products Containing Added Solutions.

OMB Number: 0583-0152.

Expiration Date of Approval: 05/31/2018.

Type of Request: Renewal of an approved information collection.

Abstract: FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the functions of the Secretary (7 CFR 2.18, 2.53) as specified in the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601, et seq.), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451, et seq.), and the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) (21 U.S.C. 1031, et seq.). FSIS protects the public by verifying that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, not adulterated, and correctly labeled and packaged.

FSIS is requesting renewal of an approved information collection regarding labeling requirements for raw meat and poultry products that do not meet standard of identity regulations and to which solutions have been added. There are no changes to the existing information collection. The approval for this information collection will expire on May 31, 2018.

FSIS requires establishments that manufacture products containing added solutions to provide an accurate description of the raw meat or poultry component, the percentage of added solution incorporated into the raw meat or poultry product, and the individual ingredients or multi-ingredient components in the solution listed in the descending order of predominance by weight on the product label. FSIS also requires that the print for all words in the common or usual name appear in a single font size, color, and style of print and that the name appear on a single-color contrasting background.

FSIS has made the following estimates based upon an information collection assessment:

Estimate of Burden: FSIS estimates that it will take each respondent 75 minutes per response to comply with the product labeling requirements.

Respondents: Official establishments, retail stores, and foreign firms.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 6,100.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 8.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 61,000 hours. Copies of this information collection assessment can be obtained from Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and Program Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence SW, Room 6077, South Building, Washington, DC 20250, (202) 690-6510.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of FSIS's functions, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the method and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques, or other forms of information technology. Comments may be sent to both FSIS, at the addresses provided above, and the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20253.

Responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.

Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal Register publication on-line through the FSIS web page located at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.

FSIS also will make copies of this publication available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information that could affect or would be of interest to our constituents and stakeholders. The Update is available on the FSIS web page. Through the web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email subscription service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and information. This service is available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from recalls to export information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password protect their accounts.

No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to discrimination any person in the United States under any program or activity conducted by the USDA.

To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your authorized representative.

Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email:

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410.

Fax: (202) 690-7442.

Email: [email protected].

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

The Codex was established in 1963 by two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Through adoption of food standards, codes of practice, and other guidelines developed by its committees, and by promoting their adoption and implementation by governments, Codex seeks to protect the health of consumers and ensure that fair practices are used in the food trade.

The CCCF is responsible for:

(a) Establishing or endorsing permitted maximum levels, and where necessary revising existing guideline levels for contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants in food and feed;

(b) Preparing priority lists of contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants for risk assessment by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA);

(c) Considering and elaborating methods of analysis and sampling for the determination of contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants in food and feed;

(d) Considering and elaborating standards or codes of practice for related subjects; and

(e) Considering other matters assigned to it by Codex in relation to contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants in food and feed.

The Committee is hosted by the Netherlands.

The following items on the Agenda for the 12th Session of the CCCF will be discussed during the public meeting:

Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, or to be distributed, by the Secretariat before the Meeting. Members of the public may access or request copies of these documents (see ADDRESSES).

At the February 22, 2018 public meeting, draft U.S. positions on the agenda items will be described, discussed, and attendees will have the opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. Written comments may be offered at the meeting or emailed to Dr. Lauren Posnick Robin (see ADDRESSES). Written comments should state that they relate to activities of the 12th Session of the CCCF.

Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal Register publication on-line through the FSIS web page located at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.

FSIS also will make copies of this publication available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information that could affect or would be of interest to our constituents and stakeholders. The Update is available on the FSIS web page. Through the web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email subscription service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and information. This service is available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from recalls to export information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password protect their accounts.

No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to discrimination any person in the United States under any program or activity conducted by the USDA.

To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your authorized representative.

Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email:

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410.

Fax: (202) 690-7442.

Email: [email protected]

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

Title: Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery.

OMB Number: 0583-0151.

Expiration Date of Approval: 05/31/2018.

Type of Request: Revision of an approved information collection.

Abstract: FSIS has been delegated the authority to exercise the functions of the Secretary (7 CFR 2.18, 2.53) as specified in the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) (21 U.S.C. 601, et seq.), the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) (21 U.S.C. 451, et seq.), and the Egg Products Inspection Act (EPIA) (21 U.S.C. 1031, et seq.). FSIS protects the public by verifying that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, not adulterated, and correctly labeled and packaged.

FSIS is requesting a revision of the approved information collection regarding qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback on service delivery by the Food Safety and Inspection Service. There are no changes to the existing information collection; however, the Agency has reduced the burden estimate by 8,000 hours for upcoming qualitative surveys and food safety education research. The approval for this information collection will expire on May 31, 2018.

The proposed information collection activity provides a means for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to garner qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback in an efficient, timely manner, in accordance with the Agency's commitment to improving service delivery.

By “qualitative feedback,” we mean information that provides useful insights on perceptions and opinions, but not a statistical survey that yields quantitative results that can be generalized to the population studied. Qualitative feedback provides insights into customer or stakeholder perceptions, experiences, and expectations; provides an early warning of issues with the Agency's customer service; and focuses attention on matters with respect to which communication, training, or changes in operations might improve delivery of products or services. This collection will allow for ongoing, collaborative, and actionable communications between the Agency and its customers and stakeholders. It will also allow the feedback to contribute directly to the improvement of program management.

The solicitation of qualitative feedback will target topics such as: Timeliness, appropriateness, accuracy of information, courtesy, efficiency of service delivery, and resolution of issues with service delivery. Responses will be assessed to plan and inform efforts to improve or maintain the quality of service offered to the public. If this information is not collected, vital feedback from customers and stakeholders on the Agency's services will be unavailable.

FSIS will only submit a collection for approval under this generic clearance if it meets the following conditions:

The collection is voluntary;

The collection is low-burden for respondents (based on considerations of total burden hours, total number of respondents, or burden-hours per respondent) and is low-cost for both the respondents and the Federal Government;

The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other Federal agencies;

The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have had experience with the program, or who may have experience with the program in the near future;

Personally identifiable information (PII) is collected only to the extent necessary and is not retained; as a general matter, this information collection will not result in any new system of records containing privacy information and will not involve questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, or other matters that are commonly considered private;

Information gathered is intended to be used only internally for general service improvement and program management purposes and is not intended for release outside of FSIS (if released, FSIS will indicate the qualitative nature of the information);

Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing policy decisions; and

Information gathered will yield qualitative information; the collection will not be designed or expected to yield statistically reliable results or used as though the results are generalizable to the population of study.

Feedback collected under this generic clearance provides useful information, but it does not yield data that can be generalized to the overall population. This type of generic clearance for qualitative information will not be used for quantitative information collections that are designed to yield reliably actionable results, such as monitoring trends over time or documenting program performance.

Estimate of Burden: The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average .5 hours per response.

Respondents: Individuals and households; businesses and organizations; State, local, or Tribal government.

Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 4,000.

Estimated Annual Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.

Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 4,000.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,000 hours.

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record. Copies of this information collection assessment can be obtained from Gina Kouba, Office of Policy and Program Development, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, 1400 Independence SW, 6065, South Building, Washington, DC 20250; (202)720-5627.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of FSIS's functions, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of FSIS's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques, or other forms of information technology. Comments may be sent to both FSIS, at the addresses provided above, and the Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20253.

Responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.

Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal Register publication on-line through the FSIS web page located at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.

FSIS also will make copies of this publication available through the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information that could affect or would be of interest to our constituents and stakeholders. The Update is available on the FSIS web page. Through the web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email subscription service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food safety news and information. This service is available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from recalls to export information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password protect their accounts.

No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to discrimination any person in the United States under any program or activity conducted by the USDA.

To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your authorized representative.

Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email:

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410.

Fax: (202) 690-7442.

Email: [email protected].

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

Members of the public can listen to the discussion. This meeting is available to the public through the toll-free call-in number listed above. Any interested member of the public may call this number and listen to the meeting. An open comment period will be provided to allow members of the public to make a statement as time allows. The conference call operator will ask callers to identify themselves, the organization they are affiliated with (if any), and an email address prior to placing callers into the conference room. Callers can expect to incur regular charges for calls they initiate over wireless lines, according to their wireless plan. The Commission will not refund any incurred charges. Callers will incur no charge for calls they initiate over land-line connections to the toll-free telephone number. Persons with hearing impairments may also follow the proceedings by first calling the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 and providing the Service with the conference call number and conference ID number.

Members of the public are also entitled to submit written comments; the comments must be received in the regional office within 30 days following the meeting. Written comments may be mailed to the Midwestern Regional Office, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 55 W Monroe St., Suite 410, Chicago, IL 60615. They may also be faxed to the Commission at (312) 353-8324, or emailed to Carolyn Allen at [email protected]. Persons who desire additional information may contact the Midwestern Regional Office at (312) 353-8311.

Records generated from this meeting may be inspected and reproduced at the Midwestern Regional Office, as they become available, both before and after the meeting. Records of the meeting will be available via www.facadatabase.gov under the Commission on Civil Rights, Ohio Advisory Committee link (https://facadatabase.gov/committee/meetings.aspx?cid=268). Select “meeting details” and “documents” to download. Persons interested in the work of this Committee are directed to the Commission's website, http://www.usccr.gov, or may contact the Midwestern Regional Office at the above email or street address.

This meeting is available to the public through the following toll-free call-in number: 888-737-3705, conference ID number: 8519801. Any interested member of the public may call this number and listen to the meeting. Callers can expect to incur charges for calls they initiate over wireless lines, and the Commission will not refund any incurred charges. Callers will incur no charge for calls they initiate over land-line connections to the toll-free telephone number. Persons with hearing impairments may also follow the proceedings by first calling the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 and providing the Service with the conference call number and conference ID number.

Members of the public are entitled to make comments during the open period at the end of the meeting. Members of the public may also submit written comments; the comments must be received in the Regional Programs Unit within 30 days following the meeting. Written comments may be mailed to the Western Regional Office, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 300 North Los Angeles Street, Suite 2010, Los Angeles, CA 90012. They may be faxed to the Commission at (213) 894-0508, or emailed Ana Victoria Fortes at [email protected]. Persons who desire additional information may contact the Regional Programs Unit at (213) 894-3437.

Records and documents discussed during the meeting will be available for public viewing prior to and after the meeting at https://facadatabase.gov/committee/meetings.aspx?cid=237. Please click on the “Meeting Details” and “Documents” links. Records generated from this meeting may also be inspected and reproduced at the Regional Programs Unit, as they become available, both before and after the meeting. Persons interested in the work of this Committee are directed to the Commission's website, https://www.usccr.gov, or may contact the Regional Programs Unit at the above email or street address.

Members of the public can listen to these discussions. These meetings are available to the public through the above call in numbers. Any interested member of the public may call this number and listen to the meeting. An open comment period will be provided to allow members of the public to make a statement as time allows. The conference call operator will ask callers to identify themselves, the organization they are affiliated with (if any), and an email address prior to placing callers into the conference room. Callers can expect to incur regular charges for calls they initiate over wireless lines, according to their wireless plan. The Commission will not refund any incurred charges. Callers will incur no charge for calls they initiate over land-line connections to the toll-free telephone number. Persons with hearing impairments may also follow the proceedings by first calling the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 and providing the Service with the conference call number and conference ID number.

Members of the public are also entitled to submit written comments; the comments must be received in the regional office within 30 days following the meeting. Written comments may be mailed to the Regional Programs Unit, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 55 W Monroe St., Suite 410, Chicago, IL 60615. They may also be faxed to the Commission at (312) 353-8324, or emailed to Corrine Sanders at [email protected]. Persons who desire additional information may contact the Regional Programs Unit at (312) 353-8311.

Records generated from this meeting may be inspected and reproduced at the Regional Programs Unit Office, as they become available, both before and after the meeting. Records of the meeting will be available via www.facadatabase.gov under the Commission on Civil Rights, Kansas Advisory Committee link (http://www.facadatabase.gov/committee/meetings.aspx?cid=249). Click on “meeting details” and then “documents” to download. Persons interested in the work of this Committee are directed to the Commission's website, http://www.usccr.gov, or may contact the Regional Programs Unit at the above email or street address.

This meetings are available to the public through the following toll-free call-in number: 888-670-2253, conference ID number: 3106023. Any interested member of the public may call this number and listen to the meetings. Callers can expect to incur charges for calls they initiate over wireless lines, and the Commission will not refund any incurred charges. Callers will incur no charge for calls they initiate over land-line connections to the toll-free telephone number. Persons with hearing impairments may also follow the proceedings by first calling the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 and providing the Service with the conference call number and conference ID number.

Members of the public are entitled to make comments during the open period at the end of the meetings. Members of the public may also submit written comments; the comments must be received in the Regional Programs Unit within 30 days following the meetings. Written comments may be mailed to the Western Regional Office, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 300 North Los Angeles Street, Suite 2010, Los Angeles, CA 90012. They may be faxed to the Commission at (213) 894-0508, or emailed Ana Victoria Fortes at [email protected]. Persons who desire additional information may contact the Regional Programs Unit at (213) 894-3437.

Records and documents discussed during the meetings will be available for public viewing prior to and after the meetings at https://facadatabase.gov/committee/meetings.aspx?cid=276. Please click on the “Meeting Details” and “Documents” links. Records generated from these meetings may also be inspected and reproduced at the Regional Programs Unit, as they become available, both before and after the meetings. Persons interested in the work of this Committee are directed to the Commission's website, https://www.usccr.gov, or may contact the Regional Programs Unit at the above email or street address.

Background

Regulations at 50 CFR 679 subpart E, governing the Observer Program, require the deployment of NMFS-certified observers (observers) to collect information necessary for the conservation and management of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) groundfish and halibut fisheries. Fishery managers use information collected by observers to monitor quotas, manage groundfish and prohibited species catch, and document and reduce fishery interactions with protected resources. Scientists use observer-collected information for stock assessments and marine ecosystem research.

The Observer Program includes two observer coverage categories—the partial coverage category and the full coverage category. All groundfish and halibut vessels and processors subject to observer coverage are included in one of these two categories. Defined at 50 CFR 679.51, the partial coverage category includes vessels and processors that are not required to have an observer at all times and the full coverage category includes vessels and processors required to have all of their fishing and processing activity observed. Vessels and processors in the full coverage category arrange and pay for observer services from a permitted observer provider. Observer coverage for the partial coverage category is funded through a system of fees based on the ex-vessel value of groundfish and halibut. Throughout this notice, the term “processor” refers to shoreside processors, stationary floating processors, and small catcher/processors in the partial coverage category. On August 8, 2017, NMFS published a final rule to integrate electronic monitoring (EM) into the Observer Program (82 FR 36991). Beginning in 2019, NMFS will use a portion of the fees collected under section 313 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) to deploy EM systems on vessels in the EM selection pool of the partial coverage category.

