Agency: United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce.

Title: Requirements for Patent Applications Containing Nucleotide Sequence and/or Amino Acid Sequence Disclosures.

OMB Control Number: 0651-0024.

Needs and Uses: Patent applications that contain nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence disclosures falling within the definitions of 37 CFR 1.831 (for applications filed on or after July 1, 2022) or 37 CFR 1.821(a) (for applications filed on or before June 30, 2022) must include, as a separate part of the application disclosure, a copy of the sequence listing in accordance with the requirements in 37 CFR 1.831-1.835 or 37 CFR 1.821-1.825, respectively. Applicants may submit sequence listings for both U.S. and international patent applications. For more information concerning the submission of sequence listings in international applications, see the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Rules 5.2 and 13 ter, Annex C of the PCT Administrative Instructions, and section 1848 of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) (9th ed., Rev. 01.2024, November 2024).

The USPTO uses the sequence listings during the examination process to determine the patentability of the invention claimed in the application. The USPTO also uses the sequence listings for pre-grant publication of applications and issued patents. Applicants use sequence listings when preparing both national and international patent applications that disclose nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences to provide a written description of the invention and to distinguish the claimed subject matter from the prior art.

This information covers only the submission of sequence listing information itself. Information pertaining to the initial filing of a U.S. patent application is collected under OMB Control Number 0651-0032, and information pertaining to the initial filing of international applications is collected under OMB Control Number 0651-0021.

For sequence listings filed as 37 CFR 1.825 amendments in applications having a filing date of on or before June 30, 2022, this information collection also accounts for the submission of a new or substitute computer readable form (CRF) copy of the sequence listing under 37 CFR 1.821(e) and 1.824, with the amendment incorporated therein, if necessary, under 37 CFR 1.825(a)(5)(ii) or (b)(6)(ii).

Forms: None.

Type of Review: Extension and revision of a currently approved information collection.

Affected Public: Public sector.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

Frequency: On occasion.

Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 30,000 respondents.

Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 30,000 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: The USPTO estimates that the responses in this information collection will take the public approximately 6 hours to complete. This includes the time to gather the necessary information, create the document, and submit the completed item(s) to the USPTO.

Estimated Total Annual Respondent Burden Hours: 180,000 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Respondent Non-hourly Cost Burden: $336,973.

Pursuant to 39 CFR 3041.405, the Commission gives notice that the Postal Service filed request(s) for the Commission to consider matters related to Competitive negotiated service agreement(s). The request(s) may propose the addition of a negotiated service agreement from the Competitive product list or the modification of an existing product currently appearing on the Competitive product list.

The public portions of the Postal Service's request(s) can be accessed via the Commission's website ( http://www.prc.gov ). Non-public portions of the Postal Service's request(s), if any, can be accessed through compliance with the requirements of 39 CFR 3011.301. 1

Section II identifies the docket number(s) associated with each Postal Service request, if any, that will be reviewed in a public proceeding as defined by 39 CFR 3010.101(p), the title of each such request, the request's acceptance date, and the authority cited by the Postal Service for each request. For each such request, the Commission appoints an officer of the Commission to represent the interests of the general public in the proceeding, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505 and 39 CFR 3000.114 (Public Representative). The Public Representative does not represent any individual person, entity or particular point of view, and, when Commission attorneys are appointed, no attorney-client relationship is established. Section II also establishes comment deadline(s) pertaining to each such request.

The Commission invites comments on whether the Postal Service's request(s) identified in Section II, if any, are consistent with the policies of title 39. Applicable statutory and regulatory requirements include 39 U.S.C. 3632, 39 U.S.C. 3633, 39 U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR part 3035, and 39 CFR part 3041. Comment deadline(s) for each such request, if any, appear in Section II.

Section III identifies the docket number(s) associated with each Postal Service request, if any, to add a standardized distinct product to the Competitive product list or to amend a standardized distinct product, the title of each such request, the request's acceptance date, and the authority cited by the Postal Service for each request. Standardized distinct products are negotiated service agreements that are variations of one or more Competitive products, and for which financial models, minimum rates, and classification criteria have undergone advance Commission review. See 39 CFR 3041.110(n); 39 CFR 3041.205(a). Such requests are reviewed in summary proceedings pursuant to 39 CFR 3041.325(c)(2) and 39 CFR 3041.505(f)(1). Pursuant to 39 CFR 3041.405(c)-(d), the Commission does not appoint a Public Representative or request public comment in proceedings to review such requests. The comment due date discussed above does not apply to Section III proceedings (Docket Nos. MC2026-44 and K2026-44; MC2026-45 and K2026-45).

1. Docket No(s).: K2025-203; Filing Title: USPS Request Concerning Amendment One to Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail & USPS Ground Advantage Contract 574, with Materials Filed Under Seal; Filing Acceptance Date: October 21, 2025; Filing Authority: 39 CFR 3035.105 and 39 CFR 3041.505; Public Representative: Christopher Mohr; Comments Due: October 29, 2025.

2. Docket No(s).: MC2026-43 and K2026-43; Filing Title: USPS Request to Add Priority Mail Contract 939 to the Competitive Product List and Notice of Filing Materials Under Seal; Filing Acceptance Date: October 21, 2025; Filing Authority: 39 U.S.C. 3642, 39 CFR 3035.105, and 39 CFR 3041.310; Public Representative: Kenneth Moeller; Comments Due: October 29, 2025.

