[The Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions]
[Introduction to The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]




[[Page 63885]]





REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE CENTER



Introduction to The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal 
Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions



AGENCY:  Regulatory Information Service Center.

ACTION:  Introduction to The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of 
Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions.

_______________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY:  The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires that agencies publish 
semiannual regulatory agendas describing regulatory actions they are 
developing (5 U.S.C. 602). Executive Order 12866 ``Regulatory Planning 
and Review'' (58 FR 51735; October 4, 1993) and Office of Management 
and Budget memoranda implementing section 4 of that Order establish 
minimum standards for agencies' agendas, including specific types of 
information for each entry.

    The Unified Agenda helps agencies fulfill all of these 
requirements. All Federal regulatory agencies have chosen to publish 
their regulatory agendas as part of this publication.

    Section 4 of Executive Order 12866 also directs that, as part of 
their submissions to the October edition of the Unified Agenda, 
agencies prepare a regulatory plan of the most important significant 
regulatory actions that the agency reasonably expects to issue in 
proposed or final form during the upcoming fiscal year. The agency 
plans appear as the first section of this joint publication; the agency 
agendas follow.

    The Regulatory Plan begins with Vice President Gore's statement, 
followed by an introduction, and then the regulatory plans of 30 
Federal departments and agencies. Each of these agencies has also 
submitted a regulatory agenda describing its other regulatory actions. 
The regulatory agendas for these and 32 other Federal agencies appear 
in Parts III-LXIV of this issue of the Federal Register, followed by 
indexes to both Plan and Agenda entries.

    We welcome your comments on this joint publication and your 
suggestions for improving future ones.

ADDRESSES:  Regulatory Information Service Center (MI), General 
Services Administration, 1800 F Street NW., Suite 3039, Washington, DC 
20405.

Electronic Availability

    All editions of The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of 
Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions since October 1995 are 
available in electronic form. You can search the Plan and the Agenda on 
the World Wide Web at:

http://reginfo.gov

    You may also search the Plan and the Agenda on the Government 
Printing Office's GPO Access, which is accessible through:

http://www.access.gpo.gov

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  For further information about 
specific regulatory actions, please refer to the Agency Contact listed 
for each entry.

To provide comment on or to obtain further information about this 
publication, contact: Ronald C. Kelly, Executive Director, Regulatory 
Information Service Center (MI), General Services Administration, 1800 
F Street NW., Suite 3039, Washington, DC 20405, (202) 482-7340. You may 
also send comments to us by e-mail at:

[email protected]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   

                            TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
                                                                   Page
 
Statement by the Vice President.................................   63883
 
  Introduction to The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal
                   Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions
 
I. What Are the Unified Agenda and The Regulatory Plan?.........   63886
  A. What Are the Limitations of the Information?...............   63886
II.Why Are the Unified Agenda and The Regulatory Plan Published?   63887
III. How Are The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda            63887
 Organized?.....................................................
IV. What Information Appears for Each Entry?....................   63888
V. Abbreviations................................................   63889
VI. How Can Users Get Copies of the Plan and the Agenda.........   63889
 
                         AGENCY REGULATORY PLANS
 
                           Cabinet Departments
 
Department of Agriculture.......................................   63891
Department of Commerce..........................................   63911
Department of Defense...........................................   63919
Department of Education.........................................   63923
Department of Energy............................................   63925
Department of Health and Human Services.........................   63930
Department of Housing and Urban Development.....................   63954
Department of the Interior......................................   63961
Department of Justice...........................................   63969
Department of Labor.............................................   63975
Department of Transportation....................................   64001
Department of the Treasury......................................   64015
Department of Veterans Affairs..................................   64022
 
                        Other Executive Agencies
 
Environmental Protection Agency.................................   64023
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.........................   64062
General Services Administration.................................   64065
National Aeronautics and Space Administration...................   64066
National Archives and Records Administration....................   64067
Office of Personnel Management..................................   64069
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation............................   64072
Small Business Administration...................................   64074
Social Security Administration..................................   64078
 
                     Independent Regulatory Agencies
 
Commodity Futures Trading Commission............................   64082
Consumer Product Safety Commission..............................   64083
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission............................   64087
Federal Housing Finance Board...................................   64090
Federal Maritime Commission.....................................   64093
Federal Trade Commission........................................   64094
National Indian Gaming Commission...............................   64098
Nuclear Regulatory Commission...................................   64100
 
                             AGENCY AGENDAS
 
                           Cabinet Departments
 
Department of Agriculture.......................................   64104
Department of Commerce..........................................   64194
Department of Defense...........................................   64286
Department of Education.........................................   64320
Department of Energy............................................   64332
Department of Health and Human Services.........................   64352
Department of Housing and Urban Development.....................   64444
Department of the Interior......................................   64482
Department of Justice...........................................   64560
Department of Labor.............................................   64622

[[Page 63886]]

 
Department of State.............................................   64674
Department of Transportation....................................   64682
Department of the Treasury......................................   64870
Department of Veterans Affairs..................................   64964
 
                        Other Executive Agencies
 
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.......................   64994
Agency for International Development............................   64996
Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board......   65000
Commission on Civil Rights......................................   65004
Corporation for National and Community Service..................   65006
Environmental Protection Agency.................................   65010
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.........................   65170
Federal Emergency Management Agency.............................   65174
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service......................   65182
General Services Administration.................................   65184
Morris K. Udall Foundation--U.S. Institute for Environmental       65198
 Conflict Resolution............................................
National Aeronautics and Space Administration...................   65200
National Archives and Records Administration....................   65204
National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities
  Institute of Museum and Library Services......................   65212
  National Endowment for the Arts...............................   65214
  National Endowment for the Humanities.........................   65218
National Science Foundation.....................................   65220
Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight..................   65222
Office of Government Ethics.....................................   65226
Office of Management and Budget.................................   65234
Office of Personnel Management..................................   65240
Office of Special Counsel.......................................   65266
Panama Canal Commission.........................................   65268
Peace Corps.....................................................   65270
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation............................   65274
Presidio Trust..................................................   65280
Railroad Retirement Board.......................................   65284
Selective Service System........................................   65290
Small Business Administration...................................   65292
Social Security Administration..................................   65302
Tennessee Valley Authority......................................   65324
 
                             Joint Authority
 
Department of Defense/General Services Administration/National     65326
 Aeronautics and Space Administration (Federal Acquisition
 Regulation)....................................................
 
                     Independent Regulatory Agencies
 
Commodity Futures Trading Commission............................   65340
Consumer Product Safety Commission..............................   65348
Farm Credit Administration......................................   65358
Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation........................   65366
Federal Communications Commission...............................   65368
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation...........................   65414
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission............................   65424
Federal Housing Finance Board...................................   65432
Federal Maritime Commission.....................................   65440
Federal Reserve System..........................................   65446
Federal Trade Commission........................................   65458
National Credit Union Administration............................   65470
National Indian Gaming Commission...............................   65480
Nuclear Regulatory Commission...................................   65484
Securities and Exchange Commission..............................   65504
Surface Transportation Board....................................   65530
 
          INDEXES TO REGULATORY PLAN AND UNIFIED AGENDA ENTRIES
 
A. Regulatory Flexibility Act Section 610 Review Index..........   65533
B. Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Index........................   65535
C. Small Entities Index (Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Not       65547
 Required)......................................................
D. Government Levels Index......................................   65561
E. Subject Index................................................   65601
 


INTRODUCTION TO THE UNIFIED AGENDA AND THE REGULATORY PLAN


I. What Are the Unified Agenda and The Regulatory Plan?

    The Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 
(Unified Agenda) provides information, in a uniform format, about 
regulations that the Government is considering or reviewing. The 
Unified Agenda has appeared in the Federal Register twice each year 
since 1983. This edition includes regulatory agendas from 62 Federal 
departments and agencies. Agencies of the United States Congress are 
not included.

    The Regulatory Plan (Plan) serves as a defining statement of the 
Administration's regulatory and deregulatory policies and priorities. 
The Plan is part of the fall edition of the Unified Agenda. Each 
participating agency's regulatory plan contains: (1) A narrative 
statement of the agency's regulatory priorities and, for most agencies, 
(2) a description of the most important significant regulatory and 
deregulatory actions that the agency reasonably expects to issue in 
proposed or final form during the upcoming fiscal year. This edition 
includes the regulatory plans of 30 departments and agencies.

    The Regulatory Information Service Center (the Center) compiles the 
Unified Agenda and the Plan for the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), part of the Office of Management and Budget. 
OIRA is responsible for overseeing the Federal Government's regulatory, 
paperwork, and information resource management activities, including 
implementation of E.O. 12866. The Center also provides information 
about Federal regulatory activity to the President and his Executive 
Office, the Congress, agency managers, and the public.

    The activities included in the Agenda are, in general, those that 
will have a regulatory action within the next 12 months. Agencies may 
include activities that will have a longer timeframe than 12 months. 
Agency agendas also show actions or reviews completed or withdrawn 
since the last agenda. The agendas do not contain regulations that were 
excluded under Executive Order 12866, such as those concerning military 
or foreign affairs functions or regulations related to agency 
organization, management, or personnel matters.


A. What Are the Limitations of the Information?

    Agencies prepared entries for this publication to give the public 
notice of their plans to review, propose, and issue regulations. They 
have tried to predict their activities over the next 12 months as 
accurately as possible, but dates and schedules are subject to change. 
Agencies may withdraw some of the regulations now under development, 
and they may issue or propose other regulations not included in their 
agendas. Agency actions in the rulemaking process may occur before or 
after the dates they have listed.

    The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda do not create a legal 
obligation on agencies to adhere to schedules within them or to confine 
their regulatory activities to those regulations that appear in these 
publications. The information in this edition is accurate as of October 
1, 1999, in the judgment of the submitting agencies, except as 
otherwise noted by the agencies. In addition, some agencies submitted 
updates after that date.

    Where applicable, individual actions will be subject to review for 
compliance with applicable Executive orders, the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act, and the Paperwork Reduction Act at appropriate points in the 
regulatory process.



[[Page 63887]]
II. Why Are the Unified Agenda and The Regulatory Plan Published?

    The Unified Agenda helps agencies comply with their obligations 
under the Regulatory Flexibility Act and various Executive orders and 
other statutes.


Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires agencies to identify those 
rules that may have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities (5 U.S.C. 602). Agencies meet that requirement 
by including the information in their submissions for the Unified 
Agenda. Agencies may also indicate those regulations that they are 
reviewing as part of their periodic review of existing rules under the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 610).


Executive Order 12866

    Executive Order 12866 entitled ``Regulatory Planning and Review'' 
(September 30, 1993; 58 FR 51735) requires covered agencies to prepare 
an agenda of all regulations under development or review. The Order 
also requires that certain agencies prepare annually a regulatory plan 
of their ``most important significant regulatory actions,'' which 
appears as part of the October Unified Agenda.


Executive Order 12875

    Executive Order 12875 entitled ``Enhancing the Intergovernmental 
Partnership'' (October 26, 1993; 58 FR 58093) directs agencies to 
reduce the imposition of unfunded mandates upon State, local, and 
tribal governments. The Order directs agencies that are proposing to 
impose nonstatutory unfunded mandates to consult with affected 
governmental officials and document their concerns, report those 
concerns to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and 
explain the agency's position supporting the continuing need to issue 
the regulation in light of those concerns. As part of this effort, 
agencies include in their submissions for the Unified Agenda 
information on whether their regulatory actions may have an effect on 
the various levels of government.


Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

    The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-4, title II) 
requires agencies to prepare written assessments of the costs and 
benefits of significant regulatory actions ``that may result in the 
expenditure by State, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, 
or by the private sector, of $100,000,000 or more . . . in any 1 year . 
. . .'' The requirement does not apply to independent regulatory 
agencies, nor does it apply to certain subject areas excluded by 
section 4 of the Act. Affected agencies identify in the Unified Agenda 
those regulatory actions they believe are subject to title II of the 
Act.


Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act

    The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (P.L. 104-
121, title II) established a procedure for congressional review of 
rules (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), which defers, unless exempted, the 
effective date of a ``major'' rule for at least 60 days from the 
publication of the final rule in the Federal Register. The Act 
specifies that a rule is ``major'' if it has resulted or is likely to 
result in an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or 
meets other criteria specified in that Act. If the issuing agency 
believes that a rule may be major, it indicates this under the 
``Priority'' heading of the entry. The Act provides that the 
Administrator of OIRA will make the final determination as to whether a 
rule is major.


III. How Are The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda 
Organized?

    The Regulatory Plan appears in Part II of this edition of the 
Federal Register. Following the Plan, each agency's agenda appears as a 
separate part. The sections of the Plan and the parts of the Unified 
Agenda are organized alphabetically in four groups: Cabinet 
departments; other executive agencies; the Federal Acquisition 
Regulation, a joint authority (Agenda only); and independent regulatory 
agencies. Departments may in turn be divided into subagencies.

    Each department's or agency's section of the Plan contains a 
narrative statement of regulatory priorities followed by a description 
of the department's or agency's most important significant regulatory 
and deregulatory actions. Each part of the Agenda begins with a 
preamble providing information specific to that part.

    In the Agenda, each agency presents its entries under one of five 
headings according to the rulemaking stage of the entry. In the Plan, 
only the first three stages are applicable. The stages are:

    1. Prerule Stage -- actions agencies will undertake to determine 
whether or how to initiate rulemaking. Such actions occur prior to a 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and may include Advance Notices of 
Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRMs) and reviews of existing regulations.

    2. Proposed Rule Stage -- actions for which agencies plan to 
publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking as the next step in their 
rulemaking process or for which the closing date of the NPRM Comment 
Period is the next step.

    3. Final Rule Stage -- actions for which agencies plan to publish a 
final rule or an interim final rule or to take other final action as 
the next step in their rulemaking process.

    4. Long-Term Actions -- items under development but for which the 
agency does not expect to have a regulatory action within the 12 months 
after publication of this edition of the Unified Agenda. Some of the 
entries in this section may contain abbreviated information.

    5. Completed Actions -- actions or reviews the agency has completed 
or withdrawn since publishing its last agenda. This section also 
includes items the agency began and completed between issues of the 
Agenda.

    In the Agenda, an agency may use subheadings to identify 
regulations that it has grouped according to particular topics. When 
these subheadings are used, they appear above the title of the first 
regulation in each group.

    A bullet () preceding an entry indicates that the entry 
appears in the Unified Agenda for the first time.

    All entries are numbered sequentially from the beginning of the 
Plan to the end of the Unified Agenda. The sequence number preceding 
the title of each entry identifies the location of the entry in this 
edition. The same number is used in the indexes to enable readers to 
find entries on specific subjects.

    For each agency that requests it, the Center provides a table of 
contents that appears in the Agenda after the agency preamble. In 
addition to listing all the agency's Agenda entries, the tables of 
contents identify each Plan entry by a cross-reference in bold type.

    This publication contains five indexes. Index A lists entries for 
which agencies have indicated that they are conducting, or in some 
cases have conducted, a periodic review under section 610(c) of the 
Regulatory Flexibility

[[Page 63888]]

Act. Index B lists the regulatory actions for which agencies believe 
that the Regulatory Flexibility Act may require a Regulatory 
Flexibility Analysis. Index C lists additional regulatory actions for 
which agencies have chosen to indicate that some impact on small 
entities is likely though a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis may not be 
required. Index D lists entries that agencies believe may have effects 
on levels of government. Index E is a subject index based on the 
Federal Register Thesaurus of Indexing Terms.


IV. What Information Appears for Each Entry?

    All entries in the Unified Agenda contain uniform data elements 
including, at a minimum, the following information:

    Title of the Regulation. The notation ``Section 610 Review'' 
following the title indicates that the agency has selected the rule for 
its periodic review of existing rules under the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act (5 U.S.C. 610(c)). Some agencies have indicated completions of 
section 610 reviews or rulemaking actions resulting from completed 
section 610 reviews.

    Priority. Agencies assign each entry to one of the following five 
categories of significance.

  (1) Economically Significant

  As defined in Executive Order 12866, a rulemaking action that will 
    have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or 
    will adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of 
    the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, 
    public health or safety, or State, local, or tribal governments or 
    communities. The definition of an ``economically significant'' rule 
    is similar but not identical to the definition of a ``major'' rule 
    under 5 U.S.C. 801 (P.L. 104-121). (See below.)

  (2) Other Significant

  A rulemaking that is not economically significant but is considered 
    significant by the agency. This category includes rules that the 
    agency anticipates will be reviewed under E.O. 12866 or rules that 
    are a priority of the agency head. These rules may or may not be 
    included in the agency's regulatory plan.

  (3) Substantive, Nonsignificant

  A rulemaking that has substantive impacts but is neither Significant, 
    nor Routine and Frequent, nor Informational/Administrative/Other.

  (4) Routine and Frequent

  A rulemaking that is a specific case of a multiple recurring 
    application of a regulatory program in the Code of Federal 
    Regulations and that does not alter the body of the regulation.

  (5) Informational/Administrative/Other

  A rulemaking that is primarily informational or pertains to agency 
    matters not central to accomplishing the agency's regulatory 
    mandate but that the agency places in the Unified Agenda to inform 
    the public of the activity.

    In addition, if an agency believes that a rule may be ``major'' 
under 5 U.S.C. 801 (P.L. 104-121) because it has resulted or is likely 
to result in an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or 
meets other criteria specified in that Act, the agency indicates this 
under the ``Priority'' heading. (The Act provides that the 
Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs will 
make the final determination as to whether a rule is major.)

    Unfunded Mandates -- whether the rule is covered by section 202 of 
the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-4). The Act requires 
that, before issuing an NPRM likely to result in a mandate that may 
result in expenditures by State, local, and tribal governments, in the 
aggregate, or by the private sector of more than $100 million in 1 
year, agencies, other than independent regulatory agencies, shall 
prepare a written statement containing an assessment of the anticipated 
costs and benefits of the Federal mandate. If the agency believes the 
entry is not subject to the Act, this data element will not be printed.

    Reinvention -- whether the action is part of the Administration's 
Reinventing Government effort and, if so, whether the result will be 
elimination of existing text in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
or revision of text in the CFR to reduce burden or duplication or to 
streamline requirements. If the action is not specifically part of this 
effort, the data element will not be printed.

    Legal Authority -- the section(s) of the United States Code 
(U.S.C.) or Public Law (P.L.) or the Executive order (E.O.) that 
authorize(s) the regulatory action. Agencies may provide popular name 
references to laws in addition to these citations.

    CFR Citation -- the section(s) of the Code of Federal Regulations 
that will be affected by the action.

    Legal Deadline -- whether the rule is subject to a statutory or 
judicial deadline, the date of that deadline, and whether the deadline 
pertains to an NPRM, a Final Action, or some other action.

    Abstract -- a brief description of the problem the regulation will 
address; the need for a Federal solution; to the extent available, the 
alternatives that the agency is considering to address the problem; and 
the potential costs and benefits of the action.

    Timetable -- the dates and citations (if available) for all past 
steps and a projected date for at least the next step for the 
regulatory action. A date printed in the form 12/00/99 means the agency 
is predicting the month and year the action will take place but not the 
day it will occur. In some instances, agencies may indicate what the 
next action will be, but the date of that action is ``To Be 
Determined.'' ``Next Action Undetermined'' indicates the agency does 
not know what action it will take next. Dates after 1999 are printed in 
the same form as other dates, using the last two digits of the year.

    Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required -- whether an analysis is 
required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) 
because the rule is likely to have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities as defined by the Act.

    Small Entities Affected -- the types of small entities (businesses, 
governmental jurisdictions, or organizations) on which the rule is 
likely to have an impact as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility Act. 
Some agencies have chosen to indicate likely effects on small entities 
even though they believe that a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis will 
not be required.

    Government Levels Affected -- whether the rule is expected to 
affect levels of government and, if so, whether the governments are 
State, local, tribal, or Federal.

    Agency Contact -- the name, title, address, and phone number of a 
person in the agency who is knowledgeable

[[Page 63889]]

about the regulation. If available, the agency may also provide the fax 
number, e-mail address, and TDD for the agency contact.

    Procurement -- whether the action is related to procurement and, if 
so, whether it is required by statute and whether it involves a 
paperwork burden. The Procurement heading appears only if the entry is 
related to procurement.

    Some agencies have provided the following optional information:

    Compliance Cost to the Public -- the estimated gross compliance 
cost of the action.

    Affected Sectors -- the industrial sectors that the action may most 
affect, either directly or indirectly. Affected Sectors are identified 
by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes.

    Entries appearing in The Regulatory Plan should also contain the 
following information:

    Statement of Need -- a description of the need for the regulatory 
action.

    Summary of the Legal Basis -- a description of the legal basis for 
the action, including whether any aspect of the action is required by 
statute or court order.

    Alternatives -- a description of the alternatives the agency has 
considered or will consider as required by section 4(c)(1)(B) of E.O. 
12866.

    Anticipated Costs and Benefits -- a description of preliminary 
estimates of the anticipated costs and benefits of the action.