Pursuant to section 313 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, NMFS is authorized to assess a fee on all landings accruing against a Federal total allowable catch (TAC) for groundfish or a commercial halibut quota made by vessels that are subject to Federal regulations and not included in the full coverage category. A fee is only assessed on landings of groundfish from vessels designated on a Federal Fisheries Permit or from vessels landing individual fishing quota (IFQ) or community development quota (CDQ) halibut or IFQ sablefish. Within the subset of vessels subject to the observer fee, only landings accruing against an IFQ allocation or a Federal TAC for groundfish are included in the fee assessment. A table with additional information about which landings are and are not subject to the observer fee is at § 679.55(c) and is on page 2 of an informational bulletin titled “Observer Fee Collection” on the NMFS Alaska Region website at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/observerfees.pdf.

A fee equal to 1.25 percent of the ex-vessel value is assessed on the landings of groundfish and halibut subject to the fee. Ex-vessel value is determined by multiplying the standard price for groundfish by the round weight equivalent for each species, gear, and port combination, and the standard price for halibut by the headed and gutted weight equivalent. NMFS reviews each landing report and determines whether the reported landing is subject to the observer fee and, if so, which groundfish species in the landing are subject to the observer fee. All IFQ or CDQ halibut in a landing subject to the observer fee will be included in the observer fee calculation. For any landed groundfish or halibut subject to the observer fee, NMFS will apply the appropriate standard ex-vessel prices for the species, gear type, and port, and calculate the observer fee associated with the landing.

Processors and registered buyers access the landing-specific, observer fee information through NMFS Web Application (https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/webapps/efish/login) or eLandings (https://elandings.alaska.gov/). Observer fee information is either available immediately or within 24 hours after a landing report is submitted electronically. A time lag occurs for some landings because NMFS must process each landing report through the catch accounting system computer programs to determine which groundfish in a landing accrues against a Federal TAC and are subject to the observer fee.

Under the fee system, catcher vessel owners split the fee with the registered buyers or owners of shoreside or stationary floating processors. While the owners of catcher vessels and processors in the partial coverage category are each responsible for paying their portion of the fee, the owners of shoreside or stationary floating processors and registered buyers are responsible for collecting the fees from catcher vessels, and remitting the full fee to NMFS. Owners of small catcher/processors in the partial coverage category are responsible for remitting the full fee to NMFS.

NMFS sends invoices to processors and registered buyers by January 15 of each calendar year. The total fee amount is determined by the sum of the fees reported for each landing at that processor or registered buyer in the prior calendar year. Processors and registered buyers must pay the fees to NMFS using NMFS Web Application by February 15 each year. Processors and registered buyers have access to this system through a User ID and password issued by NMFS. Instructions for electronic payment will be provided on the NMFS Alaska Region website at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov and on the observer fee invoice to be mailed to each processor and registered buyer.

This notice provides the standard ex-vessel prices for groundfish and halibut species subject to the observer fee in 2018. Data sources for ex-vessel prices are

• For groundfish other than sablefish IFQ and sablefish accruing against the fixed gear sablefish CDQ reserve, the State of Alaska's Commercial Fishery Entry Commission's (CFEC) gross revenue data, which are based on the Commercial Operator Annual Report (COAR) and Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) fish tickets; and

• For halibut IFQ, halibut CDQ, sablefish IFQ, and sablefish accruing against the fixed gear sablefish CDQ reserve, the IFQ Buyer Report that is submitted to NMFS annually by each registered buyer that operates as a shoreside processor and receives and purchases IFQ landings of sablefish and halibut or CDQ landings of halibut under § 679.5(l)(7)(i).

The standard prices in this notice were calculated using the following procedures for protecting confidentiality of data submitted to or collected by NMFS. NMFS does not publish any price information that would permit the identification of an individual or business. For NMFS to publish a standard price for a particular species-gear-port combination, the price data used to calculate the standard price must represent landings from at least four different vessels to at least three different processors in a port or port group. Price data that is confidential because fewer than four vessels or three processors contributed data to a particular species-gear-port combination has been aggregated to protect confidential data.

Table 1 shows the groundfish species standard ex-vessel prices for 2018. These prices are based on the CFEC gross revenue data, which are based on landings data from ADF&G fish tickets and information from the COAR. The COAR contains statewide buying and production information, and is considered the most complete routinely collected information to determine the ex-vessel value of groundfish harvested from waters off Alaska.

The standard ex-vessel prices for groundfish were calculated by adding ex-vessel value from the CFEC gross revenue files for 2014, 2015, and 2016 by species, port, and gear category, and adding the volume (round weight equivalent) from the CFEC gross revenue files for 2014, 2015, and 2016 by species, port, and gear category, and then dividing total ex-vessel value over the three-year period in each category by total volume over the 3-year period in each category. This calculation results in an average ex-vessel price per pound by species, port, and gear category for the 3-year period. Three gear categories were used for the standard ex-vessel prices: (1) Non-trawl gear, including hook-and-line, pot, jig, troll, and others (Non-Trawl); (2) non-pelagic trawl gear (NPT); and (3) pelagic trawl gear (PTR).

CFEC ex-vessel value and volume data are available in the fall of the year following the year the fishing occurred. Thus, it is not possible to base ex-vessel fee liabilities on standard prices that are less than two years old. For the 2018 standard ex-vessel prices, the most recent ex-vessel value and volume data available is from 2016.

If a particular groundfish species is not listed in Table 1, the standard ex-vessel price for a species group, if it exists in the management area, will be used. If price data for a particular species remained confidential once aggregated to the ALL level, data is aggregated by species group (Flathead Sole; GOA Deep-water Flatfish; GOA Shallow-water Flatfish; GOA Skate, Other; and Other Rockfish). Standard prices for the groundfish species groups are shown in Table 2.

If a port-level price does not meet the confidentiality requirements, the data are aggregated by port group. Port-group data for Southeast Alaska (SEAK) and the Eastern GOA excluding Southeast Alaska (EGOAxSE) also are presented separately when price data are available. Port-group data is then aggregated by regulatory area in the GOA (Eastern GOA, Central GOA, and Western GOA) and by subarea in the BSAI (BS subarea and AI subarea). If confidentiality requirements are still not met by aggregating prices across ports at these levels, the prices are aggregated at the level of BSAI or GOA, then statewide (AK) and ports outside of Alaska (OTAK), and finally all ports, including those outside of Alaska (ALL).

Standard prices are presented separately for non-pelagic trawl and pelagic trawl when non-confidential data is available. NMFS also calculated prices for a “Pelagic Trawl/Non-pelagic Trawl Combined” (PTR/NPT) category that can be used when combining trawl price data for landings of a species in a particular port or port group will not violate confidentiality requirements. Creating this standard price category allows NMFS to assess a fee on 2018 landings of some of the species with pelagic trawl gear based on a combined trawl gear price for the port or port group.

If no standard ex-vessel price is listed for a species or species group and gear category combination in Table 1, Table 2, or Table 3, no fee will be assessed on that landing. Volume and value data for that species will be added to the standard ex-vessel prices in future years, if that data becomes available and display of a standard ex-vessel price meets confidentiality requirements.

