44246 Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 156 / Friday, August 13, 1999 / Notices

The licensee’s request for exemption

under the special circumstances of 10

CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) was found to be

appropriate. Application of the

regulation is not necessary to achieve

the underlying purpose of the rule for

the reasons stated in the staff Safety

Evaluation, dated August 9, 1999.

Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the

Commission has determined that

granting of this exemption will have no

significant effect on the quality of the

human environment (64 FR 43228).

This exemption is effective upon issuance.

Dated at Rockville, MD, this 9th day of

August 1999.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Suzanne C. Black,

Deputy Director, Division of Licensing Project

Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation.

[FR Doc. 99–21054 Filed 8–12–99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–P

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND

BUDGET

OMB Circular A–127, ‘‘Financial

Management Systems’’

AGENCY: Office of Management and

Budget, Executive Office of the

President.

ACTION: Final revision.

SUMMARY: The Office of Management

and Budget (OMB) is adopting the

interim final revision to OMB Circular

A–127, ‘‘Financial Management

Systems,’’ that changes the process for

acquiring software to meet core

financial system requirements by

eliminating the restriction to only

acquire the software and related services

from the FMSS Schedule, and to

provide for software testing that is

independent of the procurement

process. These changes will result in the

revision of Sections 8d and 9b, as well

as adding a new Section 9a(3) and 9c.

These changes are shown below.

DATES: Effective September 13, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean

Holcombe, Federal Financial Systems

Branch, Office of Federal Financial

Management, Office of Management and

Budget, (202) 395–3993. The revisions

to the Circular are available on the OMB

Home Page at http://

www.whitehouse.gov/OMB.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 1,

1999 (64 FR 35701), the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) issued

an interim final revision to OMB

Circular A–127, ‘‘Financial Management

Systems.’’ The interim final revision

made changes to Sections 8d and 9b, as

well as adding a new Section 9a(3) and

9c to Circular A–127, in order to

eliminate the restriction to only acquire

the software and related services from

the FMSS Schedule, and to provide for

software testing that is independent of

the procurement process. No comments

were received in response to the interim

final revision. Accordingly, OMB is

adopting in final form, without change,

the interim final revision to Circular A–

127 which was published at 64 FR

35701 on July 1, 1999.

Issued in Washington, DC, August 9, 1999.

Norwood J. Jackson, Jr.,

Acting Controller.

OMB Revises Circular A–127 as

Follows

1. Section 8d of the current Circular

should be deleted in its entirety and

replaced with the following:

8d(1). Use of ‘‘Off-the-Shelf’’

Software. Agencies replacing software to

meet core financial system requirements

are required to use the GSA FMSS

Multiple Award Schedule until its

expiration on September 30, 1999. As of

October 1, 1999 agencies replacing

software to meet core financial system

requirements are no longer required to

use the GSA FMSS Multiple Award

Schedule; they must use ‘‘off-the-shelf’’

software that has been tested and

certified through the JFMIP software

certification process as meeting JFMIP

Core Financial Management System

Requirements. Agencies may purchase

this software using the strategy and

procurement vehicle they believe will

best enable them to meet their needs in

a timely and effective manner following

the competition requirements associated

with the procurement vehicle being

used to conduct the acquisition.

In addition, agencies will notify

JFMIP that a core financial management

software procurement is planned—

preferably prior to, or in the early

phases of, acquisition planning. JFMIP

will electronically post a public message

to permit interested certified system

vendors to market agencies. The sole

purpose of this message is to facilitate

agency market research. This message is

not intended to, and shall not, serve as

an invitation for offerors to submit bids,

proposals, or quotes.

OMB policy pertaining to using ‘‘offthe-shelf’’ software is contained in OMB

Circular A–130 and must be followed

when replacing financial management

systems.

8d(2). Software Certification Testing.

‘‘Off-the-shelf’’ software will be tested to

ensure that it meets core financial

system requirements as defined in the

Core Financial System Requirements

document published by JFMIP. JFMIP

will coordinate the testing process and

issue software certifications.

Information on the details of the

certification testing process and its

results will be available to any

interested Federal agency for any

certified software package.

2. A new section 9a(3) is being added

to the current Circular as follows:

9a.(3). Notify JFMIP on Plans to

Acquire Core Financial System

Software. Agencies shall notify JFMIP

on plans to acquire software supporting

core financial system functions.

3. Section 9b of the current Circular

is revised to read as follows:

9b. GSA Responsibilities. GSA is

responsible for continuing to support

existing contracts under the FMSS

Schedule until their completion. GSA

also will make procurement vehicles

available to agencies for acquiring

software which has been certified

according to the processes in Section

8d(2).

