Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 30 / Friday, February 13, 2004 / Notices 7265

20001. On March 2 the work groups will 

meet in the Madison Room II and the 

Monticello Room. On March 3 and 4, 

the committee will meet in the 

Springwood I Room. 

Mail comments, views, or statements 

in response to this notice to Jim 

Maddux, Acting Director, Office of 

Maritime Standards, OSHA, U.S. 

Department of Labor, Room N–3609, 

200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC 20210. Phone: (202) 

693–2086; fax: (202) 693–1663.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

general information about MACOSH 

and this meeting: Jim Maddux, Acting 

Director, Office of Maritime, OSHA, 

U.S. Department of Labor, room N–

3609, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC 20210; phone: (202) 

693–2086. For information about the 

submission of comments, and requests 

to speak: Vanessa L. Welch, Office of 

Maritime, OSHA, U.S. Department of 

Labor, Room N–3609, 200 Constitution 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; 

phone: (202) 693–2086. Individuals 

with disabilities wishing to attend the 

meeting should contact Vanessa L. 

Welch at (202) 693–2086 no later than 

February 23, 2004, to obtain appropriate 

accommodations.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: All 

MACOSH meetings are open to the 

public. All interested persons are 

invited to attend MACOSH at the times 

and places listed above. This meeting 

will include presentations and 

discussion of OSHA’s standard and 

guidance activities, maritime 

enforcement, alliances and partnerships, 

outreach activities, and MACOSH work 

group reports. MACOSH has formed five 

work groups to deal with health issues, 

container safety, traffic safety, outreach, 

and safety culture. 

Public Participation 

Written data, views or comments for 

consideration by MACOSH on the 

various agenda items listed above may 

be submitted to Vanessa Welch at the 

address listed above. Submissions 

received by February 23, 2004, will be 

provided to committee members and 

will be included in the record of the 

meeting. Requests to make oral 

presentations to the Committee may be 

granted as time permits. Anyone 

wishing to make an oral presentation to 

the Committee on any of the agenda 

items listed above should notify 

Vanessa Welch by February 23, 2004. 

The request should state the amount of 

time desired, the capacity in which the 

person will appear, and a brief outline 

of the content of the presentation.

Authority: John L. Henshaw, Assistant 

Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety 

and Health, directed the preparation of this 

notice under the authority granted by 6(b)(1) 

and 7(b) of the Occupational Safety and 

Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 655, 656), the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 

App. 2), and 29 CFR part 1912.

Signed in Washington, DC, this 9th day of 

February, 2004. 

John L. Henshaw, 

Assistant Secretary of Labor.

[FR Doc. 04–3213 Filed 2–12–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–26–M

PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY 

CORPORATION 

Required Interest Rate Assumption For 

Determining Variable-Rate Premium; 

Interest Assumptions for 

Multiemployer Plan Valuations 

Following Mass Withdrawal

AGENCY: Pension Benefit Guaranty 

Corporation.

ACTION: Notice of interest rates and 

assumptions. 

SUMMARY: This notice informs the public 

of the interest rates and assumptions to 

be used under certain Pension Benefit 

Guaranty Corporation regulations. These 

rates and assumptions are published 

elsewhere (or can be derived from rates 

published elsewhere), but are collected 

and published in this notice for the 

convenience of the public. Interest rates 

are also published on the PBGC’s Web 

site (http://www.pbgc.gov). 

The PBGC notes that the provisions of 

the Job Creation and Worker Assistance 

Act of 2002 that temporarily increased 

the required interest rate to be used to 

determine the PBGC’s variable-rate 

premium to 100% (from 85%) of the 

annual yield on 30-year Treasury 

securities expired at the end of 2003. 

Thus, the required interest rate 

announced in this notice for plan years 

beginning in February 2004 has been 

determined under prior law. Legislation 

has been proposed that would further 

change the rules for determining the 

required interest rate. If such legislation 

is adopted, and the change affects the 

required interest rate for plan years 

beginning in February 2004, the PBGC 

will promptly publish a Federal 

Register notice with the new required 

interest rate and post the change on the 

PBGC’s Web site.