1. Docket No(s).: MC2026-44 and K2026-44; Filing Title: USPS Request to Add New Fulfillment Standardized Distinct Product, PM-GA Contract 887, and Notice of Filing Materials Under Seal; Filing Acceptance Date: October 21, 2025; Filing Authority: 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 3633, 39 CFR 3035.105, and 39 CFR 3041.325.

2. Docket No(s).: MC2026-45 and K2026-45; Filing Title: USPS Request to Add New Fulfillment Standardized Distinct Product, PM-GA Contract 888, and Notice of Filing Materials Under Seal; Filing Acceptance Date: October 21, 2025; Filing Authority: 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 3633, 39 CFR 3035.105, and 39 CFR 3041.325.

This Notice will be published in the Federal Register .

The membership of the Department of Veterans Affairs Performance Review Board is as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 4314(c)(4).

Douglas A. Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved this document on October 20, 2025, and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

As required by the “Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel Enhancement Act of 2004,” (Pub. L. 108-445 dated December 3, 2004) VA is hereby giving notice of annual pay ranges for VHA physicians, dentists, podiatrists, and optometrists as prescribed by the Secretary for Department-wide applicability. The major provisions of the law established a new pay system for VHA physicians and dentists consisting of base pay, market pay, and performance pay. While the base pay component is set by statute, market pay is intended to reflect the recruitment and retention needs for the specialty or assignment of a particular physician or dentist at a facility. Further, performance pay is intended to recognize the achievement of specific goals and performance objectives prescribed annually. These three components create a system of pay that is driven by both market indicators and employee performance, while recognizing employee tenure in VHA.

On April 8, 2019, the President signed Public Law 116-12, which amended 38 U.S.C. 7431 to include podiatrists within the physician and dentist pay system, authorizing podiatrists to receive base pay, market pay, and performance pay. With the amendment, podiatrists are also subject to the same limitations and requirements as physicians and dentists under section 7431.

On January 2, 2025, the President signed Public Law 118-210 which further amended 38 U.S.C. 7431 to include optometrists with the physician, dentist, and podiatrist pay system, authorizing optometrists to receive base pay, market pay, and performance pay. With this amendment, optometrists are also subject to the same limitations and requirements as physicians, dentists, and podiatrists under section 7431.

Under 38 U.S.C. 7431(e)(1)(A), not less often than once every 2 years, the Secretary must prescribe for Department-wide applicability the minimum and maximum amounts of annual pay that may be paid to VHA physicians, podiatrists, optometrists, and dentists. Further, 38 U.S.C. 7431(e)(1)(B) allows the Secretary to prescribe separate minimum and maximum amounts of annual pay for a specialty or assignment. Pursuant to 38 U.S.C. 7431(e)(1)(C), amounts prescribed under paragraph 7431(e) shall be published in the Federal Register and shall not take effect until at least 60 days after date of publication.

In addition, under 38 U.S.C. 7431(e)(4), the total amount of compensation paid to a physician, podiatrist, optometrist, or dentist cannot exceed, in any year, the amount of annual compensation (excluding expenses) of the President. For the purposes of section 7431(e)(4), “the total amount of compensation” includes base pay, market pay, performance pay, and fee basis earnings, but excludes recruitment, relocation, and retention incentives  1 and incentive awards for performance and special contributions from total compensation calculations.

VA identified and utilized salary survey data sources which most closely represent VA comparability in the areas of practice setting, employment environment, and hospital/health care system. The Gallagher Advanced Practice Provider Survey, Mercer Integrated Health Network (INH) Physician Practices/Outpatient Facilities Survey, and Payfactors Market Data Healthcare Providers and Services Survey report were collectively utilized as benchmarks from which to prescribe annual pay ranges for optometrists across the scope of assignments/specialties within the Department. While aggregating the data, a preponderance of weight was given to those surveys which most directly resembled the environment of the Department.

In developing pay table placement and annual salary rates of optometrists, a few distinctive principles were factored into the compensation analysis of the data. The first principle is to ensure that both the minimum and maximum salary is at a level that accommodates special employment situations, from fellowships and medical research career development awards to Nobel Laureates, and high-cost areas for optometrists. The second principle is to provide ranges large enough to accommodate career progression, geographic differences, sub-specialization, and other special factors for optometrists.

Several VA data sources were reviewed against available, relevant private sector data. Optometry is placed into one clinical pay range that reflects comparable complexity in salary, recruitment, and retention considerations.

On July 25, 2025, VA published notice in the Federal Register of the annual pay ranges for VHA physicians, dentists, and podiatrists. 90 FR 35379. At the time the Steering Committee met in 2024, optometrists were not included in the covered clinical specialties for Pay Table 1. After the passage of Public Law 118-210 in 2025, a separate Steering Committee met to determine the annual pay ranges for optometrists. The list of covered clinical specialties for Pay Table 1, listed below, now includes optometrists. Additionally, the minimum pay range for Pay Table 1, Tier 1, has been increased from $121,000 to $123,077 for all covered clinical specialties consistent with the January 12, 2025, General Adjustment.

Consistent with the January 12, 2025, General Adjustment mentioned above, the minimum pay range for Pay Table 2, Tier 1, has also been increased from $115,587 to $123,077. While no changes were made to the covered clinical specialties, the updated Pay Table 2 is provided below.

Douglas A. Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved this document on October 21, 2025, and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs.