[Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions]
[Office of Management and Budget Semiannual Regulatory Agenda]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]


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Part XXXVII





Office of Management and Budget





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Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

[[Page 31180]]



OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET (OMB)






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OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

5 CFR Ch. III and 48 CFR Ch. 01

Federal Regulations; OMB Circulars, OFPP Policy Letters, and CASB Cost 
Accounting Standards Included in the Semiannual Agenda of Federal 
Activities

AGENCY: Office of Management and Budget.

ACTION: Semiannual regulatory agenda.

_______________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is publishing its 
semiannual agenda of upcoming activities for OMB Circulars, Office of 
Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Policy Letters, and Cost Accounting 
Standards Board (CASB) Cost Accounting Standards.

     OMB Circulars and OFPP Policy Letters are published in 
accordance with OMB's internal procedures for implementing 
Executive Order 12866 (October 4, 1993, 58 FR 51735). OMB Policy 
guidelines are issued under authority derived from several sources 
including: subtitles I, II, and V of title 31, United States Code; 
Executive Order 11541; and other specific authority as cited. OMB 
Circulars and OFPP Policy Letters communicate guidance and 
instructions of a continuing nature to executive branch agencies. 
As such, most OMB Circulars and OFPP Policy Letters are not 
regulations. Nonetheless, because these issuances are typically of 
public interest, they are generally published in the Federal 
Register in both proposed (for public comment) and final stages. 
For this reason, they are presented below in the standard format of 
``prerule,'' ``proposed rule,'' and ``final rule'' stages.

     CASB Cost Accounting Standards are issued under authority 
derived from 41 U.S.C. 422. Cost Accounting Standards are rules 
governing the measurement, assignment, and allocation of costs to 
contracts with the United States Government.

     For purposes of this agenda, we have excluded directives that 
outline procedures to be followed in connection with the 
President's budget and legislative programs and directives that 
affect only the internal functions, management, or personnel of 
Federal agencies.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: See agency person listed for each 
entry in the agenda, c/o Office of Management and Budget, Washington, 
DC 20503. On the overall agenda, contact Stephen A. Weigler, (202) 395-
4855, at the above address.

 Stephen A. Weigler,

Deputy Assistant Director for Administration.

                                 Office of Management and Budget--Prerule Stage
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                                                                                                    Regulation
 Sequence                                          Title                                          Identification
  Number                                                                                              Number
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3534        Accounting for the Cost of Employee Stock Ownership Plans...........................     0348-AB57
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                              Office of Management and Budget--Proposed Rule Stage
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                                                                                                    Regulation
 Sequence                                          Title                                          Identification
  Number                                                                                              Number
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3535        Revision of OMB Circular A-127 To Implement the Federal Financial Management             0348-AB46
            Improvement Act and To Reflect Updated Financial Management Policies; Creation of a
            Single Financial Management Circular................................................
3536        Policies on Management of Federal Information Resources (OMB Circular A-130)........     0348-AB55
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                               Office of Management and Budget--Long-Term Actions
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                                                                                                    Regulation
 Sequence                                          Title                                          Identification
  Number                                                                                              Number
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3537        Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Volunteer Consensus Standards        0348-AB53
            and in Conformity Assessment Activities (OMB Circular A-119)........................
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                               Office of Management and Budget--Completed Actions
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                                                                                                    Regulation
 Sequence                                          Title                                          Identification
  Number                                                                                              Number
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3538        Accounting for the Cost of Post-Retirement Benefit Plans (Health Care)..............     0348-AB54
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[[Page 31181]]

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Office of Management and Budget (OMB)                     Prerule Stage






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3534. [bull] ACCOUNTING FOR THE COST OF EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANS

Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant

Legal Authority: 41 USC 422

CFR Citation: 48 CFR 99

Legal Deadline: None

Abstract: The Cost Accounting Standards Board is proposing to amend its 
standards to provide criteria for measuring and assigning the costs of 
employee stock ownership plans sponsored by Government contractors.

Timetable:
________________________________________________________________________

Action                            Date                      FR Cite

________________________________________________________________________

ANPRM                           05/00/03
ANPRM Comment Period End        07/00/03

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No

Government Levels Affected: None

Agency Contact: Richard C. Loeb, Executive Secretary, Cost Accounting 
Standards Board, Office of Management and Budget, Room 9013, NEOB, 725 
17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503
Phone: 202 395-4550
Fax: 202 395-5105

RIN: 0348-AB57
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Office of Management and Budget (OMB)               Proposed Rule Stage






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3535. REVISION OF OMB CIRCULAR A-127 TO IMPLEMENT THE FEDERAL FINANCIAL 
MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT ACT AND TO REFLECT UPDATED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 
POLICIES; CREATION OF A SINGLE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT CIRCULAR

Priority: Info./Admin./Other

Legal Authority: PL 101-576, Chief Financial Officer's Act of 1990

CFR Citation: 31 CFR 503

Legal Deadline: None

Abstract: Last year, OMB planned to rescind OMB Circular A-127 to 
implement the Federal Financial Management Improvement Act (FFMIA) and 
to reflect updated financial management polices. After more analysis, 
OMB decided to rescind A-127 and the following financial management 
circulars and replace them with one circular: 1) OMB Circular A-50, 
Audit Follow-up; 2) OMB Circular A-123, Management Accountability and 
Control; 3) OMB Circular A-127, Financial Management Systems; 4) OMB 
Circular A-127, Financial Management Systems Revised Transmittal 
Memorandum No. 2; and 5) OMB Circular A-134, Financial Accounting 
Principles and Standards.
For more than a decade, there has been a myriad of legislation enacted 
to hold Federal agencies accountable for their performance and to 
manage for results. The volume of guidance issued by OMB to help 
agencies meet these new statutory and administrative requirements is 
complex and confusing, and has resulted in agency performance and 
financial management and reporting more focused on compliance than 
performance and results. The purpose of rescinding existing Circulars 
and replacing them with one document is to consolidate, establish, and 
update Governmentwide policies and procedures related to executive 
branch Federal agencies' financial and performance management and 
reporting.

Timetable:
________________________________________________________________________

Action                            Date                      FR Cite

________________________________________________________________________

Notice for Comment              05/00/03
Final Action                    08/00/03

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No

Government Levels Affected: Federal

URL For More Information:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/financial

Agency Contact: Areletha Venson, Administrative Support Specialist, 
Office of Management and Budget
Phone: 202 395-3993
Fax: 202 395-3952
Email: [email protected]

RIN: 0348-AB46
_______________________________________________________________________




3536. POLICIES ON MANAGEMENT OF FEDERAL INFORMATION RESOURCES (OMB 
CIRCULAR A-130)

Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant

Legal Authority: PL 104-106

CFR Citation: Not Yet Determined

Legal Deadline: None

Abstract: OMB Circular A-130 establishes policy for the management of 
Federal information resources, and includes procedural and analytic 
guidelines for implementing aspects of these policies as appendices. 
OMB is reviewing appendix III of the Circular for consistency with the 
Federal Information Security Management Act.

Timetable:
________________________________________________________________________

Action                            Date                      FR Cite

________________________________________________________________________

Proposed Revision               05/00/03
Final Revision                  09/00/03

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No

Government Levels Affected: None

Agency Contact: Kamela White, Policy Analyst, Office of Management and 
Budget, Room 10236, NEOB, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503
Phone: 202 395-3785
Fax: 202 395-5167
Email: [email protected]

RIN: 0348-AB55

[[Page 31182]]

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Office of Management and Budget (OMB)                 Long-Term Actions






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3537. FEDERAL PARTICIPATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF VOLUNTEER 
CONSENSUS STANDARDS AND IN CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES (OMB 
CIRCULAR A-119)

Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant

Legal Authority: 31 USC 1111; PL 104-113

CFR Citation: Not Yet Determined

Legal Deadline: None

Abstract: OMB Circular A-119, ``Federal Participation in the 
Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards,'' contains 
reporting requirements regarding agency use of Government-unique 
standards and voluntary consensus standards along with agency 
participation in voluntary consensus standards bodies. The Circular 
instructs agencies to use voluntary consensus standards in lieu of 
Government-unique standards in their procurement and regulatory 
activities, except where inconsistent with law or otherwise 
impractical. Language in A-119 calls on OMB to review the Circular for 
effectiveness three years from the date of issuance (February 1998).

Timetable:
________________________________________________________________________

Action                            Date                      FR Cite

________________________________________________________________________

Proposed Revision               12/00/04
Final Revision                  04/00/05

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No

Government Levels Affected: None

Agency Contact: Jacqueline Zeiher, Policy Analyst, Office of Management 
and Budget, Room 10236, NEOB, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503
Phone: 202 395-4638
Fax: 202 395-4638
Email: [email protected]

RIN: 0348-AB53
_______________________________________________________________________


Office of Management and Budget (OMB)                 Completed Actions






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3538. ACCOUNTING FOR THE COST OF POST-RETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS (HEALTH 
CARE)

Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant

Legal Authority: 41 USC 422

CFR Citation: 48 CFR 99

Legal Deadline: None

Abstract: The Cost Accounting Standards Board is proposing a new 
standard that provides criteria for measuring the costs of post-
retirement benefit plans, assigning the measured costs to cost 
accounting periods, and allocating the assigned costs to segments of an 
organization.

Timetable:
________________________________________________________________________

Action                            Date                      FR Cite

________________________________________________________________________

ANPRM                           10/05/00                    65 FR 59504
ANPRM Comment Period End        12/19/00
Withdrawn                       03/13/03

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No

Government Levels Affected: None

Agency Contact: Richard C. Loeb, Executive Secretary, Cost Accounting 
Standards Board, Office of Management and Budget, Room 9013, NEOB, 725 
17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503
Phone: 202 395-4550
Fax: 202 395-5105

RIN: 0348-AB54
[FR Doc. 03-7424 Filed 05-23-03; 8:45 am]
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