Table 3 shows the observer fee standard ex-vessel prices for halibut and sablefish. These standard prices are calculated as a single annual average price, by species and port or port group. Volume and ex-vessel value data collected on the 2017 IFQ Buyer Report for landings made from October 1, 2016, through September 30, 2017, were used to calculate the standard ex-vessel prices for the 2018 observer fee for halibut IFQ, halibut CDQ, sablefish IFQ, and sablefish landings that accrue against the fixed gear sablefish CDQ reserve.

Agenda Tuesday, January 9, 2018 Through Thursday, January 11, 2018

The CPT will review and make recommendations on:

The Agenda is subject to change, and the latest version will be posted at http://www.npfmc.org/.

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Shannon Gleason at (907) 271-2809 at least 7 working days prior to the meeting date.

Ongoing Government Engagement Relating to Copyright in the Digital Economy

The Department of Commerce established the internet Policy Task Force (Task Force) in 2010 to identify leading public policy and operational issues impacting the U.S. private sector's ability to realize the potential for economic growth and job creation through the internet. The Task Force's July 2013 report, Copyright Policy, Creativity, and Innovation in the Digital Economy (Green Paper),1 was the product of extensive public consultations led by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

The Green Paper devoted a chapter to “ensuring an efficient online marketplace.” It looked at some of the then-current examples of legal licensing options and noted some impediments to licensing for online distribution. These included: The complexity of licensing in the online environment, in particular in the music licensing space; challenges with mapping old contracts to new uses; and licensing across borders.

In October 2013, the USPTO and NTIA published a request for public comments relating to three areas of work flowing out of the Green Paper, including whether and how the Government can facilitate the further development of a robust online licensing environment.2 The request for comments noted that building the online marketplace is fundamentally a function of the private sector and described how that process has been progressing. It noted the Green Paper's conclusion that, while much progress had been made in the licensing of creative content for online uses, there remained a need for more comprehensive and reliable ownership data, interoperable standards enabling communication among databases, and more streamlined licensing mechanisms. It posed a number of questions regarding access to and standardization of rights ownership information, facilitating the effectiveness of the online marketplace, and the role of the Government in such matters.

At a subsequent public meeting in December 2013, two panels addressed issues related to this topic: Access to rights information and online licensing transactions. An archive of the webcast and transcript of the public meeting is available at https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/ip-policy/copyright/public-meeting-copyright-policy-creativity-and-innovation. Copies of the comments received are available at https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/ip-policy/copyright/public-comments-green-paper.

In April 2015, the Task Force held another public meeting to discuss: The potential for the enhanced use and interoperability of standard identifiers across different sectors and geographical borders; whether the United States should develop or participate in an online licensing platform such as the U.K.'s Copyright Hub; and what the role of the Government should be in furthering any of these efforts. A transcript and videos of the public meeting are available at http://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/ip-policy/copyright/facilitating-development-online-licensing-environment.

In December 2016, the Task Force convened stakeholders in another public meeting to discuss current initiatives and technologies used to develop a more robust and collaborative digital marketplace for copyrighted works. The meeting focused on initiatives in this space that relate to standards development, interoperability across digital registries, and cross-industry collaboration, to understand the current state of affairs, identify challenges, and discuss paths forward. It also provided an opportunity to explore potential approaches to the future adoption and integration of relevant emerging technologies into the online marketplace, such as blockchain technology and open-source platforms. The goal was to provide a platform for discussion and to determine in what ways government can be of assistance. The meeting included panel sessions in the morning, an exhibition hall to showcase initiatives during lunchtime, and breakout sessions and a plenary discussion in the afternoon. A transcript and videos of the public meeting are available at: https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/ip-policy/public-meeting-developing-digital-marketplace-copyrighted-works-dec.

Finally, the internet Policy Task Force notes that the United States Copyright Office, in terms of its administration of the Copyright Act via registration and recordation as well as through its law and policy work, is involved in several initiatives that may inform this January event. The Copyright Office is actively engaged in a number of public processes, such as: Modernizing its information technology to improve registration and recordation; 3 reengineering its document recordation system; continuing its multiyear project to make historical copyright records created between 1860 and 1977 accessible online; producing studies that address issues affecting online licensing such as Copyright and the Music Marketplace 4 and Transforming Document Recordation;  5 and developing regulations, including those on registration and recordation practices, that improve the current system and will pave the way to support a modernized IT infrastructure.6

In the previous public comments and meetings, the Task Force heard from stakeholders that the government can play a useful role by facilitating dialogues between and among industry sectors and by convening stakeholder groups to make recommendations on specific issues. Based on this feedback, the Task Force is organizing this meeting to build on the work of the December 2016 meeting and facilitate constructive, cross-industry dialogue among stakeholders about ways to promote a more robust and collaborative online marketplace for copyrighted works. We will discuss the potential for interoperability across digital registries and standards work in this field, and consider how the relevant emerging technologies (e.g., blockchain technology, open source platforms) are developing. We will also explore potential approaches to guide their future adoption and integration into the online marketplace.

Topics to be covered will include: (1) Initiatives to advance the digital content marketplace, with a focus on standards, interoperability, and digital registries and database initiatives to track ownership and usage rights; (2) innovative technologies designed to improve the ways consumers access and use different types of digital content (e.g., photos, film, music); (3) ways that different sectors can collaborate to promote a robust and interconnected digital content marketplace; and (4) the role of government in facilitating such initiatives and technological development. Members of the public will have opportunities to participate at the meeting.

On January 25, 2018, the Task Force will hold a public meeting to hear stakeholder input and to consider future work in this area. The event will seek participation and comments from interested stakeholders, including creators, right holders, and online services that produce and distribute copyright protected digital content, as well as technologists, cultural heritage institutions, public interest groups, and academics.

The meeting will be webcast. The agenda and webcast information will be available no later than the week prior to the meeting on the internet Policy Task Force website, at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/internetpolicytaskforce, and the USPTO's website at https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/ip-policy/copyright/developing-digital-marketplace-copyrighted-works-second.

The meeting will be open to members of the public to attend, space permitting, on a first-come, first-served basis. Online registration for the meeting, which is not mandatory, is available at https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/ip-policy/copyright/developing-digital-marketplace-copyrighted-works-second. The meeting will be physically accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals requiring accommodation, such as sign language interpretation, real-time captioning of the webcast or other ancillary aids, should communicate their needs to Hollis Robinson, Office of Policy and International Affairs, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Madison Building, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone (571) 272-9300; email [email protected], at least seven business days prior to the meeting. Attendees should arrive at least one-half hour prior to the start of the meeting and must present a valid government-issued photo identification upon arrival. Persons who have pre-registered (and received confirmation) will have seating held until 15 minutes before the program begins.

This notice is published pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 8503(a)(2) and 41 CFR 51-2.3. Its purpose is to provide interested persons an opportunity to submit comments on the proposed actions.

If the Committee approves the proposed additions, the entities of the Federal Government identified in this notice will be required to procure the products and service listed below from nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities.

The following products and service are proposed for addition to the Procurement List for production by the nonprofit agencies listed:

The following products are proposed for deletion from the Procurement List:

Background: Pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1500-1508) and 32 CFR part 188, Environmental Effects in the United States of DoD Actions, the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the installation of a submarine fiber optic cable connecting the Defense Information System Network (DISN) node located offshore at Guantanamo Bay (GTMO), Cuba to the DISN node located in Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. The DISA is a Department of Defense (DoD) combat support agency under the direction, authority and control of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (ASD [C31]).

The proposed Guantanamo Bay to Puerto Rico Submarine Fiber Optic Cable system (GTMO-PR SFOC) comprises a marine cable route approximately 1,400 kilometers (756 nm) in length from a pre-laid shore end stub cable (installed in 2016 as part of Phase 1 SFOC (published at 80 FR 12985-12986, March 12, 2015)) ending 19 kilometers (10/26 nautical miles) offshore of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba to the DISN node located in Fort Buchanan, Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The landing location for Puerto Rico is the Puerto Rico Air National Guard (PRANG) Radar installation located in Punta Salinas, Toa Baja through a horizontally directional drilled (HDD) pipe. For the subsequent connection to the Army Reserves Base, Fort Buchanan in Bayamon, DISA will lease commercial 10 Gb/s lit services to facilitate the terrestrial connection.

Purpose and Need: The DISA GTMO Cable System Project Management Office developed communication services by installing an SFOC during Phase 1 that connected the DISN node located at GTMO to the DISN node located in Miami, FL to substantially improve the long-haul communications between the continental U.S. (CONUS) and GTMO. Long-haul communications requirements at GTMO are rapidly expanding and require a secure redundant path to and from CONUS. This is currently provided by commercial satellite services. Phase 2 of the project for this additional SFOC system from GTMO to Puerto Rico will provide significantly more bandwidth than satellite services, exhibit very low latency, and not be subject to adverse atmospheric conditions, such as severe weather (e.g., tropical rain storms and hurricanes). Therefore, the Phase 2 SFOC system is proposed to increase the level and reliability of communication service between CONUS and GTMO. The EA and this FONSI were prepared in compliance with the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), CEQ regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1500-1508), and 32 CFR part 188, Environmental Effects in the United States of DoD Actions. The EA considers all potential impacts of the Proposed Action and Alternatives, including the No Action Alternative. This Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) summarizes the DISA's evaluation of the Proposed Action and Alternatives.

Alternatives Considered: Prior to selection of the PRANG facility, several government facility sites were considered for the landing point in Puerto Rico. Site visits were made to each location in addition to development of preliminary terrestrial and marine cable routing concepts. The main sites considered were the U.S. Coast Guard Base, Aguadilla, the CBP Facility, Boquerón, the CBP Facility, Ponce, the CBP Facility, Mayaguez, and the PRANG Base, Punta Salinas. The Preferred landing site is the PRANG Base at Punta Salinas. Once the general site was chosen, two approaches to the area were considered, one from the north/west and one from the south/east. The Northern approach was selected as, using a horizontal directionally drilled (HDD) solution, the cable will come ashore well beneath the active high energy surf zone. The HDD drill path is straight forward and will allow an easy direct lay from the main lay installation vessel.

Deepwater Cable Route Alternatives—Several deep-water route alternatives were evaluated as part of the cable route planning process with the final route selection chosen to maximize the cable protection while minimizing the environmental impact. These alternatives were not analyzed with respect to impacts on the human or natural environment because the DISA determined that the action of a one-time, direct-laid SFOC system on the seabed has been demonstrated in past commercial and government project actions worldwide to ordinarily have only a minor, localized, and transient effect on the environment. Therefore, the action lacks the potential to cause significant harm to the environment outside the U.S. and meets the exemption requirement (E2.3.3.1.1) to prepare environmental documentation under Executive Order (E.O.) 12114, Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions.

No Action Alternative—The No Action Alternative would be not to proceed with the GTMO-PR SFOC system project linking NAVSTAGTMO at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba with the Fort Buchanan facility in Puerto Rico. NAVSTAGTMO would continue to operate with existing Phase 1 SFOC and backup satellite communication capabilities which would not meet the operational need for reliability and additional bandwidth nor provide a secure disaster recovery plan.

Conclusion: The GTMO-PR SFOC EA was prepared and evaluated pursuant to NEPA, CEQ regulations at 40 CFR 1500-1508, and 32 CFR part 188. DISA has concluded that, based on the analyses presented in the GTMO-PR SFOC EA, no significant direct, indirect, or cumulative impacts would occur as a result of the Proposed Action. Therefore, no further study under NEPA is required, and a FONSI is thus warranted. In addition, the Proposed Action lacks the potential to cause significant harm to the environment outside the U.S. and thus is exempt from further environmental analyses under Executive Order 12114. Accordingly, the DISA approved the installation and operation of the GTMO-PR SFOC.

The committee meeting is being held under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended), the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.150.

Purpose of the Meeting: The EAB will advise the Chief of Engineers on environmental policy, identification and resolution of environmental issues and missions, and addressing challenges, problems, and opportunities in an environmentally responsible manner. The EAB is interested in written and verbal comments from the public relevant to these purposes.

Proposed Agenda: At this meeting the agenda will include how the host USACE district is “Living the Environmental Operating Principles”; discussions on ongoing EAB work efforts, such as invasive species, environmental metrics, strategic planning, and monitoring and adaptive management; and presentations and discussions about regional sediment management.

Availability of Materials for the Meeting. A copy of the agenda or any updates to the agenda for the January 10, 2018 meeting will be available at the meeting. The final version will be provided at the meeting. All materials will be posted to the website after the meeting.

Public Accessibility to the Meeting: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended, and 41 CFR 102-3.140 through 102-3.165, and subject to the availability of space, this meeting is open to the public. Registration of members of the public who wish to attend the meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. on the day of the meeting. Seating is limited and is on a first-to-arrive basis. Attendees will be asked to provide their name, title, affiliation, and contact information to include email address and daytime telephone number at registration. Any interested person may attend the meeting, file written comments or statements with the committee, or make verbal comments from the floor during the public meeting, at the times, and in the manner, permitted by the committee, as set forth below.

Special Accommodations: The meeting venue is fully handicap accessible, with wheelchair access. Individuals requiring special accommodations to access the public meeting or seeking additional information about public access procedures, should contact Ms. Simmons, the committee DFO, or Ms. Cann, the ADFO, at the email addresses or telephone numbers listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section, at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Written Comments or Statements: Pursuant to 41 CFR 102-3.105(j) and 102-3.140 and section 10(a)(3) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the public or interested organizations may submit written comments or statements to the EAB about its mission and/or the topics to be addressed in this public meeting. Written comments or statements should be submitted to Ms. Simmons, the committee DFO, or Ms. Cann, the committee ADFO, via electronic mail, the preferred mode of submission, at the addresses listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section in the following formats: Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Word. The comment or statement must include the author's name, title, affiliation, address, and daytime telephone number. Written comments or statements being submitted in response to the agenda set forth in this notice must be received by the committee DFO or ADFO at least five (5) business days prior to the meeting so that they may be made available to the EAB for its consideration prior to the meeting. Written comments or statements received after this date may not be provided to the EAB until its next meeting. Please note that because the EAB operates under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, all written comments will be treated as public documents and will be made available for public inspection.

Verbal Comments: Members of the public will be permitted to make verbal comments during the meeting only at the time and in the manner allowed herein. If a member of the public is interested in making a verbal comment at the open meeting, that individual must submit a request, with a brief statement of the subject matter to be addressed by the comment, at least three (3) business days in advance to the committee DFO or ADFO, via electronic mail, the preferred mode of submission, at the addresses listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section. The committee DFO and ADFO will log each request to make a comment, in the order received, and determine whether the subject matter of each comment is relevant to the EAB's mission and/or the topics to be addressed in this public meeting. A 15-minute period near the end of meeting will be available for verbal public comments. Members of the public who have requested to make a verbal comment and whose comments have been deemed relevant under the process described above, will be allotted no more than three (3) minutes during this period, and will be invited to speak in the order in which their requests were received by the DFO and ADFO.