4. A new Section 9c is being added

and will read as follows:

9c. JFMIP Responsibilities. JFMIP will

establish processes for testing ‘‘off-theshelf’’ software supporting core

financial system requirements which

include:

—Developing and administering the

certification test.

—Notifying GSA when a software

package successfully completes the

certification test.

—Providing interested parties with

information on the core financial system

requirements and their related testing

scenarios.

—Providing interested parties with

details on the results of the certification

tests for certified software packages.

—Posting a public notice on planned

core financial system procurements.

[FR Doc. 99–20930 Filed 8–12–99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3110–01–P

PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY

CORPORATION

Interest 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
Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 156 / Friday, August 13, 1999 / Notices 44247

elsewhere (or are derivable 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).

DATES: The interest rate for determining

the variable-rate premium under part

4006 applies to premium payment years

beginning in August, 1999. The interest

assumptions for performing

multiemployer plan valuations

following mass withdrawal under part

4281 apply to valuation dates occurring

in September, 1999.

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. (For TTY/TDD

users, 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 in

determining a single-employer plan’s

variable-rate premium. The 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’’). The yield

figure is reported in Federal Reserve

Statistical Releases G.13 and H.15.

The assumed interest rate to be used

in determining variable-rate premiums

for premium payment years beginning

in August 1999 is 5.08 percent (i.e., 85

percent of the 5.98 percent yield figure

for July 1999).

The following table lists the assumed

interest rates to be used in determining

variable-rate premiums for premium

payment years beginning between

September 1998 and August 1999.

For premium payment

years beginning in

The assumed interest rate is

September 1998 ............. 4.71

October 1998 .................. 4.42

November 1998 .............. 4.26

December 1998 .............. 4.46

January 1999 .................. 4.30

February 1999 ................ 4.39

March 1999 ..................... 4.56

April 1999 ....................... 4.74

May 1999 ........................ 4.72

June 1999 ....................... 4.94

July 1999 ........................ 5.13

For premium payment

years beginning in

The assumed interest rate is

August 1999 ................... 5.08

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

September 1999 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 6th day

of August, 1999.

David M. Strauss,

Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty

Corporation.

[FR Doc. 99–20926 Filed 8–12–99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7708–01–P

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL

MANAGEMENT

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request for Review of a Revised

Information Collection: SF 2823

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) intends to submit to

the Office of Management and Budget a

request for review of a revised

information collection. SF 2823,

Designation of Beneficiary for Federal

Employees’ Group Life Insurance, is

used by any Federal employee or retiree

covered by the Federal Employees’

Group Life Insurance Program to

instruct the Office of Federal

Employees’ Group Life Insurance how

to distribute the proceeds of his or her

life insurance when the statutory order

of precedence does not meet his or her

needs.

Comments are particularly invited on:

—Whether this information is necessary

for the proper performance of

functions of the Office of Personnel

Management, and whether it will

have practical utility;

—Whether our estimate of the public

burden of this collection of

information is accurate, and based on

valid assumptions and methodology;

—And ways in which we can minimize

the burden of the collection of

information on those who are to

respond, through the use of

appropriate technological collection

techniques or other forms of

information technology.

We estimate 1,000 SF 2823 forms are

completed annually by annuitants. Each

form takes approximately 15 minutes to

complete for an annual estimated

burden of 250 hours.

For copies of this proposal, contact

Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606–

8358, or E-mail to mbtoomey@opm.gov

DATES: Comments on this proposal

should be received on or before October

12, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments

to—Laura Lawrence, Senior Insurance

Benefits Specialist, Insurance Planning

& Evaluation Division, Retirement and

Insurance Service, U.S. Office of

Personnel Management, 1900 E Street,

NW, Room 3415, Washington, DC

20415.

FOR INFORMATION REGARDING

ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATION—CONTACT:

Cyrus S. Benson, Senior Management

Analyst, Budget & Administrative

Services Division, (202) 606–0623.

Office of Personnel Management.

Janice R. Lachance,

Director.

[FR Doc. 99–20969 Filed 8–12–99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6325–01–P

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL

MANAGEMENT

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request for Review of a

Revised Information Collection: RI 25–

15

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 a

request for review of a revised

information collection. RI 25–15, Notice

of Change in Student’s Status, collects

information from adult children of

deceased Federal employees or

annuitants to assure that the child

continues to be eligible for payments

from OPM.