    Risks -- a description of the magnitude of the risk the action 
addresses, the amount by which the agency expects the action to reduce 
this risk, and the relation of the risk and this risk reduction effort 
to other risks and risk reduction efforts within the agency's 
jurisdiction.


V. Abbreviations

    The following abbreviations appear throughout this publication:

    ANPRM -- An Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is a preliminary 
notice, published in the Federal Register, announcing that an agency is 
considering a regulatory action. The agency issues an ANPRM before it 
develops a detailed proposed rule. The ANPRM describes the general area 
that may be subject to regulation and usually asks for public comment 
on the issues and options being discussed. An ANPRM is issued only when 
an agency believes it needs to gather more information before 
proceeding to a notice of proposed rulemaking.

    CFR -- The Code of Federal Regulations is an annual codification of 
the general and permanent regulations published in the Federal Register 
by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The Code is 
divided into 50 titles, and each title covers a broad area subject to 
Federal regulation. The CFR is keyed to and kept up to date by the 
daily issues of the Federal Register.

    EO -- An Executive order is a directive from the President to 
executive agencies, issued under constitutional or statutory authority. 
Executive orders are published in the Federal Register and in title 3 
of the Code of Federal Regulations.

    FR -- The Federal Register is a daily Federal Government 
publication that provides a uniform system for publishing Presidential 
documents, all proposed and final regulations, notices of meetings, and 
other official documents issued by Federal departments and agencies.

    FY -- The Federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30.

    NPRM -- A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is the document an agency 
issues and publishes in the Federal Register that describes and 
solicits public comments on a proposed regulatory action. Under the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), an NPRM must include, at a 
minimum:

 a statement of the time, place, and nature of the public 
    rulemaking proceeding;
 a reference to the legal authority under which the rule is 
    proposed; and
 either the terms or substance of the proposed rule or a 
    description of the subjects and issues involved.

    PL -- A Public Law is a law passed by Congress and signed by the 
President or enacted over his veto. It has general applicability, 
unlike a private law that applies only to those persons or entities 
specifically designated. Public laws are numbered in sequence 
throughout the 2-year life of each Congress; for example, PL 105-4 is 
the fourth public law of the 105th Congress.

    RFA -- A Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is a description and 
analysis of the impact of a rule on small entities, including small 
businesses, small governmental jurisdictions, and certain small not-
for-profit organizations. The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 
et seq.) requires each agency to prepare an initial RFA for public 
comment when it is required to publish an NPRM and to make available a 
final RFA when the final rule is published, unless the agency head 
certifies that the rule would not have a significant economic impact on 
a substantial number of small entities.

    RIN -- The Regulation Identifier Number is assigned by the 
Regulatory Information Service Center to identify each regulatory 
action listed in the Unified Agenda and The Regulatory Plan, as 
directed by E.O. 12866 (section 4(b)). Additionally, OMB has asked 
agencies to include RINs in the headings of their Rule and Proposed 
Rule documents when publishing them in the Federal Register, to make it 
easier for the public and agency officials to track the publication 
history of regulatory actions throughout their development.

    Seq. No. -- The Sequence Number identifies the location of an entry 
in this publication. Note that a specific regulatory action will have 
the same RIN throughout its development but will generally have 
different sequence numbers in different editions of the Unified Agenda 
and The Regulatory Plan.

    USC -- The United States Code is a consolidation and codification 
of all general and permanent laws of the United States. The USC is 
divided into 50 titles, and each title covers a broad area of Federal 
law.


VI. How Can Users Get Copies of the Plan and the Agenda?

    Printed copies of this edition of the Federal Register are 
available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government 
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325, (202) 512-1800.

    Copies of individual agency materials may be available directly 
from the agency. Please contact the particular agency for further 
information.

    All editions of The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of 
Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions since October 1995 are also 
available in electronic form. You can search the Plan and the Agenda on 
the World Wide Web at:

[[Page 63890]]

http://reginfo.gov

    or through the U.S. Business Advisor at:

http://www.business.gov

    You may also search the Plan and the Agenda on the Government 
Printing Office's GPO Access, which is accessible through:

http://www.access.gpo.gov

Dated:  November 9, 1999.

Ronald C. Kelly,
Executive Director.

[FR Doc. 99-29935 Filed 11-19-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-27-F