The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

OMB Control Number: 1860-0506.

Type of Review: An extension of an existing information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 420.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 16,800.

Abstract: Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has sought out and celebrated great American schools; schools that are demonstrating that all students can achieve to high levels. The purpose of the Program is to honor public and private elementary, middle and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among different groups of students. The Program is part of a larger U.S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices.

The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Personal Authentication Service (PAS) for FSA ID.

OMB Control Number: 1845-0131.

Type of Review: A revision of an existing information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 55,300,000.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 14,715,000.

Abstract: Federal Student Aid (FSA) replaced the PIN system with the Personal Authentication Service (PAS) which will employ an FSA ID, a standard user name and password solution. In order to create an FSA ID to gain access to certain FSA systems (FAFSA on the web, NSLDS, StudentLoans.gov, etc.) a user must register on-line for an FSA ID account. The FSA ID allows the customer to have a single identity, even if there is a name change or change to other personally identifiable information. The information collected to create the FSA ID enables electronic authentication and authorization of users for FSA web-based applications and information and protects users from unauthorized access to user accounts on all protected FSA sites.

Comments are invited on: (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and (e) ways to identify alternate sources of manufacturing consumption information EIA proposes to collect. EIA will evaluate comments on duplication of data sources based on terms of data coverage, level of aggregation, frequency of collection, data reliability, and statutory requirements to determine whether alternate data sources represent a suitable substitute for EIA data.

This information collection request contains:

(1) OMB Numbers: 1905-0169;

(2) Information Collection Request Title: Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS);

(3) Type of Request: Three-year extension with changes;

(4) Purpose: Form EIA-846, is a self-administered sample survey that collects energy consumption and expenditures data from establishments in the manufacturing sector. These establishments are classified under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector codes 31-33. The information from this survey is used to publish aggregate statistics on the energy consumption of the manufacturing sector including energy used for fuel and nonfuel purposes. The survey also gathers information on energy-related issues such as energy prices, on-site electricity generation, purchases of electricity from utilities and non-utilities, and fuel switching capabilities. MECS is also used to benchmark EIA's industry forecasting model and update changes in the energy intensity and greenhouse gases data series.

(4a) Proposed Change to Information Collection: EIA proposes the following minor change to Form EIA-846.

1. Questions about Tire-Derived Fuel: EIA proposes asking questions about tire-derived fuel (TDF) in the Waste Oils and Tars, and Waste Byproduct Gases section of the questionnaire starting on page 35 of the current Form EIA-846A, to be inserted after questions 138-139, specifically from those industries, Paper (NAICS 322) and Nonmetallic Mineral Products (NAICS 327), that use it as an energy source. This is not a substantive change as EIA already asks respondents to report TDF on the MECS in a section titled, “Other.” To make the reporting of TDF clear and easier for respondents, the questions in this section about TDF are the same questions that have always been asked about this energy source: Purchases, expenditures, transfers-in, amount produced on-site, whether it's a product/byproduct of another energy source consumed on-site, and fuel consumption. Over the past three MECS cycles, TDF has become a growing energy source within the “Other” section and accounts for over half of the energy consumed that is reported in that section. The use of TDF may be understated in the current form because some establishments may not report TDF fuel use because respondents may not know where to report their TDF volumes. By directly asking for these data as a separate data element, EIA will improve the coverage and accuracy of the use of this energy source.

(5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 15,000;

(6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 3,750;

(7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 34,565;

Average Burden per Response: 9.2 hours.

(8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: EIA estimates that there are no additional costs to respondents associated with this data collection. The annual burden cost to the respondents is estimated to be $2,546,058 (34,565 burden hours times $73.66 per hour). Other than the cost of burden hours, EIA estimates that there are no additional costs for generating, maintaining and providing the information.

This information collection request contains:

(1) OMB No. 1901-0287;

(2) Information Collection Request Title: Nuclear Fuel Data Survey;

(3) Type of Request: Three-year extension with changes;

(4) Purpose: The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) required that DOE enter into Standard Contracts with all generators or owners of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste of domestic origin. Form GC-859 (formerly Form RW-859) originated from an appendix to this Standard Contract.

Form GC-859 collects information on nuclear fuel use and spent fuel discharges from all utilities that operate commercial nuclear reactors and from all others that possess irradiated fuel from commercial nuclear reactors. The data collection provides stakeholders with detailed information concerning the spent nuclear fuel generated by the respondents (commercial utility generators of spent nuclear fuel and other owners of spent nuclear fuel within the U.S.).

Data collected from the survey are used by personnel from DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), and the national laboratories to meet their research objectives of developing a range of options and supporting analyses that facilitate informed choices about how best to manage spent nuclear fuel (SNF).

(4a) Changes to Information Collection:

• Collection of fuel manufacturer and lattice size used in Section C.1.1 of the 2013 GC-859 is replaced by fuel assembly type codes for fuel discharged from July 1, 2013—December 31, 2017. Fuel assembly type codes were last collected in the 2003 RW-859. Identification of the fuel assembly type provides significantly more information of the spent fuel than just manufacturer and lattice size.

• Section C.1.3 is added to the survey to collect fuel assembly type codes for fuel discharged from January 1, 2003—June 30, 2013. Selection boxes are added to this section to reduce reporting burden. Respondents may mark the fuel assembly type code based on the reactor design, previously used fuel types, range of assembly identification numbers, and initial cycle in core.

• “Cumulative Burnup for Each Cycle,” for each assembly is added to Section C.1.2 of the survey. Respondents may voluntarily report this data. Assembly burnup data by cycle is used to calculate discharged fuel characteristics and obtain fundamental parameters needed for spent fuel safety analyses.

• Section C.1.4 is added to the survey to collect data on all discharged fuel that is shipped or transferred to other storage sites (since January 1, 2003). This information was last collected in 2003 using Form RW-859 and allows the tracking of all spent nuclear fuel discharged by commercial reactors, regardless of current ownership or transit status.

• Section C.2 “Projected Assembly Discharges” is deleted since this data is no longer needed for analysis.

• Section C.3.3.1 requests information for consolidated, reconstituted, reconstructed fuel assemblies. A drop-down menu was created with these three choices of fuel assemblies.

• A note is added in Section D.3.2 “Multi-Assembly Canisters/Casks Inventory” to capture deviations from standard operating procedures related to drying, backfilling, leak testing, or pad transfer processes.

• Dry cask loading pattern maps with orientation details are added to Section D.3.2 of the survey. For each canister/cask model, respondents provide or reference a loading map that clearly indicates identifiers for basket cell locations relative to fixed drain and vent port locations. For systems stored horizontally, the map indicates which direction is up when placed in a horizontal storage module. The dry cask loading pattern data facilitates detailed as-loaded analyses and enables the quantification of realistic safety margins and conditions.

• Section E.2 “Non-fuel Components Integral to an Assembly” is deleted and the data on non-fuel components integral to an assembly should be reported in Section C.1.1. The collection of data on non-fuel component identifiers was also added to Section C.1.1.