DATES: The required interest rate for 

determining the variable-rate premium 

under part 4006 applies to premium 

payment years beginning in February 

2004. The interest assumptions for 

performing multiemployer plan 

valuations following mass withdrawal 

under part 4281 apply to valuation dates 

occurring in March 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Harold J. Ashner, Assistant General 

Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, 

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 

1200 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20005, 202–326–4024. (TTY/TDD users 

may call the Federal relay service tollfree at 1–800–877–8339 and ask to be 

connected to 202–326–4024.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Variable-Rate Premiums 

Section 4006(a)(3)(E)(iii)(II) of the 

Employee Retirement Income Security 

Act of 1974 (ERISA) and § 4006.4(b)(1) 

of the PBGC’s regulation on Premium 

Rates (29 CFR part 4006) prescribe use 

of an assumed interest rate (the 

‘‘required interest rate’’) in determining 

a single-employer plan’s variable-rate 

premium. The required interest rate is 

the ‘‘applicable percentage’’ (currently 

85 percent) of the annual yield on 30-

year Treasury securities for the month 

preceding the beginning of the plan year 

for which premiums are being paid (the 

‘‘premium payment year’’). (Although 

the Treasury Department has ceased 

issuing 30-year securities, the Internal 

Revenue Service announces a surrogate 

yield figure each month—based on the 

30-year Treasury bond maturing in 

February 2031—which the PBGC uses to 

determine the required interest rate.) 

The required interest rate to be used in 

determining variable-rate premiums for 

premium payment years beginning in 

February 2004 is 4.23 percent (i.e., 85 

percent of the 4.98 percent yield figure 

for January 2004). 

The PBGC notes that the provisions of 

the Job Creation and Worker Assistance 

Act of 2002 that temporarily increased 

the required interest rate to be used to 

determine the PBGC’s variable-rate 

premium to 100% (from 85%) of the 

annual yield on 30-year Treasury 

securities expired at the end of 2003. 

Thus, the required interest rate 

announced in this notice for plan years 

beginning in February 2004 has been 

determined under prior law. Legislation 

has been proposed that would further 

change the rules for determining the 

required interest rate. If such legislation 

is adopted, and the change affects the 

required interest rate for plan years 

beginning in February 2004, the PBGC 

will promptly publish a Federal 

Register notice with the new required 

interest rate and post the change on the 

PBGC’s Web site. 

The following table lists the required 

interest rates to be used in determining 

variable-rate premiums for premium

7266 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 30 / Friday, February 13, 2004 / Notices 

payment years beginning between 

March 2003 and February 2004.

For premium payment years 

beginning in: 

The required 

interest rate is: 

March 2003 ........................... 4.81 

April 2003 ............................. 4.80 

May 2003 .............................. 4.90 

June 2003 ............................. 4.53 

July 2003 .............................. 4.37 

August 2003 ......................... 4.93 

September 2003 ................... 5.31 

October 2003 ........................ 5.14 

November 2003 .................... 5.16 

December 2003 .................... 5.12 

January 2004 ........................ 4.31 

February 2004 ...................... 4.23 

Multiemployer Plan Valuations 

Following Mass Withdrawal 

The PBGC’s regulation on Duties of 

Plan Sponsor Following Mass 

Withdrawal (29 CFR part 4281) 

prescribes the use of interest 

assumptions under the PBGC’s 

regulation on Allocation of Assets in 

Single-Employer Plans (29 CFR part 

4044). The interest assumptions 

applicable to valuation dates in March 

2004 under part 4044 are contained in 

an amendment to part 4044 published 

elsewhere in today’s Federal Register. 

Tables showing the assumptions 

applicable to prior periods are codified 

in appendix B to 29 CFR part 4044.

Issued in Washington, DC, on this 10th day 

of February 2004. 

Joseph H. Grant, 

Deputy Executive Director and Chief 

Operating Officer, Pension Benefit Guaranty 

Corporation.

