Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 178 / Monday, September 15, 2003 / Notices 54029

Section 5. Interagency Work Group on 

Peer Review Policies 

The Administrator will periodically 

convene a meeting of an interagency 

group of peer review specialists and 

program managers, including the OSTP 

Associate Director for Science. The 

group may make recommendations 

regarding best peer review practices and 

may recommend other steps to expedite 

and improve agency processes. 

Section 6. Reports on Agency Peer 

Reviews

Each agency shall provide to OIRA at 

least once each year: 

• A summary description of any 

existing, ongoing, or contemplated 

scientific or technical studies that might 

(in whole or in part) constitute or 

support significant regulatory 

information the agency intends to 

disseminate within the next year; and 

• The agency s plan for conducting a 

peer review of such studies under the 

requirements of this Bulletin, including 

the identification of an agency contact 

to whom inquiries may be directed to 

learn the specifics of the plan. 

In order to minimize the paperwork 

involved, agencies should include this 

information in one of the periodic 

reports they submit to OMB under 

Executive Order 12866 or the 

Information Quality Act. 

Section 7. Correction Requests Under 

the Information Quality Act 

The Information Quality Act requires 

OMB to issue guidance concerning 

administrative mechanisms by which 

members of the public may seek to 

obtain correction of information 

maintained and disseminated by an 

agency. See Pub. L. 106–554, section 

515(b)(2)(B). OMB must also monitor 

the agencies’ handling of such 

correction requests. See id.(C). 

In order to improve OMB’s ability to 

assess the quality of information 

disseminated to the public and the 

adequacy of agencies’ request-handling 

processes, an agency shall, within seven 

days of receipt, provide OIRA with a 

copy of each non-frivolous information 

quality correction request. If an agency 

posts such a request on its Internet 

website within seven days of receipt, it 

need not provide a copy to OIRA. 

Upon request by OIRA, each agency 

shall provide a copy of its draft response 

to any such information quality 

correction request or appeal at least 

seven days prior to its intended 

issuance, and consult with OIRA to 

ensure the response is consistent with 

the Information Quality Act, OMB’s 

government-wide Information Quality 

Guidelines, and the agency’s own 

information quality guidelines. The 

agency shall not issue its response until 

OIRA has concluded consultation with 

the agency. OIRA may consult with 

OSTP as appropriate if a request alleges 

deficiencies in the peer review process. 

Section 8. Interagency Comment 

Interagency comment can assist in 

identifying questions or weaknesses in 

scientific and technical analyses. As 

part of its consideration of peer reviews, 

information quality correction requests, 

or major regulatory actions, OIRA may 

exercise its authority to request 

comment from other agencies. OIRA 

may make such comment public, or 

direct that it be included in the 

Administrative Record for any related 

rulemakings. Interagency comment may 

be conducted in addition to peer review, 

or may comprise the peer review 

required by Sections 2 and/or 3 of this 

Bulletin if it is conducted in accordance 

with the requirements of this Bulletin. 

Section 9. Effective Date and Existing 

Law 

The requirements of this Bulletin 

apply to information disseminated on or 

after January 1, 2004. The requirements 

are not intended to displace other peer 

review mechanisms already created by 

law. Any such mechanisms should be 

employed in a manner as consistent as 

possible with the practices and 

procedures laid out herein. Agencies 

may consult with OIRA regarding the 

relationship of this Bulletin with 

preexisting law.

[FR Doc. 03–23367 Filed 9–12–03; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3110–01–P

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).

DATES: The required interest rate for 

determining the variable-rate premium 

under part 4006 applies to premium 

payment years beginning in September 

2003. The interest assumptions for 

performing multiemployer plan 

valuations following mass withdrawal 

under part 4281 apply to valuation dates 

occurring in October 2003.

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 

100 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 September 2003 is 5.31 percent. 

The following table lists the required 

interest rates to be used in determining 

variable-rate premiums for premium 

payment years beginning between 

October 2002 and September 2003.

For premium payment years beginning in: 

The required interest 

rate is: 

October 2002 ................................ 4.76

November 2002 ............................ 4.93

December 2002 ............................ 4.96

January 2003 ................................ 4.92

February 2003 .............................. 4.94

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

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

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

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

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

54030 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 178 / Monday, September 15, 2003 / Notices 

For premium payment years beginning in: 

The required interest 

rate is: 

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

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

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 October 

2003 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 8th day 

of September, 2003. 

Joseph H. Grant, 

Deputy Executive Director and Chief 

Operating Officer, Pension Benefit Guaranty 

Corporation.

[FR Doc. 03–23366 Filed 9–12–03; 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) will submit to the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) a request for review of a revised 

information collection. SF 2823, 

Designation of Beneficiary: 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 collection of 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. 

Approximately 40,000 SF 2823 forms 

are completed annually by annuitants 

and 1,000 forms are completed by 

assignees. Each form takes 

approximately 15 minutes to complete 

for an annual estimated burden of 

10,250 hours. 

For copies of this proposal, contact 

Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606–

8358, FAX (202) 418–3251 or via E-mail 

to mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please include a 

mailing address with your request.

DATES: Comments on this proposal 

should be received within 60 calendar 

days from the date of this publication.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments 

to—Christopher N. Meuchner, Life 

Insurance and Long Term Care Group, 

Center for Retirement and Insurance 

Services, U.S. Office of Personnel 

Management, 1900 E Street, NW., Room 

2H22, Washington, DC 20415–3661. 

For Information Regarding 

Administrative Coordination Contact:

Cyrus S. Benson, Team Leader, 

Publications Team, Support Group, 

(202) 606–0623.

Office of Personnel Management. 

Kay Coles James, 

Director.

[FR Doc. 03–23405 Filed 9–12–03; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6325–50–P

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL 

MANAGEMENT 

Proposed Collection; Comment 

Request for Review of a Revised 

Information Collection: Forms RI 20–7 

and RI 30–3

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. RI 20–7, 

Representative Payee Application, is 

used by the Civil Service Retirement 

System (CSRS) and the Federal 

Employees Retirement System (FERS) to 

collect information from persons 

applying to be fiduciaries for annuitants 

or survivor annuitants who appear to be 

incapable of handling their own funds 

or for minor children. RI 30–3, 

Information Necessary for a Competency 

Determination, collects medical 

information regarding the annuitant’s 

competency for OPM’s use in evaluating 

the annuitant’s condition. 

Comments are particularly invited on: 

Whether this collection of 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. 

Approximately 12,480 RI 20–7 forms 

will be completed annually. This form 

requires approximately 30 minutes to 

complete; the annual burden is 6,240 

hours. Approximately 250 RI 30–3 

forms will be completed annually. This 

form requires approximately 1 hour to 

complete; the annual burden is 250 

hours. The total annual burden is 6,490 

hours. 

For copies of this proposal, contact 

Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606–

8358, FAX (202) 418–3251 or via E-mail 

to mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please include a 

mailing address with your request.

DATES: Comments on this proposal 

should be received within 60 calendar 

days from the date of this publication.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments 

to— Ronald W. Melton, Chief, 

Operation Support Group, Center for 

Retirement and Insurance Services, U.S. 

Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E 

Street, NW., Room 3349A, Washington, 

DC 20415–3540.

FOR INFORMATION REGARDING

ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATION—CONTACT:

Cyrus S. Benson, Team Leader, 

Publications Team, Support Group, 

(202) 606–0623.

Office of Personnel Management. 

Kay Coles James, 

Director.

[FR Doc. 03–23406 Filed 9–12–03; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6325–50–P