• Schedule G is deleted. This schedule was used to collect comments. It is easier for respondents to provide comments when completing a schedule so the new form will collect comments after each section.

• A copy of Standard Contract (10 CFR 961.11) Appendix E General Specifications is added to the survey for the convenience of the respondents.

• The following terms have either been added or updated to match the definition prescribed by the Standard Contract; Canister, DOE Facility, Failed Fuel, Multi-Assembly Canister/Cask, Non-fuel Component Identifier, Non-standard Fuel and Reconstructed Assembly.

• DOE is changing Form GC-859 to collect information once every three years on a triennial basis. Reporting once every three years reduces respondent burden by permitting all new data for the multiyear period to be reported in one report.

• In response to a public comment on the 60-day Federal Register notice, the due date listed in Appendix A is changed to August 31, 2018, so it is consistent with the due date listed on the cover page.

(5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 125.

(6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 42.

(7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 3,747 hours.

(8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: Additional costs to respondents are not anticipated beyond costs associated with response burden hours. The information is maintained in the normal course of business. The cost of the burden hours is estimated to be $276,004 (3,747 burden hours times $73.66 per hour). EIA estimates that there are no additional costs to respondents associated with the survey other than the costs associated with the burden hours.

Background: The National Advisory Committee and the Governmental Advisory Committee advise the EPA Administrator in his capacity as the U.S. Representative to the CEC Council. The Committees are authorized under Articles 17 and 18 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), and as directed by Executive Order 12915, entitled “Federal Implementation of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation.” The Committees are responsible for providing advice to the United States Representative on a wide range of strategic, scientific, technological, regulatory and economic issues related to implementation and further elaboration of the NAAEC. The National Advisory Committee consists of 15 representatives from environmental non-profit groups, business and industry, and educational institutions. The Governmental Advisory Committee consists of 14 representatives from state, local, and tribal governments. Members are appointed by the EPA Administrator for a two-year term. The committees usually meet 3 times per year and the average workload for committee members is approximately 10 to 15 hours per month. Members serve on the committees in a voluntary capacity.

Although we are unable to provide compensation or an honorarium for your services, you may receive travel and per diem allowances, according to applicable federal travel regulations. EPA is seeking nominations from various sectors, i.e., for the NAC we are seeking nominees from academia, business and industry, and non-governmental organizations; for the GAC we are seeking nominees from state, local and tribal government sectors. Nominees will be considered according to the mandates of FACA, which requires committees to maintain diversity across a broad range of constituencies, sectors, and groups. EPA values and welcomes diversity. In an effort to obtain nominations of diverse candidates, EPA encourages nominations of women and men of all racial and ethnic groups. The following criteria will be used to evaluate nominees:

• Professional knowledge of the subjects examined by the committees, including trade & environment issues, NAFTA, the NAAEC, and the CEC.

• Represent a sector or group involved in trilateral environmental policy issues.

• Senior-level experience in the sectors represented on both committees.

• A demonstrated ability to work in a consensus building process with a wide range of representatives from diverse constituencies.

• Nominees may self-nominate.

If you are interested in serving on the NAC or GAC, please submit the following information:

• Nominations must include a brief statement of interest, a resume or curriculum vitae, and a short biography describing your professional and educational qualifications, including a list of relevant activities and any current or previous service on advisory committees. The statement of interest, resume, curriculum vitae, or short biography should include the candidate's name, and name and address of current organization, position title, email address, and daytime telephone number(s). In preparing your statement of interest, please describe how your background, knowledge, and experience, will bring value to the work of the NAC or GAC, and how these qualifications will contribute to the overall diversity of the committees. Also, please describe any previous involvement with EPA through employment, grant funding, and/or contracting sources.

• Candidates from the academic and tribal sectors must also provide a letter of recommendation authorizing the nominee to represent their organization or Tribal government.

• Please be advised that federally registered lobbyists are not permitted to serve on federal advisory committees.

• EPA's policy is that, unless otherwise prescribed by statute, members generally are appointed for two-year terms.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.

OMB Control Number: 3060-1151.

Title: Sections 1.1420, 1.1422 and 1.1424, Pole Attachment Access Requirements.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently-approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 763 respondents; 36,136 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 20-45 hours.

Frequency of Response: On-occasion reporting requirement, recordkeeping requirement, and third-party disclosure requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 224.

Total Annual Burden: 448,921 hours.

Total Annual Cost: No cost.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: No questions of a confidential nature are asked.

Needs and Uses: The Commission is requesting OMB approval for a three-year extension of this information collection In Implementation of Section 224 of the Act, A National Broadband Plan for Our Future, WC Docket No. 07-245, GN Docket No. 09-51, Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration, FCC 11-50, the Commission adopted rules that relate to the implementation of section 224 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, regarding access to poles that are owned or controlled by utilities. Under the Commission's rules, utilities must provide cable television systems and telecommunications carriers (collectively, “attachers”) with non-discriminatory access to attach facilities to poles, ducts, conduits, or rights-of-way owned or controlled by the utilities (collectively, “pole attachments”). However, utilities may deny in writing those pole attachment applications where there is insufficient capacity on a pole, or for reasons of safety, reliability, and generally applicable engineering purposes. Commission rules also create a series of deadlines or “timelines” by which attachers request and receive permission from utilities for pole attachments. The first stage of the timeline requires utilities to survey the requested poles where access is requested and to perform an engineering analysis. Utilities may notify attachers when they have completed their surveys of the affected poles. With regard to the second stage of the timeline, utilities must present to attachers an estimate of charges for preparing a pole for a new attachment (“make-ready” work). With regard to the make-ready stage of the timeline, utilities are required to send notices of impending make-ready work to entities with existing attachments on the pole. Such notification letters are sent when a make-ready schedule is established. If the make-ready period is interrupted, or if the pole owner asserts its right to a 15-day extension of time to perform make-ready work, then notification letters also are required from the utility to the new attacher.

Additionally, the Order adopted a rule requiring utilities to make available and keep up-to-date a reasonably sufficient list of approved contractors to perform surveys and make-ready work in the communications space of a utility pole. If an attacher uses a utility-approved contractor, then it must notify the utility and invite the utility to send a representative to oversee the work. Finally, the Order also broadened the existing enforcement process by permitting incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) to file complaints alleging that the pole attachment rates, terms, or conditions demanded by utilities are unjust or unreasonable. If an incumbent LEC can demonstrate that it is similarly situated to an attacher that is a telecommunications carrier or a cable television system (through relevant evidence, including pole attachment agreements), then it can gain comparable pole attachment rates, terms, and condition as the similarly-situated carrier. The paperwork burdens for this provision are contained in OMB Collection No. 3060-0392. The Order also encourages incumbent LECs that benefit from lower pole attachment costs to file data at the Commission that demonstrate that the benefits are being passed on to consumers.

A. Need for and Use of the Information Collection

Section 7 of the Federal Home Loan Bank Act (Bank Act) vests the management of each Federal Home Loan Bank (Bank) in its board of directors.1 As required by section 7, each Bank's board comprises two types of directors: (1) Member directors, who are drawn from the officers and directors of member institutions located in the Bank's district and who are elected to represent members in a particular state in that district; and (2) independent directors, who are unaffiliated with any of the Bank's member institutions, but who reside in the Bank's district and are elected on an at-large basis.2 Both types of directors serve four-year terms, which are staggered so that approximately one-quarter of a Bank's total directorships are up for election every year.3 Section 7 and FHFA's implementing regulation, codified at 12 CFR part 1261, establish the eligibility requirements for both types of Bank directors and the professional qualifications for independent directors, and set forth the procedures for their election.