[FR Doc. 04–3245 Filed 2–12–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7708–01–P

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL 

MANAGEMENT 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request for Reclearance of 

a Revised Information Collection: 

Federal Employees Health Benefits 

(FEHB) Open Season Express 

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) 

System

AGENCY: Office of Personnel 

Management.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 

L. 104–13, May 22, 1995), this notice 

announces that the Office of Personnel 

Management (OPM) has submitted to 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) a request for reclearance of a 

revised information collection. The 

Federal Employees Health Benefits 

(FEHB) Open Season Express Interactive 

Voice Response (IVR) System and the 

open season Web site, Open Season 

Online, is used by retirees and 

survivors; it collects information for 

changing FEHB enrollments, collecting 

dependent and other insurance 

information for self and family 

enrollments, requesting plan brochures, 

requesting a change of address, 

requesting cancellation or suspension of 

FEHB benefits, asking to make payment 

to the Office of Personnel Management 

when the FEHB payment is greater than 

the monthly annuity amount, or 

requesting FEHB plan accreditation and 

Customer Satisfaction Survey 

information. 

We estimate we will receive 215,000 

responses per year to the IVR system 

and the online Web site. Each response 

takes approximately 10 minutes to 

complete. The annual burden is 35,833 

hours. 

For copies of this proposal, contact 

Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606–

8358, FAX (202) 418–3251 or e-mail to 

mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please include 

your mailing address with your request.

DATES: Comments on this proposal 

should be received within 30 calendar 

days from the date of this publication.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments 

to—

William C. Jackson, Chief, Retirement 

Eligibility and Services 

Group,Retirement Services Program, 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 

1900 E Street, NW., Room 2336, 

Washington, DC 20415–3560. 

and 

Joseph F. Lackey, OPM Desk Officer, 

Office of Information & Regulatory 

Affairs, Office of Management and 

Budget, New Executive Office 

Building, NW., Room 10235, 

Washington, DC 20503.

For Information Regarding 

Administrative Coordination Contact:

Cyrus S. Benson, Team Leader, 

Publications Team, Administrative 

Services Branch, (202) 606–0623.

Office of Personnel Management. 

Kay Coles James, 

Director.

[FR Doc. 04–3251 Filed 2–12–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6325–50–P

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL 

MANAGEMENT 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request for a Revised 

Information Collection: SF 15, 

Application for 10-Point Veteran 

Preference

AGENCY: Office of Personnel 

Management.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. 

L. 104–13, May 22, 1995), this notice 

announces that the Office of Personnel 

Management (OPM) submitted to the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) a request for a revised 

information collection. The Application 

for 10-Point Veteran Preference 

(Standard Form 15) is used by agencies, 

OPM examining offices, and agency 

appointing officials to adjudicate 

individuals’ claims for veterans’

preference in accordance with the 

Veterans’ Preference Act of 1944. OPM 

will update the form to eliminate 

references to the defunct Federal 

Personnel Manual and Standard Form 

171 (Application for Federal 

Employment), as well as to reflect 

revisions to forms issued by the 

Department of Veterans Affairs that 

document service-connected 

disabilities. 

Approximately 4,500 forms are 

completed annually. Each form takes 

approximately 10 minutes to complete. 

The annual estimated burden is 750 

hours. 

One agency commented that the 

proposed requirement that official 

statements from the Veterans’

Administration (VA) used to document 

service-connected disabilities be dated 

within the last 10 years rather than 

dated 1991 or later, as OPM proposes. 

We have not adopted this suggested 

change because VA has informed OPM 

that any VA letter issued after 1991 

documenting a service-connected 

disability is proof of a permanent 

disability unless the letter specifically 

states that the disability is temporary. 

The 10 year requirement suggested by 

the agency is not consistent with current 

VA policy regarding its documentation 

and may disqualify veterans who 

received VA letters more than 10 years 

before the effective date of the SF 15 

changes but after 1991. 

For copies of this proposal, contact 

Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606–

8358, FAX (202) 418–3251 or e-mail to 

mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please be sure to 

include a mailing address with your 

request.