Part 1261 of the regulations requires that each Bank administer its own annual director election process. As part of this process, a Bank must require each nominee for both types of directorship, including any incumbent that may be a candidate for re-election, to complete and return to the Bank a form that solicits information about the candidate's statutory eligibility to serve and, in the case of independent director candidates, about his or her professional qualifications for the directorship being sought.4 Specifically, member director candidates are required to complete the Federal Home Loan Bank Member Director Eligibility Certification Form (Member Director Eligibility Certification Form), while independent director candidates must complete the Federal Home Loan Bank Independent Director Application Form (Independent Director Application Form).

Each Bank must also require all of its incumbent directors to certify annually that they continue to meet all eligibility requirements.5 Member directors do this by completing the Member Director Eligibility Certification Form again every year, while independent directors complete the abbreviated Federal Home Loan Bank Independent Director Annual Certification Form (Independent Director Annual Certification Form) to certify their ongoing eligibility.

The Banks use the information collection contained in the Independent Director Application Form and part 1261 to determine whether individuals who wish to stand for election or re-election as independent directors satisfy the statutory eligibility requirements and possess the professional qualifications required under the statute and regulations. Only individuals meeting those eligibility requirements and qualifications may serve as an independent director.6 On an annual basis, the Banks use the information collection contained in the Independent Director Annual Certification Form and part 1261 to determine whether their incumbent independent directors continue to meet the statutory eligibility requirements.

The Banks use the information collection contained in the Member Director Eligibility Certification Form and part 1261 to determine whether individuals who wish to stand for election or re-election as member directors satisfy the statutory eligibility requirements. Only individuals meeting these requirements may serve as a member director.7 On an annual basis, the Banks also use the information collection contained in the Member Director Eligibility Certification Form and part 1261 to determine whether their incumbent member directors continue to meet the statutory eligibility requirements.

The OMB control number for this information collection is 2590-0006 and the current PRA clearance expires on December 31, 2017. The likely respondents are individuals who are prospective and incumbent Bank directors. The three Bank director forms that FHFA will be submitting to OMB for review, copies of which appear at the end of this notice, are substantively identical to those that are currently approved under the PRA. However, FHFA is considering major revisions to each of the forms and expects to publish another set of PRA notices regarding the revised forms and to submit the revised forms to OMB for review and clearance under the PRA in the near future.

FHFA estimates the total annual hour burden imposed upon respondents by the three Bank director forms comprising this information collection to be 145 hours (37 hours + 75 hours + 33 hours = 145 hours, as detailed below).

The Agency estimates the total annual hour burden on all member director candidates and incumbent member directors associated with review and completion of the Member Director Eligibility Certification Form to be 37 hours. This includes a total annual average of 68 member director candidates, with 1 response per individual taking an average of 15 minutes (.25 hours) (68 respondents × .25 hours = 17 hours). It also includes a total annual average of 80 incumbent member directors, with 1 response per individual taking an average of 15 minutes (.25 hours) (80 individuals × .25 hours = 20 hours).

The Agency estimates the total annual hour burden on all independent director candidates associated with review and completion of the Independent Director Application Form to be 75 hours. This includes a total annual average of 25 independent director candidates, with 1 response per individual taking an average of 3 hours (25 individuals × 3 hours = 75 hours).

The Agency estimates the total annual hour burden on all incumbent independent directors associated with review and completion of the Independent Director Annual Certification Form to be 33 hours. This includes a total annual average of 66 incumbent independent directors, with 1 response per individual taking an average of 30 minutes (.5 hours) (66 individuals × .5 hours = 33 hours).

In accordance with the requirements of 5 CFR 1320.8(d), FHFA published a request for public comments regarding this information collection in the Federal Register on October 12, 2017.8 The 60-day comment period closed on December 11, 2017. FHFA received two comments, neither of which addressed any aspect of this information collection or the PRA.

In accordance with the requirements of 5 CFR 1320.10(a), FHFA is publishing this second notice to request comments regarding the following: (1) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of FHFA functions, including whether the information has practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FHFA's estimates of the burdens of the collection of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521, AHRQ invites the public to comment on this proposed information collection. For over thirty years, results from the MEPS and its predecessor surveys (the 1977 National Medical Care Expenditure Survey, the 1980 National Medical Care Utilization and Expenditure Survey and the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey) have been used by OMB, DHHS, Congress and a wide number of health services researchers to analyze health care use, expenses and health policy.

Major changes continue to take place in the health care delivery system. The MEPS is needed to provide information about the current state of the health care system as well as to track changes over time. The MEPS permits annual estimates of use of health care and expenditures and sources of payment for that health care. It also permits tracking individual change in employment, income, health insurance and health status over two years. The use of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) as a sampling frame expands the MEPS analytic capacity by providing another data point for comparisons over time.

Households selected for participation in the MEPS-HC are interviewed five times in person. These rounds of interviewing are spaced about 5 months apart. The interview will take place with a family respondent who will report for him/herself and for other family members.

The only change to the MEPS-HC from the previous OMB clearance is an update to the existing Adult Self-Administered Questionnaire (SAQ).

The MEPS-HC has the following goal:

The MEPS-MPC will contact medical providers (hospitals, physicians, home health agencies and institutions) identified by household respondents in the MEPS-HC as sources of medical care for the time period covered by the interview, and all pharmacies providing prescription drugs to household members during the covered time period. The MEPS-MPC is not designed to yield national estimates as a stand-alone survey. The sample is designed to target the types of individuals and providers for whom household reported expenditure data was expected to be insufficient. For example, Medicaid enrollees are targeted for inclusion in the MEPS-MPC because this group is expected to have limited information about payments for their medical care.

The MEPS-MPC collects event level data about medical care received by sampled persons during the relevant time period. The data collected from medical providers include:

This notice sets out a summary of the use and burden associated with the following information collections. More detailed information can be found in each collection's supporting statement and associated materials (see ADDRESSES).

Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. The term “collection of information” is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA requires federal agencies to publish a 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with this requirement, CMS is publishing this notice.

1. Type of Information Collection Request: New collection (Request for a new OMB control number); Title of Information Collection: Marketplace Operations; Use: On August 30, 2013, HHS published the final rule CMS-9957-F: Program Integrity: Exchanges, SHOP, Eligibility Appeals (Program Integrity final rule), finalizing a number of the provisions from the Program Integrity and E&E II Proposed Rules. The third party disclosure requirements and data collections in the Program Integrity final rule support the oversight of qualified health plan (QHP) issuers in Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) and other provisions. OMB approved the associated information collection request under OMB control number 0938-1213 on November 21, 2013. The Program Integrity ICR was inclusive of many unrelated information collection requirements covered in the Program Integrity Final Rule. This proposed ICR serves as the formal request for a new stand-alone information collection request to cover existing Marketplace Operations requirements previously approved under OMB control number 0938-1213 (Program Integrity and Additional State Information Collections). Form Number: CMS-10637 (OMB control number 0938-NEW). Frequency: Annually; Affected Public: Private Sector, State, Business, and Not-for Profits; Number of Respondents: 3,902; Number of Responses: 3,902; Total Annual Hours: 2,336,190. (For questions regarding this collection contact Joshua Annas at (301) 492-4407.)